Stuttgart is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. Located on the Neckar river within a fertile valley known as the Stuttgarter Kessel, the city is situated approximately one hour from the Swabian Jura and the Black Forest.
As of 2023, Stuttgart has a population of 613,111, making it the sixth largest city in Germany. Its administrative region houses over 2.8 million people, while its metropolitan area contains nearly 5.5 million residents, ranking as the fourth largest metropolitan area in the country. The city's metropolitan area is consistently ranked among the top five European metropolitan areas by GDP.
Stuttgart has received various international rankings regarding quality of life and innovation, including a Beta-status global city designation from the Globalization and World Cities Research Network in 2020. Additionally, the city served as a host site for the official tournaments of both the 1974 and 2006 FIFA World Cups.