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San Antonio is not to far from being amongst the 20 largest metro areas in the country. The latest figures also rank San Antonio's urbanized area about 21st largest in the country.
City proper wise it is not far from becoming the 6th biggest in the country and sits in the 15th most populous county in the nation. So whatever metric is used, San Antonio is large in any regard.
Because all city proper sizes are different. Do you actually feel Jacksonville is bigger than Miami or Atlanta or San Antonio is bigger than San Francisco and Boston?
The problem of using this logic to boost these cities is that exactly no one is confused as to where San Francisco starts and ends. Its not like people are walking around in Walnut Creek and thinking "wow, I didn't even notice we left San Francisco! Everything is just so urban and contiguous!"
So yes, it is a small city. Yes San Diego city feels bigger than San Francisco. The metro does not.
The problem of using this logic to boost these cities is that exactly no one is confused as to where San Francisco starts and ends. Its not like people are walking around in Walnut Creek and thinking "wow, I didn't even notice we left San Francisco! Everything is just so urban and contiguous!"
So yes, it is a small city. Yes San Diego city feels bigger than San Francisco. The metro does not.
You understand that San Francisco is 45 square miles bordered on three sides by water, right?
In sheer size, sure, San Diego is bigger, as in more square miles. Is that what you’re honestly arguing? Why would you even make such a statement, that San Diego FEELS bigger, when it in fact is bigger, once again, in space? That’s like you being 5 foot 11 and saying that you FEEL taller than your 5 foot 2 wife.
Once again, and in keeping up with the theme of the OP, in every category that matters, San Francisco is and feels much larger than San Diego.
In sheer size, sure, San Diego is bigger, as in more square miles. Is that what you’re honestly arguing? Why would you even make such a statement, that San Diego FEELS bigger, when it in fact is bigger, once again, in space? That’s like you being 5 foot 11 and saying that you FEEL taller than your 5 foot 2 wife.
Once again, and in keeping up with the theme of the OP, in every category that matters, San Francisco is and feels much larger than San Diego.
I'm arguing that the average person is aware as to when they are in the city of San Francisco and when they are in the metro area outside of the city.
You're welcome to describe in detail the ways in which San Francisco feels much larger than San Diego, seeing as how its 1/7th the size and much less populated.
Here's how I will weigh in- I live in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro, also known as the 'Twin Cities'. My situation is unique in the sense that both cities are very small in land area (54 sq miles & 52 sq miles) and they border each other, while also having downtown's with skylines.
Historically, there was much consternation as Minneapolis was growing, as outer cities and "suburbs" resisted annexation by Minneapolis in St. Paul. In Minnesota, those who live outside the Twin Cities metro area, refer to the area as "the Cities". Not in reference to Minneapolis and/or St. Paul, rather the hundreds of suburbs that make up the metro.
Minneapolis is the 46th largest US city based on population - 430,000 and
Saint Paul is the 63rd largest US city based on population - 310,000
The MSA is the 16th largest in the US - 3,655,000
The situation is also very unique in the sense that it's often said that Minneapolis was the first city of the West, while Saint Paul was the last city of the East. And it definitely feels that way. Minneapolis feels like a western city, and St. Paul has much more of an eastern feel. Minneapolis historically is protestant with Scandinavian families while Saint Paul is catholic and Irish. Recently, Minneapolis has the largest Somali population in the US while Saint Paul is home to a very large Hmong community.
The two cities are so incredibly different as they are more like fraternal twins rather than identical twins.
I often wonder what how it would be if Mpls and StP combined, and annexed a few suburbs:
Roseville- 36,000 - 14 sq miles
Edina - 48,000 - 16 sq miles
Bloomington - 86,000 - 39 sq miles
St. Louis Park - 49,000 - 11 sq miles
Lauderdale -2,300 - .42 sq miles
Falcon Heights - 5,300 - 2.24 sq miles
That would give us a city of 1,035,000 in 189 square miles...
Very similar to San Jose at 1,021,800 in 177 square miles...
MSA is best used for a cities economic influence/pull
UA (Urban Area) better reflects the cities actually physical size/population
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