It is frequently culturally divided into the hilly northern region of Bergslagen, where mining and metallurgic industry have been important since the Middle Ages, and the southern Mälardalen of lakes and farms.

Örebro County consists of the province of Närke, the western half of Västmanland and minor parts of eastern Värmland and northeastern Västergötland.

Örebro itself contains just as many inhabitants as the 23 other largest localities put together, and has grown significantly ever since the official statistics began in the late 1960s.

The southern area of the county has a transitional climate between oceanic and continental, with warm summers and cold, variable winters.

The proximity to the major lakes moderates winter temperatures somewhat, undermining the continental effects of its inland position.