Jining is a prefecture-level city located in southwestern Shandong province, China. It shares borders with several neighboring regions, including Heze to the southwest, Zaozhuang to the southeast, and Tai'an to the northeast. The city also sits along the boundaries of Henan province to the northwest and Jiangsu province to the south.
The city is situated directly to the north of Lake Nanyang. It serves as a significant inland port because it is currently the northernmost city reachable by navigation on China's Grand Canal.