It is the sixth-largest metropolitan area in the state of Ohio, behind Cincinnati–Northern Kentucky, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, and Akron.

Located on the border with Michigan, the metropolitan area includes the counties of Fulton, Lucas, and Wood.

[2] The Greater Toledo area has strong ties to Metro Detroit, located 40 miles (64 km) north, and has many daily commuters from southern Monroe County, Michigan.

[2] The wider region of Northwest Ohio adds Defiance, Hancock, Henry, Ottawa, Paulding, Putnam, Sandusky, Seneca, Van Wert, and Williams counties.

There has been a recent revitalization of Downtown Toledo and the Warehouse District, bringing in many new restaurants and bars to the area.

Recently, health care and technology firms have tried to make their way into the metropolitan, though growth in those sectors has been slow.