Mobile is located on the central Gulf Coast of the United States with the population of 198,915, according to the 2000 census. It is the principal municipality of the Mobile Metropolitan Statistical Area which is the second largest MSA in the state. Mobile is the second largest CSA in the state.

In 1702, it became the first capital of colonial French Louisiana. Its name is derived from the Native American Mobilian tribe that the French colonists found in the area of Mobile Bay. In 1813, it became of the United States of America. The city is the only seaport in Alabama and is located at the junction of the Mobile River and Mobile Bay on the northern Gulf of Mexico.

The Port of Mobile has great contributions to economic health of the city and is the largest port in the United States. It is primarily known for having the oldest organized Carnival celebrations in the U.S.