The Shire is the main homeland of Hobbits in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth.
It is a settled region in the north-west of Eriador, west of the Brandywine River. Hobbits divide it into four main regions called the Farthings, and important places include Hobbiton, Bywater, and Buckland. Bilbo and Frodo Baggins live in Hobbiton.
The Shire’s rural landscape and small-scale customs contrast with the wars and kingdoms elsewhere in the story. Its apparent safety is threatened when Saruman’s agents take control near the end of The Lord of the Rings. The Hobbits later restore it, and Frodo’s return to the Shire emphasizes that the consequences of the wider conflict reach even their quiet homeland.