An exposure apparatus for successively exposing a plurality of shot areas on a substrate with exposure light through a liquid in a liquid immersion area locally formed on a part of the substrate, while moving the substrate in a scanning direction, the exposure apparatus comprising: a projection optical system having an optical element arranged to make contact with the liquid of the liquid immersion area; a nozzle member arranged to surround the optical element and configured for forming the liquid immersion area beneath the projection optical system with the liquid; and a first stage and a second stage, each of the first stage and the second stage being two-dimensionally movable independently of the other in a plane beneath the projection optical system, one stage of the first and second stages being provided with a holder for holding the substrate and the other stage of the first and second stages being provided with one or more optical measuring sections for performing a measurement, wherein: the nozzle member has a lower surface which is arranged to be opposite to the surface of the substrate during an exposure process and in which a supply port (12A, 12B) for supplying liquid to form the liquid immersion area and a recovery port for recovering liquid from the liquid immersion area are provided; an upper surface of the one stage is liquid-repellent; and the apparatus is configured to move the first and second stages into a close state in which the first stage and the second stage closely approach each other and to move the first and second stages in the close state so as to move the liquid immersion area between the first stage and the second stage. a projection optical system having an optical element arranged to make contact with the liquid of the liquid immersion area; a nozzle member arranged to surround the optical element and configured for forming the liquid immersion area beneath the projection optical system with the liquid; and a first stage and a second stage, each of the first stage and the second stage being two-dimensionally movable independently of the other in a plane beneath the projection optical system, one stage of the first and second stages being provided with a holder for holding the substrate and the other stage of the first and second stages being provided with one or more optical measuring sections for performing a measurement, wherein: the nozzle member has a lower surface which is arranged to be opposite to the surface of the substrate during an exposure process and in which a supply port (12A, 12B) for supplying liquid to form the liquid immersion area and a recovery port for recovering liquid from the liquid immersion area are provided; an upper surface of the one stage is liquid-repellent; and the apparatus is configured to move the first and second stages into a close state in which the first stage and the second stage closely approach each other and to move the first and second stages in the close state so as to move the liquid immersion area between the first stage and the second stage. the nozzle member has a lower surface which is arranged to be opposite to the surface of the substrate during an exposure process and in which a supply port (12A, 12B) for supplying liquid to form the liquid immersion area and a recovery port for recovering liquid from the liquid immersion area are provided; an upper surface of the one stage is liquid-repellent; and the apparatus is configured to move the first and second stages into a close state in which the first stage and the second stage closely approach each other and to move the first and second stages in the close state so as to move the liquid immersion area between the first stage and the second stage.