Founded in 1998, Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship is centrally located in northern Poland, between Pomorze and Mazury lake districts. It covers  the area of  17.972 sq kilometres and equals 5.7 % of Poland’s territory. 2.1 million inhabitants stand for 5.4 % of Poland’s population. Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship incorporated former voivodeships of Bydgoskie, Toruńskie and Włocławskie with the exception of gminas (communes): Chojnice, miasto Chojnice, Czersk, Brusy (now part of Chojnicki Poviat in Pomorskie Voivodeship), Nowe Miasto Lubawskie, Biskupiec, Grodziczno, Kurzętnik (now in Nowomiejski Poviat in Warmińsko-Mazurkie Voivodeship), Trzemeszno (part of Gniezno Poviat in Wielkoposkie Voivodeship).

The voivode’s office and majority of central government administration are situated in Bydgoszcz whereas self government administration and Voivodeship’s Sejmik (assembly) is located in Toruń.

With its 52 cities and towns, Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship divides into 19 poviats: Aleksandrowski, Brodnicki, Bydgoski, Chełmiński, Golubsko-dobrzyński, Grudziądzki, Inowrocławski, Lipnowski, Mogileński, Nakielski, Radziejowski, Rypiński, Sępoleński, Świecki, Toruński, Tucholski, Wąbrzeski, Włocławski, Żniński and 4 cities-poviats: Bydgoszcz, Grudziądz, Toruń and Włocławek.

The cities of: Bydgoszcz with 361.000 citizens (28.6 % urban population of the voivodeship, 17.5 % of the total population), Toruń – 207.000 (16.4 %/10.0%), Włocławek - 118.000 (9.4%/5.7%) and Grudziądz – 99.000 (7.8%/4.8%) are the largest urban areas. Inowrocław with its population of 76.000 is considered as one of the major cities as well. 16 towns, including Brodnica, Świecie and Chełmno, with population spanning from 10.000 to 30.000 are considered medium-sized towns. The remaining towns are significant centres of sub-regional importance (with developed industry, education facilities and transport hubs), as some of them are poviats (or had been - until 1975). 30 small towns, under 10.000 citizens, are varied in their municipal functions.