Jiaozuo, known as Shanyang and Huaizhou in ancient times, is a prefecture level city under the jurisdiction of Henan Province. It is a regional central city in the Central Plains urban agglomeration of China and the border area between Henan and Shanxi approved by the State Council. As of 2018, the city has jurisdiction over 4 districts, 4 counties and 2 county-level cities, with a total area of 4071 square kilometers. According to the data of the seventh population census, as of 00:00 on November 1, 2020, the permanent population of Jiaozuo City is 3521078.

Jiaozuo is located in central China, northwest Henan, north of Taihang Mountains, bordering Jincheng, Shanxi Province, south of the Yellow River, across the river from Zhengzhou and Luoyang, east of Xinxiang, west of Jiyuan. It is a famous "coal city with a history of 100 years" and an old industrial base, a national intellectual property pilot city, and a national new industrialization demonstration base.

Jiaozuo is one of the central areas of the early activities of the Chinese nation. It has Peiligang culture, Yangshao culture and Longshan cultural sites. It is the hometown of historical and cultural celebrities such as Sima Yi, Han Yu, Li Shangyin, Zhu Zaiyu, Xu Heng, Seven Sages in the Bamboo Forest, Shantao and Xiangxiu. It is the birthplace of Chinese Taijiquan and has three 5A scenic spots, including Yuntai Mountain, Shennong Mountain and Qingtianhe.

In 2020, the total GDP of Jiaozuo City will be 212.4 billion yuan, and the general public budget revenue will exceed 15 billion yuan. In 2019, the livable cities in Henan ranked second in Jiaozuo City and second in Zhengzhou Metropolitan Circle. In October 2020, it was rated as the National Model City (County) for Double Support. In November 2020, it was selected as a national health city. On November 20, 2020, Jiaozuo won the title of the sixth "National Civilized City".