Located in Southern Brazil, Curitiba is a somewhat humid city in a Subtropical zone. It is located in a plateau and the flat terrain with flooded areas contribute to its mild and damp winter, with average temperatures of 13 °C (55 °F) in the coldest month, falling slightly below 0 °C (32 °F), on the coldest days. During summer, the average temperature is around 21 °C (70 °F), but gets above 32 °C (90 °F) on hot days. It received snowfall in 1928 and 1975. The highest temperature ever recorded in the city was 35.6 °C (96.1 °F). The all-time record lowest temperature was −8 °C (17.6 °F), but there is an unofficial record of −10.4 °C (13 °F).

In fact, of Brazil's twenty-six state capitals, Curitiba is the coldest due to altitude, despite being 600 kilometres (370 mi) north of Porto Alegre, the southernmost state capital in Brazil, but located at sea level.

Curitiba has a master planned transportation system, which includes lanes on major streets devoted to a bus rapid transit system. The buses are long, split into three sections (bi-articulated), and stop at designated elevated tubes, complete with disabled access. There is only one price no matter how far you travel and you pay at the bus stop. The system, used by 85% of Curitiba's population, is the source of inspiration for the TransMilenio in Bogotá, Colombia, Metrovia in Guayaquil, Ecuador,as well as the Orange Line of Los Angeles, California, and for a future transportation system in Panama City, Panama. The city has also paid careful attention to preserving and caring for its green areas, boasting 54 square metres (580 sq ft) of green space per inhabitant.

According to IPEA data, the GDP is estimated at real 29 billion, without recording activities in the agriculture and livestock farming (0.03%) sectors. Industry represented 34.13% and the commerce and service sectors 65.84%.

Cidade Industrial de Curitiba, the industrial district of Curitiba, is home to many multinational industries, such as Nissan, Renault, Volkswagen, Audi, HSBC, Siemens, ExxonMobil, and Kraft Foods, as well as many national industries, such as Sadia, O Boticário, Positivo Informática. The city attracts diverse industries through its excellent infrastructure (hotels, transportation, restaurants). Curitiba's infrastructure makes bus travel fast and convenient, effectively creating demand for bus use in the same way that the infrastructure of traditional cities creates demand for private motor vehicles.

The GDP for the city is R $29,821,203,000 (2005).

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