Wanderlust World Wanderlust World The U.S. Census Bureau and most geographic frameworks divide the **Northeast** region into two subregions:
Area: 71,992 sq mi | Population (2023): ~15.1M | Largest metro: Boston-Cambridge-Newton (4.9M)
Area: 104,366 sq mi | Population (2023): ~42.5M | Largest metro: New York-Newark-Jersey City (19.5M)
| Aspect | New England | Mid-Atlantic |
|---|---|---|
| Settlement core | Puritan/Yankee (1620s–30s) | Dutch (New Netherland) + Quaker (PA) + English (NY, MD) |
| Urban hierarchy | One dominant metro (Boston) | Two global metros (NYC, Philly) + Baltimore, DC, Pittsburgh |
| Industrial legacy | Textiles, precision mfg, shipbuilding | Steel, coal, railroads, heavy mfg, chemicals, finance |
| Politics (presidential) | Solid D (except ME-02) | D (NY, NJ, MD, DE, DC) + Swing (PA) + R (WV if included) |
| Transport | Hub-and-spoke from Boston | Northeast Corridor (NYC-Philly-Baltimore-DC) linear density |
Whether for census data, marketing, policy, or travel, the **New England / Mid-Atlantic split** is the fundamental partition of the American Northeast.