Geographically centered on two metropolitan areas strung along Interstate 20—Tyler in the west and Kilgore, Longview, Marshall to the east,[5] the areas of Greenville, Mount Pleasant, Sulphur Springs, Paris, and Texarkana in the north primarily along Interstate 30, and Jacksonville and Palestine to the south are also major cities within the region.

[6] The region is unique in that it is the only portion of East Texas that is not within the direct sphere of influence of either Dallas/Fort Worth or Houston.

Nacogdoches rebelled against Mexican rule in the Fredonian Rebellion and had one of the first newspapers to run the phrase Remember the Alamo!

[7][8] Many of the largest cities in Northeast Texas still follow a rural Southern way of life, especially in dialect, mannerisms, religion, and cuisine.

The geography of Northeast Texas is composed mainly of the Piney Woods, a mixed forest of deciduous and conifer flora.

In Northeast Texas and the rest of South, small rivers and creeks collect into swamps called "bayous" and merge with the surrounding forest.

It purports to be the largest and oldest continually operated flea market in the United States,[19] and is a popular event in the area.

The museum provides playful and creative learning experiences for children in the Northeast Texas area.

Many school districts from the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex and the Northeast Texas area take field trips to the museum.