The Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky metropolitan area (aka Greater Cincinnati) is a metropolitan area that includes counties in the U.S. states of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. The United States Census defines the metropolitan area as the Cincinnati-Middletown Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). According to Census 2008, the MSA includes 15 counties with a total population of 2,155,137.

The Census also defines the Cincinnati-Middletown-Wilmington Combined Statistical Area (CSA), which adds the Wilmington, Ohio Micropolitan Statistical Area to the metropolitan area for a total region population of 2,198,337. The Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky metropolitan area is located within a climatic transition zone. The southern area of the region, from roughly about the Ohio River, is at the extreme northern limit of the humid subtropical climate; the north part of the region is on the extreme southern cusp of the humid continental climate.

Evidence of both humid subtropical climate and humid continental climate can be found here, particularly noticeable by the presence of plants indicative of each climatic region; for example, the Southern magnolia, Crape-myrtle, Aucuba, and Needle palm from the subtropics and the Blue spruce, Maple, and Eastern Hemlock from cooler regions. Within the area, the USDA climate zone rating can vary from as warm as zone 7 and 6b [] to as cool as zone 5b [], with the warmest areas tending to be found closest to the Ohio River; individual microclimates of even cooler and warmer temperature may occur in the area but are too small to be considered in the overall climate zone rating. The wall lizard, introduced from Italy in the 1950s, is an example of fauna in the area that lends a subtropical ambiance to the southern and central area of the region.

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