The Tees Valley is an urbanised city region in the North East of England nestled between North Yorkshire and County Durham and consisting of the following five unitary authorities: Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton-on-Tees, the latter four previously formed the administrative county of Cleveland between 1974 and 1996.The Tees Valley area covers the lower, flatter (and much more urban) area of the valley of the River Tees.