Parishes
For U.S. Census purposes, this MSA includes seven parishes: Jefferson, Orleans (coterminous with the city of New Orleans), Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Tammany, St. Charles, and St. John the Baptist. The Census Bureau's CSA (combined statistical area) adds Washington.
The New Orleans region's chamber of commerce, GNO, Inc. (formerly Metrovision) includes the eight parishes of the Census Bureau's CSA plus St. James and Tangipahoa. This wider 10-parish region had a population of 1.32 million as of July 1, 2008. The Louisiana state legislature created a commission, the Regional Planning Commission, to be responsible for the planning and development of the New Orleans metropolitan area. The parishes covered by the commission are: Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, and St. Tammany. Additionally, St. Charles and St. John the Baptist are associate members of the Regional Planning Commission.
The Center for Cultural and Eco-Tourism at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette has designated the New Orleans metropolitan area as the Greater New Orleans region This region includes four parishes: Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines and St. Bernard.
Read more about this topic: New Orleans Metropolitan Area