The Chaîne des Puys (near Clermont-Ferrand), a range running north to south and less than 160 km2 (60 sq mi) long, contains 115 of them (monogenic volcanoes only).

In the south, one remarkable region is made up of features called Causses in French and consists of raised limestone plateaus cut by very deep canyons.

Mountain ranges, with notable individual mountains, are (roughly north to south): The following departments are generally considered as part of the Massif Central: Allier, Ardèche, Aude, Aveyron, Cantal, Corrèze, Creuse, Gard, Haute-Garonne, Haute-Loire, Haute-Vienne, Hérault, Loire, Lot, Lozère, Puy-de-Dôme, Rhône, Saône-et-Loire, Tarn, and Tarn-et-Garonne; these form parts of the regions of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Occitania.

Finally, tourism is booming, taking advantage of the UNESCO heritage classification of the volcanoes of the Chaîne des Puys and the Causses and Cévennes region.

The entire economy of the Massif Central has benefited from the opening of roads, particularly the construction of the A75 motorway on which is located the famous Millau Viaduct.