Metropolitan areas in Romania
Encyclopedia
There are 10 metropolitan areas in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...

 that have been constituted or are planned to be constituted in the near future.

Legislative status

The current legislation in Romania regulates the status of the 265 cities according to their population and regional importance:
  • Rank 0 - Bucharest
    Bucharest
    Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....

    , the capital of Romania
    Romania
    Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...

     - municipality of "European" importance
  • Rank I —municipality of national importance, with regional role and potential influence at European level
  • Rank II —municipality of national, regional or county-level importance, or with equilibrium role in the network of cities
  • Rank III — cities


Legislation also restricts the possibility to engage into a metropolitan area
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...

 project to only those cities that are of rank 0 or I. Here is a list of the municipalities that as of 2007 can for metropolitan areas around them with approximate populations. Only three zones have been officially constituted by the end of 2007: Oradea, Iasi and Constanta. At least 9 others are at the level of project.

Constituted metropolitan zones

  • Iaşi metropolitan area
    Iasi metropolitan area
    The Iaşi Metropolitan Area is a metropolitan area in Iaşi County, Romania, that includes the municipality of Iaşi and 13 nearby communes.It has a total surface of 808 km² of the 5,476 km² that the county has, and a population of 400,347 inhabitants out of the 823,388 in the...

     (since 8 April 2004) - Today it has a population of 400,347 and 808 km².

  • Oradea metropolitan area
    Oradea metropolitan area
    Oradea metropolitan area is a metropolitan area located in Western Romania, in the County of Bihor, Crişana, Transylvania, Romania and was founded on 9 May 2005....

     (since 9 May 2005) - It had a population of 258,800 in 2008 being the largest urban area from Crişana
    Crisana
    Crișana is a geographical and historical region divided today between Romania and Hungary, named after the Criș River and its three tributaries: the Crișul Alb, Crișul Negru and Crișul Repede....

     historical region, surpassing the city of Debreţin (Debrecen).

  • Constanţa metropolitan area
    Constanta metropolitan area
    The Constanţa metropolitan area, is a metropolitan area, established in 2007, that includes the municipality of Constanţa, the cities of Năvodari, Ovidiu, Eforie, Murfatlar, Techirghiol and 8 communes:...

     (since 2007) - It has a population of 446,595 in 15% area (1013.5 km²) of the Constanţa County
    Constanta County
    Constanța is the name of a county in the Dobruja region of Romania. Its capital city is also named Constanța.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 715,151 and the population density was 101/km². The degree of urbanization is much higher than the Romanian average. In recent years the...

    . It includes cities like Năvodari
    Navodari
    Năvodari is a town in Constanţa County, region of Dobrogea, Romania, with a population of 32,400.-History:The settlement was mentioned for the first time in 1421 under the name Kara Koyun , to be renamed later on Karaköy or Carachioi...

    , Ovidiu
    Ovidiu
    Ovidiu is a town situated a few kilometres north of Constanţa in the Constanţa County, south-eastern Romania. Ovidiu is quite small and many wealthy inhabitants of Constanţa retire there....

    , Eforie
    Eforie
    Eforie : Băile Movilă, Carmen-Sylva, Vasile Roaită) is a town and a holiday resort on the Black Sea shore, in Constanţa County, Romania. It is located about 14 kilometers south of Constanţa...

    , Techirghiol
    Techirghiol
    -Etymology:The name is derived from the Turkish Tekirgöl which means "the lake of Tekir".According to a legend, a blind and crippled old man named Tekir and his old donkey reached the shore of the lake by mistake...

     and Basarabi
    Basarabi
    Murfatlar is a town in Constanţa County, Romania.-Etymology:The name of the town originates from the Turkish word murvet .Between 1921 and 1965, and from 1975 to 2007, the locality was known as Basarabi...

    .

  • Braşov metropolitan area
    Brasov metropolitan area
    Braşov metropolitan area is a metropolitan area in Braşov County, Romania, that includes the municipality of Braşov and 12 other nearby communities...

     (since 2007) - Now has a population of 402,041. It includes the cities of Codlea
    Codlea
    Codlea is a city in Braşov County, central Romania.-History:During the 13th century, the Teutonic Order built a fortress known as Schwarzburg near the "Măgura Codlei". The castle's name was first noted in 1265. The city of Codlea is believed to have been also founded by Germans...

    , Săcele
    Sacele
    Săcele is a city in Braşov County, Romania, in the region of Transylvania, with a population of 29,915 inhabitants in 2002. It is practically adjacent to the city of Braşov, its city centre being situated 15 km away from downtown Braşov.-History:...

    , Ghimbav
    Ghimbav
    Ghimbav is a town in Braşov County, Transylvania, central Romania. It is located in the centre of Romania, 5 miles west of Braşov.-History:The town was first mentioned in a letter written in 1420 by King Sigismund of Luxembourg...

     and Râşnov
    Râsnov
    Râşnov is a town in Braşov County, Romania with a population of under 16,000.It is located at about 15 km from the city of Braşov and about the same distance from Bran, on the road that links Wallachia and Transylvania....

    .

  • Cluj-Napoca metropolitan area
    Cluj-Napoca metropolitan area
    The Cluj-Napoca metropolitan area is a metropolitan area founded in December 2008. It has a population of 379,705 and, besides Cluj-Napoca, it includes 17 communes: Aiton, Apahida, Baciu, Bonţida, Borşa, Căianu, Chinteni, Ciurila, Cojocna, Feleacu, Floreşti, Gârbău, Gilău, Jucu, Petreştii de Jos,...

     (since 2008) - Currently the population is estimated at 379,705.

  • Craiova metropolitan area
    Craiova metropolitan area
    Craiova metropolitan area is a metropolitan area, founded on 11 February 2009, and formed by Craiova and other 10 communes: Podari, Işalniţa, Şimnicu de Sus, Gherceşti, Pieleşti, Breasta, Malu Mare, Bucovăţ, Mischii and Cârcea....

     (since 11 February 2009)- Has a population of 333,834.



Metropolitan zones in project

  • Bucharest Metropolitan Area
    Bucharest metropolitan area
    According to Eurostat, Bucharest, the capital city of Romania, has a Larger Urban Zone of 2,151,880 residents on an area of 662 km2.The Bucharest metropolitan area is a proposed metropolitan area project that includes Bucharest and surrounding communes...

     - Today has a population of 2,200,000 and is only slightly larger than the city proper
    City proper
    City proper is defined as a "locality with legally fixed boundaries and an administratively recognized urban status that is usually characterized by some form of local government", or the area within the corporate limits. This definition has been consistently used since the United Nations...

     (1.9 million). There are plans to greatly enlarge the metropolitan area all the way to the Danube
    Danube
    The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....

    . A possible name would be Greater Bucharest. Currently, the project advances slowly.

  • Timişoara metropolitan area
    Timisoara metropolitan area
    The Metropolitan Zone of Timişoara is an undergoing project for the creation of an administrative unit to integrate Timişoara with the nearby communes: Dumbrăviţa, Ghiroda, Moşniţa Nouă, Giroc, Sânmihaiu Român, Săcălaz, Sânandrei, Giarmata, Orţişoara, Remetea Mare, Şag and Parţa.According to...

     - Has a population of 365,545.

  • Cantemir metropolitan area - It is formed by the cities of Galaţi
    Galati
    Galați is a city and municipality in Romania, the capital of Galați County. Located in the historical region of Moldavia, in the close vicinity of Brăila, Galați is the largest port and sea port on the Danube River and the second largest Romanian port....

     and Brăila
    Braila
    Brăila is a city in Muntenia, eastern Romania, a port on the Danube and the capital of Brăila County, in the close vicinity of Galaţi.According to the 2002 Romanian census there were 216,292 people living within the city of Brăila, making it the 10th most populous city in Romania.-History:A...

     and is estimated to have a population of about 600,000.

  • Bacău metropolitan area
    Bacau metropolitan area
    The Bacău metropolitan area is a proposed metropolitan area project that includes the urban area of Bacău and it would extend to Buhuşi. It includes the communes of Letea Veche, Buhoci, Luizi-Călugăra, Săuceşti, Hemeiuş, Gârleni, Racova, Mărgineni, Măgura and others...

     - It includes the urban area of Bacău
    Bacau
    Bacău is the main city in Bacău County, Romania. It covers a land surface of 43 km², and, as of January 1, 2009, has an estimated population of 177,087. The city is situated in the historical region of Moldavia, at the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains, and on the Bistriţa River...

     and other surrounding localities, with a total population of around 250,000.

  • Ploieşti metropolitan area
    Ploiesti metropolitan area
    Ploieşti metropolitan area is a proposed metropolitan area project, launched in 2003 .It will be formed from Ploieşti municipality and surrounding communities: Ariceştii Rahtivani, Bărcăneşti, Berceni, Blejoi, Brazi, Bucov, Păuleşti and Târgşoru Vechi....

     - It is made up of the urban area of Ploieşti
    Ploiesti
    Ploiești is the county seat of Prahova County and lies in the historical region of Wallachia in Romania. The city is located north of Bucharest....

     and other surrounding localities. It has a population of more than 300,000.

Other possible projects

There are some urban areas which could develop their own metropolitan areas in the future:
  • Cities with population over 150,000: Arad
    Arad, Romania
    Arad is the capital city of Arad County, in western Romania, in the Crişana region, on the river Mureş.An important industrial center and transportation hub, Arad is also the seat of a Romanian Orthodox archbishop and features two universities, a Romanian Orthodox theological seminary, a training...

    , Piteşti
    Pitesti
    Pitești is a city in Romania, located on the Argeș River. The capital and largest city of Argeș County, it is an important commercial and industrial center, as well as the home of two universities. Pitești is situated on the A1 freeway connecting it directly to the national capital Bucharest,...

     (Piteşti - Mioveni
    Mioveni
    Mioveni is a town in Argeş County, Romania, near the city of Piteşti. , it had a population of 35,849. The town administers four villages: Clucereasa, Colibaşi, Făgetu and Racoviţa....

    ), Sibiu
    Sibiu
    Sibiu is a city in Transylvania, Romania with a population of 154,548. Located some 282 km north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Cibin River, a tributary of the river Olt...

     (Sibiu - Cisnădie
    Cisnadie
    Cisnădie is a town in Sibiu County, Transylvania, Romania located approximately 10 km from Sibiu. As of 2002, it has a population of about 17,871...

    ), Târgu Mureş
  • Cities with population between 100,000 and 150,000: Baia Mare
    Baia Mare
    Baia Mare is a municipality in northwestern Romania and the capital of Maramureş County. The city is situated about 600 kilometres from Bucharest, the capital of Romania, 70 kilometres from the border with Hungary and 50 kilometres from the border with Ukraine...

    , Buzău
    Buzau
    The city of Buzău is the county seat of Buzău County, Romania, in the historical region of Wallachia. It lies near the right bank of the Buzău River, between the south-eastern curvature of the Carpathian Mountains and the lowlands of Bărăgan Plain.The city's name dates back to 376 AD when the name...

    , Satu Mare, Botoşani
    Botosani
    Botoșani is the capital city of Botoșani County, in northern Moldavia, Romania. Today, it is best known as the birthplace of many celebrated Romanians, including Mihai Eminescu and Nicolae Iorga.- Origin of the name :...

    , Râmnicu Vâlcea
    Râmnicu Vâlcea
    Râmnicu Vâlcea is the capital city of Vâlcea County, Romania .-Geography and climate:Râmnicu Vâlcea is situated in the central-south area of Romania...

    , Suceava
    Suceava
    Suceava is the Suceava County seat in Bukovina, Moldavia region, in north-eastern Romania. The city was the capital of the Principality of Moldavia from 1388 to 1565.-History:...

    , Piatra Neamţ
    Piatra Neamt
    Piatra Neamț , , ; is the capital city of Neamţ County, in the historical region of Moldavia, eastern Romania. Because of its privileged location in the Eastern Carpathian mountains, it is considered one of the most picturesque cities in Romania...

    , Drobeta-Turnu Severin
    Drobeta-Turnu Severin
    Drobeta-Turnu Severin is a city in Mehedinţi County, Oltenia, Romania, on the left bank of the Danube, below the Iron Gates.The city administers three villages: Dudaşu Schelei, Gura Văii, and Schela Cladovei...

    , Focşani
    Focsani
    Focşani is the capital city of Vrancea County in Romania on the shores the Milcov river, in the historical region of Moldavia. It has a population of 101,854.-Geography:...

    , Târgu Jiu
    Târgu Jiu
    Târgu Jiu is the capital of Gorj County, Oltenia, Romania. It is situated on the Southern Sub-Carpathians, on the banks of the river Jiu. Eight villages are administered by the city: Bârseşti, Drăgoeni, Iezureni, Polata, Preajba Mare, Româneşti, Slobozia and Ursaţi.-History:The city takes its name...

     (Târgu Jiu - Rovinari
    Rovinari
    Rovinari is a town in Gorj County, southern Romania with a population of 12,603 . It is a mining city, nearby to surface and underground mines. A big thermo-electrical power plant functions close to the town....

     population of about 120,000)


Other seemingly possible urban agglomerations:
  • Deva
    Deva, Romania
    Deva is a city in Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania, on the left bank of the Mureș River. It is the capital of Hunedoara County.-Name:...

    -Hunedoara
    Hunedoara
    Hunedoara is a city in Hunedoara County, Transylvania, Romania. It is located in southeastern Transylvania near the Poiana Ruscă Mountains, and administers five villages: Boş, Groş, Hăşdat, Peştişu Mare and Răcăştia....

    -Simeria
    Simeria
    Simeria is a town in Hunedoara County with a population of just under 14,000, and an important railway junction with hump yard. Six villages are administered by the town: Bârcea Mare, Cărpiniş, Simeria Veche, Sântandrei, Şăuleşti and Uroi....

     (population over 180,000) (possible name: New Sarmizegetusa)
  • Valea Jiului (Petroşani
    Petrosani
    Petroşani is a city in Hunedoara County, Romania, with a population of 45,447 .-History:The city of Petroşani was founded in the 17th century...

    , Petrila
    Petrila
    Petrila is a town in the Jiu Valley, Hunedoara County, Romania. It is located near the junction of the East Jiu with Taia and Jieţ Creeks.The town administers four villages: Cimpa, Jieţ, Răscoala and Tirici.-History:...

    , Vulcan
    Vulcan, Romania
    Vulcan ; ) is a city in Hunedoara county, Romania. With a population of 30,188, it is the second-largest city in the Jiu Valley. It administers two villages, Dealul Babii and Jiu-Paroşeni....

    , Uricani
    Uricani
    Uricani is a town in the Jiu Valley region of Hunedoara County, in southern Transylvania, Romania. it had a population of 10,307.-History:Uricani is first mentioned in a certified document dated 1818, when the locality was referred to as Hobiceni-Uricani, the name it carried until the union of 1918...

    , Lupeni
    Lupeni
    Lupeni is a mining city in the Jiu Valley in Hunedoara County, Romania with a population of 31,409. It is one of the oldest and largest cities in the Jiu Valley. It is located on the banks of the West Jiu river within the Jiu Valley, at a height varying between 630 m and 760 m...

    ; population of about 170,000)
  • Trotuş (Oneşti
    Onesti
    Onești is a city in Bacău County, Romania, with a population of 51,681 inhabitants.Administratively, the villages of Slobozia and Borzești form part of Onești...

    , Moineşti
    Moinesti
    Moineşti is a city in Bacău County, Romania, with a population of 24,210 . Its name is derived from the Romanian-language word moină, which means "fallow" or "light rain". Moineşti once had a large Jewish community; in Jewish contexts the name is often given as Mojnescht...

    , Comăneşti
    Comanesti
    Comăneşti is a town in Bacău County, Romania, with a population of 26,230. It is situated on the Trotuş River, which flows between the Ciuc and the Tarcău mountains .The town administers two villages, Podei and Vermeşti.-History:...

    , Dărmăneşti
    Darmanesti
    Dărmăneşti is a town in the eastern Romania, in Bacău County, in the valleys of the Trotuş and Uz rivers. The town is named after one of its leaders, "Dărman" and the earliest reference to the town is from the 16th century. As of 2002, it has a population of 14,200.The town administers five...

    , Târgu Ocna
    Târgu Ocna
    Târgu Ocna is a town in Bacău County, Romania, situated on the left bank of the Trotuş River, an affluent of the Siret, and on a branch railway which crosses the Ghimeş Pass from Moldavia into Transylvania. Târgu Ocna is built among the Carpathian Mountains on bare hills formed of rock salt...

    , Bălan
    Balan
    -Places:* Bălan, a city in Romania* Bălan, Sălaj, a commune in Sălaj County, Romania* Balan, Ain, a French commune* Balan, Ardennes, a French commune-People:* Balan K...

     and the communes
    Communes of Romania
    A commune is the lowest level of administrative subdivision in Romania. There are 2686 communes in Romania. The commune is the rural subdivision of a county .There is no clear restriction on the population of a commune, even though when a commune...

     between them; population about 170,000).
  • Alba Iulia
    Alba Iulia
    Alba Iulia is a city in Alba County, Transylvania, Romania with a population of 66,747, located on the Mureş River. Since the High Middle Ages, the city has been the seat of Transylvania's Roman Catholic diocese. Between 1541 and 1690 it was the capital of the Principality of Transylvania...

    -Sebeş
    Sebes
    Sebeș is a city in Alba County, central Romania, southern Transylvania.-Geography:The city lies on the Mureș River valley and it straddles the Sebeș river...

     (Sebeş, Alba Iulia and Vinţu de Jos
    Vintu de Jos
    Vinţu de Jos, also known as Vinţ is a commune located in the centre of Alba County, Romania. It is composed of eighteen villages: Câmpu Goblii , Ciocaşu , Crişeni , Dealu Ferului , Gura Cuţului , Haţegana , Inuri , Laz , Mătăcina , Mereteu...

    ; population of about 100,000)
  • Turda
    Turda
    Turda is a city and Municipality in Cluj County, Romania, situated on the Arieş River.- Ancient times :The city was founded by Dacians under the name Patavissa or Potaissa...

    -Câmpia Turzii
    Câmpia Turzii
    Câmpia Turzii is a city in Cluj County, Romania, which was formed in 1925 by the union of two villages, Ghiriş and Sâncrai...

     (Turda and Câmpia Turzii; population of about 85,000)
  • Roman metropolitan area (city of Roman
    Roman, Romania
    Roman is a mid-sized city, having the title of municipality, located in the central part of Moldavia, a traditional region of Romania. It is located 46 km east of Piatra Neamţ, in the Neamţ County at the confluence of Siret and Moldova rivers....

     and the surrounding communes in Eastern Neamţ County
    Neamt County
    Neamț is a county of Romania, in the historic region of Moldavia, with the county seat at Piatra Neamț. It has three communes, Bicaz-Chei, Bicazu Ardelean and Dămuc in Transylvania.-Demographics:...

    ; population of about 150,000)
  • Valea Prahovei-Valea Timişului (from Braşov) (Câmpina
    Câmpina
    Câmpina is a city in Prahova county, Romania, north of the county seat Ploieşti, located on the main route between Wallachia and Transylvania. In 2003, the city celebrated 500 years since its founding.-History:...

    , Breaza
    Breaza
    Breaza is a town in Prahova County, Romania, with a population of 18,863.The town was first documented in an act of 1503, mentioning a certain trader of Breaza called "Neagoe". In 1622 the land of Breaza was divided between four boyars and in 1717, the new ruler of Wallachia, Nicolae Mavrocordat...

    , Comarnic
    Comarnic
    Comarnic is a town in Prahova County, Romania, with a population of 13,500. Four villages are administered by the town: Ghioşeşti, Podu Lung, Poiana and Posada....

    , Sinaia
    Sinaia
    Sinaia is a town and a mountain resort in Prahova County, Romania. The town was named after Sinaia Monastery, around which it was built; the monastery in turn is named after the Biblical Mount Sinai...

    , Buşteni
    Busteni
    Buşteni is a small mountain town in the north of the county Prahova, in the center of Romania. It is located in the Prahova Valley, at the bottom of the Bucegi mountains, that have a maximum altitude of 2505 m. Its name literally means tree-logs in Romanian. One village, Poiana Ţapului, is...

    , Azuga
    Azuga
    Azuga is a small resort town nestled in the mountains of Prahova county in the Wallachian region of Romania. Azuga is located at the foot of the Bucegi mountains, and contains the longest ski run in Romania, the Sorica - together with other ski slopes...

    , Posada
    Battle of Posada
    The Battle of Posada was fought between Basarab I of Wallachia and Charles I Robert of Hungary.The small Wallachian army led by Basarab, formed of cavalry, foot archers, as well as local peasants, managed to ambush and defeat the 30,000-strong Hungarian army, in a mountainous region near the...

    , Predeal
    Predeal
    Predeal is a town in Braşov County, Romania. It is the highest town and one of the most important mountain resorts in Romania, being located on the Prahova Valley at over...

    ; population of about 130,000)
  • Mediaş (Mediaş
    Medias
    Mediaș is the second largest city in Sibiu County, Transylvania, Romania.-Geographic location:Mediaș is located in the middle basin of Târnava Mare River, at 39 km from Sighișoara and 41 km from Blaj. The health resort Bazna, officially recognized for the first time in 1302, is...

    , Copşa Mică
    Copsa Mica
    Copşa Mică is a town in Sibiu County, Transylvania, Romania, located north of Sibiu, 33 km east of Blaj, and 12 km southwest of Mediaş. According to the town's website, its population in 2000 was 5189, down 23% from its population in 1989, the year communism collapsed in Romania.The town...

     and several communities from Northern Sibiu County
    Sibiu County
    Sibiu is a county of Romania, in the historical region Transylvania, with the capital city Sibiu.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 421,724 and the population density was 78/km²....

    ; population of about 100,000)
  • Reşiţa
    Resita
    ' is a city in western Romania and the capital of Caraş-Severin County, in the Banat region. Its 2004 population was 83,985.- Etymology :The name of Reşiţa, might comes from the Latin recitia, meaning "cold spring", as the great historian Nicolae Iorga once suggested, presuming that the Romans...

     - Bocşa
    Bocsa
    Bocşa is a town in Caraş-Severin County, in southwestern Romania, with a population of 19,023 in 2002....

     population of about 110,000

Municipalities with more than 100,000 inhabitants

See also

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