A city hall is the building where a city's government works and makes decisions. It's where the mayor has an office, where city council members meet to vote on local laws, and where city departments handle things like building permits, property records, and neighborhood planning.

In a city hall, you might find officials debating whether to build a new park, deciding how to spend the city's money, or helping residents who need to register a new business. The phrase can also refer to the government itself: when someone says “we need to talk to city hall about fixing that pothole,” they mean the city government, not just the building.

City halls often look impressive and important, built from stone or brick with grand entrances and tall columns. Many were designed this way deliberately: the building's stature reminds citizens that local government matters and should serve everyone in the community.

There's an expression, you can't fight city hall, which means you can't win against a powerful system or bureaucracy.