Northeast Ohio refers to a similar but substantially larger area as described below. This article covers the area generally considered to be Greater Cleveland, but includes information on the entire region of Northeast Ohio which includes the cities of Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Elyria, Lorain, Warren, and Youngstown.
However, the areas commonly understood as Greater Cleveland or Northeast Ohio are not precisely defined. Most often, Greater Cleveland is understood as referring to all of Cuyahoga County, and a number of surrounding communities. The Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor MSA covers most of this area and some smaller outlying communities.
Northeast Ohio consists of 13 counties[1] and includes the cities of Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Lorain, Elyria, Medina, Ashtabula, Youngstown, and Warren. Northeast Ohio is home to approximately 4.5 million people, has a labor force of almost 2 million, and a gross regional product of more than US$134 billion.
The areas commonly referred to as Greater Cleveland or Northeast Ohio are not precisely the same as either the Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor MSA or the Cleveland-Akron-Elyria Combined Statistical Area defined by the U.S. Census Bureau.
The region is considered by some to be a part of a megalopolis. Some geographers describe the area stretching from Cleveland to Pittsburgh as the "Steel City Corridor", encompassing the cities of Akron, Canton, and Youngstown. Others characterize it as part of a larger megalopolis that connects Chicago to Pittsburgh.
More than 37% of Fortune 500 companies are present in Northeast Ohio, through corporate headquarters, major divisions, subsidiaries, and sales offices. In addition, more than 150 international companies have a presence there. As of 2006[update], Northeast Ohio serves as the corporateheadquarters of 25 Fortune 1000 firms (shown with 2006 rankings below):
In addition to Playhouse Square Center, the second largest theater district in the United States, Greater Cleveland has a vibrant theater community throughout the region.
Minor league hockey is represented in the area by the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League. They began play in the 2007–08 AHL season at the Quicken Loans Arena. The team is the minor league affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche of the NHL.