(This article is about the non-metropolitan county that existed 1974-1996. For other uses, see Cleveland (disambiguation).) Cleveland /ˈkliːvlənd/ is an area in the north-east of England. Its name means literally "cliff-land", referring to its hilly southern areas, which rise to nearly 1,500 ft (460 m). Historically, Cleveland, as a geographic area within the North Riding of Yorkshire, was located entirely to the south of the River Tees and its largest town was Guisborough, until the rise of Middlesbrough in the 19th century.