• Detroit, founded in 1701 by French explorers as Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit, is the largest U.S. city on the Canada–US border, sitting directly across from Windsor, Ontario.
  • It rose to prominence as the heart of the U.S. automotive industry, becoming home to the "Big Three" automakers (General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis) and peaking at 1.85 million residents in 1950.
  • After decades of industrial decline and suburbanization, the city lost over 65% of its population and became the largest U.S. city to file for bankruptcy in 2013, though it successfully exited in 2014 and reported its first population growth since the 1950s in 2025.
  • Culturally, Detroit is legendary for birthing Motown and techno music, and in 2015 it became the first and only U.S. city designated a "City of Design" by UNESCO.
  • Today, it is a revitalized tourist hub attracting about 16 million visitors annually, featuring restored historic theaters, new sports stadiums, and a riverfront revitalization, while remaining a major port and the anchor of a 4.4-million-person metro area.