When is Everybody Loves Raymond taking place?

The show itself was produced from 1996 to 2005 and since it lacks any clear statements about being set at a specific past time period, there is nothing to suggest it wasn't set during exactly that time. It is natural for some things to look old if you consider that it started nearly 20 years ago as a classic 90s show. Likewise is the supposedly idyllic setting and the funny treatment of situations a natural aspect of it being a family sitcom.

Even more than that, there are many strong hints that speak for it being set at the present when it was produced. First and foremost it is to a large degree based on Ray Romano's very own life and family (albeit surely in a slightly fictionalized/dramatized/comedic form) as well as his comedic appeal as kind of an average family man.

This is further reinforced by a 1996 article from The New York Times about the release of the show. This focused specifically on the suburban Long Island setting, which was regarded something new back then and supposed to relate to an ermeging generation of average middle-class families living in the suburbs.

Since no show has succeeded with a Long Island location, one wonders if a series set in the heart of the suburbs, where crabgrass is the most rampant threat, can survive. Other shows, like the No. 1, "Seinfeld," are set in Manhattan and have been successful with a wide audience. Yet the creators of "Raymond" rejected the city as a location. [...] "This is not just a Seinfeld with kids," according to Chris Albrecht [...] Officials at CBS felt the Nassau County location was one that "a broad section of the audience would feel comfortable with," Mr. Albrecht said. "It has all the trappings of an urban area, but suburbia appeals to a broader audience." [...] "We all decided the show would be more relatable if it took place in the suburbs."

With "Everybody Loves Raymond," Long Island is now apparently perceived as mainstream enough to entice viewers. This change in network thinking may be due to the fact that "with the development of malls and suburbs, the rest of the country continues to get more like Long Island," said David Schwartz.

"The whole movement in television since the 1970's has been toward more realism in sitcoms," said David Bushman, director of programming of "Nick at Night's TV Land." A sense of place rather than a generic set is more important. The advent of demographic ratings has emphasized the need for urban appeal to viewers with more disposable income." Mr. Thompson said: "Early classic sitcoms like 'Father Knows Best' or 'Donna Reed' don't acknowledge the fact that there has to be an urb for it to be a sub-urb. The nature of the dialogue and hipness on 'Raymond' shows the metropolitan center is not far off." [...] According to Mr. Thompson, "The show depends on Long Island style and esthetic, a quality that's suburban, family-oriented, kind of out-in-the-sticks but intimately connected to a huge metropolitan area."

The realism and groundedness derived from Ray Romano's comedic character himself was a major appeal of the show.

The opening sequence is a metaphor for the essence of Mr. Romano's humor. For 12 years as a standup, the comic built his act around "kind of an ambivalent feeling," as Mr. Romano said in a recent interview from Los Angeles. "I don't want to be a spokesman for family values, but that's the way my standup is perceived. My character is a father who loves his family but who would also love a little freedom."

Creators of the show emphasize that the series is grounded in reality. Its characters, Ray's eccentric parents who live across the street with his oddball brother, mirror Mr. Romano's own extended family in Queens. In real life, Mr. Romano has twin toddler sons and a 6-year-old daughter, like his character on the show. Mr. Romano's Everyman humor, bemoaning the burdens of parenthood, makes his act not only funny but endearing.

While the article never states exactly when the show is set it goes out of its way to highlight the considerations for a realistic US suburban appeal the creators went for. Together with the inspiration from Ray Romano's own life as a father this strongly suggests for it to be set in exactly the same time it was produced, thus from 1996 to 2005.

Everybody Loves Raymond S01E21 "Fascinatin' Debra" opens with Ray meeting Desmond Howard, a professional football player. Ray says:

CongratuIations on that Super Bowl MVP thing.

This is in reference to Howard's MVP award for Super Bowl XXXI, as Kick Returner/Punt Returner. (He's the only Special Team player to win a MVP award).

Superbowl XXXI was played on January 26, 1997. The episode aired March 17, 1997. This is just one of multiple occasions where real life sports players cameo and real life sports events are mentioned/referred to, in roughly real time.

The show is set in real time, modern day of when it aired.