Sword Coast map
The Sword Coast North was a region on the northwestern coast of Faerûn that stretched from Waterdeep in the south to the Spine of the World in the north, and from the Sword Coast in the west to the Long Road in the east. Neverwinter, Port Llast, Luskan, and Icewind Dale were all part of the Sword Coast North. Because of its quasi-lawlessness, it was a "frontier" setting, being a place where all races could meet and interact.
As such, the metropolises of Waterdeep and Baldur's Gate were not to be counted as part of the Sword Coast. Instead, Baldur's Gate lay in the Western Heartlands, while Waterdeep was highly independent.