Porto

Porto
Oporto
Ancient, Very Noble, Ever Loyal and Undefeated City of Porto
Antiga, mui nobre, sempre leal e invicta cidade do Porto (Portuguese)
Nicknames: 
A Cidade Invicta ("The Undefeated City"), A Cidade da Virgem ("The City of the Virgin")
Interactive map of Porto
Porto
Porto
Coordinates: 41°09′00″N 8°36′39″W / 41.15°N 8.6108°W / 41.15; -8.6108
CountryPortugal
RegionNorth Portugal
MetroPorto metropolitan area
SubregionGrande Porto
DistrictPorto
Historical provinceEntre Douro e Minho
Settlement275 BC
MunicipalityPorto
SeatPorto Municipal Chamber
Civil parishes7
Government
 • TypeLAU
 • BodyCâmara Municipal
 • MayorPedro Duarte (PSD-CDS–PP-IL)
 • Municipal Assembly ChairMiguel Pereira Leite
Area
41.42 km2 (15.99 sq mi)
Elevation
104 m (341 ft)
Population
 (2024)
252,687
 • Density6,100.6/km2 (15,800/sq mi)
 • Urban
1,389,593
 • Metro
1,818,217
Time zoneUTC0 (WET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (WEST)
Postal Zone
4000-286 Porto
Area code(+351) 22
DemonymPortuense, Tripeiro (informal)
Patron SaintOur Lady of Vendôme
Municipal Holidays24 June (São João)
Websitewww.cm-porto.pt
Geographic detail from CAOP (2010) produced by Instituto Geográfico Português (IGP)
Official nameHistoric Centre of Oporto, Luís I Bridge and Monastery of Serra do Pilar
Criteriaiv
Reference755
Inscription1996 (20th Session)

Porto, officially the Ancient, Very Noble, Ever Loyal and Undefeated City of Porto, also known in English as Oporto, is the second largest city in Portugal, after Lisbon. It is the capital of the Porto District and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto city proper, which is the entire municipality of Porto, is small compared to its metropolitan area, with an estimated population of 252,687 people in a municipal area of 41.42 km2 (16 sq mi). As of 2025, the Porto metropolitan area has around 1.8 million people in an area of 2,395 km2 (925 sq mi), making it the second-largest urban area in Portugal. It is recognized as a global city with a Gamma + rating from the Globalization and World Cities Research Network.

On the Douro River estuary in northern Portugal, Porto is one of the oldest European centers, and its core was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996, as the Historic Centre of Porto, Luiz I Bridge and Monastery of Serra do Pilar. The historic area is also a National Monument of Portugal. The western part of its urban area extends to the coastline of the Atlantic Ocean. Settlement dates back to the 2nd century BC, when it was an outpost of the Roman Republic. Its combined Celtic-Latin name, Portus Cale, has been referred to as the origin of the name Portugal, based on transliteration and oral evolution from Latin.

Port wine, one of Portugal's most famous exports, is named after Porto, as the metropolitan area, and in particular the cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia, were responsible for the packaging, transport, and export of fortified wine. Porto is on the Portuguese Way path of the Camino de Santiago. In 2014 and 2017, Porto was elected The Best European Destination by the Best European Destinations Agency. In 2023, Porto was named City of the Year by Food and Travel magazine. In 2024, the city was named World's Leading Seaside Metropolitan Destination at the World Travel Awards.