Greater Porto Alegre or the metropolitan area of Porto Alegre is the 5th most populous metro area in Brazil, with an estimated population of 4.3 million inhabitants encompassing 34 municipalities around Porto Alegre, the capital of the state of Rio Grande do Sul.

Currently, it comprises 10 234,012 km² with a total population of 4,293,050 inhabitants, according to IBGE data of 2017. Only the metropolitan areas of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, and Brasília, respectively, are larger than Porto Alegre. Porto Alegre has the 4th largest GDP in the country, estimated at 92 billion dollars.

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. It possesses an enormous industrial potential and is home to some of the largest companies in Brazil, and also of many multinationals.

The region is also home to several technology parks and universities, with the federal university UFRGS being recognized by the Ministry of Education (MEC) as the best in Brazil for three years in a row.

The region is home to a few research institutions, such as the federal university UFRGS, UFCSPA, PUCRS and Unisinos, several other smaller universities and colleges. All three major universities have their own technology park, hosting multinational companies such as SAP AG, Hewlett-Packard, and Oracle, as well as several start-ups.

There are also technical high-schools in the region, providing early technical education and workforce for local companies.

The main event in the region is the state fair, called Expointer.

The main airport serving the region is the Salgado Filho International Airport, which underwent major expansions in recent years, expanding its passager terminals and parking facilities. The main runway is currently being expanded, allowing longer flights in the future.