city, Wielkopolskie województwo (province), west-central Poland, on the Gwda River. Its economic growth has been steady since World War II. Industries include lumber mills, railroad workshops, potato-processing facilities, and an electric-bulb factory. The city is a railway junction on the Berlin-Gdańsk (Danzig) and Poznań-Kołobrzeg lines.

First chronicled in the 15th century, Piła received town rights in 1512. It passed to Prussia in 1772 and was returned to Poland in 1945. About 80 percent of Piła was destroyed during World War II. Pop. (2002) 75,074.