Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area
The Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, also known as Champaign–Urbana and Urbana–Champaign as well as Chambana (colloquially), is a metropolitan area in east-central Illinois. As defined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the metropolitan area has a population of 236,514 as of the 2022 U.S. Census, which ranks it as the 200th largest metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. The area is anchored by the principal cities of Champaign and Urbana, and is home to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system.
Champaign–Urbana Metropolitan Area | ||
|---|---|---|
Downtown Champaign | ||
| Nicknames: C-U, Chambana | ||
Map of Champaign–Urbana–Danville, IL CSA
| ||
| Country | United States | |
| State | Illinois | |
| Largest city | Champaign | |
| Other cities | Urbana Rantoul Danville | |
| Population (2022) | ||
| • MSA | 236,514 | |
| • CSA | 308,851 | |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) | |
As of July 2023, the OMB defines the metropolitan area (officially designated the Champaign–Urbana, IL MSA) to consist of Champaign County, Piatt County, and Ford County. From 2018 to 2023, Ford County was not considered a part of the metropolitan area. The MSA is part of the larger Champaign–Urbana–Danville Combined Statistical Area, which also includes the Danville micropolitan area, and has a population of 308,851 as of the 2022 U.S. Census.
Journalists frequently treat the metropolitan area as just one city. For example, in 1998, Newsweek included the Champaign–Urbana Metropolitan Area in its list of the top ten tech cities outside of Silicon Valley. Champaign–Urbana also ranked as tenth out of the top twenty-five green cities in the United States, in a 2007 survey made by Country Home magazine.