The U.S. Office of Management and Budget defines the Springfield, MA Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) as consisting of three counties in Western Massachusetts.

In addition, major cities and surrounding towns are often much smaller in land area than in other parts of the United States.

[7] The Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) is the primary operator of public transportation services in the Springfield Metropolitan Area.

Headquartered in Springfield, the PVTA maintains a fleet of approximately 174 buses, 144 vans, and "is the largest regional transit authority in Massachusetts.

"[8] Founded in 1974 with the enactment of Massachusetts General Law Chapter 161B, the PVTA serves 24 member communities in Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties.

Each member community pays an assessment fee to the PVTA based "on the number of miles served in that city or town.

[10] In 2019 local NPR affiliate WFCR and PBS WGBY merged operations to form New England Public Media.