Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County.[3] The municipality is located in northwest Ohio on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan. The city was founded in 1833 on the west bank of the Maumee River, originally incorporated as part of Monroe County, Michigan Territory; then re-founded in 1837, after conclusion of theToledo War, when it was incorporated in Ohio. Toledo grew quickly as a result of the Miami and Erie Canal and its position on the railway line between New York and Chicago. It has since become a city well known for its industry, particularly in glass and auto assembly (Jeep headquarters and related auto parts production), as well as for its art community, education, and local sports teams.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 84.1 square miles, of which 80.6 square miles is land and 3.5 square miles (4.10%) is water. The city straddles the Maumee River at the southern end of Maumee Bay, the westernmost inlet of Lake Erie. Toledo sits north of what had been the Great Black Swamp, giving rise to another nickname, Frog Town. An important ecological site, Toledo sits within the borders of a sandy oak savanna called the Oak Openings Region that once took up over 300 square miles.