Wigan is located in northwestern England. The borough of Wigan is one of ten metropolitan boroughs of Greater Manchester, the third most populous county in England with over 2.5 million people. The town of Wigan is the main community in the borough of Wigan. The town of Wigan has a population of over 80,000 people, while the wider borough population is over 300,000 people. Overall, the borough is divided into 25 electoral wards, or districts.

Wigan is part of the Greater Manchester Urban Area, a major centre of English business, commerce, entertainment, education, sports, transportation and tourism.

Several major companies operate in Wigan. The town hosts the headquarters of the the top British sports retailer JJB Sports PLCm British bookmaker The Tote, and the mint company Uncle Joe's Mint Balls. Additional major business operations are by food company H. J. Heinz Company and financial company Girobank.

The newly built Grand Arcade shopping centre is the main shopping area in Wigan. It opened in 2007 and was constructed at the expense of over £120 million. There are current plans and works to develop new shopping and leisure facilities in the areas of Wigan Pier.

Wigan is home to two professional sports teams. Wigan Athletic Football Club compete in the English Premier League, the top division of English Football. Wigan Warriors Rugby League Football Club play in the Super League. Both teams are based at the 25,000 capacity JJB Stadium.

Higher education is available at the further education colleges of Winstanley College and Wigan and Leigh College.

Wigan has two main railway stations, both located in the city centre within walking distane of eachother. The Wigan North Western railway station is served by Virgin Trains and includes service to London along the West Coast Main Line. The Wigan Wallgate railway station is served by Northern Rail and is located along the Manchester-Southport Line.

There is a local bus transport system in Wigan operated by Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive, and long distance services provided by National Express.

Whatever lacks in Wigan can be easily found in nearby Manchester City or other parts of the Greater Manchester area.