Winston-Salem is part of the growing Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point metropolitan region known as North Carolina's Piedmont Triad. The Piedmont Triad, the nation's 36th largest metro area, is home to over 1.3 million residents and 800,000 workers. The area sits in the center of the U.S. East Coast region. Its transportation network of five interstate highways gives the Triad the capability to diversify its economy and grow at a faster pace than any other region. The Triad boasts 11 four-year colleges and universities, and it is the future home of the new FedEx Express Mid-Atlantic hub, which will open in 2009.