Greater Richmond Region

Richmond-Petersburg
Metropolitan statistical area
Richmond, VA Metropolitan Statistical Area
Richmond, the core city of the Greater Richmond Area
Counties of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area
Coordinates: 37°48′32″N 78°10′41″W / 37.809°N 78.178°W / 37.809; -78.178
Country	United States
Largest city	Richmond
Other cities	Petersburg Hopewell Colonial Heights
Area
• Total	4,367 sq mi (11,310 km2)
Population
• Total	1,314,434[1]
• Rank	44th-largest in the U.S.
GDP [2]
• MSA	$93.615 billion (2022)

The Greater Richmond Region, also known as the Richmond metropolitan area or Central Virginia, is a region and metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Virginia, centered on Richmond. The U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) defines the area as the Richmond, VA Metropolitan Statistical Area, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) used by the U.S. Census Bureau and other entities. The OMB defines the area as comprising 17 county-level jurisdictions, including the independent cities of Richmond, Petersburg, Hopewell, and Colonial Heights.^[3] As of 2020, it had a population of 1,314,434, making it the 44th largest MSA in the country.

The Greater Richmond Region is located in the central part of Virginia. It straddles the Fall Line, where the coastal plain and the Piedmont come together on the James River at Richmond and the Appomattox River at Petersburg. The English established each as a colonial port in the 17th century. The Greater Richmond Metro region is considered to be the southern extension of the Northeast megalopolis.^[4]