Greater Porto Alegre

Only the metropolitan areas of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, and Brasília, respectively, are larger than Porto Alegre.

Greater Porto Alegre is a strategic area for the development of the state, the Southern Cone, and the Mercosur, with an economy based on manufacturing, chemicals, automotive, food, education, steel production, semiconductors, and services, to name a few.

The airport is linked to the region's subway system, Trensurb, by the Aeromovel, a compressed air moved light rail.

A second line of heavy-rail is planned to run from Cachoeirinha to downtown Porto Alegre and up to Viamao, but recent economic downturns have halted the project.

Several projects of light-rail are planned or under construction in the area, linking the main subway line to the neighborhoods in Canoas and Porto Alegre.