Hubli, officially known as Hubballi is the second largest city in Karnataka, located about 85 kilometers south of the Maharashtra-Karnataka border. The city is of high importance to North Karnataka since it lies at focal point for four major Indian cities Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune and Hyderabad. Hubli is also one of the gateway to enter the state of Goa.

The name Hubballi literally means “Flowering creeper” in Kannada. Hubballi and Dharwad collectively referred to as “Hubli-Dharwad”, Hubballi-Dharwad are called as the twin cities of Karnataka and also second largest city in Karnataka after Bengaluru. While Dharwad is the administrative headquarters, the city of Hubli, situated about 20 km south-east of Dharwad, is the commercial centre and business hub of North Karnataka region.

Crops including cotton, chilly and peanuts are grown aplenty in the surrounding rural agricultural areas, and Hubli is a major trading centre for these commodities. It is also an important city for the Indian Railways, as it is the headquarters for South Western Railway Zone and the Hubli Railway Division. Hubli is a major railway junction in North Karnataka. It is also the headquarters of North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation. Hubli also houses the largest number of government offices outside Bangalore.

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The population of Hubli-Dharwad, as per provisional census 2011 figures, is 1,349,563. Hubli-Dharwad’s population increased 22.99% between 1981 and 1991, from 527,108 to 648,298; and by 21.2% between 1991 and 2001. The corporation covers 202 km2. It is the second largest and second most populated city in the state of Karnataka. It has a large floating population of over 2 lakh which stands second after Bangalore in Karnataka.The people of Hubli extensively use Kannada for communication.

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Hubli-Dharwad has a tropical wet and dry climate. Summers are hot and dry, lasting from late February to early June. They are followed by the monsoon season, with moderate temperatures and a large amount of precipitation. Temperatures are fairly moderate from late October to early February, with virtually no rainfall. Hubli is 640 meters above M.S.L. The average yearly rainfall is 838 mm.