Vila Nova de Gaia, or simply Gaia (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈvilɐ ˈnɔvɐ ðɨ ˈɣajɐ]) is a city in Vila Nova de Gaia Municipality, Portugal. It is located in the Porto District, south of the city of Porto on the other side of the Douro River. The city proper has a population of 178,255 and the municipality contains 24 parishes with a total population of 288,749 inhabitants, and is the most populous municipality in Norte Region. Gaia together with Porto and other 12 municipalities makes up the commonly designated Porto Metropolitan Area.