Detroit is a place.
Detroit . Detroit is a major port on the Detroit River , a strait that connects the Great Lakes system to the Saint Lawrence Seaway . Detroit is best-known as the center of the American automobile industry , and the `` Big Three '' auto manufacturers General Motors , Ford , and Chrysler are all headquartered in Metro Detroit . In 2013 , Detroit became the largest U.S. city to file for bankruptcy , which it successfully exited in December 2014 , when the city government regained control of Detroit 's finances . In 2015 , Detroit was named a `` City of Design '' by UNESCO , the first U.S. city to receive that designation .