Dezhou, referred to as "De" in ancient times, is a prefecture-level city in Shandong Province. It has been approved by The State Council as a transportation hub and economic center in the border area between Hebei and Shandong, an important industrial and trade city in northwest Shandong, and a new energy industry base in Shandong Province. By 2019, the city has jurisdiction over 2 districts, 7 counties and 2 county-level cities, with a total area of 10,356 square kilometers. According to the seventh census, as of midnight on November 1, 2020, the permanent population of Dezhou was 5611,194.

Dezhou is located in East China, northwest Shandong, the alluvial plain of the lower reaches of the Yellow River. It is the northwest gate of Shandong, bordering Cangzhou in the north, Jinan and Liaocheng in the south, Hengshui in the west and Binzhou in the east. Dezhou is located in the alluvial plain of the Yellow River. In history, there were two great migrations of the Yellow River and thousands of breaches within the territory, creating a topography high in the southwest and low in the northeast. The basic climatic characteristics are significant monsoon influence, distinct four seasons, and clear boundary between cold, hot, dry and wet.

Dezhou is one of China's Sun City, China's Functional Sugar City, China's excellent tourism city and one of the national transportation hub cities. It is located in the intersection area of Bohai Rim Economic Circle, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Economic Circle, Shandong Peninsula Blue Economic Zone and Yellow River Delta efficient Ecological Economic Zone. Dezhou has many local specialties, among which Dezhou braised chicken, Baodian donkey meat and Leling gold jujube are known as the three treasures of Dezhou.

In September 2016, Dezhou was selected as one of the "Top 100 prefecture-level City Livelihood Development in China". Dezhou was listed as one of the first batch of national comprehensive pilot areas for new urbanization. In 2018, the National Health City (district) was re-recognized. In October 2020, it was rated as the national model city (county) of double support.

In 2021, the GDP of Dezhou reached 348.872 billion yuan, up 8.3% year on year.