Mississauga, is a city with a population of 668,549 as of the Canada 2006 Census. Mississauga is Canada's sixth-most populous municipality, located in the Regional Municipality of Peel, Ontario, and part of the Greater Toronto Area.

The town is ranked as a top 100 employer, and is a major business hub in the Greater Toronto area. Its economy is widely diversified in manufacturing, business services, and distribution, and includes a large number of retail services as well. It is recognized as Canada's safest city because it provides excellent services in fire and police, and other emergency services. Roads are efficient and well maintained. The community has neighborhoods of varied income, and many residents enjoy a very comfortable standard of living. Mississauga has an excellent education system, and numerous recreational facilities and parks.

Mississauga has been incorporated in 1974. With the exception of Port Credit and Streetsville, the township settlements of Lakeview, Cooksville, Lorne Park, Clarkson, Erindale, Sheridan, Dixie, Meadowvale Village, and Malton were amalgamated by a somewhat unpopular provincial decree in 1968 to form the Town of Mississauga. The town name was chosen by plebiscite over "Sheridan". Political will, as well as a belief that a larger city would be a hegemony in Peel County, kept Port Credit and Streetsville as independent island towns encircled by the Town of Mississauga. In 1974, both were annexed by Mississauga when it reincorporated as a city. That year, the sprawling Square One shopping centre opened, which has since expanded many times its original size.

Mississauga has been described as a "city of communities trying to grow from the outside in." Behind its modern facade, Mississauga is a community whose civic identity and character has been shaped by the histories of its constituent communities. Where most cities develop around a focal point or key industry, Mississauga evolved from the marriage of several towns, villages, and hamlets into an urban centre with a diverse economy and heritage.

Mississauga is a city rich in culture and the arts. There are many local studios where children and adults can learn how to dance in Mississauga. Mississauga Ballet is a not-for-profit organization that provides recreational ballet, jazz and modern dance classes to girls (3yrs and over); K-Dance; Pre-Ballet & Classical Ballet. Also offers pre-enrichment and enrichment classes for girls (8yrs & over). A special experience for young children that builds on their natural love of music and movement to lay the foundation for studies in other forms of dance.

Mississauga covers 288.42 square kilometres (111.4 square miles) of land, fronting 13 kilometres (8 miles) of shoreline on Lake Ontario.

Mississauga is bound by Oakville and Milton to the west, Brampton to the north, Toronto to the east, and Lake Ontario to the south. Halton Hills borders Mississauga's north-west corner. With the exception of the southeast border with Toronto (Etobicoke Creek), Mississauga shares a land border with all previous mentioned municipalities.

Two major river valleys feed into the lake. The Credit River is by far the longest with the heaviest flow, it divides the western side of Mississauga from the central/eastern portions and enters the lake at the Port Credit harbour. The indented, mostly forested valley was inhabited by native peoples long before European exploration of the area. The valley is protected and maintained by the Credit Valley Conservation Authority.

Most land in Mississauga drains to either of the two main river systems, with the exception of the smaller Mary Fix and Cooksville Creeks which run roughly through the center of Mississauga entering the lake near Port Credit. Some small streams and reservoirs are part of the Sixteen Mile Creek system in the far north-west corner of the city, but these drain into the lake in neighbouring Oakville.

The Toronto Pearson International Airport is located in Mississauga. It accounts for one-third of all air traffic in Canada, and serves the Greater Toronto area. The airport serves as the hub for Air Canada.

The Mississauga Transit has an extensive network of bus routes throughout the city. It is an award-winning transportation system, and has excelled in the areas of customer satisfaction and overall safety.

The city also has an extensive trail network, offering residents and travelers interesting views of both urban and the natural environments. These trails can be used for cycling, walking, jogging, and inline skating.

Mississauga's climate is considered moderate. The summer months can bring high temperatures sometimes accompanied by high humidity levels. The average temperature in July and August is 20 C (70 F) but the temperature can soar to 30 C (86 F) and above. A high humidity level can make the temperature appear even warmer still. Winters in Mississauga can be cold, with temperatures most often below the freezing mark. The average temperature in January and February is -6 C (21 F). Colder periods with temperatures as low as -15 C (-4 F) in these months are not uncommon. On the same token brief periods of warmer temperatures also occur on occasion throughout the winter season. The snowfall in Mississauga is relatively low compared with the rest of the province and the rest of Canada.