Montego Bay, proclaimed a city in 1980, is the second largest city in Jamaica. It is also the location of Jamaica's largest airport, the Sir Donald Sangster International. To tourists, the city is perhaps most known for its duty free shopping and for the cruise line terminal at its Free Port situated on a man-made peninsula. Montego Bay has the 3rd largest population Jamaica after Kingston and the Spanish Town of St Catherine.

Tourism is important to the economy of Montego Bay. One of the city's most popular beaches is Doctor's Cave Beach, which is famous for its turquoise waters. The Bay itself is surrounded by picturesque low mountains that add to the appeal of the island. The island is also known for its world class golf courses.

The city is also known for its large regional hospital, the Cornwall Regional Hospital and for its port facilities. The city is peppered with second homes for upper class Jamaicans, Europeans, and Americans. Fine restaurants can be found all over the city and the bay is occupied by numerous resorts and hotels. Montego Bay aims to become a top Caribbean destination and city officials are implementing changes and modernizations to help the city reach that goal.

Several movies have been set against the background of Montego Bay. These movies include 'How Stella Got Her Groove Back'. It was the namesake of a song by Bobby Bloom, which was recorded in the 1970s and later on covered by John Stevens. The city is also a big element in the book 'Rule of Bone' by Russell Banks.