Metropolitan areas of Colombia

Metropolitan Areas in Colombia are officially designated administrative and census areas, composed of an urban center and its associated Municipalities.

Description

The following criteria must be met for a group of communities to be designated a Metropolitan Area:

Each one of the Municipalities, the secondary cities as well as the central city, must have a population of at least 50,000 inhabitants.
The secondary cities must integrate their city planning with that of the central city.
At least two-thirds of those employed in the area must perform non-rural activities.
Each of the secondary cities must have at least 10% of their workers employed in the central city.

Commuting to work is, in fact, the major characteristic of a Metropolitan Area. As a result, the secondary cities are often called "dormitory cities"; meaning places where the inhabitants only go home to sleep.

An important function of the Metropolitan Areas is to provide for joint planning between the Municipalities, thereby managing ordered and proportional economic growth according to the necessities of the area and the physical characteristics of each Municipality.

Metropolitan Areas

The following are currently (2007) recognized by the Colombian government:

Metropolitan Area	Status	Conurbation municipalities	Population (2018 estimate)
Greater Bogotá	Officially the Metropolitan Region Bogota - Cundinamarca	Bogotá, Soacha, Mosquera, Funza, Madrid, Chía, Cajicá, La Calera, Sopó, Tenjo, Tabio, Sibaté, Zipaquirá, and Facatativá	9,498,470
Greater Medellín	Officially the Metropolitan Area of Aburrá Valley	Medellín, Bello, Barbosa, Copacabana, La Estrella, Girardota, Itagüí, Envigado, Caldas,Rionegro and Sabaneta	4,035,922
Greater Cali	Not yet defined officially	Cali, Palmira, Yumbo, Jamundí, Vijes and Florida	3,079,074
Greater Barranquilla	Created by Decree 28 of 1981	Barranquilla, Puerto Colombia, Soledad, Galapa and Malambo	2,098,966
Greater Cartagena de Indias	Not yet defined officially	Cartagena de Indias, Turbaco, Turbana, Clemencia, Santa Catalina, Santa Rosa and Villanueva	1,197,656
Greater Bucaramanga	Created by Decree 20 of 1981	Bucaramanga, Floridablanca , Piedecuesta y Girón	1,150,993
Greater Cúcuta	Created by Decree 000508 of 1991	Cúcuta, Villa del Rosario, Los Patios and El Zulia	866,633
Greater Pereira	Created by Decree 014 of 1991	Pereira, Dosquebradas, La Virginia, Santa Rosa de Cabal	786,476
Greater Valledupar	Created in 2005	Valledupar, Codazzi, La Paz, Manaure and San Diego	584,682
Greater Armenia	Not yet defined officially	Armenia, Calarcá, Circasia, La Tebaida, Montenegro and Salento	504,722
Greater Girardot	Not yet defined officially	Girardot, Ricaurte (Cundinamarca) and Flandes (Tolima)	146,039
Greater Ibagué	Not yet defined officially	Ibagué, Cajamarca, Alvarado, Coello and Piedras	613,370
Greater Ipiales	Not yet defined officially	Ipiales, Pupiales, Carlosama, Aldana	173,773
Greater Manizales	Not yet defined officially	Manizales, Neira, Chinchiná, Villamaríanota and Palestina	559,433
Greater Montería	Not yet defined officially	Montería, Cereté, San Carlos, Ciénaga de Oro and San Pelayo	694,937
Greater Neiva	Not yet defined officially	Neiva, Rivera, Palermo, Tello, Campoalegre, Baraya, Aipe and Villavieja	461,479
Greater Santa Marta	Not yet defined officially	Santa Marta, Pueblo Viejo and Ciénaga	645,007
Greater Popayán	Not yet defined officially	Popayán, El Tambo, Timbío, and Piendamó	413,210
Greater Sincelejo	Not yet defined officially	Sincelejo, Corozal, Morroa, Los Palmitos and Sampués	422,906
Greater Tunja	Not yet defined officially	Tunja, Sora, Soracá, Siachoque, Toca, Tuta, Sotaquirá, Cómbita, Motavita, Oicatá, Chivatá, Cucaita, Samacá and Ventaquemada	294,918
Greater Villavicencio	Not yet defined officially	Villavicencio, Acacías, Guamal, Restrepo and Cumaral	629,029
Greater Sogamoso	Not yet defined officially	Sogamoso, Duitama, Paipa, Nobsa, Tibasosa, Santa rosa de Viterbo, Firavitoba and Iza	309,922