It is situated in mid-northern Poland, on the boundary between the two historic regions from which it takes its name: Kuyavia (Polish: Kujawy) and Pomerania (Polish: Pomorze).

Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship was created on 1 January 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms adopted in 1998. It consisted of territory from the former Bydgoszcz, Toruń and Włocławek Voivodeships.

The functions of regional capital are shared between two cities: Bydgoszcz and ToruÅ„. Bydgoszcz serves as the seat of the centrally appointed governor or voivode (Polish: wojewoda), while ToruÅ„ is the seat of the elected Regional Assembly (sejmik), and of the executive elected by that assembly, headed by the voivodeship marshal (marszaÅ‚ek województwa).