Large cities are very much a part of the landscape but so too are the rural areas of the region.
Small towns and rural areas have broad appeal, with a pace and quality of life that have all but vanished in much of urban America. Some 117 million people live in small towns and rural areas of the Nation. Each of the other Northeastern states, no matter how urban, have important rural areas. Transportation has always been a crucial issue in small towns and rural areas. Covered bridges are representative of the region's earliest commitment to provide mobility to people and goods.