Elected county councils were established in 1889 to take over the administrative functions previously exercised by unelected magistrates at the quarter sessions.

[5] Just 22 years later, in 1996, Humberside was abolished and its area was split into four districts, one of which is called East Riding of Yorkshire.

The district of East Riding of Yorkshire covers a slightly different area to the pre-1974 administrative county; notably the modern district includes the area around Goole which was in the West Riding prior to 1974, but excludes some northern and western parts of the pre-1974 administrative county, including the towns of Filey and Norton-on-Derwent, which had been transferred to North Yorkshire in 1974.

[6] A ceremonial county called East Riding of Yorkshire was established at the same time, with the position of Lord Lieutenant that had been abolished in 1974 being re-created.

The ceremonial county covers a larger area than the district, also including the neighbouring city of Kingston upon Hull.