Where is Middlesbrough?
Middlesbrough is in the North East of England.
There we go. We could leave it there - but Boro's location has been a topic of debate for many years.
It's a conversation that has started yet again because of a new sign.
Found on the Newport Bridge that connects Stockton to Middlesbrough, it welcomes people to the North Riding of Yorkshire.
It's sparked heated debate. But why?
Well, some people in Middlesbrough claim to live in Cleveland.
Others fly the flag for North Yorkshire.
Many proudly state they are from Teesside.
The area has gone by numerous names throughout its history as local councils have been formed and abolished.
Changes have left a generational hangover, meaning different people identify with different versions of Middlesbrough.
Middlesbrough was given borough status in 1853 but was still in the North Riding of Yorkshire until 1967 when it became part of the new County Borough of Teesside.
Then, in 1974, further local government reorganisation created Cleveland from areas such as Saltburn and Guisborough.
Yet another reorganisation in 1996 produced the unitary authority of Middlesbrough Borough Council.
So, can we answer the question in the headline? Sort of.
As of 2025, Middlesbrough is in the council borough of Middlesbrough, the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire and the Tees Valley authority area.
Local historian Tosh Warwick, of Sheffield University, says there is no definitive answer - and it doesn't matter.
He says residents should be proud to embrace Middlesbrough "as its own little corner of the world that doesn't fit comfortably into regions".
Video by Adam Clarkson and Dan Ragusa
