Metro Detroit The Detroit metropolitan area , often referred to as Metro Detroit , is a major metropolitan area located in Southeast Michigan , constituted of the city of Detroit and its surrounding area . There are several definitions of the area , including the official statistical areas designated by the Office of Management and Budget , a federal agency of the United States . Metro Detroit is known for its automotive heritage , arts , entertainment , popular music , and sports . The area includes a variety of natural landscapes , , and beaches , with a recreational coastline linking the Great Lakes . Definitions . The Detroit Urban Area , which serves as the core of the metropolitan area , ranks as the 11th most populous in the United States , with a population of 3 , 734 , 090 as of the 2010 census and an area of . This urbanized area covers parts of the counties of Macomb , Oakland , and Wayne . These counties are sometimes referred to as the Detroit Tri - County Area and had a population of 3 , 862 , 888 as of the 2010 census with an area of . The Office of Management and Budget ( OMB ) , a federal agency of the United States , defines the Detroit – Warren – Livonia Metropolitan Statistical Area ( MSA ) as the six counties of Lapeer , Livingston , Macomb , Oakland , St . Clair , and Wayne . As of the 2010 census , the MSA had a population of 4 , 296 , 250 with an area of . The nine county area designated by the OMB as the Detroit – Ann Arbor – Flint Combined Statistical Area ( CSA ) includes the Detroit – Warren – Livonia MSA and the three additional counties of Genesee , Monroe , and Washtenaw ( which include the metropolitan areas of Flint , Monroe , and Ann Arbor , respectively ) . It had a population of 5 , 318 , 744 as of the 2010 census and covers an area of . Lenawee County was removed from the CSA in 2000 , but added back in 2013 . With the adjacent city of Windsor , Ontario and its suburbs , the combined Detroit – Windsor area has a population of about 5 . 7 million . When the nearby Toledo metropolitan area and its commuters are taken into account , the region constitutes a much larger population center . An estimated 46 million people live within a radius of Detroit proper . Metro Detroit is at the center of an emerging Great Lakes Megalopolis . Conan Smith , a businessperson quoted in a 2012 article by " The Ann Arbor News " , stated the most significant reason Washtenaw County , including Ann Arbor , is not often included in definitions of Metro Detroit is that there is a " lack of affinity that Washtenaw County as a whole has with Wayne County and Detroit or Oakland County and Macomb " and that residents of the county " just don ' t yet see ourselves as a natural part of that region , so I think it feels a little forced to a lot of people , and they ' re scared about it . " Economy . The region ' s nine county area with its population of 5 . 3 million has a workforce of about 2 . 6 million with about 247 , 000 businesses . In May 2012 , the metro area unemployment rate was 9 . 9 percent . Metro Detroit has made Michigan ' s economy a leader in information technology , biotechnology , and advanced manufacturing ; Michigan ranks fourth nationally in high tech employment with 568 , 000 high tech workers , including 70 , 000 in the automotive industry . Michigan typically ranks second or third in overall Research & development ( R & D ) expenditures in the United States . Metro Detroit is an important source of engineering and high tech job opportunities . As the home of the " Big Three " American automakers ( General Motors , Ford , and Chrysler ) , it is the world ' s traditional automotive center and a key pillar of the U . S . economy . In the 2010s , the domestic auto industry accounts , directly and indirectly , for one of ten jobs in the United States making it a significant component for economic recovery . For 2010 , the domestic automakers have reported significant profits indicating the beginning of rebound . A Center for Automotive Research ( CAR ) study estimated that tax revenue generated by the automotive industry in the United States for a single year , 2010 , amounted to $ 91 . 5 billion in state and local tax revenue and additional $ 43 billion in federal tax revenue . Metro Detroit serves as the headquarters for the United States Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command ( TACOM ) , with Selfridge Air National Guard Base . Detroit Metropolitan Airport ( DTW ) is one of America ' s largest and most recently modernized facilities , with six major runways , Boeing 747 maintenance facilities , and an attached Westin Hotel and Conference Center . Detroit is a major U . S . port with an extensive toll - free expressway system . A 2004 Border Transportation Partnership study showed that 150 , 000 jobs in the Detroit - Windsor region and $ 13 billion in annual production depend on Detroit ' s international border crossing . A source of top talent , the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor is one of the world ' s leading research institutions , and Wayne State University in Detroit has the largest single - campus medical school in the United States . From the metro area economy , Michigan was second in the U . S . in 2004 for new corporate facilities and expansions . From 1997 to 2004 , Michigan was the only state to top the 10 , 000 mark for the number of major new developments . Metro Detroit is a leading corporate location with major office complexes such as the Renaissance Center , the Southfield Town Center , and Cadillac Place with the Fisher Building in the historic New Center area . Both BorgWarner and TRW Automotive Holdings chose Metro Detroit for their new headquarters . Quicken Loans , Ernst & Young , Ally Financial , Visteon , and OnStar are sources of growth . Compuware , IBM , Google , and Covansys are examples of information technology and software companies with a headquarters or major presence in Metro Detroit . HP Enterprise Services makes Metro Detroit its regional headquarters , and one of its largest global employment locations . The metropolitan Detroit area has one of the nation ' s largest office markets with 147 , 082 , 003 square feet . Virtually every major U . S company and many from around the globe have a presence in Metro Detroit . Chrysler ' s largest corporate facility is its U . S . headquarters and technology center in the Detroit suburb of Auburn Hills . In the decade leading up to 2006 , downtown Detroit gained more than $ 15 billion in new investment from private and public sectors . Tourism . Tourism is an important component of the region ' s culture and economy , comprising nine percent of the area ' s two million jobs . About 15 . 9 million people visit metro Detroit annually , spending about $ 4 . 8 billion . Detroit is the largest city or metro area in the U . S . to offer casino resort hotels ( MGM Grand Detroit , MotorCity Casino , Greektown Casino , and nearby Caesars Windsor ) . Metro Detroit is a tourist destination easily accommodating super - sized crowds to events such as the Woodward Dream Cruise , North American International Auto Show , the Windsor - Detroit International Freedom Festival , 2009 NCAA Final Four , and Super Bowl XL . The Detroit International Riverfront links the Renaissance Center a series of venues , parks , restaurants , and hotels . In 2006 , the four - day Motown Winter Blast drew a cold weather crowd of about 1 . 2 million people to Campus Martius Park area downtown . Detroit ' s metroparks include fresh water beaches such as Metropolitan Beach , Kensington Beach , and Stony Creek Beach . Metro Detroit offers canoeing through the Huron - Clinton Metroparks as well as downhill and cross - county skiing at Alpine Valley Ski Resort , Mt . Brighton , Mt . Holly , and Pine Knob Ski Resort . The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge is the only international wildlife preserve in North America , uniquely located in the heart of a major metropolitan area . The Refuge includes islands , coastal wetlands , marshes , shoals , and waterfront lands along of the Detroit River and Western Lake Erie shoreline . Metro Detroit contains a number of shopping malls , including the upscale Somerset Collection in Troy , Great Lakes Crossing outlet mall in Auburn Hills , and Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi , all of which are draws for tourists . The region ' s leading attraction is The Henry Ford , located in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn , which is America ' s largest indoor - outdoor museum complex . The recent renovation of the Renaissance Center , a state of the art cruise ship dock , new stadiums , and a new RiverWalk have spurred economic development . Nearby Windsor has a 19 year old drinking age with a myriad of entertainment to complement Detroit ' s Greektown district . Tourism planners have yet to tap the potential economic impact of the estimated 46 million people that live within a 300 - mile ( 480 - km ) radius of Detroit . Demographics . As of the census of 2010 , there were 4 , 296 , 250 people , 1 , 682 , 111 households , and 1 , 110 , 454 families residing within the metropolitan statistical area . The census reported 70 . 1 % White , 22 . 8 % African American , 0 . 3 % Native American , 3 . 3 % Asian , 0 . 02 % Pacific Islander , 1 . 2 % from other races , and 2 . 2 % from two or more races . Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6 . 2 % of the population . Arab Americans were at least 4 . 7 % of the region ' s population ( considered white in the US Census ) . As of the 2010 American Community Survey estimates , the median income for a household in the MSA was $ 48 , 198 , and the median income for a family was $ 62 , 119 . The per capita income for the MSA was $ 25 , 403 . The region ' s foreign - born population sat at 8 . 6 % . In 1701 , French officer Antoine de La Mothe Cadillac , along with fifty - one additional French - Canadians , founded a settlement called Fort Ponchartrain du " Détroit " , naming it after the comte de Pontchartrain , Minister of Marine under Louis XIV . The French legacy can be observed today in the names of many area cities ( ex . Detroit , Grosse Pointe , Grosse Ile ) and streets ( ex . Gratiot , Beaubien , St . Antoine , Cadieux ) . Later came an influx of persons of British and German descent , followed by Polish , Irish , Italian , Lebanese , Assyrian / Chaldean , Greek , Jewish , and Belgian immigrants who made their way to the area in the early 20th century and during and after World War II . There was a large migration into the city from the rural South following World War I . Today , the Detroit suburbs in Oakland County , Macomb County , and northeastern and northwestern Wayne County are predominantly Caucasian . Oakland County is among the most affluent counties in the United States with populations over one million . In Wayne County , the city of Dearborn has a large concentration of Arab American s , mainly Lebanese . Recently , the area has witnessed some growth in Albanian , Asian and Hispanic populations . Immigration continues to play a role in the region ' s projected growth with the population of Detroit - Ann Arbor - Flint ( CMSA ) estimated to be 6 , 191 , 000 by 2025 . In the 2000s , 115 of the 185 cities and townships in Metro Detroit were over 95 % white . Of the more than 240 , 000 suburban blacks in Metro Detroit , 44 % lived in Inkster , Oak Park , Pontiac , and Southfield ; most of the African American population in the area resided in Detroit , Highland Park , Inkster , Pontiac , and Southfield . Transportation . Transit systems . Bus service for the metropolitan area is provided jointly by the Detroit Department of Transportation ( DDOT ) and Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation ( SMART ) which operate under a cooperative service and fare agreement . The elevated Detroit People Mover encircles downtown providing service to numerous downtown hotels , offices and attractions . The Woodward Avenue Streetcar is being developed to provide service between downtown and New Center , and the proposed SEMCOG Commuter Rail would extend from Detroit ' s New Center area to The Henry Ford , Dearborn , Detroit Metropolitan Airport , Ypsilanti , and Ann Arbor The Regional Transit Authority ( RTA ) was established in December 2012 to coordinate the services of all existing transit providers , and to develop a bus rapid transit service along Woodward Avenue . Roads and freeways . The Metro Detroit area is linked by an advanced network of major roads and freeways which include Interstate highway s . Traditionally , Detroiters refer to some of their freeways by name rather than route number . The Davison , Lodge , and Southfield freeways are almost always referred to by name rather than route number . Detroiters commonly precede freeway names with the word ' the ' as in the Lodge , the Southfield , and the Davison . Those without names are referred to by number . Surface street navigation in Metro Detroit is commonly anchored by " mile roads " , major east - west surface streets that are spaced at one - mile ( 1 . 6 km ) intervals and increment as one travels north and away from the city center . Mile roads sometimes have two names , the numeric name ( ex . 15 Mile Road ) used in Macomb County and a local name ( ex . Maple Road ) used in Oakland County mostly . Area codes . Metro Detroit is served by eight telephone area codes ( six not including Windsor ) . The 313 area code , which used to encompass all of Southeast Michigan , has been narrowed to the city of Detroit and a few close suburbs . Sports . Professional sports has a major fan following in Metro Detroit . The area is home to many sports teams , including six professional teams in four major sports . The area ' s several universities field teams in a variety of sports . Michigan Stadium , home of the Michigan Wolverines , is the largest American football stadium in the world . Metro Detroit hosts many annual sporting events including auto and hydroplane racing . The area has hosted many major sporting events , including the 1994 FIFA World Cup , Super Bowl XVI , Super Bowl XL , the 2005 Major League Baseball All - Star Game , many Stanley Cup Championship rounds , the first two games of the 2006 World Series , and the last two games of the 2012 World Series .