Thunder Bay is located in northwestern Ontario, on Lake Superior. Situated in an agricultural, forestry, mining, and fishing region, Thunder Bay is a major port with extensive grain storage facilities. It also is a commercial and manufacturing center. Products include paper, wood, processed foods, chemicals, transportation equipment, metal goods, and building materials. Tourism and technology-based businesses are also important to the city's economy. Thunder Bay is home to Lakehead University and to a community college, which has the Thunder Bay Art Gallery.

Thunder Bay incorporated in 1970 with the amalgamation of the cities of Fort William and Port Arthur and the townships of Neebing and McIntyre. The city worked to revitalize its two downtown areas during the 1990s. In 1999 the Northwestern Ontario Technology Centre opened in Thunder Bay. A 2006 real estate survey has estimated the population of Thunder Bay, Ontario at 122,907.