The
Miami metropolitan area anchors a region commonly referred to by local inhabitants as
South Florida; it is the
metropolitan area comprising
Miami, Florida, and nearby communities. The U.S.
Office of Management and Budget designates the area as the
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area, a
Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) used for statistical purposes by the
United States Census Bureau and other entities. The OMB defines the MSA as comprising
Miami-Dade,
Broward, and
Palm Beach counties—Florida's three most populous counties—with principal cities including
Miami,
Fort Lauderdale,
Pompano Beach,
West Palm Beach, and
Boca Raton. Locally the tri-county region is referred to as the South Florida region or megalopolis.