Laiwu was a prefecture-level city located in central Shandong Province, China. It was geographically bordered by the provincial capital of Jinan to the north, Zibo to the east, and Tai'an to the southwest. At its time as an independent administrative entity, it was recognized as the smallest prefecture-level city within the province.
According to the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 1,298,529 residents. All inhabitants lived within the built-up area, which consisted of two urban districts. In 2019, Laiwu officially became part of Jinan.