Quito (official name: San Francisco de Quito) is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in northern Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin on the eastern slopes of the Pichincha (15,728 ft; 4,795 m), an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains. The city's elevation is 9,300 ft (2,850 m) above sea level (measured at the Plaza de la Independencia), making Quito the second highest capital city in the world. The area of Quito is approximately 112 square miles (290 sq km).

Quito is located about 15 miles (25 km) south of the equator. A monument marking the equator is known locally as la mitad del mundo (the middle of the world).

Quito is the second most populous city in Ecuador after Guayaquil though it is about four times larger in population than Cuenca, the third largest city.