Definitions of the region consist of 16 to 23 counties between the southern shore of Lake Erie and the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, home to over 4.5 million people.

The GDP (nominal) of Northeast Ohio is over $195 billion, which makes it comparable to that of New Zealand or the Republic of Ireland.

Rocket Arena is also home to one additional professional franchise, the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League.

Additionally, there is an independent baseball team, the Lake Erie Crushers of the Frontier League, who play at Sprenger Stadium in Avon.

The region also boasts of a lower league professional soccer team in Cleveland SC that plays at Don Shula Stadium.

Six schools compete at the NCAA Division II level: the Lake Erie Storm, Ursuline Arrows, Malone Pioneers, Ashland Eagles, Notre Dame Falcons, and Walsh Cavaliers.

There are nine schools at the Division III level: Mount Union Purple Raiders, Hiram Terriers, John Carroll Blue Streaks, Baldwin Wallace Yellow Jackets, Case Western Reserve Spartans, Kenyon Lords, Oberlin Yeomen, Wooster Scots, and Franciscan Barons.

One school, the Mount Vernon Nazarene Cougars, competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).

In 1999, Congressman Dennis Kucinich introduced federal legislation to protect small and medium-sized cities from being split into two or more area codes.