Metropolitan Areas in 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 AreaStatusConurbation municipalitiesPopulation (2018 estimate)
Greater BogotáNot yet defined officiallyBogotá, Soacha, Mosquera, Funza, Madrid, Chía, Cajicá, La Calera, Sopó, Tenjo, Tabio, Sibaté, Zipaquirá, and Facatativá9,498,470
Greater MedellínOfficially the Metropolitan Area of Aburrá ValleyMedellín, Bello, Barbosa, Copacabana, La Estrella, Girardota, Itagüí, Envigado, Caldas,Rionegro and Sabaneta4,035,922
Greater CaliNot yet defined officiallyCali, Palmira, Yumbo, Jamundí, Vijes and Florida3,079,074
Greater BarranquillaCreated by Decree 28 of 1981Barranquilla, Puerto Colombia, Soledad, Galapa and Malambo2,098,966
Greater Cartagena de IndiasNot yet defined officiallyCartagena de Indias, Turbaco, Turbana, Clemencia, Santa Catalina, Santa Rosa and Villanueva1,197,656
Greater BucaramangaCreated by Decree 20 of 1981Bucaramanga, Floridablanca , Piedecuesta y Girón1,150,993
Greater CúcutaCreated by Decree 000508 of 1991Cúcuta, Villa del Rosario, Los Patios and El Zulia866,633
Greater PereiraCreated by Decree 014 of 1991Pereira, Dosquebradas, La Virginia, Santa Rosa de Cabal786,476
Greater ValleduparCreated in 2005Valledupar, Codazzi, La Paz, Manaure and San Diego584,682
Greater ArmeniaNot yet defined officiallyArmenia, Calarcá, Circasia, La Tebaida, Montenegro and Salento504,722
Greater GirardotNot yet defined officiallyGirardot, Ricaurte (Cundinamarca) and Flandes (Tolima)146,039
Greater IbaguéNot yet defined officiallyIbagué, Cajamarca, Alvarado, Coello and Piedras613,370
Greater IpialesNot yet defined officiallyIpiales, Pupiales, Carlosama, Aldana173,773
Greater ManizalesNot yet defined officiallyManizales, Neira, Chinchiná, Villamaríanota and Palestina559,433
Greater MonteríaNot yet defined officiallyMontería, Cereté, San Carlos, Ciénaga de Oro and San Pelayo694,937
Greater NeivaNot yet defined officiallyNeiva, Rivera, Palermo, Tello, Campoalegre, Baraya, Aipe and Villavieja461,479
Greater Santa MartaNot yet defined officiallySanta Marta, Pueblo Viejo and Ciénaga645,007
Greater PopayánNot yet defined officiallyPopayán, El Tambo, Timbío, and Piendamó413,210
Greater SincelejoNot yet defined officiallySincelejo, Corozal, Morroa, Los Palmitos and Sampués422,906
Greater TunjaNot yet defined officiallyTunja, Sora, Soracá, Siachoque, Toca, Tuta, Sotaquirá, Cómbita, Motavita, Oicatá, Chivatá, Cucaita, Samacá and Ventaquemada294,918
Greater VillavicencioNot yet defined officiallyVillavicencio, Acacías, Guamal, Restrepo and Cumaral629,029
Greater SogamosoNot yet defined officiallySogamoso, Duitama, Paipa, Nobsa, Tibasosa, Santa rosa de Viterbo, Firavitoba and Iza309,922


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