In The Hobbit, Dale was a city of Men on the Celduin (the River Running) between the Lonely Mountain and the Long Lake. It was ruled by Girion until its destruction in T.A. 2770 by the dragon Smaug.

It is situated in the shadow of the Lonely Mountain. It was deserted for many years while the mountain was under the control of Smaug. The town was repopulated after the Battle of Five Armies (featured in The Hobbit) where Bilbo Baggins and his Dwarf companions broke into the dragon's stronghold to recover the Dwarven treasure. During this period the Men of Esgaroth, upon the Long Lake, managed to kill Smaug. The Battle of the Five Armies began as a squabble over whom the treasure belonged to. When this was settled, the Dwarves restored their kingdom under the Lonely Mountain and Men began to settle once more in Dale.

Dale was sacked for a second time during the War of the Ring by invaders from the east. The people of Dale took refuge in Erebor with the Dwarves, and it was during the Battle of Dale that King Dáin II Ironfoot of Erebor and King Brand of Dale were slain. However, after the fall of Sauron, the siege was broken and Dale rebuilt once more.

The wizard Gandalf was indirectly responsible for the rebuilding of Dale, in that he set in motion the quest that would result in the slaying of Smaug and provided vital aid to it. Some argue that he saw the upcoming War and did this in a successful attempt to create one more front for Sauron.

Middle-earth towns and cities

Dal (Midden-aarde) | Dale (Midgard)