United States metropolitan area

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United States metropolitan area

In the United States

United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has produced a formal definition of metropolitan area

Metropolitan area

A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence, or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central city and their zone of influence....
s. These are referred to as "Metropolitan Statistical Areas" (MSAs) and "Combined Statistical Areas." An earlier version of the MSA was the "Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area" (SMSA). MSAs are composed of counties

County

A county is a land area of Local government government within a larger state. A county may have city and towns within its area....
and for some county equivalents. In New England

New England

New England is a region of the United States located in the northeastern corner of the country, bounded by the Atlantic Ocean, Canada and New York State, and consisting of the modern U.S....
, because of the greater importance of towns

New England town

The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. An institution that does not have a direct counterpart in most other U.S....
over counties, similar areas are defined based on town units, known as New England City and Town Area

New England City and Town Area

A New England City and Town Area or NECTA is a geographic and statistical entity defined by the U. S. Office of Management and Budget, for use in describing aspects of the New England region of the United States....
s (NECTAs).

are delineated on the basis of a central urbanized area
United States urban area

Urban areas in the United States are defined by the United States Census Bureau as contiguous census block groups with a population density of at least with any census block groups around this core having a density of at least ....
—a contiguous area of relatively high population density.

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Encyclopedia

In the United States

United States

Metropolitan area

County

A county is a land area of Local government government within a larger state. A county may have city and towns within its area....
and for some county equivalents. In New England

New England

New England town

New England City and Town Area

Definition issues

MSAs are delineated on the basis of a central urbanized area
United States urban area

Urban areas in the United States are defined by the United States Census Bureau as contiguous census block groups with a population density of at least with any census block groups around this core having a density of at least ....
—a contiguous area of relatively high population density. The counties containing the core urbanized area are known as the central counties of the MSA. Additional surrounding counties (known as outlying counties) can be included in the MSA if these counties have strong social and economic ties to the central counties as measured by commuting and employment. Note that some areas within these outlying counties may actually be rural in nature.

MSAs are used for official purposes, but they are not the only estimates of metro area populations available. The appropriate figures for some metro areas are much debated, and in some cases reputable sources provide figures which differ by millions. The most contentious examples include the Greater Los Angeles Area

Greater Los Angeles Area

The Greater Los Angeles Area, or the Southland, is the agglomeration of urbanization area around the county of Los Angeles, California, United States....
, the San Francisco Bay Area

San Francisco Bay Area

The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, or the Bay, is a metropolitan region that surrounds the San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay Bays in Northern California....
, and Greater Cleveland

Greater Cleveland

Greater Cleveland is a nickname for the metropolitan area surrounding Cleveland, Ohio, Ohio.Northeast Ohio refers to a similar but substantially larger area as described below....
. The official definitions used for the last U.S. Census differed from those for previous censuses, making comparisons difficult even between official figures at different dates (comparing 2000 with 1990, Baltimore was separated from Washington, D.C., but West Palm Beach was combined with Miami-Fort Lauderdale, which made a considerable difference to the rankings of both metros). Care should also be taken when comparing MSA figures with population figures for cities or metro areas outside the U.S., which may be based on substantially different boundary systems and definitions of terms. Additionally, United States MSA boundaries do not stretch into neighboring countries such as Canada

Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
or Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federalism constitutionalism republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico....
, so border cities such as Detroit

Detroit, Michigan

Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Wayne County, Michigan. Detroit is a major port city on the Detroit River, in the Midwestern United States of the United States....
, Buffalo

Buffalo, New York

Buffalo , is the second largest city in the state of New York. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River, Buffalo is the principal city of the Buffalo-Niagara Falls metropolitan area and the county seat of Erie County, New York....
, El Paso

El Paso, Texas

El Paso is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, Texas, United States, and part of the . According to the United States Census Bureau 2006 population estimates, the city had a population of 606,913....
and San Diego

San Diego, California

San Diego is the second largest city in California and the List of United States cities by population, located along the Pacific Ocean on the West Coast of the United States of the Western United States....
would count only U.S. population figures.

As of June 2003, there is now an additional classification, that of a “Metropolitan Division.” The term metropolitan division is used to refer to a county or group of closely-tied contiguous counties that serve as a distinct employment region within a metropolitan statistical area that has a population core of at least 2.5 million. While a metropolitan division is a subdivision of a larger metropolitan statistical area, it often functions as a distinct social, economic, and cultural area within the larger region.

Top 25

The following is a list of the 25 most populous metropolitan statistical areas and metropolitan divisions in the United States, according to the July 1, 2007 U.S. Census Bureau estimates:

Rank	Metropolitan Area	Metropolitan Division	State(s)	Population
1	New York–Northern New Jersey–Long Island New York metropolitan area The New York metropolitan area or Tri-State Region is the most populous metropolitan area in the United States and is also List of metropolitan areas by population....		NY New York The State of New York is a U.S. state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States and is the nation's List of U.S.... –NJ New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north by New York, on the east by the Hudson River and the Atlantic Ocean, on the southwest by Delaware, and on the west by Pennsylvania.... –PA Pennsylvania The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a U.S. state located in the Northeastern United States and Mid-Atlantic States regions of the United States....	18,815,988
		Edison Edison, New Jersey Edison Township is a Township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township had a total population of 97,687, making it at the time the List of municipalities in New Jersey ....	NJ	2,319,704
		Nassau–Suffolk	NY	2,759,762
		Newark Newark, New Jersey Newark is the largest City in New Jersey, and the county seat of Essex County, New Jersey. Newark has a population of 281,402, making it not only List of Municipalities in New Jersey but also the 65th List of United States cities by population Newark is also home to major corporations, such as Prudential Financial.... –Union Union County, New Jersey Union County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the United States 2000 Census, the population was 522,541. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area....	NJ-PA	2,128,679
		New York New York City The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population.... –White Plains White Plains, New York The City of White Plains is the county seat of Westchester County, New York. It is located in south-central Westchester, about east of the Hudson River and northwest of Long Island Sound.... –Wayne Wayne, New Jersey Wayne is a Township in Passaic County, New Jersey, New Jersey, United States, located less than from midtown Manhattan. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township had a total population of 54,069....	NY-NJ	11,607,843
2	Los Angeles–Long Beach–Santa Ana Greater Los Angeles Area The Greater Los Angeles Area, or the Southland, is the agglomeration of urbanization area around the county of Los Angeles, California, United States....		CA California California is a U.S. state on the West Coast of the United States of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and to the south the Mexico state of Baja California....	12,875,587
		Los Angeles Los Angeles, California Los Angeles is the largest city in the U.S. state of California and the List of United States cities by population in the United States. Often abbreviated as L.A. and nicknamed The City of Angels, Los Angeles is rated as a beta global city, has an estimated population of 3.8 million and spans over in Southern California.... –Long Beach Long Beach, California Long Beach is a large city located in southern California, USA, on the Pacific Ocean coast. It is situated in Los Angeles County, about south of downtown Los Angeles.... –Glendale Glendale, California Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, California, United States. It lies at the eastern end of the San Fernando Valley, is bisected by the Verdugo Mountains, and is a suburb in the Greater Los Angeles Area....		9,878,554
		Santa Ana–Anaheim–Irvine Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, California Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA is the metropolitan designation given to the Orange County, California by the White House Office of Management and Budget ....		2,997,033
3	Chicago–Naperville–Joliet		IL Illinois The State of Illinois is a U.S. state of the United States, the 21st to be admitted to the United States. Illinois is the most populous and demographically diverse Midwestern United States state and the fifth most populous state in the nation.... –IN Indiana The State of Indiana was the 19th U.S. state admitted into the union. It is located in the Midwestern United States of the United States of America.... –WI Wisconsin Wisconsin is one of the fifty U.S. state in the United States of America, located in the north central part of the United States. It borders two of the five Great Lakes and four U.S....	9,524,673
		Chicago Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois and the Midwestern United States, as well as the List of United States cities by population city in the United States with more than 2.8 million residents.... –Naperville Naperville, Illinois Naperville is a city in the Chicago metropolitan area of Illinois in the United States. In 2006, Money magazine listed Naperville as #2 on its annual list of America's best small cities to live in.... –Joliet Joliet, Illinois Joliet is a city in Will County, Illinois and Kendall County, Illinois in the U.S. state of Illinois, located southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County....	IL	7,952,540
		Gary Gary, Indiana Gary is the largest city in Lake County, Indiana, Indiana, United States. The city is located in the southeastern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area and is approximately 25 miles from downtown Chicago....	IN	698,971
		Lake County Lake County, Illinois Lake County is the farthest north-east county in the U.S. state of Illinois. A 2006 census estimated the population was 713,076. Its county seat is Waukegan, Illinois, Illinois.... –Kenosha County Kenosha County, Wisconsin Kenosha County is a county located along the West Shore of Lake Michigan in the far southeastern corner U.S. state of Wisconsin. Its county seat is Kenosha, Wisconsin....	IL–WI	873,162
4	Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington		TX Texas Texas is a U.S. state located in the South Central United States, nicknamed the Lone Star State. Texas is the second largest U.S. state in both area and population, spanning , and with a growing population of 24.3 million residents....	6,145,037
		Dallas Dallas, Texas Dallas is the third largest city in the state of Texas and the List of United States cities by population in the United States.The city, with a population of over 1.3 million, is the main economic center of the 12-county Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex which contains 6.1 million people, and is the fourth-largest United States metropolitan area... –Plano Plano, Texas Plano is a city in Texas. Located mainly within Collin County, Texas, it is a wealthy northern suburb of Dallas, Texas. The population was 222,030 at the United States Census, 2000, making it the ninth largest city in Texas.... –Irving Irving, Texas Irving is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas within Dallas County, Texas. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, the city population was 191,615; the 2006 estimate was 201,927 according to the North Central Texas Council of Governments, and 196,084 according to the U.S....		4,111,529
		Fort Worth Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is the List of United States cities by population in the United States and the fifth-largest city within the state of Texas. Situated in and a cultural gateway into the Western United States, the city covers nearly in Tarrant County, Texas and Denton County, Texas counties, serving as the county seat for Tarrant County.... –Arlington Arlington, Texas Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas, Texas within the Dallas?Fort Worth Metroplex. According to a U.S Census Bureau release, as of July 1, 2007 Arlington has an estimated population of 371,038....		2,033,508
5	Philadelphia–Camden–Wilmington Delaware Valley The Delaware Valley is a term used widely by the media to refer, perhaps misleadingly, to the metropolitan area centered on the city of Philadelphia in the United States....		PA–NJ–DE Delaware Delaware is a U.S. state located on the East Coast of the United States in the Mid-Atlantic States region of the United States. The state takes its name from Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, a British nobleman and Virginia's first colonial governor, after whom Cape Henlopen was originally named.... –MD Maryland Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic States of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia and the Washington, D.C. to the south and west, Pennsylvania to the north, and Delaware to the east....	5,827,962
		Camden Camden, New Jersey The City of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey, New Jersey, in the United States. It is located just across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania....	NJ	1,246,339
		Philadelphia Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia is the largest city in Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population city in the United States. It is the fifth-largest metropolitan area and fourth-largest urban area by population in the United States, the nation's fourth-largest consumer media market as ranked by the Nielsen Media Research, and the 49th-most...	PA	3,887,694
		Wilmington Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek , near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River....	DE–MD–NJ	693,929
6	Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown Greater Houston Houston?Sugar Land?Baytown is a 10-county metropolitan area defined by the Office of Management and Budget. It is located along the Gulf Coast of the United States region in the U.S....		TX	5,628,101
7	Miami–Fort Lauderdale–Pompano Beach South Florida metropolitan area South Florida encompasses a three-county area of the southeastern part of the United States U.S. state of Florida. The metropolitan area covers the counties of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Broward County, Florida and Palm Beach County, Florida....		FL Florida Florida is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the northeast....	5,413,212
		Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fort Lauderdale, known as the "Venice of America" due to its expansive and intricate canal system, is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States.... –Pompano Beach Pompano Beach, Florida Pompano Beach is a city in Broward County, Florida, Florida, along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean just to the north of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.... –Deerfield Beach Deerfield Beach, Florida Deerfield Beach is a city in Broward County, Florida, Florida, United States. The city is named for the numerous deer that once roamed the area....		1,759,591
		Miami Miami, Florida Miami is a global city in southeastern Florida, in the United States. Miami is the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, the most populous county in Florida.... –Miami Beach Miami Beach, Florida Miami Beach is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, Florida, United States. The city was incorporated on 26 March, 1915.Miami Beach has been one of America's pre-eminent beach resorts for almost a century.... –Kendall Kendall, Florida Kendall is a census-designated place and an unincorporated suburban community in Miami-Dade County, Florida, Florida, southwest of Miami, Florida....		2,387,170
		West Palm Beach West Palm Beach, Florida West Palm Beach, also known as West Palm, is the most populous city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida.... –Boca Raton Boca Raton, Florida Boca Raton is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, Florida incorporated in May 1925. As of the United States Census 2000, the city had a total population of 74,764; the 2006 population recorded by the U.S.... –Boynton Beach Boynton Beach, Florida Boynton Beach is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, Florida, United States. The population was 60,389 at the 2000 United States Census. As of 2006, the city had a population of 66,714 according to the University of Florida, Bureau of Economic and Business Research....		1,266,451
8	Washington–Arlington–Alexandria Washington Metropolitan Area The Washington Metropolitan Area, formally known as the Washington?Arlington?Alexandria, DC?VA?MD?WV MSA, is a U.S. Metropolitan Statistical Area defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget ....		DC Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the Capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790.... –VA Virginia The Commonwealth of Virginia is an United States U.S. state on the East Coast of the United States of the Southern United States. The state is known as the "Old Dominion" and sometimes as "Mother of Presidents", because it is the birthplace of Lists of United States Presidents by place of birth#By state.... –MD–WV West Virginia West Virginia is a U.S. state in the Appalachian, Upland South, and Mid-Atlantic States regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia on the southeast, Kentucky on the southwest, Ohio on the northwest, and Pennsylvania and Maryland on the northeast....	5,306,565
		Bethesda Bethesda, Maryland Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Presbyterian Church, built in 1820 and rebuilt in 1850, which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda.... -Gaithersburg Gaithersburg, Maryland Gaithersburg is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, Maryland. , the city had an estimated total population of 57,698, making it the fourth largest in the state behind Baltimore, Maryland, Frederick, Maryland, and Rockville, Maryland.... –Frederick Frederick, Maryland Frederick is a city in west-central Maryland, United States. It is the county seat of Frederick County, Maryland, the largest county by area in the State of Maryland....	MD	1,155,518
		Washington Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the Capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790.... –Arlington–Alexandria Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the United States Census 2000, the city had a total population of 128,283....	DC–MD–VA–WV	4,151,047
9	Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Marietta		GA Georgia (U.S. state) Georgia is a U.S. state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against United Kingdom rule in the American Revolution....	5,278,904
10	Boston–Cambridge–Quincy Greater Boston Greater Boston is the area of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts surrounding the city of Boston, Massachusetts. Due to ambiguity in usage, the size of the area referred to can be anywhere between that of the metropolitan statistical area of Boston to that of the city's combined statistical area which includes the metro areas of Providence,...		MA Massachusetts The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a U.S. state located in the New England region of the Northeastern United States United States. It borders Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north.... –NH New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States United States of America. The state was named after the southern English Counties of England of Hampshire....	4,482,857
		Boston Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the State capital and largest city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is considered the economic and cultural center of the region, and is sometimes regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England." Boston city proper had a 2007 est... –Quincy Quincy, Massachusetts Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States. Its nicknames are "The City of Presidents", "City of Legends", and "Birthplace of the American Dream"....	MA	1,858,216
		Cambridge Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge is a city in the Greater Boston area of Massachusetts, United States. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England.... –Newton Newton, Massachusetts The City of Newton in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts,is a large residential suburb of Boston, Massachusetts, which abuts it on the east.... –Framingham Framingham, Massachusetts Framingham is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population was 66,910, making it the most populous New England town in New England....		1,473,416
		Peabody Peabody, Massachusetts Peabody is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population was 48,129. Peabody is located in Boston, Massachusetts North Shore suburban area....		733,101
		Rockingham County Rockingham County, New Hampshire Rockingham County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. As of 2000, the population was 277,359. The county seat is Brentwood, New Hampshire, although Exeter, New Hampshire is the traditional county seat.... –Strafford County Strafford County, New Hampshire Strafford County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. As of 2000, the population was 112,233. Its county seat is Dover, New Hampshire....	NH	418,124
11	Detroit–Warren–Livonia Metro Detroit The Detroit metropolitan area, often referred to as Metro Detroit, is the United States metropolitan area located in Southeast Michigan Michigan centered on the city of Detroit....		MI Michigan Michigan is a Midwestern United States U.S. state of the United States of America. It was named after Lake Michigan, whose name is a French adaptation of the Anishinaabe language term mishigama, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....	4,467,592
		Detroit Detroit, Michigan Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Wayne County, Michigan. Detroit is a major port city on the Detroit River, in the Midwestern United States of the United States.... –Livonia Livonia, Michigan Livonia is a city in the northwest part of Wayne County, Michigan in the U.S. state of Michigan. Livonia is a very large suburb with an array of traditional neighborhoods connected to the metropolitan area by freeways.... –Dearborn Dearborn, Michigan Dearborn is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in the Metro Detroit and Wayne County, Michigan, and is the tenth largest city in the U.S....		1,985,101
		Warren Warren, Michigan Warren is a city in Macomb County, Michigan in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the United States Census, 2000, the city had a total population of 138,247, making Warren the largest city in Macomb County, Michigan, the third most populous city in Michigan, and Metro Detroit largest suburb.... –Troy Troy, Michigan Troy is a city in Oakland County, Michigan in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a suburb of Detroit, Michigan. The population was 80,959 at the 2000 United States Census, making it the 12th-largest city in Michigan by population, and the second-largest city in Oakland County after Farmington Hills, Michigan.... –Farmington Hills Farmington Hills, Michigan Farmington Hills is an affluent community and the most populous city in Oakland County, Michigan in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the United States Census, 2000, the city population was 82,111....		2,482,491
12	San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, or the Bay, is a metropolitan region that surrounds the San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay Bays in Northern California....		CA	4,203,898
		Oakland Oakland, California Oakland , founded in 1852, is the eighth-largest city in the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Alameda County, California. Oakland is approximately 8 miles east of San Francisco and the cities are separated by San Francisco Bay.... –Fremont Fremont, California Fremont is a city in Alameda County, California, California; it was incorporated on January 23, 1956, from the merger of five smaller communities: #Centerville, #Irvington, #Mission San Jose, #Niles, and #Warm Springs.... –Hayward Hayward, California Hayward is a city located in the East Bay in Alameda County, California. The sixth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area, it is one of the larger suburbs of Oakland, California....		2,483,842
		San Francisco San Francisco, California The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city in California and the List of United States cities by population in the United States, with a 2007 estimated population of 799,183.... –San Mateo San Mateo, California San Mateo is a city in San Mateo County, California, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is one of the larger suburbs on the San Francisco Peninsula, located between Burlingame, California to the north, Foster City, California to the east, and Belmont, California to the south.... –Redwood City Redwood City, California Redwood City is a suburb located on the San Francisco Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. Redwood City is the county seat of San Mateo County, California....		1,720,056
13	Phoenix–Mesa–Scottsdale Phoenix Metropolitan Area The Phoenix metropolitan area, also known as the Valley of the Sun, is a metropolitan area that includes the city of Phoenix, Arizona, much of the rest of Maricopa County, a large section of Pinal County, and small parts of southern Yavapai County....		AZ Arizona The State of Arizona is a U.S. state located in the Southwestern United States of the United States. The capital and largest city is Phoenix, Arizona....	4,179,427
14	Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario Inland Empire (California) The Inland Empire is a region mainly located in Southeast California, particularly the Riverside County, California and San Bernardino County, California counties....		CA	4,081,371
15	Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue Seattle metropolitan area The Seattle metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Washington includes the city of Seattle, King County, Washington, Snohomish County, Washington, and Pierce County, Washington within the Greater Puget Sound area....		WA Washington Washington is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Washington was carved out of the western part of Washington Territory which had been ceded by Britain in 1846 by the Oregon Treaty as settlement of the Oregon Boundary Dispute....	3,309,347
		Seattle Seattle, Washington Seattle is the most populous city in the US state of Washington and the Northwestern United States. The encompassing Seattle metropolitan area is the 15th largest in the United States, and the largest in the Pacific Northwest.... –Bellevue Bellevue, Washington Bellevue is a rapidly growing city in King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb.... –Everett Everett, Washington Everett is the county seat of and the largest city in Snohomish County, Washington, Washington, United States. Named for Everett Colby, son of founder Charles L....		2,536,182
		Tacoma Tacoma, Washington Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city in and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, Washington, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park....		773,165
16	Minneapolis–St. Paul–Bloomington		MN Minnesota Minnesota is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States of the United States. The twelfth largest state by area in the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with just over five million residents.... –WI	3,208,212
17	San Diego–Carlsbad–San Marcos San Diego County, California San Diego County is a county located near the Pacific Ocean in the far southwest of the U.S. state of California. The state of California estimates San Diego County's population as of 2008 to be 3,146,274 people, making it the second most populous county in California, ahead of its northwestern neighbor Orange County, California....		CA	2,974,859
18	St. Louis		MO Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska.... –IL Illinois The State of Illinois is a U.S. state of the United States, the 21st to be admitted to the United States. Illinois is the most populous and demographically diverse Midwestern United States state and the fifth most populous state in the nation....	2,803,707
19	Tampa–St. Petersburg–Clearwater		FL	2,723,949
20	Baltimore–Towson Baltimore Metropolitan Area The Baltimore-Towson Metropolitan Statistical Area is a Metropolitan Statistical Area in Maryland as defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget ....		MD	2,668,056
21	Denver–Aurora Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area The Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area is a United States Census Bureau defined United States metropolitan area in the Colorado that includes the Denver, Colorado and nine suburban counties....		CO Colorado The State of Colorado is a U.S. state located in the Mountain States of the United States of America. Colorado may also be considered to be a part of the Western United States and Southwestern United States regions of the United States....	2,464,866
22	Pittsburgh		PA	2,355,712
23	Portland–Vancouver–Beaverton Portland metropolitan area The Portland-Vancouver, Oregon-Washington, Metropolitan Statistical Area , also known as the Portland metropolitan area or Greater Portland, is an urban area in the U.S....		OR Oregon Oregon is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The area was inhabited by many indigenous tribes before the arrival of traders, explorers and settlers.... –WA	2,175,113
24	Cincinnati–Middletown Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky metropolitan area The Cincinnati, Ohio-Northern Kentucky metropolitan area is a metropolitan area that includes 15 counties in the U.S. states of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana....		OH-KY-IN	2,133,678
25	Cleveland–Elyria–Mentor Greater Cleveland *Greater Cleveland* is a nickname for the metropolitan area surrounding Cleveland, Ohio, Ohio.Northeast Ohio refers to a similar but substantially larger area as described below....		OH Ohio Ohio is a Midwestern United States U.S. state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region , Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads in North America....	2,096,471

For all U.S. Metropolitan Statistical Areas, see the Table of United States Metropolitan Statistical Areas
Table of United States Metropolitan Statistical Areas

The United States Census Bureau has defined 363 Metropolitan Statistical Areas for the United States of America. The Census Bureau defines a Metropolitan Statistical Area as one or more adjacent county or county-equivalent that have at least one List of United States urban areas of at least 50,000 population, plus adjacent territory that...
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For a list including combined metropolitan areas, see the Table of United States primary census statistical areas
Table of United States primary census statistical areas

The following table of the 719 primary census statistical areas of the United States of America compares the Core Based Statistical Area and Combined Statistical Area of the United States....
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United States metropolitan area

Definition issues

Top 25

See also

External links