conurbation

geography

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Last updated

June 17, 2026

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A conurbation is a territorial coalescence of two or more sizable cities whose peripheral zones have grown together. This phenomenon, where urban areas merge, may have first appeared in early 19th-century Europe. Major examples exist in Great Britain, the Low Countries, Germany, and Japan. In the United States, significant conurbations include the megalopolis stretching along the Atlantic coast from Maine to Virginia, and urban areas in the Great Lakes region centered around Chicago, Detroit, and Buffalo. Southern California also features a large conurbation extending from Santa Barbara through Los Angeles to the Mexican border. These expanding urban areas represent a qualitative transformation due to quantitative growth.1

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United Kingdom
Urban settlement
…of the country’s 10 largest metropolitan areas.
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…of the country’s 10 largest metropolitan areas.
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United States
The supercities
The conurbation—a territorial coalescence of two or more sizable cities whose peripheral zones have grown together—may have first appeared in early 19th-century Europe. There are major examples in Great Britain, the Low Countries, and Germany, as well as in Japan.
Read More
The conurbation—a territorial coalescence of two or more sizable cities whose peripheral zones have grown together—may have first appeared in early 19th-century Europe. There are major examples in Great Britain, the Low Countries, and Germany, as well as in Japan.
Read More