This is a list of incorporated cities in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, in alphabetical order categorized by province or territory. More thorough lists of communities are available for each province.
Capital cities
Alberta
To qualify as a city in
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
, a sufficient population size (10,000 people or more) must be present and a majority of the buildings must be on parcels of land less than . A community is not always
incorporated as a city even if it meets these requirements. The
urban service areas of
Fort McMurray
Fort McMurray ( ) is an urban service area in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo in Alberta, Canada. It is located in northeast Alberta, in the middle of the Athabasca oil sands, surrounded by boreal forest. It has played a significant ...
and
Sherwood Park are
hamlets
A hamlet is a human settlement that is smaller than a town or village. Its size relative to a parish can depend on the administration and region. A hamlet may be considered to be a smaller settlement or subdivision or satellite entity to a lar ...
recognized as equivalents of cities, but remain unincorporated.
Ten towns
''Forgotten Realms'' is a campaign setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as ...
are also eligible for city status but remain incorporated as towns.
Alberta has 19 cities.
Beaumont
Beaumont may refer to:
Places Canada
* Beaumont, Alberta
* Beaumont, Quebec
England
* Beaumont, Cumbria
* Beaumont, Essex
** Beaumont Cut, a canal closed in the 1930s
* Beaumont Street, Oxford
France (communes)
* Beaumont, Ardèche
* ...
is Alberta's newest city, incorporating from town status on January 1, 2019.
''Notes:''
British Columbia
In British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
, a community can be incorporated as a city if its population exceeds 5,000.Government of British Columbia
– Local Government Act Once so incorporated, a city does not lose this status even if its population later declines; the once-larger City of Greenwood, for example, now has a population of just 665 people.
British Columbia has 53 cities.
''Notes:''
Manitoba
A community in Manitoba may seek city status once reaching a population of 7,500. Manitoba's newest city is Morden
Morden is a district and town in south London, England, within the London Borough of Merton, in the ceremonial county of Greater London. It adjoins Merton Park and Wimbledon to the north, Mitcham to the east, Sutton to the south and Worcester ...
, which changed from town to city status on August 24, 2012.
Manitoba has 10 cities.
''Notes:''
New Brunswick
New Brunswick has eight cities.
''Notes:''
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador has three cities.
''Notes:''
Northwest Territories
As in the other two Canadian territories, the only incorporated city in the Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...
is its capital, Yellowknife
Yellowknife (; Dogrib: ) is the capital, largest community, and only city in the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is on the northern shore of Great Slave Lake, about south of the Arctic Circle, on the west side of Yellowknife Bay near the ...
.
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia no longer has any incorporated cities, as they were amalgamated into regional municipalities
A regional municipality (or region) is a type of Canadian municipal government similar to and at the same municipal government level as a county, although the specific structure and servicing responsibilities may vary from place to place. Reg ...
in the 1990s.
* Halifax – provincial capital and metropolitan area
A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually com ...
and formerly the largest city in Nova Scotia by population, now part of the Halifax Regional Municipality
Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348 ...
*Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
– formerly the smallest city in Nova Scotia by population, now part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality
Cape Breton Regional Municipality (often referred to as simply "CBRM") is the Canadian province of Nova Scotia's second largest municipality and the economic heart of Cape Breton Island. As of 2016 the municipality has a population of 94,285. The ...
* Dartmouth – formerly a city in Nova Scotia, now part of the Halifax Regional Municipality
Nunavut
As in the other two Canadian territories, the only incorporated city in Nunavut
Nunavut ( , ; iu, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ , ; ) is the largest and northernmost Provinces and territories of Canada#Territories, territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the ''Nunavut Act'' ...
is its capital, Iqaluit
Iqaluit ( ; , ; ) is the capital of the Canadian territory of Nunavut, its largest community, and its only city. It was known as Frobisher Bay from 1942 to 1987, after the large bay on the coast on which the city is situated. In 1987, its t ...
.
Ontario
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
has 52 cities. In Ontario, city status is conferred by the provincial government, generally upon the request of the incorporated municipality. A municipality may apply for city status anytime after its population surpasses 10,000. This status is not ''automatically'' conferred on a community that reaches this population target, but must be requested by the municipality and granted by the provincial Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Not all municipalities which reach this population target have pursued city designation. For example, Ajax
Ajax may refer to:
Greek mythology and tragedy
* Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea
* Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris
* ''Ajax'' (play), by the ancient Greek ...
, Oakville, and Whitby
Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a maritime, mineral and tourist heritage. Its East Clif ...
, which all had populations greater than 100,000 in 2011, are still designated as towns. Once designated a city, however, a municipality does not lose this status even if its population later falls back below 10,000 (as, for example, Dryden
''
John Dryden (; – ) was an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who in 1668 was appointed England's first Poet Laureate.
He is seen as dominating the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the peri ...
). Ontario's newest city is Richmond Hill, which changed from town to city status on March 25, 2019.
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island has two cities.
''Notes:''
Quebec
In Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
, provincial law does not contain any ''cities'' at the current time, although the designation exists. — A ''ville'', thought legally a "township", may be informally referred to as a town or a city in English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
, but this is an arbitrary and subjective distinction. Quebec municipal types are ''cities'' (cités), ''townships'' (villes), and '' municipalités'' (municipalités).
Quebec has 223 villes.
''Notes:''
Saskatchewan
In Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...
, Section 39(1) of ''The Cities Act'' indicates a town must have a population of 5,000 or more and meet other criteria in order to incorporate as a city, although in the early 20th century several centres such as Saskatoon
Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...
and Regina were granted city status despite having a smaller population. The City of Melville retains its city status despite dropping below 5,000 people in the 1990s. Kindersley
Kindersley is a town surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Kindersley No. 290 in west-central Saskatchewan, Canada. It is located along Highway 7, a primary highway linking Calgary, Alberta and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. At a population of 4,597 ...
has expressed an interest in applying for city status upon reaching the 5,000 milestone. Saskatchewan's newest city is Warman, which changed from town to city status on October 24, 2012.
Saskatchewan has 16 cities.
''Notes:''
Yukon
As in the other two Canadian territories, the only incorporated city in the Yukon
Yukon (; ; formerly called Yukon Territory and also referred to as the Yukon) is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories. It also is the second-least populated province or territory in Canada, with a population of 43,964 as ...
is its capital, Whitehorse
Whitehorse () is the capital of Yukon, and the largest city in Northern Canada. It was incorporated in 1950 and is located at kilometre 1426 (Historic Mile 918) on the Alaska Highway in southern Yukon. Whitehorse's downtown and Riverdale areas ...
. Dawson was also previously incorporated as a city, but when the criteria were changed in the 1980s, its status was reduced to that of a town due to population. Through special provision, however, it is officially the town of the city of Dawson.
See also
*History of cities in Canada
Canada's cities span the continent of North America from east to west, with many major cities located relatively close to the border with the United States. Cities are home to the majority of Canada's approximately 35.75 million inhabitants (as of ...
*List of the largest cities and towns in Canada by area
Canada had 1,137 municipalities that held city, town or ville status as of 2011. This list presents the 100 largest of these municipalities by land area in square kilometres at the time of the 2011 census.
The geographically massive cities in Que ...
*List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population
The table below lists the 100 largest census subdivisions (municipalities or municipal equivalents) in Canada by population, using data from the 2021 census for census subdivisions.
This list includes only the population within a census subdivi ...
*List of Canada city name etymologies
This article lists the etymologies of the names of cities across Canada.
Alberta
British Columbia
Manitoba
New Brunswick
Newfoundland and Labrador
Northwest Territories
Nova Scotia
Nunavut
Ontario
Prince Edward Island
Quebec
...
*List of cities and towns of Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada (french: link=no, province du Haut-Canada) was a part of British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, to govern the central third of the lands in British North America, formerly part of t ...
*List of cities in North America
This is a list of cities in North America. For the most populous cities in North America, see List of North American cities by population.
Antigua and Barbuda
Aruba
* Oranjestad
Bahamas
* Nassau
* Freeport City
Barbados
*Bridge ...
*List of city nicknames and slogans in Canada
This is a list of nicknames and slogans of cities in Canada. Many Canadian cities and communities are known by various aliases, slogans, sobriquets, and other nicknames to the general population at either the local, regional, national, or int ...
*List of largest Canadian cities by census
This is a list of the largest cities in Canada by census starting with the 1871 census of Canada, the first national census. Only communities that were incorporated as cities at the time of each census are presented. Therefore, this list does not ...
*List of towns in Canada
This is a list of towns in Canada. Only municipalities currently incorporated as towns are listed here.
Alberta
Alberta has 107 towns.
British Columbia
British Columbia has 14 towns.
Manitoba
Manitoba has 25 towns.
New Brunswick ...
*List of villages in Canada
A village is a type of incorporated municipality within the majority of the provinces and territories of Canada.
As of January 1, 2012, there were 550 villages among the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, the Nort ...
Notes
References
External links
Canada by Map: All cities with population
The Canadian Atlas Online
{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Cities In Canada