Rotary International established the present boundaries of District 6220 in 1968 to encompass the northeastern quarter of the State of Wisconsin and most of the Upper Peninsula of the State of Michigan. Extending easterly from western and southwestern fertile river valley borders, the District includes a broad range of small (2,000 foot), but rugged mountains that become rugged hills and then, at its eastern edge, turn into gentle slopes. Its northern and southern boundaries are two of the largest freshwater lakes in the world (Superior and Michigan), providing over 1,700 miles of shoreline. The District is over 80% forested, has about 14,000 miles of rivers and streams, nearly 200 waterfalls, and over 5,000 inland lakes, and has abundant fish and wildlife. The presence of so much water modulates the temperature to a pleasant 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer and 20-30 degrees in the winter, although northern extremes can reach -30 degrees. Annual precipitation averages 30-36 inches, with snowfall ranging from 40 inches in the south to over 200 inches in the north.

The area traditionally has depended upon its beauty and rich natural resources for its principle industries of forest products (hardwood timber, softwood pulp, and related products), agriculture (apples, cherries, cranberries, potatoes, corn, and grains), dairy farming (milk, cheese, and beef), mining (copper and iron), and tourism (vacationing, boating, fishing, hunting, and winter sports). In recent decades there has been an increase in light industry and small businesses and in the supportive human services, such as government, education, social services, and regional medicine. The present economy of the Wisconsin part of District 6220 is expanding with unemployment rates of less than 4%, while that of the Michigan part has typical unemployment rates closer to 7%.

Most of the District is rural, with only the southern most Wisconsin portion having a large enough population base and industry to be described as metropolitan. The District is fairly large in physical size and fairly small in terms of population. The Wisconsin part includes 17,560 square miles with a population of about 829,000 (47 people per square mile); the Michigan part is 14,800 square miles with a population of about 314,000 (21 people per square mile). Over half of the land in the District is held in public trust as National or State parks, forests, campgrounds, or preserves; another large part is privately owned for commercial forests and mining. The citizens are seen as a friendly, adventurous, and independent people who value both the beauty of their home and its comparative isolation. Over 57,000 students pursue higher education in the District's 9 two-year colleges and technical schools (20,000) and the 9 public and private senior and graduate universities (37,000).

Rotary came to the area long before the current boundaries of District 6220 were established. Of its 41 clubs, seven were chartered before 1920 and nineteen more by 1930. The most recent club was chartered in 1995. Present club sizes vary between 9 and 190 to give a total membership of about 2,200 men and women working to give Service Above Self to their communities and to the world. The District has been a leader in Rotary Youth Exchange, a strong supporter of the Rotary Foundation programs of Group Study Exchange, Ambassadorial Scholarships, and Matching Grants, and an increasing supporter of Rotary Volunteers and World Community Service Projects.