Although it contains many small and medium-sized urban centres, much of Central Ontario is covered by farms, lakes (with freshwater beaches), rivers or sparsely populated forested land on the southern edge of the Canadian Shield.

Parry Sound, but not Muskoka, is also classed administratively with an extended primary Northern Ontario region by the provincial government for reasons similar to those at the federal level.

The southern part of the territorial or judicial district of Nipissing lies in Central Ontario which extends geographically as far north as the Mattawa River.

The Canadian Shield runs over the northern part of Central Ontario, a recreational area with a much-increased summer-time population, including the wilderness of Algonquin Provincial Park.

Often referred to as 'Cottage Country', this area's lakes and rivers are dotted with numerous cottages, some of them seasonal, but in recent years there is a growing trend for some of these 'summer cottages' to be used as year-round residences due to a number of factors, abundance of outdoor recreation, baby-boom retiree population, increased local services and improved wireless communication.