The region is often defined as the counties of northeastern Minnesota. Occasionally, Douglas County, in the northwestern part of Wisconsin, is included in modern maps or definitions. The three main of the region are St. Louis, Lake, and Cook counties in Minnesota. These three are the northeasternmost counties in the state. When an expanded definition is made, it often includes all or parts of Koochiching, Itasca, and Carlton counties of Minnesota — the other counties adjacent to St. Louis County to the west and south.