The Piedmont Triad (or simply the Triad) is a north-central region of the U.S. state of North Carolina that consists of the area within and surrounding the three major cities of Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and High Point. This close group or "" of cities lies in the Piedmont geographical region of the United States and forms the basis of the Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Point CSA. The area of the triad is approximately 5,954 square miles. The metropolitan area is connected by Interstates 40, 85, 73, and 74 and is served by the Piedmont Triad International Airport. Long known as one of the primary manufacturing and transportation hubs of the southeastern United States, the Triad is also an important educational and cultural region and occupies a prominent place in the history of the American Civil Rights Movement. The Triad is not to be confused with the "Triangle" region (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill), directly to the east. As of 2012, the Piedmont Triad has an estimated population of 1,611,243 making it the 33rd largest CSA metropolitan area in the United States.