Salta is the capital and largest city in the Argentine province of Salta. It serves as the primary cultural and economic center of the Valle de Lerma Metropolitan Area, a region that houses more than 50.9% of the province's total population. The city also functions as the seat of the Capital Department, which is the most populous department within the province.
According to the 2022 census, Salta has a population of 627,704 residents, making it the seventh most-populous city in Argentina. The Valle de Lerma Metropolitan Area surrounding the city includes several municipalities, including La Caldera, Vaqueros, Campo Quijano, Rosario de Lerma, Cerrillos, La Merced, and San Lorenzo.