[4] Created and used from 1996 by France's national INSEE statistical bureau to match international demographic standards,[5] the aire urbaine (literally: 'urban area') was a statistical unit that described the suburban development around centres of urban growth.

[8] In France, use of the term 'Paris metropolitan area' is limited to demographic and statistical studies, and, to date, it is not used in economic statistics — the traditional administrative subdivisions commune, département, and région are still referenced for this — though the media will employ it when referring to the electoral tendencies of France's largest cities[citation needed].

In 2010 the government passed a law that invited France's largest city 'metropoles' to work together as an intercommunitary entities (more or less described by the INSEE concept),[9] but the lack of response by the following year moved the government to make the cooperation for many of France's largest cities obligatory, and Paris became a case study all on its own.

[14] Outside the Île-de-France region, it covers part of the departments Aisne, Aube, Eure, Eure-et-Loir, Loiret, Marne, Oise, Seine-Maritime and Yonne.

New communes (municipalities) surrounding Paris are included when they meet the commuter threshold required.