The City of Toledo is located in (and is the county seat of) Lucas County in northwestern Ohio, approximately 75 miles east of the Ohio-Indiana border. The City covers an area of 84 square miles and borders on Lake Erie to the east and the State of Michigan to the north.

The City's 2000 population of 313,619 made it the fourth largest city in Ohio and the 57th largest in the United States.

The City has convenient access to three of the country's most traveled interstates, I-80, I-90, and I-75. Its location has allowed it to have one of the most active rail hubs in the United States and made it a center for the trucking industry. Its own Toledo Express Airport offers commercial convenience and affordability and is the 15th busiest cargo airport in the nation.The Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority provides cargo facilities for ships using the Port of Toledo at the mouth of the Maumee River, which has been recognized as one of the Great Lakes' most diversified international cargo facilities. The new signature bridge, Veterans' Glass City Skyway (formerly known as the Maumee River Crossing), is a landmark project. The Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority provides mass transit bus service to the city and surrounding areas.

The Toledo City School District is the principal school system within Toledo, and the fourth largest school system in the State. It serves approximately 36,719 pupils in 61 elementary, junior high and senior high schools. The University of Toledo offers a diverse curriculum from bachelors through doctorate degrees. It has eight colleges that offer undergraduate and graduate programs to 20, 800 students. The Medical College of Ohio, a State medical and health science center is comprised of four specialized schools providing quality health care education and has three teaching hospitals

Four major acute care hospitals are located within the City: The Toledo Hospital (705 beds); St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center (580 beds); Medical College and Hospitals of Ohio (319 beds); and St. Anne Mercy Hospital (80 beds).

Many cultural and recreational opportunities are available in the City and the County. The Toledo Museum of Art, located within the City, is a privately endowed, nonprofit institution noted for the quality of its permanent collection and art education programs, as well as for its display of traveling exhibits. In 2001, the Museum of Art celebrated its 100th anniversary, completed a major renovation and restoration of its existing facilities and dedicated a new sculpture garden. In 2002, the Museum announced plans to construct a new 57,6000 square foot Center for Glass, celebrating the City's role as the Glass City. The Glass Pavillion is currently scheduled to open in mid-2006.

The Columbus, Ohio-based Center of Science and Industry (COSI) operates a science museum in Downtown Toledo along the Maumee River. COSI is a dynamic center of hands-on science, learning and fun, and features both permanent and traveling exhibits.

The Valentine Theatre, is a 108-year-old 901-seat facility operated by the Toledo Cultural Arts Center, Inc. The Theatre underwent a $28 million renovation which was unveiled on October 9, 1999. It serves as the home of the Toledo Symphony, the Toledo Ballet , which provide a variety of musical, dance and theatrical productions annually. The Valentine contains a 901-seat auditorium, three rehearsal halls, administrative office, and state-of-the art sound and lighting systems.

Library services throughout the County are provided by the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library. The Library provides services on a County-wide basis through its Main Library in Downtown Toledo and 18 branch libraries throughout the County.It has the third larges public library collection in the State with over 2.3 million books and annual circulation of over 6 million.

The Toledo Zoo, located within the City and owned and operated by the Toledo Zoological Society, a private nonprofit organization, is nationally recognized as one of the most comprehensive zoological institutions in the nation. The most ambitious project in Toledo Zoo history?Africa!?opened to the public on May 1, 2004.

Toledo owns and operates 144 parks covering 2,367 acres, and the Metroparks of the Toledo Area preserves 8,000 acres of natural, historical and cultural parklands in Lucas County. Eleven scenic parks and two recreational trails provide access and interpretation in northwest Ohio?s premier natural areas. Sailing, boating and fishing are common activities on Lake Erie and the Maumee River, which flows through the City

The City is the home of the Toledo Mud Hens, a Class AAA professional baseball team whose parent club is the Detroit Tigers. On April 9, 2002, a new 10,000-seat County-owned baseball stadium for the Mud Hens opened in the Toledo Warehouse District.

The City is also the home of the Toledo Storm, an East Coast Hockey League professional hockey team affiliated with the Detroit Red Wings. The Toledo Storm play its home games in the Toledo Sports Arena located near the Downtown area of the City.