Ho Chi Minh City metropolitan area () is a metropolitan area that was proposed by the Ministry of Construction of Vietnam to the Government of Vietnam for approval in June 2008. According to this master plan, this metropolitan area will include provinces around Ho Chi Minh City in the Southeast region and 2 provinces in the Mekong Delta region.
This metropolitan area currently has an area of 30,404 square kilometres with radius of 150–200 km, a population of 20–22 million inhabitants, of which urban residents account for 16–17 million indicating an urbanisation rate of 77–80%. By 2050, the population will have increased to 25-27 million people, and the urbanized rate is estimated to rise to 90%. Constructed land will be 1800–2100 square kilometres by 2020. Ho Chi Minh City will be the core urban center of the area while other surrounding cities and towns will play their role as satellite municipalities. Baria-Vungtau will serve as the main deepwater seaport of the region, especially Sao Mai-Ben Dinh seaport, Thi Vai Port. Long Thanh International Airport and Tan Son Nhat International Airport will serve as the air traffic hub of the region. Hi-tech park will be located in Ho Chi Minh City while other heavy industry will concentrate in Đồng Nai, Bình Dương and Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu. Vũng Tàu is planned to serve as a tourism hub, with coastal beaches and several entertainment resort projects.
Major cities prior to July 2025 NameTypeProvinceClassArea (sq. km)Population Density(people per sq. km)Ho Chi Minh CityMunicipalitySpecial Class2,095.239 8,993,082 Biên HòaProvincial cityĐồng Nai provinceClass I264.081,055,414 Vũng TàuProvincial cityHo Chi Minh CityClass I141.01527,025 Thủ Dầu MộtProvincial cityClass I118.67325,521 Mỹ ThoProvincial cityĐồng Tháp provinceClass I81.54220,109 Thủ ĐứcMunicipal cityHo Chi Minh CityClass I211.561,013,795 Bà RịaProvincial cityClass II91.5205,192 Tân AnProvincial cityTây Ninh provinceClass II81.94145,120 Tây NinhProvincial cityClass III140132,592 Đồng XoàiProvincial cityĐồng Nai provinceClass III167.03108,595 Long KhánhProvincial cityClass III191.75171,276 Thuận AnProvincial city Class III83.71596,227 Dĩ AnProvincial cityClass II60.10403,760 Gò CôngProvincial cityTiền Giang provinceClass III101.9998,959 Bến CátProvincial cityĐồng Nai provinceClass III234.42306,438 Tân UyênProvincial cityClass III192.5370,512 Phú MỹDistrict-level townHo Chi Minh CityClass III333.84207,688 Cai LậyDistrict-level townĐồng Tháp provinceClass III140.19143,050 Bình LongDistrict-level townĐồng Nai provinceClass IV126.02 105,520 Phước LongDistrict-level townClass IV118.881,200 Kiến TườngDistrict-level townLong An provinceClass IV204.3643,674 Hòa ThànhDistrict-level townTây Ninh provinceClass IV82.92147,666 Trảng BàngDistrict-level townClass IV340.14161,831 Chơn ThànhDistrictĐồng Nai provinceClass IV383.59107,350 Long ThànhCommune-level townClass IV9.2852,000 Trảng BomCommune-level townClass IV15.7157,560 Bến LứcCommune-level townTây Ninh provinceClass IV8.7116,851 Hậu NghĩaCommune-level townClass IV11.3613,070 Đức HòaCommune-level townClass IV7.3310,468 Cần GiuộcCommune-level townClass IV21.0553,877 Cần ĐướcCommune-level townClass IV5.7512,147
Transportation
Air transport As of 2008, Tan Son Nhat International Airport is the only airport in use with the designed capacity of 15-17 million passengers per annum. Long Thanh International Airport which located in Đồng Nai, 40 km northeast of Ho Chi Minh City constructed in 2010. This new airport will have full designed capacity of 80-100 million passengers annually. The estimated investment capital is US$8 billion and due to be completed in 2015 (phase I) and 2020 (phase II). Once the first phase is completed, this airport will be capable to serve 20 million passengers per year.
Ports Most of the principal ports will concentrate in Ho Chi Minh City and Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu. In 2007, all ports in Ho Chi Minh City alone handled 50.5 million metric tons of cargo.
Highway National Highway 1A, the core road in Vietnam crosses this region. Other expressways are under construction include: Long Thành-Dầu Giây-Đà Lạt Expressway, Saigon-Cần Thơ Expressway, Trans-Asian Highway, 3 belt ring expressways in Ho Chi Minh City, Biên Hòa-Vũng Tàu Expressway, Tân An-Biên Hòa Expressway.
Railway Together with the trans-Vietnam railway development, Ho Chi Minh City-Nha Trang express railway will be built after 2010 to enable an average speed of 300 km/hour. Ho Chi Minh City Metro is currently under construction.
Education This region is currently home to more than 40 universities and 40 colleges and hundreds of vocational schools, included Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City.
Economy Ho Chi Minh City will host the region's financial, commercial, hi-tech, educational, transportation and communication services. Vũng Tàu will be the seaside entertainment hub as well as petroleum center (oil and gas exploitation, oil refinery, LPG production), steel, fertilizer, electricity. Đồng Nai and Bình Dương will focus on electrical and electronic industry, food processing, machinery, textile, footwear, furniture.
See also Hanoi Capital Region
References