Mississauga is located on the northwest shore of Lake Ontario. The largest of three municipalities in Peel Regional Municipality, Mississauga is also a commuter suburb within the Toronto metropolitan area. It is a rapidly growing industrial city; major manufactures include telecommunication and aerospace equipment, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, motor vehicles, appliances, steel and rubber products, and plastic and paper goods.

The city hall, an art gallery, and a conservatory are located in the Mississauga Civic Centre. Other sites include the Living Arts Centre, an arts facility; the Bradley Museum, a restored 1830s farmhouse; and Playdium, an electronic interactive theme park. The city also has several sports facilities, notably the Hershey Centre, home of the Mississauga Ice Dogs of the Ontario Hockey League. Nearby Port Credit, a former industrial town at the mouth of the picturesque Credit River, still has a mid-19th-century appearance but it is also the site of the Credit Village Marina, a waterfront facility that opened in 1997. A 2006 real estate survey has estimated the population of Mississauga, Ontario at 668,549.