The campus of the University of Patras and the hospital lie in the southeast, across the Greek National Road 8A.

The municipal unit Rio is subdivided into the following communities (constituent villages in brackets): The name Rio (and its older form Rhion) derives from the Greek ῥίον (rhion), generally meaning "jutting part",[4] perhaps from ῥίς (rhis), meaning "nose", but also "spur of land".

[5] The earliest attested form of the word is the Mycenaean Greek 𐀪𐀍, ri-jo, written in Linear B syllabic script.

Rio Station is currently under reconstruction as part of the construction of the new Athens-Patras railway line, which (when finished) will connect the area with Athens.

In order to ensure these needs, a new temporary station has been operating since 26 March 2019, at the height of Zaimi & Iroon Polytechneiou streets.