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Biggest Metro Areas in the USA

Name the cities in the United States with the highest metropolitan population. When you guess the city, it will appear on the map.
Based on 2022 population estimates
These are MSAs. Some are part of larger CSAs. Not to be confused with city proper population.
Quiz by Quizmaster
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Last updated: June 1, 2023
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First submittedJanuary 10, 2011
Times taken284,896
Average score59.0%
Rating4.99
10:00
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Population
Metro Area
19,617,869
New York City
12,872,322
Los Angeles
9,441,957
Chicago
7,943,685
Dallas
7,340,118
Houston
6,373,756
Washington, DC
6,241,164
Philadelphia
6,222,106
Atlanta
6,139,340
Miami
5,015,678
Phoenix
4,900,550
Boston
4,667,558
Riverside /
San Bernardino
4,579,599
San Francisco
4,345,761
Detroit
4,034,248
Seattle
3,693,729
Minneapolis
3,290,730
Tampa
3,276,208
San Diego
2,985,871
Denver
2,835,672
Baltimore
2,801,319
St. Louis
2,764,182
Orlando
2,756,069
Charlotte
2,655,342
San Antonio
2,509,489
Portland, OR
2,421,115
Austin
2,416,702
Sacramento
2,349,172
Pittsburgh
2,322,985
Las Vegas
2,265,051
Cincinnati
2,209,494
Kansas City
2,161,511
Columbus
2,141,779
Indianapolis
2,063,132
Cleveland
Population
Metro Area
2,046,828
Nashville
1,938,524
San Jose
1,806,840
Virginia Beach
1,675,668
Jacksonville
1,673,802
Providence
1,559,792
Milwaukee
1,484,338
Raleigh
1,459,380
Oklahoma City
1,339,182
Richmond
1,332,305
Memphis
1,284,553
Louisville
1,266,191
Salt Lake City
1,246,176
New Orleans
1,221,725
Hartford
1,161,192
Buffalo
1,116,857
Birmingham
1,094,198
Grand Rapids
1,081,152
Rochester
1,057,597
Tucson
1,034,123
Tulsa
1,015,190
Fresno
995,638
Honolulu
980,137
Worcester
976,671
Omaha
962,946
Bridgeport
958,958
Greenville
919,543
Albuquerque
916,108
Bakersfield
907,968
Knoxville
904,617
Albany
891,411
Sarasota
888,367
McAllen
873,060
Baton Rouge
Population
Metro Area
872,195
El Paso
871,229
Allentown
869,527
New Haven
847,686
Columbia, SC
832,605
Oxnard
830,529
Charleston, SC
822,453
Fort Myers
812,595
Dayton
811,336
Boise
793,229
Stockton
787,404
Lakeland
784,101
Greensboro
765,424
Colorado Springs
757,615
Little Rock
729,053
Des Moines
715,001
Provo
713,839
Ogden
705,897
Daytona Beach
703,486
Poughkeepsie
697,627
Akron
694,523
Springfield, MA
688,471
Winston-Salem
687,077
Madison
664,310
Durham
653,633
Syracuse
650,039
Wichita
640,384
Toledo
630,693
Melbourne, FL
624,083
Augusta
603,493
Harrisburg
597,919
Spokane
583,197
Jackson, MS
576,403
Fayetteville
+2
Level 90
Mar 9, 2017
After living in Corpus Christi and visiting the Scranton area for a few days, I find it difficult to believe that Scranton is the bigger MSA. When you go a few miles without seeing anything other than random farmhouses between towns it's not a contiguous MSA despite what the census bureau says.
+2
Level 73
Apr 21, 2017
I suppose it's because Scranton MSA is merged with Wilkes-Barre.
+4
Level 62
Aug 27, 2019
yeah, i always think of the Wilkes-Barre-Scranton Penguins of the AHL
+2
Level 65
May 14, 2017
Yamaneko is right. While Corpus Christi itself is more than triple the size of Scranton alone, the Scranton MSA spans three large counties and includes other cities like Wilkes-Barre.
+3
Level 90
Nov 16, 2017
My point was raised more by the term MSA. I'm not saying that there are more people in Corpus just that it's a single urban area. When you drive 3 to 4 miles for multiple stretches on a major highway without seeing anything other than farmland like you can in the Scranton Wilkes Barre MSA it should not be considered a single MSA.
+4
Level 90
Mar 30, 2017
I've become accustomed to ignoring places like Bridgeport and New Haven when dealing with Metro areas, since they are completely encompassed by NYC's metro area. Interesting to see that depicted graphically here. I guess if a city's population proper is large enough, it doesn't matter if it doesn't have a unique metro area.
+3
Level 73
Jan 31, 2019
same - it's hard to think of CT as distinct from either NYC or Boston, for me in NJ anyway
+2
Level 70
Mar 31, 2017
cant believe my small city is on the list
+6
Level 43
Apr 4, 2017
Wow look at how many cities are listed in Montana, Wyoming, and North Dakota!
+3
Level 61
Apr 4, 2017
I know, right! Don't forget Delaware!
+3
Level 73
Apr 21, 2017
C'mon Billings, Fargo, Cheyenne and Wilmington, get your s**t together!!
+3
Level 47
Sep 1, 2017
Kind of hard when Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming and Delaware are 4 of the 7 least populous states in the country.
+4
Level 72
Jun 6, 2023
Wow, you're right. Someone should make a joke about that..
+2
Level 64
May 7, 2017
Corpus Christi is many times bigger than McAllen. Even Brownsville and other Texas cities are larger.
+5
Level 60
May 14, 2017
Corpus Christi as a city, yes, but the metro area is not nearly as big. It only has around 400,000 people while McAllen's is the fifth largest in TX with over 840,000.
+4
Level 63
May 14, 2017
Got Augusta and Portland just trying to see if there were any in Maine. Dear all you Mainers, I really tried to get your state one.
+2
Level 66
Aug 21, 2020
Portland does have 500K in its CSA, but not MSA
+4
Level 16
May 14, 2017
I got New Haven, CT but missed Miami. Help me now.
+5
Level 62
Aug 27, 2019
new haven beast. best logo of any sports team ever. thats why i got it lol
+7
Level 62
May 15, 2017
This is my favorite quiz in a while! Would love to see more of this type with Europe, the World etc
+6
Level 82
May 16, 2017
There are many. Try searching for them.
+4
Level 82
Jun 16, 2017
Very fun quiz. I live near Salt Lake City. I wouldn't think Ogden and Provo would be in their own metro areas, anymore than I'd think Tacoma or Vancouver (Washington) would be in theirs.
+2
Level 47
Jul 30, 2017
According to Wikipedia, Ogden and Salt Lake City used to be the same metro area until 2005. But they are all still part of the SLC Combined Statistical Area, along with Provo, Heber CIty and Summit Park.
+4
Level 19
Sep 5, 2017
66/100 and i'm french, i can live with that!
+3
Level 82
Mar 12, 2018
Well, I missed plenty - the largest being Raleigh - but I did get one of the two least guessed. Thank you, Jim Morrison - without you being born there, I would have no idea Melbourne, Florida existed.
+3
Level 70
Aug 17, 2018
Missed Chicago, Houston and Phoenix !! I don't believe in it!
+2
Level 73
Feb 5, 2019
If you're looking for a version of this quiz with more answers, you can try my 500 Biggest US Cities quiz. Sadly, it doesn't have a map.
+6
Level 79
May 18, 2019
On what grounds is San Juan excluded from this quiz? It had an MSA of over 2.5 million in 2000 and went up in the subsequent census.
+3
Level 62
Aug 27, 2019
puerto rico aint a state. its like Guam. Its only a territory.
+5
Level 70
Jun 23, 2020
its still a city in the united states
+4
Level 70
Jun 6, 2021
I think the question needs to be restated if San Juan is to be excluded.

The United States is not only made up of 50 states but also a federal district, five major unincorporated territories, 326 Indian reservations, and some minor possessions.

Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, Guam are all part of the US.

The Indiana territory was also part of the US from 1800 to 1816.

+3
Level 78
May 21, 2019
I find it weird that Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor does not include Akron-Canton. There are parts of the Akron-Canton area that are closer to Cleveland but due to county lines are placed with Akron-Canton. You can drive from Cleveland to Canton and it is all cities and from Elyria to Mentor and it is all city. Eight or nine counties in Northeast Ohio could be all lumped together into one metro area.
+3
Level 37
May 23, 2019
But it's not.
+7
Level 74
May 23, 2019
Great quiz! By the way, the circle doesn't show up for Honolulu.
+3
Level 80
May 24, 2019
Lazy Scranton, the Electric city. They call it that 'cause of the electricity.
+2
Level 62
May 24, 2019
y doesnt anything show up when i type honolul
+4
Level 20
Mar 5, 2020
u spelled it wrong. it's honolulu
+4
Level 66
Mar 12, 2020
Xwv just felt like you guys were missing a few
+2
Level 66
Jun 30, 2019
I got 93.
+2
Level 40
Jul 29, 2019
57/100. From New Zealand. Somehow got Lakeland but not Seattle, Houston, Washington, DC or Atlanta...
+4
Level 47
Aug 8, 2019
Wait... I Don't think Honolulu has any dot?
+2
Level 62
Aug 27, 2019
Yeah Oskar, it isn't showing up for me either
+2
Level 75
Oct 9, 2019
Honolulu doesn't show up on the map
+2
Level ∞
Oct 9, 2019
Fixed
+2
Level 67
Nov 28, 2019
How did I miss Seattle, but get Melbourne?
+3
Level 50
Dec 6, 2019
89/100 I'm not American.
+2
Level 29
Feb 22, 2020
What about Santa Fe
+2
Level 29
Feb 22, 2020
And Anchorage
+3
Level 20
Mar 5, 2020
Anchorage isn't big enough
+3
Level 20
Mar 5, 2020
Santa Fe only holds 88,000
+2
Level 70
Apr 10, 2020
Can't believe I did this quiz while watching The Office...and still forgot Scranton!
+2
Level 56
Apr 21, 2020
By the San Jose has a bigger population than San Francisco
+4
Level 26
Jun 4, 2020
I laughed so hard when I saw that the circle for NYC literally covered all of New Jersey
+2
Level 66
Aug 21, 2020
Yep. That’s so true.
+2
Level 55
Aug 21, 2020
^^
+2
Level 36
Oct 10, 2020
100/100 and I'm Australian :)
+2
Level 82
Oct 15, 2020
I got my high score of 90 today. If I had moved through a little faster I think I would have gotten 5 points. So close. But I spent too much time guessing smaller cities trying to make sure I didn't miss any then I was pressed for time at the end trying to clean up the eastern seaboard. Missed Baltimore, Columbia, Sarasota, Lakeland, Worcester, Greenville, Harrisburg, Melbourne, Ogden and Augusta.
+1
Level 82
Apr 4, 2021
This time I missed Toledo, Little Rock, New Haven and Greensboro... but I finally picked up that 5th point.
+2
Level 69
Dec 7, 2020
It took a while, but I managed to get all 100 :D
+2
Level 42
Dec 20, 2020
Got 41 and I'm from the UK Most obscure guess Lakeland most worst miss San Francisco
+1
Level 22
Jan 12, 2021
Could you add LA for los angeles?
+2
Level 28
Mar 4, 2021
45/100 as german only been to the us once, but thanks to NBA & NFL i think i did quite well. After watching the results i should ve known better thanks to college basketball & march madness...

couldnt get Albuquerque cause i didnt know how to spell it...

+1
Level 63
Apr 15, 2021
great quiz! i loved it!
+1
Level 60
May 11, 2021
Please accept "Tuscan" for "Tuscon"
+3
Level 63
Jan 27, 2022
Just type Tuscon
+1
Level 16
May 20, 2021
bruh i missed my own city cuz i thought it was part of la metro area
+1
Level 56
May 23, 2021
Guys why does every quiz get this wrong, San Jose is larger than San Francisco
+10
Level ∞
May 23, 2021
City proper < Metropolitan Area < Combined Statistical Area.

Know the difference. It could save your life.

+1
Level 56
May 23, 2021
San Francisco isn't actually that big, it's just very dense. I'm a Californian and the largest cities are:

Los Angeles

San Diego

San Jose

San Francisco

+1
Level 34
Dec 29, 2022
It is still the 4th largest in California, so there's that
+1
Level 59
Jun 6, 2021
Out of curiosity, what is the value for Portland, Maine? Surprised it couldn't beat out some of these places
+2
Level 37
Aug 3, 2021
I wrote Salem hoping to get the capital of Oregon I was not excepting to get something in north Carolina.

Just in case you haven't noticed I am very bad when it comes to cities.

+1
Level 26
Aug 12, 2021
bro wtf is lakeland- I literally got 75/100, the only "important ones" I missed were Raleigh, San Jose and Rochester, but the rest are completely unknown places lmfaooo
+1
Level 88
Nov 9, 2021
I could not for the life of me spell Birmingham correctly.
+1
Level 59
Feb 13, 2022
you illiterate?
+1
Level 67
Dec 6, 2021
Surprised that little South Carolina had 3 cities on the list! In the top 20% of states.
+1
Level 67
Jun 1, 2023
So does Connecticut... an even smaller state.
+1
Level 46
Apr 25, 2022
97/100. Missed Akron, Harrisburg, and Bridgeport - I thought it was park of the New York MSA.
+1
Level 44
May 29, 2022
As someone far from the US, I am pretty happy to get 30.
+1
Level 24
May 30, 2022
I thought i lived in a sort small town, and it was on this list :/
+1
Level 28
Jul 10, 2022
I got 100% on my 3rd try, but untimed. Got Melbourne as my last one right before I gave up. Missed Sacramento on my second try. Still disappointed in myself.
+1
Level 28
Jul 24, 2022
Just got my last one (Stockton) with 1 second left and my first completed timed one! Tough, but really great quiz.
+1
Level 68
Jul 10, 2022
91/100, somehow completely forgot about San Antonio
+1
Level 44
Oct 7, 2022
I always just look at the mainland map and almost forgot Honolulu. lol
+3
Level 82
Oct 20, 2022
I will never get used to the weird ways the US counts these things. San Bernardino is very clearly part of the Los Angeles metro area, and call it Bay Area or San Francisco or whatever, but San Jose and San Francisco are also clearly the same metro area. If someone can find me the wilderness area between San Bernardino and Los Angeles I'll give them a thousand bucks. Is it in Rancho Cuchamonga, perhaps? Maybe Ontario? Pomona? Fontana? Covina? El Monte?
+1
Level 65
Jun 26, 2023
The San Jose Hills divide the Inland Empire from the LA area. The farthest reaches of the Inland Empire are Pomona, San Dimas, Claremont, etc. And while the San Jose Hills aren't necessarily wilderness, they do serve as a pretty clear divide between the two metropolitan areas. As for the bay area, I have absolutely no idea how they're splitting it up, and while it does make sense San Jose and San Francisco are separate (parts of San Mateo County in between the two aren't fully developed), I don't understand where that puts the East Bay. Is it part of San Jose? San Francisco? If my assumptions on the numbers for San Francisco are correct, the East Bay is considered part of San Francisco. Now why the East Bay is part of SF and not San Jose, which is closer (by development and land, if not by water), I have no clue. And why it isn't separate entirely (maybe part of Oakland or Fremont), absolutely confounds me.
+1
Level 65
Jun 26, 2023
Can I have my money, please?
+1
Level 66
Dec 1, 2022
78/100...not bad, barely ran out of time just as I thought of three more though :(
+1
Level 65
Jan 9, 2023
Scranton made the list as #100, Michael Scott must be proud :)
+1
Level 61
Feb 7, 2023
I got 82 but I didn't get Honolulu because I forgot about wyoming and I completely skipped over Florida lol
+2
Level 24
May 4, 2023
I live in NJ. Still trying to accept the fact that NYC covers all of Nj
+1
Level 75
Jun 1, 2023
Man, the census bureau sure was right when they said that MSAs are "not designed to serve as a general-purpose geographic framework".
+3
Level ∞
Jun 1, 2023
Those are weasel words. They might as well say "We did our best. Don't be a whiner".

Metro areas (as defined by the Census Bureau) might not be perfect but they are better than anything else we have.

+1
Level 67
Jun 1, 2023
Got 89/100, biggest fails were New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Boise. As you can see, I forgot about the existence of Louisiana and Idaho.
+2
Level 59
Jun 5, 2023
how the hell is poughkeepsie a metro area 😭
+1
Level 33
Jul 29, 2023
That surprised me too. I was going to guess it but didn't think it was worth the time for such an outlandish idea...

Apparently, they've gone back and forth between subsuming it under NYC or having a unique area. Currently, it's called the "Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown metropolitan area" and covers two counties in the Hudson Valley.

+1
Level 72
Jun 6, 2023
Fun fact: Every single city on this list (excluding the last one, Fayetteville) has a larger population than the entire state of Wyoming.
+1
Level 47
Jun 16, 2023
I'm in San Antonio on vacation right now...

Guess which one of the cities with over 1 million people I missed...

+1
Level 74
Jul 31, 2023
Relevant plug for my new quiz here, https://www.jetpunk.com/user-quizzes/1496352/winners-losers-us-city-vs-metro-populations
+1
Level 57
Sep 29, 2023
You should accept Twin Cities for Minneapolis and Inland Empire for Riverside
+1
Level 78
Oct 3, 2023
65/100, not too bad. Could have done better if I'd remembered the Fonz, Glen Campbell and Kenny Rogers.
+1
Level 49
Mar 6, 2024
As a Brit who has never heard of some of these cities, I'm pleased to have got 61/100.

I keep noticing Virginia Beach in similar quizzes, so was sure I'd typed it. Though in my hurry, I think I'm mistyping it - giving me the impression it's not a valid answer. >_<

Can anyone enlighten me on what the mythical Virginia Beach is like irl???