Detroit is a place.
Detroit . The municipality of Detroit had a 2015 estimated population of 677,116 , making it the 21st-most populous city in the United States . Detroit is a major port on the Detroit River , a strait that connects the Great Lakes system to the Saint Lawrence Seaway . In 2015 , Detroit was named a `` City of Design '' by UNESCO , the first U.S. city to receive that designation .