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It seems like some people are posting more resembles megapolitan areas than other types. Actually I won't be surprised if the Census Bureau will formalize a definition and criteria as to what is one in the near future.
Cleveland and Akron will be combined as one metro area, creating an enormous metroplex. Both Cleveland and Akron already share several suburbs, and the ongoing growth in these areas will most likely serve as a catalyst in completely joining these two "separate" metros into one.
Last edited by JohnDBaumgardner; 05-29-2010 at 02:05 AM..
Reason: x
I've kinda looked at the areas around Chicago and to the northwest and west before. There's the Chicago, Rockford, Janesville, Madison and Milwaukee areas that form a sort of rectangle with a pretty dense population in between and growing at a good pace.
Areas:
Chicago: 9,805,000
Milwaukee: 1,760,000
Madison: 629,000
Janesville: 160,000
Rockford: 456,000
Walworth County: 100,000
Jefferson County: 80,000
South Bend Ind: 565,000
A region of 13,500,000
I KNOW this area isn't going to be one CSA or anything anytime soon - but it's still an area to watch in our region. The Rockford burbs are only 20 or so minutes from Chicago's northwest burbs. Rockford melts into Beloit and Janesville, and the Madison burbs are only around 30 miles north of there. Go east from the Madison area and you're around 35 miles from the western areas of Milwaukee, and Milwaukee and Chicago's built up areas are already joining together near the lake areas.
The Chicago/Milwaukee areas are up almost 600,000 people since 2000. The Madison-Janesville-Rockford-Inner Counties areas are up almost 130,000 people.
Just a random observation.
there are huge threads on this elsewhere, it isn't far fetched at all...there is also high speed rail being built between chicago/milwaukee/madison.
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