Detroit, Michigan takes its name from a word meaning what?

Detroit is the most populous city in the US state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 census, making it the 26th-most populous city in the United States and the largest US city on the Canada–United States border. The Metro Detroit area, home to 4.3 million people, is the second-largest in the Midwest after the Chicago metropolitan area and the 14th-largest in the United States.

Detroit is named after the Detroit River, connecting Lake Huron with Lake Erie. The name comes from the French language word “détroit” meaning "strait" as the city was situated on a narrow north–south passage of water linking the two lakes. The river was known as “le détroit du Lac Érié” in the French language, which means “the strait of Lake Erie.” In the historical context, the strait included the St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair, and the Detroit River.