The
Piedmont Triad (or simply the
Triad) is a north-central region of the
U.S. state of
North Carolina that consists of the area within and surrounding the three major cities of
Greensboro,
Winston-Salem, and
High Point. This close group or "" of cities lies in the
Piedmont geographical region of the
United States and forms the basis of the Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Point
CSA. The area of the triad is approximately 5,954 square miles. The
metropolitan area is connected by
Interstates 40,
85,
73, &
74 and is served by the
Piedmont Triad International Airport. Long known as one of the primary manufacturing and transportation hubs of the
southeastern United States, the Triad is also an important educational and cultural region and occupies a prominent place in the history of the American
Civil Rights Movement. The Triad is not to be confused with the "
Triangle" region (
Raleigh-
Durham-
Chapel Hill), directly to the east. As of 2012, the Piedmont Triad has an estimated population of 1,611,243 making it the 33rd largest
CSA metropolitan area in the United States.