Metropolitan Area is rather a misnomer for this university-religious nut of a town. The university owns most of the public land, dictates city policy,  and it is largely residential other than the two main arteries dissecting it: College St. from N. to S. and Opelika Rd from E. to W. Look at any US or Alabama State map and the area does not even register for a small inlet map detail. Also, a Metro area should have a decent public transportation system; Tiger Transit is laughable. Rather pretentious to refer to it as a Metro to anyone outside the insane college football zealots populating the area.