Satellite cities are small or medium-sized cities near a large metropolis, that:
predate the metropolis' suburban expansion
are at least partially independent from that metropolis economically and socially
are physically separated from the metropolis by rural territory or by a major geographic barrier such as a large river; satellite cities should have their own independent urbanized area, or equivalent
have their own bedroom communities
have a traditional downtown surrounded by traditional "inner city" neighborhoods
may or may not be counted as part of the large metropolis' Combined Statistical Area
In the United States, the easiest way to tell if a community is a satellite city or some other type of development (see below) is to refer to the List of United States urban areas, to see if it has its own independent urbanized area or is considered to be part of the urbanized area of its larger neighbor. This rule has exceptions, but should generally be followed.
Satellite cities are different from and are sometimes confused with the following related patterns of development.
Satellite cities differ from suburbs in that they have distinct employment bases, commutersheds, and cultural offerings from the central metropolis, as well as an independent municipal government. Satellite cities are not bedroom communities.
Satellite cities differ from edge cities, which are suburbs with large employment bases and cultural offerings, in that satellite cities must have a true historic downtown, a distinct independent municipal government, existed as a city prior to becoming interconnected with the larger metropolitan core, and are surrounded by both their own family of bedroom communities and a belt of rural land between themselves and the central city.
Conceptually, both satellite cities and some types of edge city could be (and once were) self-sufficient communities outside of their larger metropolitan areas, but have become interconnected due to the suburban expansion of the larger metropolis. However, while edge cities may have their own government and share many characteristics with satellite cities, they are much more physically integrated with the core city and would not exist in anything like their present form if not for the suburban expansion of their larger neighbor. Edge cities are activity nodes within a metro area, not miniature metro areas themselves.
Some satellite cities that are particularly close or well connected to their larger neighbors and/or have their own historic downtown may also qualify as the uptown variety of edge cities, but the terms are not synonymous.
In some cases large metropolitan areas have multiple centers of close to equal importance. These multi-polar cities are often referred to as twin cities. Multi-polar cities differ from satellite cities in two key ways:
satellites are clearly much less important than the larger center around which they are located, while the various nodes of multi-polar cities are close to each other in importance
satellites are separated from the larger center by a substantial belt of rural territory, while twin cities may be fully integrated in physical form
For example, Fort Worth, Texas is a twin of Dallas, Texas because though Fort Worth is somewhat smaller, it is proportionally close enough and physically integrated enough with Dallas to be considered a twin rather than a satellite. Generally speaking, cities that are listed as being part of the same urbanized area should be considered twins, rather than one having a satellite relationship to the other.
Conceptually, satellite cities are miniature metro areas on the fringe of larger ones. Satellite cities are sometimes listed as part of the larger metro area, and sometimes listed as totally independent. In the United States, satellite cities are often (but not always) listed as independent Metropolitan Statistical Areas within a single Combined Statistical Area that is unified with the larger metropolis.
Campana, Buenos Aires Province (satellite of Buenos Aires)
La Plata (satellite of Buenos Aires)
Lujan, Buenos Aires Province (satellite of Buenos Aires)
Caboolture, Queensland (satellite of Brisbane)
Gawler, South Australia (satellite of Adelaide)
Gold Coast, Queensland (satellite of Brisbane)
Gosford, New South Wales (satellite of Sydney)
Ipswich, Queensland (satellite of Brisbane)
Logan, Queensland (satellite of Brisbane)
Melton, Victoria (satellite of Melbourne)
Sunbury, Victoria (satellite of Melbourne)
Mandurah, Western Australia (satellite of Perth)
Moe, Victoria, Morwell, Victoria and Traralgon, Victoria (multi-polar cities in the Latrobe Valley together forming the Latrobe City urban area)
Palmerston, Northern Territory (satellite of Darwin)
Queanbeyan, New South Wales (satellite of Canberra)
Redcliffe City, Queensland (satellite of Brisbane)
Sunshine Coast, Queensland (satellite of Brisbane)
Werribee, Victoria (satellite of Melbourne)
Wodonga, Victoria (satellite of Albury)
Wollongong, New South Wales (satellite of Sydney)
Purbachal New Town (satellite of Dhaka)
Uttara Model Town (3rd Phase) (satellite of Dhaka)
Fanipal (satellite of Minsk)
Smalyavichy (satellite of Minsk)
Zhabinka (satellite of Brest)
Skidziel (satellite of Hrodna)
Jundiaí (satellite of São Paulo)
Moji das Cruzes (satellite of São Paulo)
Niterói (satellite of Rio de Janeiro)
Olinda (satellite of Recife)
Santos, São Paulo (satellite of São Paulo)
Camko City (satellite of Phnom Penh)
Hamilton, Ontario (satellite of Toronto)
Guelph, Ontario (satellite of Toronto)
Kitchener, Ontario (satellite of Toronto)
Oshawa, Ontario (satellite of Toronto)
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec (satellite of Montreal)
Saint-Jérôme, Quebec (satellite of Montreal)
Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec (satellite of Montreal)
Joliette, Quebec (satellite of Montreal)
Sorel-Tracy, Quebec (satellite of Montreal)
Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Quebec (satellite of Montreal)
Abbotsford, British Columbia (satellite of Vancouver)
Beibei (satellite of Chongqing)
Jiading (satellite of Shanghai)
Shunyi (satellite of Beijing)
Songjiang (satellite of Shanghai)
Velika Gorica (satellite of Zagreb)
6th of October City (satellite of Cairo)
Piraeus (historical satellite and seaport of Athens, typical example)
Kwun Tong (satellite of Hong Kong and Kowloon)
Gurgaon (Satellite of Delhi)
Sonepat (Satellite of Delhi)
Noida (Satellite of Delhi)
Greater Noida(Satellite of Noida)
Ghaziabad (Satellite of Delhi)
Faridabad (Satellite city of Delhi)
Dwarka (Satellite of Delhi)
Sanand (satellite of Ahmedabad)
Gandhinagar(satellite of Ahmedabad)
Kanyapur Satellite Township Project (KSTP), Asansol, West Bengal (satellite of Asansol)
Salt Lake City, Kolkata (satellite of Kolkata)
Rajarhat (satellite of Kolkata)
Kolkata West International City in Howrah (satellite of Kolkata)
Kalyani, West Bengal (satellite of Kolkata)
Calcutta Riverside (satellite of Kolkata)
Sarsuna satellite township in South West Kolkata (satellite of Kolkata)
Shakuntala Park Satellite Township (satellite of Kolkata)
Navi Mumbai (satellite of Mumbai)
Dombivli (satellite of Mumbai)
Thane (satellite of Mumbai)
Uran (satellite of Mumbai)
Vikarabad (satellite of Hyderabad)
HITEC City (satellite of Hyderabad)
Yelahanka (satellite of Bangalore)
Surya Nagar (satellite of Bangalore)
Kengeri (satellite of Bangalore)
Pimpri-Chinchwad (satellite of Pune)
Danapur (satellite of Patna)
Bihta (satellite of Patna)
Fatuha (satellite of Patna)
Maner (satellite of Patna)
Masaurhi (satellite of Patna)
Punpun (satellite of Patna)
Panchkula (satellite of Chandigarh)
Mohali (satellite of Chandigarh)
Greater Mohali (satellite of Mohali)
New Kanpur City (satellite of Kanpur)
Naya Raipur (satellite of Raipur)
Bogor (satellite of Jakarta)
Depok (satellite of Jakarta)
Tangerang (satellite of Jakarta)
South Tangerang (satellite of Jakarta)
Bekasi (satellite of Jakarta)
Bintaro Jaya (satellite of Jakarta)
BSD City (satellite of Jakarta)
Alam Sutera (satellite of Jakarta)
Gading Serpong (satellite of Jakarta)
Lippo Village (satellite of Jakarta)
Kota Harapan Indah (satellite of Jakarta)
Summarecon Bekasi (satellite of Jakarta)
Lippo Cikarang (satellite of Jakarta)
Gresik (satellite of Surabaya)
Bangkalan (satellite of Surabaya)
Mojokerto (satellite of Surabaya)
Sidoarjo (satellite of Surabaya)
Lamongan (satellite of Surabaya)
Kendal (satellite of Semarang)
Ungaran (satellite of Semarang)
Salatiga (satellite of Semarang)
Purwodadi (satellite of Semarang)
Cimahi (satellite of Bandung)
Badung (satellite of Denpasar)
Gianyar (satellite of Denpasar)
Tabanan (satellite of Denpasar)
Solo Baru (satellite of Surakarta)
Maros (satellite of Makassar)
Gowa (satellite of Makassar)
Takalar (satellite of Makassar)
Sleman (satellite of Yogyakarta)
Bantul (satellite of Yogyakarta)
Karaj, (used to be a satellite of Tehran)
Sahand (satellite of Tabriz)
Shahinshahr (satellite of Isfahan)
Ireland
Swords (satellite of Dublin)
Bray (satellite of Dublin)
Ballincollig (satellite of Cork City)
Jerusalem (satellite of Tel Aviv)
Haifa (satellite of Tel Aviv)
Gaza (satellite of Tel Aviv)
Beersheba (satellite of Tel Aviv)
Nazareth (satellite of Tel Aviv)
Petaling Jaya (satellite of Kuala Lumpur)
Bayan Lepas (satellite of George Town)
Ciudad Satélite, literally Satellite City (originally satellite of Mexico City but already absorbed by it)
Playas de Rosarito, (satellite of Tijuana)
San Cristóbal Ecatepec, (satellite of Mexico City)
San Luis Rio Colorado, (satellite of Mexicali)
New Zealand
Brighton (satellite of Dunedin)
Cambridge (satellite of Hamilton)
Darfield (satellite of Christchurch)
Helensville (satellite of Auckland)
Huntly (satellite of Hamilton)
Kaiapoi (satellite of Christchurch)
Lincoln (satellite of Christchurch)
Mosgiel (satellite of Dunedin)
Otaki (satellite of Kapiti and Wellington)
Pukekohe (satellite of Auckland)
Raglan (satellite of Hamilton)
Rangiora (satellite of Christchurch)
Rolleston (satellite of Christchurch)
Te Awamutu (satellite of Hamilton)
Te Puke (satellite of Tauranga)
Waiheke Island (satellite of Auckland)
Waiuku (satellite of Auckland)
North Nazimabad (satellite of Karachi)
Shahdara (satellite of Lahore)
Rawat (satellite of Islamabad)
Satellite Town, Gujranwala (satellite of Gujranwala)
Satellite Town, Rawalpindi (satellite of Rawalpindi)
Satellite Town Mirpurkhas (satellite of Mirpurkhas)
Poland
Legionowo (satellite of Warsaw)
Luboń (satellite of Poznań)
Otwock (satellite of Warsaw)
Police (satellite of Szczecin)
Swarzędz (satellite of Poznań)
Świdnik (satellite of Lublin)
Wieliczka (satellite of Kraków)
Wołomin (satellite of Warsaw)
Pančevo (satellite of Belgrade)
Sremski Karlovci (satellite of Novi Sad)
Lebane (satellite of Leskovac)
Ang Mo Kio (satellite of the Central Area)
Bedok (satellite of the Central Area)
Bishan (satellite of the Central Area)
Bukit Batok (satellite of the Central Area)
Bukit Merah (satellite of the Central Area)
Bukit Panjang (satellite of the Central Area)
Choa Chu Kang (satellite of the Central Area)
Clementi (satellite of the Central Area)
Hougang (satellite of the Central Area)
Jurong (satellite of the Central Area)
Jurong East
Jurong West
Pasir Ris (satellite of the Central Area)
Punggol (satellite of the Central Area)
Queenstown (satellite of the Central Area)
Sembawang (satellite of the Central Area)
Sengkang (satellite of the Central Area)
Serangoon (satellite of the Central Area)
Tampines (satellite of the Central Area)
Toa Payoh (satellite of the Central Area)
Woodlands (satellite of the Central Area)
Yishun (satellite of the Central Area)
Anyang, (satellite of Seoul)
Bucheon (satellite of Seoul)
Seongnam (satellite of Seoul)
Banqiao, Luzhou, Sanchong, Shulin, Tamsui, Tucheng, Xindian, Xinzhuang, Xizhi, Yonghe and Zhonghe in New Taipei (satellites of Taipei)
Keelung (satellite of Taipei)
Bade, Guishan, Luzhu, Pingzhen and Yangmei in Taoyuan City (satellites of Taoyuan District and Zhongli)
Zhubei, Hsinchu County (satellite of Hsinchu)
Dali, Fengyuan, Taiping and Tanzi in Taichung (satellites of downtown Taichung)
Changhua City (satellite of Taichung)
Yongkang in Tainan (satellite of downtown Tainan)
Daliao, Fengshan and Gangshan in Kaohsiung (satellites of downtown Kaohsiung)
Satellites of İstanbul:
Ataköy
Ataşehir
Bahçeşehir
Beylikdüzü
Kayaşehir
Mimaroba
Sinanoba
Satellites of Ankara:
Batıkent
Eryaman
Satellite of İzmir:
Mavişehir
Aldershot (satellite of London)
Barry (satellite of Cardiff)
Basildon (satellite of London)
Brentwood (satellite of London)
Crawley (satellite of London)
Chelmsford (satellite of London)
Eastleigh (satellite of Southampton)
Grays (satellite of London)
High Wycombe (satellite of London)
Kirkintilloch (satellite of Glasgow)
Livingston (satellite of Edinburgh)
Long Eaton (satellite of Nottingham)
Loughborough (satellite of Leicester)
Luton (satellite of London)
Maidenhead (satellite of London)
Mansfield (satellite of Nottingham)
Medway (satellite of London)
Newtownards (satellite of Belfast)
Reading (satellite of London)
Redditch (satellite of Birmingham)
Redhill (satellite of London)
Reigate (satellite of London)
Runcorn (satellite of Liverpool)
Sevenoaks (satellite of London)
Skelmersdale (satellite of Liverpool)
Slough (satellite of London)
Southend-on-Sea (satellite of London)
Tamworth (satellite of Birmingham)
Watford (satellite of London)
Warrington (satellite of Liverpool and Manchester)
Aiken, South Carolina (satellite of Augusta, Georgia)
Akron, Ohio (satellite of Cleveland)
Allentown, Pennsylvania (satellite of Philadelphia and New York City)
Alton, Illinois (satellite of St. Louis)
Anderson, Indiana (satellite of Indianapolis)
Ann Arbor, Michigan (satellite of Detroit)
Annapolis, Maryland (satellite of Baltimore and Washington, D.C.)
Athens, Georgia (satellite of Atlanta)
Atlantic City, New Jersey (satellite of Philadelphia)
Aurora, Illinois (satellite of Chicago)
Bel Air, Maryland (satellite of Baltimore)
Bellevue, Washington (satellite of Seattle)
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (satellite of New York City)
Boulder, Colorado (satellite of Denver)
Bowling Green, Ohio (satellite of Toledo)
Burlington, North Carolina (satellite of Greensboro)
Camden, New Jersey (satellite of Philadelphia)
Canton, Ohio (satellite of Cleveland and Akron)
Casa Grande, Arizona (satellite of Phoenix)
Cedar Park, Texas (satellite of Austin)
Chester, Pennsylvania (satellite of Philadelphia)
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho (satellite of Spokane)
Columbia, Tennessee (satellite of Nashville)
De Kalb, Illinois (satellite of Chicago)
Denton, Texas (satellite of Dallas and Fort Worth)
Elgin, Illinois (satellite of Chicago)
Elizabethtown, Kentucky (satellite of Louisville)
Elyria, Ohio (satellite of Cleveland)
Escondido, California (satellite of San Diego)
Everett, Washington (satellite of Seattle)
Fall River, Massachusetts (satellite of Boston and Providence)
Flint, Michigan (satellite of Detroit)
Frankfort, Kentucky (satellite of Lexington)
Fredericksburg, Virginia (satellite of Washington, D.C.)
Gainesville, Georgia (satellite of Atlanta)
Galveston, Texas (satellite of Houston)
Gary, Indiana (satellite of Chicago)
Gastonia, North Carolina (satellite of Charlotte)
Greensburg, Pennsylvania (satellite of Pittsburgh)
Hamilton, Ohio (satellite of Cincinnati)
High Point, North Carolina (satellite of Greensboro)
Holland, Michigan (satellite of Grand Rapids)
Joliet, Illinois (satellite of Chicago)
Kenosha, Wisconsin (satellite of Chicago and Milwaukee)
Lancaster, Pennsylvania (satellite of Philadelphia)
Lawrence, Kansas (satellite of Kansas City)
Lorain, Ohio (satellite of Cleveland)
Lowell, Massachusetts (satellite of Boston)
Manchester, New Hampshire (satellite of Boston)
Marshall, Texas (satellite of Shreveport)
Mentor, Ohio (satellite of Cleveland)
Michigan City, Indiana (satellite of Chicago)
Middletown, Ohio (satellite of Cincinnati)
Monroe, Michigan (satellite of Detroit and Toledo)
Murfreesboro, Tennessee (satellite of Nashville)
Muskegon, Michigan (satellite of Grand Rapids)
Nashua, New Hampshire (satellite of Boston)
New Haven, Connecticut (satellite of New York City)
Newport, Rhode Island (satellite of Providence)
Niagara Falls, New York (satellite of Buffalo)
Napa, California (satellite of San Francisco)
New Braunfels, Texas (satellite of San Antonio)
Norman, Oklahoma (satellite of Oklahoma City)
Oceanside, California (satellite of San Diego)
Oswego, New York (satellite of Syracuse)
Oxnard, California (satellite of Los Angeles)
Providence, Rhode Island (satellite of Boston)
Provo, Utah (satellite of Salt Lake City)
Racine, Wisconsin (satellite of Milwaukee)
Reading, Pennsylvania (satellite of Philadelphia)
Richmond, Kentucky (satellite of Lexington)
Riverside, California (satellite of Los Angeles)
Rockford, Illinois (satellite of Chicago)
Rock Hill, South Carolina (satellite of Charlotte)
Round Rock, Texas (satellite of Austin)
Ruston, Louisiana (satellite of Monroe)
San Bernardino, California (satellite of Los Angeles)
Sandusky, Ohio (satellite of Cleveland and Toledo)
San Marcos, Texas (satellite of Austin)
Santa Cruz, California (satellite of San Francisco)
Santa Rosa, California (satellite of San Francisco)
Saint Cloud, Minnesota (satellite of Minneapolis-Saint Paul)
Schenectady, New York (satellite of Albany)
Sheboygan, Wisconsin (satellite of Milwaukee)
Springfield, Ohio (satellite of Dayton)
Tacoma, Washington (satellite of Seattle)
Texarkana, Arkansas/Texas (satellite of Shreveport)
Trenton, New Jersey (satellite of New York City and Philadelphia)
Vallejo, California (satellite of San Francisco)
Vineland, New Jersey (satellite of Philadelphia)
Walla Walla, Washington (satellite of the Tri-Cities)
Waterbury, Connecticut (satellite of New York City)
Waukegan, Illinois (satellite of Chicago)
Westchester, New York (satellite of New York City)
Wilmington, Delaware (satellite of Philadelphia)
Worcester, Massachusetts (satellite of Boston)
Yuba City, California (satellite of Sacramento)
Sơn Tây, Sóc Sơn, Đông Anh, Hòa Lạc, Xuân Mai, Gia Lâm and Phú Xuyên are planned to be satellites of Hanoi City
Dĩ An, Thuận An, Củ Chi, An Lạc, Hiệp Phước, Nhà Bè, Cần Giờ, Nhơn Trạch, Long Thành and Trảng Bom are planned to be satellites of Ho Chi Minh City
