The CRJ900 Series has an overall length of 119.4 feet (36.4 m).  The strengthened wing has a span of 76.30 feet (23.2 m).  The CRJ900 has an additional pair of exits over the wings and an extra service door at the back of the fuselage.  This will speed cleaning and galley replenishment while passengers are disembarking or embarking.

The CRJ900 is powered by two General Electric CF34-8C5 engines that give the aircraft a cruise speed up to Mach 0.83 and an operating range of 1,930 nm (3,574 km).

The standard 80-seat configuration has an enlarged underfloor and aft baggage compartments.  Overhead bin, underseat, and wardrobe stowage areas raise the total baggage capacity to a generous 10.50 ft3 (0.3m3) per passenger.  The aircraft is being designed to share a Common Crew Qualification (CCQ), which allows a single pool of pilots to alternate between the entire CRJ Series.  In addition, the aircraft will also share a high degree of commonality in regards to maintenance, spares, training procedures, and ground support requirements.

The CRJ900 Series will be available in Standard, Extended Range (ER), and Long Range (LR) versions with maximum take-off weights of 80,500; 82,500; and 84,500 pounds (36,514; 37,421; and 38,329 kg).  A European version of 36,995 kg can be configured to minimize operational charges and fees.