Goldenrod City (Japanese: コガネシティ Kogane City) is a sprawling metropolis located in western Johto. It is the largest city in the region, rivaling Saffron City, the largest city in Kanto. Goldenrod is the center of the region's economy and telecommunications.

Major attractions for Trainers include the Johto Radio Tower, located at the west end of the main east-west path through the city, is the source of all PokéGear broadcasts in Johto. An antenna on top of the tower transmits three radio programs daily, with a fourth program being aired between 6 P.M. and 12 A.M. every night. The building has three studios spread over five floors. The radio tower broadcasts numerous programs daily, the most prominent of such being Professor Oak's Pokémon Talk and Buena's Password, a new radio show that debuted in Pokémon Crystal.the city's Department Store.

The lone Bike Shop in Johto is located in an isolated neighborhood in east Goldenrod, where business doesn't seem to be doing very good. The owner of the shop moved his business from Cerulean City to Goldenrod.

The Goldenrod Department Store, located in the city center, claims to have a full selection of Pokémon Goods for Trainers. Though the store does not carry vital items such as Hyper Potions, Full Restores, or Ultra Balls, it does back up its claim by boasting the widest selection of specialty items in Johto. It takes up quite a bit of space in Goldenrod City and is easy to find.
The store is composed of nine levels, including two basements and six shopping floors. The uppermost floor features a rooftop square. The rooftop cannot be accessed by the elevator, instead the player must travel up the final flight of stairs. Some binoculars let spectators see things far away. Some people go up to the roof top to take a break from shopping.
The basements of the store connect to the Underground Path, which encompasses most of western Goldenrod. A team of workers and a Machoke are moving boxes around. People get told off by the worker for going down and distracting them. This is one of the endpoints of the Goldenrod Underground Path. Every time the player enters the area, the boxes will be moved in various places, allowing access to items that are on the ground in blocked rooms.

Saffron City and Goldenrod City are linked by a railway used by the Magnet Train, a high-speed train that runs regularly between the two cities. The train follows no set schedule, making the Magnet Train an ideal way to travel between Kanto and Johto.

An underground path, often called the "Underground", runs from the southwestern side of the city to the northwestern area, with a branch leading from the Underground to the department store. A pair of groomers in the tunnel will groom Pokémon, increasing the friendship value for the groomed Pokémon, for a small fee.