The Lynchburg Metropolitan Statistical Area is a United States Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) in the state of Virginia, as defined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as of June 2003. As of the 2000 census, the MSA had a population of 228,616. In 2009 this was estimated to have risen to 247,447; as of 2016, the Lynchburg MSA was estimated to have a population of 260,320, making it the fifth-largest metro area in the state.