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Jambi is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of Jambi. Located on the island of Sumatra, the city is a busy port on the Batang Hari River and an oil- and rubber-producing centre. The city is located from the ruins of Muaro Jambi Temple Compounds, an important city in the ancient Srivijaya kingdom.

Nearby towns and villages include Mendalo, Kinati, Padang, Tanjung Johor, Paal Merah, and Muara Kumpe. Jambi City itself is an enclave within Muaro Jambi Regency.

Jambi is served by the Sultan Thaha Airport.

Bujang dan Gadis Jambi mengenakan pakaian adat Melayu Jambi bersama tokoh Nurdin Halid. Kota Jambi merupakan wilayah dengan jumlah penduduk paling banyak di provinsi Jambi, yakni sekitar 17% dari keseluruhan populasi penduduk provinsi Jambi. Dari 621.365 jiwa pada tahun 2021, penduduk kota Jambi juga termasuk yang paling majemuk di provinsi Jambi. Suku asli provinsi Jambi terdiri dari suku Melayu Jambi, Batin, Penghulu, Pindah, Suku Anak Dalam dan Kerinci. Suku Jambi (Melayu Jambi, Batin, Penghulu, Pindah) merupakan suku bangsa paling dominan di kota Jambi. Setidaknya ada 6 suku bangsa yang memiliki jumlah signifikan di kota Jambi yakni suku Jambi, Jawa, Minangkabau, Batak, Tionghoa, dan Melayu di luar orang Jambi.

Berdasarkan data Sensus Penduduk Indonesia 2010, penduduk kota Jambi yang berasal dari suku Jambi sudah termasuk semua sub-suku Melayu Jambi (Batin, Penghulu, Pindah) sebanyak 186.811 jiwa atau 35,35%, diikuti oleh orang Jawa sebanyak 110.527 jiwa atau 20,92%. Kemudian orang Minangkabau di kota Jambi sebanyak 58.484 jiwa atau 11,07%, kemudian Melayu lainnya di luar orang Jambi sebanyak 24.684 jiwa atau 4,67%. Suku lainnya seperti Batak dan Tionghoa, juga memiliki jumlah yang signifikan di kota Jambi.

Suku asal Sumatra lainnya di kota Jambi, didominasi oleh orang Batak, asal Sumatera Selatan, dan Kerinci. Selebihnya adalah orang Aceh, Nias, dan suku lainnya asal Sumatra. Sementara suku asal Jawa lainnya kebanyakan adalah orang Sunda. Sementara suku lainnya, didominasi oleh warga keturunan Tionghoa, kemudian suku asal Kalimantan sebagian besar adalah suku Banjar, dan dari Sulawesi sebagian besar adalah orang Bugis.

The history of the city of Jambi is inextricably linked with ancient Malay kingdoms and the maritime trade that flourished in this region for centuries. The city emerged as one of the key centres on the island of Sumatra, playing a vital role in the economic and cultural life of Southeast Asia.

The first settlements in the territory of modern Jambi appeared due to the existence of the ancient Melayu Kingdom, which is mentioned in Chinese chronicles as early as the 7th century. The Chinese Buddhist monk and traveller Yijing visited the state of Melayu during his journey to India in 671, which historians believe was located in this very region. Later, this territory became a crucial part of the powerful maritime empire of Srivijaya, which dominated the region from the 7th to the 13th centuries. Jambi, alongside Palembang, was one of the key hubs of this empire.

In the Srivijaya era, Jambi became a significant centre of Buddhism. Evidence of this is the Muaro Jambi temple complex, one of the largest in Southeast Asia, built between the 11th and 13th centuries. This complex served not only as a religious site but also as an educational centre. The city's economy depended entirely on river and maritime trade, making it a prosperous and cosmopolitan hub where different cultures and peoples met. The state of Tanah Pilih, the predecessor of modern Jambi, was founded on 28 May 1401, and became the Sultanate of Jambi in 1615, a wealthy centre for the trade of pepper and gold.

The Sultanate of Jambi entered into trade relations with the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in the mid 17th century, marking the beginning of European influence in the region. The Dutch intervened in 1858 in the internal affairs of the Sultanate, installing their own appointee and gaining control over the region's economy. After prolonged resistance, Dutch colonial troops finally conquer the Sultanate in 1904, killing the last Sultan, Thaha Syaifuddin, in battle.

Following the Japanese occupation of 1942 to 1945 during World War II, Jambi became part of the proclaimed independent Republic of Indonesia on 17 August 1945. Jambi City was denoted as the administrative capital of the Jambi Autonomic Area by the Governor of Sumatra on 17 May 1946. In 1956, Jambi city was given its city status, and eventually became the capital of Jambi Province on 6 January 1957.

The total land area of Jambi city is. Jambi city is located in the southwestern portion of the Sumatran Basin, a low-lying area in Eastern Sumatra with an altitude of 0 to 60m above sea level. A segment of the Batang Hari River, the longest river in Sumatra at, flows through Jambi City.

Jambi has a tropical rainforest climate (Af) according to the Köppen climate classification, with a minimum temperature of and a maximum temperature of. The level of humidity ranges from 82 to 28%. The annual rainfall of Jambi City is, with the rainy season lasting from October to March with 20 rainy days a month. The dry season lasts from April to September with an average of 16 rainy days a month.