Auburn-Opelika, AL Metro Area
The Auburn-Opelika, AL metro area is made up of 2 counties in Alabama: Lee and Macon. About 208,013 people lived there on July 1, 2025 (Census estimate), 7.3% more than in April 2020.
- Population, July 2025
- 208,013 7.3% more than in April 2020
- Type
- Metropolitan statistical area
- Counties
- 2: 1 central, 1 outlying
- Land area
- 1,216 sq mi (3,150 km²)
- Time zone
- Central TimeUTC-06:00 in January; UTC-05:00 in July
- State
- Alabama
- Combined statistical area
- Columbus-Auburn-Opelika, GA-AL
- CBSA code
- 12220
Counties in the Auburn-Opelika, AL metro area, largest first
| County | Role | Population, July 2025 | Share of the area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lee County | Central | 189,881 | 91.3% |
| Macon County | Outlying | 18,132 | 8.7% |
A central county holds the area’s core, an urban area of at least 50,000 people. An outlying county is in the area because of commuting: at least a quarter of its workers have jobs in the central county, or at least a quarter of the people working there live in them. A county belongs to one metro or micro area at most, and it counts whole, countryside included.
Principal cities, largest first
OMB names the area after its largest principal cities. A principal city is the area’s largest city, plus any other city that is very large or a big job center, and smaller ones with at least as many jobs as working residents (2020 Census and commuting figures). People counts are American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
Part of the Columbus-Auburn-Opelika, GA-AL combined statistical area
OMB joins neighboring metro and micro areas into a combined statistical area when enough people commute between them. The other 2 areas in this one, largest first:
- Columbus, GA-AL Metro Area324,830 people
- Alexander City, AL Micro Area40,953 people
Bordering metro and micro areas, nearest first
Areas with a county on this area’s edge. Distances are straight lines between the areas’ largest cities.
- Alexander City, AL Micro Area34 mi northwest
- Columbus, GA-AL Metro Area36 mi east
- LaGrange, GA-AL Micro Area39 mi northeast
- Montgomery, AL Metro Area49 mi west
Before using this answer on a form
A metro or micro area is a statistical area that OMB draws for federal statistics. It is not a city, a local government or a mailing address, and it is not a measure of urban and rural: whole counties count, rural parts included. Programs that use metro areas, such as housing income limits or wage rates, can use their own version of these lists; check the program’s own list for an address.
Find the metro area where you are now, find your county, or see every metro and micro area by population.