Nantes is a city located in the Loire-Atlantique department of France. It sits on the Loire River, approximately 50 km (31 mi) from the Atlantic coast. The city serves as a major urban center in north-western France and forms one of the region's primary metropolitan agglomerations alongside the seaport of Saint-Nazaire.
As of 2023, Nantes proper has a population of 327,734, making it the sixth largest city in France. The broader metropolitan area exceeded 1 million inhabitants as of 2022.