Cleveland was a non-metropolitan county located in North East England which existed between 1974 and 1996.

[3] Local government reorganisation, recommended by the Banham Review and accepted by the government, meant that each district borough be re-organised into separate unitary authorities with the Tees be re-established as a ceremonial border between North Yorkshire and County Durham.

This split was contested by Cleveland County Council, who applied for judicial review over the decision.

[5] Further regulations placed each district within the ceremonial county of Durham or North Yorkshire, also splitting Stockton-on-Tees along the Tees.

[7][8] Cleveland, as a conurbation of settlements, was twinned with: NUTS statistical regions of the United Kingdom were also introduced in 1974.