# Local news term for area **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 25, 2024, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-news-term-for-area/999339 "2024-03-25T14:59:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2024, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-news-term-for-area/999339/1 "2024-03-25T14:59:03Z")
In any major city in the U.S. the local news media has a general term to describe the city and the surrounding area. For example, in L.A. it’s “the Southland” while in Washington, D.C. it’s “the DMV” (District, Maryland, Virginia). What is it in your area? ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2024, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-news-term-for-area/999339/2 "2024-03-25T15:13:29Z")
The Bay Area. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2024, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-news-term-for-area/999339/3 "2024-03-25T15:35:24Z")
Raleigh - Durham - Chapel Hill is often referred to as the Triangle, from the [Research Triangle Park](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Research_Triangle_Park). Among uses are the GoTriangle website which has info on all the transit systems in the area. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2024, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-news-term-for-area/999339/4 "2024-03-25T15:40:06Z")
And of course, the Peninsula, the North Bay, East Bay, and South Bay (not to be confused with the South Bay near Long Beach, CA or that one near St Pete, FL). ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2024, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-news-term-for-area/999339/5 "2024-03-25T15:40:48Z")
We get a lot of “Northwest Washington.” Or Puget Sound Region. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2024, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-news-term-for-area/999339/6 "2024-03-25T15:41:28Z")
I don’t live there, but Maryland’s eastern shore, particularly the southern beachy area, is commonly referred to as “Delmarva” (Delaware, Maryland, Virginia). ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2024, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-news-term-for-area/999339/7 "2024-03-25T15:41:34Z")
The Tri-State Area. I know there are many but the real one is New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. I live there and yet I’ve been to Connecticut a handful of times at best. Other areas I know: Delco is often used for the area around Philly (and the accent). Stands for Delaware County. Delmarva: the peninsula that contains parts of Maryland, Virginia and Delaware. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2024, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-news-term-for-area/999339/8 "2024-03-25T15:55:41Z")
In the Chicago area it’s “Chicagoland,” which is kind of hard to believe but there it is. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2024, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-news-term-for-area/999339/9 "2024-03-25T16:03:18Z")
Greater Boston. 20 years ago people used to say “the hub” but now I hear Greater Boston more. The Hub, by the way, is supposedly short for The Hub of the Universe. Whether Greater Boston includes Providence, Worcester and Cape Cod is highly controversial in those areas. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2024, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-news-term-for-area/999339/10 "2024-03-25T16:10:21Z")
In Colorado, the line of cities situated just east of the Rocky Mountains (including Denver) is known as the _front range_. Here in Florida, the Tampa region is the _Bay Area_ (I.e. the local non profit legal center is called Bay Area Legal Services; the local hospital network is called Baycare). ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2024, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-news-term-for-area/999339/11 "2024-03-25T16:14:55Z")
From NYC I also often hear/see **The Outer Boroughs**. Which just means the Boroughs that are not Manhattan. (The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island). **The Shore** or **Jersey Shore** does refer to the coastline from Sandy Hook all the way down to Cape May. Alternately (And I feel incorrectly) it refers to the 4 counties of Monmouth, Ocean, Atlantic & Cape May thus placing Great Adventure as part of the Shore though it is nowhere close to it. For NY State, **The Catskills** was a large region of summer vacation places and camps up in the mountains and thus far cooler than the city. In these days of AC, it doesn’t mean as much but through the 60s it did. It doesn’t make the news often, but _ **the Pinelands** _ or _ **Pine Barrens** _ covers a big chunk of the southern part of New Jersey and produces a significant portion of the cranberries in the US. People still speak of going to the _ **Hamptons** _ and reports report on the area as such. It is a very affluent string of towns on the East End of Long Island. Really only locals, but **the Bayshore** refers to the string of towns in Monmouth County along Raritan & Sandy Hook Bays. Some would include the towns of Middlesex County from South Amboy to Cliffwood Beach. NY State also the **Lake George region** , another summer vacation region. I’m not sure if it is still relevant. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2024, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-news-term-for-area/999339/12 "2024-03-25T16:19:00Z")
> [@sciurophobic](#): > > in Washington, D.C. it’s “the DMV” That’s a relatively new term; it was not in use when we first moved here (in the late 1980s). The first few times I heard it, I thought “The department of motor vehicles??”. I grew up in Harrisburg, PA. It got called “the capital area” and “central Pennsylvania”. I’ve heard “capital area” used to describe DC, not unreasonably, and it always startled me. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2024, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-news-term-for-area/999339/13 "2024-03-25T16:21:11Z")
And don’t forget the Triad: Greensboro, Winston Salem and High Point. Having lived in the Triangle, I always thought that Triad was an attempt to riff off of Triangle. > [@DCnDC](#): > > I don’t live there, but Maryland’s eastern shore, particularly the southern beachy area, is commonly referred to as “Delmarva” (Delaware, Maryland, Virginia) Nitpicking: it’s NOT just Maryland’s eastern shore, as it does indeed include Virginia (and Delaware, though I’ve never driven through that part). It’s the peninsula that forms the eastern edge of the Chesapeake Bay. [Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/@38.7440913,-75.4518465,6.92z?entry=ttu) Looking at the map, it does look like Maryland has most of the area, followed by Delaware, then Virginia has the little bit at the southern end. We’ve crossed over the Bay Bridge and Tunnel in the Norfolk area numerous times; it’s quite an engineering accomplishment. When we’re in the tunnel sections, I try not to think of the very, very large cargo ships that might be overhead right then 🙂 . And I guess Delaware really doesn’t count as “eastern shore”, as its portion of the peninsula does not have a coastline on the Chesapeake, only the Delaware Bay and the Atlantic. ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2024, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-news-term-for-area/999339/14 "2024-03-25T16:25:48Z")
The GTA, Greater Toronto Area. If they want to include areas slightly farther afield it could be referred to as the GTHA which adds Hamilton or the Golden Horseshoe which extends around the western end of Lake Ontario to Niagara Falls. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2024, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-news-term-for-area/999339/15 "2024-03-25T16:35:35Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > And of course, the Peninsula, the North Bay, East Bay, and South Bay (not to be confused with the South Bay near Long Beach, CA or that one near St Pete, FL). and The City. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2024, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-news-term-for-area/999339/16 "2024-03-25T16:51:23Z")
I think in Cleveland it’s just downtown, the west side and the east side. Suburbs included. ---
**Author:** ![Beesnest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@Beesnest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beesnest)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2024, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-news-term-for-area/999339/17 "2024-03-25T16:54:09Z")
Piedmont region in the Carolina’s. The Valley in Oregon for the Willamette valley. You know when you leave it heading south-a completely different landscape. Don’t remember what the Roseburg to Medford area was. Umpqua maybe. NOVA for Northern Virginia. Boundries are always disputed. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2024, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-news-term-for-area/999339/18 "2024-03-25T16:57:38Z")
The area around Davenport Iowa is known as the Quad Cities, due to the presence of four cities in close proximity (Davenport IA; Bettendorf IA; Moline IL; and Rock Island IL). The name has quasi-official status, e.g. it’s the name of the local airport. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2024, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-news-term-for-area/999339/19 "2024-03-25T17:05:00Z")
> [@Mighty\_Mouse](#): > > Greater Boston. 20 years ago people used to say “the hub” but now I hear Greater Boston more. Yeah, I agree with that. When I lived in the Dallas – Fort Worth area, they occasionally called it DFW area, but by far they mostly called it “the Metroplex”, or occasionally “the DFW Metroplex.” Such a strange word now that I’m typing it out! ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2024, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-news-term-for-area/999339/20 "2024-03-25T17:13:49Z")
When I was in college, I learned the term “Capital District” used to refer to Albany, Schenectady, Troy and the surrounding area. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-news-term-for-area/999339.md?page=2)