Miass, city, Chelyabinsk oblast (region), west-central Russia, on the Miass River. Miass was founded in 1773 as a copper- (and later iron-) smelting centre. The modern city is important for the production of commercial vehicles and for gold mining in the vicinity. On the northern outskirts is the Ilmen Mineralogical Nature Reserve, established in 1920. Pop. (2006 est.) 154,519.