Detroit is a place.
Detroit ( [ dᵻˈtrɔɪt ] ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan , the largest city on the United States -- Canada border , and the seat of Wayne County . The metropolitan area , known as Metro Detroit , is home to 4.3 million people , making it the second-largest in the Midwest . 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 .