Hubli, officially known as Hubballi is the second largest city in Karnataka. It forms continuous urban area with the city of Dharwad. The cities are located about 90 kilometres south of Maharashtra-Karnataka border. Hubli is the largest city of North Karnataka. The name Hubballi literally means "Flowering creeper" in Kannada. While Dharwad is the administrative headquarters, the city of Hubli, situated about 20 km south-east of Dharwad, is the commercial centre and business hub of North Karnataka region. Crops including cotton, chilly and peanuts are grown aplenty in the surrounding rural agricultural areas, and Hubli is a major trading centre for these commodities. It is also an important city for the Indian Railways, as it is the headquarters for South Western Railway Zone and the Hubli Railway Division. Hubli is a major railway junction in North Karnataka. It is also the headquarters of North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation. Hubli also houses the largest number of government offices outside Bangalore, Hubli-Dharwad is selected for Solar City / Green City Master Plans .
