Porte Maillot is one of over 60 portes de Paris (Paris city gates) and one of 35 entrance/exit point of the Boulevard Périphérique, the ring road encircling Paris that is mostly built along the Thiers city wall.

Porte Maillot is an interchange between the Boulevard Périphérique, the Place de l’Étoile and La Défense business district. Seen from above, it looks almost like a rugby ball. Currently, however, it is a giant construction site, as part of the reorganization of the entire interchange area.

On the north, it is flanked by the Palais des Congrès, a concert venue, convention center and shopping mall, beyond which towers the Hyatt Regency hotel.

The train station in the northeast corner gives access to the RER C. The current building, constructed at the time of the 1900 World Fair, has barely changed in over a hundred years.