Garliava is located 10 km (6.2 mi) south from the center of Kaunas and has a territory of 3,65 km2.

Versions of the name in other languages include Polish: Godlewo, Russian: Годлево Godlevo, Belarusian: Гадле́ва Gadleva, Yiddish: גודלעווע Gudleve, Latvian: Garļava.

In 1809 Józef Godlewski [pl] built a Holy Trinity church [lt] and named the settlement Godlewo in his own honour, although Lithuanians started calling it Garliava.

It lay along a significant postal route between Saint Petersburg, Kaunas, Marijampolė, and Warsaw.

Godlewski also built a place of worship for Lutherans and a synagogue for Jews.