List of cities in British Columbia

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Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia. Victoria, British Columbia Skyline at Twilight.jpg
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia.

As of 2024, British Columbia has 161 municipalities, [1] out of which 53 are classified as cities. [2] According to the 2021 Canadian census, British Columbia is the third most populous province in Canada, with 5,000,879 inhabitants, and the second largest province by land area, covering 920,686.55 square kilometres (355,479.06 square miles). [3]

Contents

Cities, towns, district municipalities and villages in British Columbia are referred to as municipalities and all are included in local governments in the province, which may be incorporated under the Local Government Act of 2015. In order for a municipality in British Columbia to be classified as a city, it must have a minimum population of 5,000. [4] [5] Although the populations of Enderby, Grand Forks, Greenwood and Rossland fall below this threshold, they are still classified as cities. [3]

The largest city by population in British Columbia is Vancouver, with 662,248 residents, and the smallest is Greenwood, with 702 residents. The largest city by land area is Abbotsford, which spans 375.55 square kilometres (145.00 square miles), while the smallest is Duncan, at 2.07 square kilometres (0.80 square miles). [2] The first municipality to incorporate as a city was New Westminster on July 16, 1860, [6] while the province's newest city is Mission, a district municipality that was reclassified as a city on March 29, 2021. [7] Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia. [8]

Cities

Downtown Vancouver skyline (2288720173).jpg
Vancouver is the largest city in British Columbia by population.
Downtownabbotsford.JPG
Abbotsford is the largest city in British Columbia by area.
Cities in British Columbia
Name Regional district [6] Incorporation date [6] Population (2021) [9] Population (2016) [2] Change (%) [2] Area (km2) [2] Population density [2]
Abbotsford Fraser Valley December 12, 1995153,524141,3978.6%375.33 km2409.0
Armstrong North Okanagan March 31, 19135,3235,1144.1%5.22 km21020.0
Burnaby Metro Vancouver September 22, 1892249,125232,7557.0%90.57 km22750.7
Campbell River Strathcona June 24, 194735,51932,5887.6%144.38 km2246.0
Castlegar Central Kootenay January 1, 19748,3388,0393.7%19.67 km2419.6
Chilliwack Fraser ValleyApril 26, 187393,20383,78811.2%261.34 km2356.6
Colwood Capital June 24, 198518,96116,85912.5%17.66 km21073.6
Coquitlam Metro VancouverJuly 25, 1891148,625139,2846.7%122.15 km21216.7
Courtenay Comox Valley January 1, 191528,42025,59910.8%32.42 km2876.7
Cranbrook East Kootenay November 1, 190520,49920,0472.3%31.97 km2641.2
Dawson Creek Peace River May 26, 193612,32312,1781.2%26.72 km2461.1
Delta Metro VancouverSeptember 22, 2017 [10] 108,455102,2386.1%179.66 km2603.7
Duncan Cowichan Valley March 4, 19125,0474,9442.1%2.06 km22444.5
Enderby North OkanaganMarch 1, 19053,0282,9642.2%4.26 km2710.4
Fernie East KootenayJuly 28, 19046,3205,24917.1%15.11 km2418.3
Fort St. John Peace RiverDecember 31, 194721,46520,1555.9%32.67 km2656.9
Grand Forks Kootenay Boundary April 15, 18974,1124,0491.6%10.37 km2396.4
Greenwood Kootenay BoundaryJuly 12, 18977026655.6%2.42 km2290.2
Kamloops Thompson-Nicola October 17, 196797,90290,2808.4%297.93 km2328.6
Kelowna Central Okanagan May 4, 1905144,576127,38013.5%211.85 km2682.4
Kimberley East KootenayMarch 29, 19448,1157,4259.3%60.51 km2134.1
Langford CapitalDecember 8, 199246,58435,34231.8%41.43 km21124.4
Langley Metro VancouverMarch 15, 195528,96325,88811.9%10.18 km22845.2
Maple Ridge Metro VancouverSeptember 12, 2014 [11] 90,99082,25610.6%267.82 km2339.7
Merritt Thompson-NicolaApril 1, 19117,0517,139-1.2%26.04 km2270.7
Mission Fraser ValleyMarch 29, 2021 [7] 41,51938,8337.7%226.98 km2182.9
Nanaimo Nanaimo December 24, 187499,86390,50410.3%90.45 km21104.1
Nelson Central KootenayMarch 18, 189711,10610,5725.1%11.93 km2930.6
New Westminster Metro VancouverJuly 16, 186078,91670,99611.2%15.62 km25052.4
North Vancouver Metro VancouverAugust 10, 189158,12052,8989.9%11.83 km24913.0
Parksville NanaimoJune 19, 194513,64212,5149.5%14.52 km2939.5
Penticton Okanagan-Similkameen January 1, 190936,88533,7619.3%44.03 km2857.3
Pitt Meadows Metro VancouverApril 25, 191419,14618,5733.1%86.34 km2221.7
Port Alberni Alberni-Clayoquot October 28, 196718,25917,6783.3%19.66 km2928.9
Port Coquitlam Metro VancouverMarch 7, 191361,49858,6124.9%29.16 km22108.7
Port Moody Metro VancouverMarch 11, 191333,53533,5510.0%25.85 km21297.3
Powell River Powell River October 15, 195513,94313,1576.0%28.91 km2482.4
Prince George Fraser-Fort George March 6, 191576,70874,0033.7%316.74 km2242.2
Prince Rupert North Coast March 10, 191012,30012,2200.7%66.00 km2186.4
Quesnel Cariboo March 21, 19289,8899,8790.1%35.35 km2279.8
Revelstoke Columbia Shuswap March 1, 18998,2757,5479.4%41.28 km2200.5
Richmond Metro VancouverNovember 10, 1879209,937198,3095.9%128.87 km21629.0
Rossland Kootenay BoundaryMarch 18, 18974,1403,72911.0%59.72 km269.3
Salmon Arm Columbia ShuswapMay 15, 190519,43217,7069.7%155.19 km2125.2
Surrey Metro VancouverNovember 10, 1879568,322517,8879.7%316.11 km21797.9
Terrace Kitimat–Stikine December 31, 192712,01711,6433.2%57.33 km2209.6
Trail Kootenay BoundaryJune 14, 19017,9207,7092.7%34.90 km2226.9
Vancouver [a] Metro VancouverApril 6, 1886662,248631,4864.9%115.18 km25749.9
Vernon North OkanaganDecember 30, 189244,51940,11611.0%96.43 km2461.7
Victoria [b] CapitalAugust 2, 186291,86785,7927.1%19.45 km24722.3
West Kelowna Central OkanaganJune 26, 2015 [12] 36,07832,65510.5%122.09 km2295.5
White Rock Metro VancouverApril 15, 195721,93919,95210.0%5.17 km24240.6
Williams Lake CaribooMarch 15, 192910,94710,7531.8%33.12 km2330.5
Total cities3,327,8243,133,0814.5%4263.151081.81

Notes:

  1. Vancouver is Canada's eighth-largest city and British Columbia's largest city by population. The Vancouver CMA includes the cities of Burnaby, Coquitlam, Delta, Langley, Maple Ridge, New Westminster, North Vancouver, Pitt Meadows, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Richmond, Surrey, Vancouver and White Rock.
  2. Victoria is British Columbia's capital. The Victoria CMA includes the cities of Colwood, Langford and Victoria.

Former cities

Former cities in British Columbia
NameHeld city status
Kaslo 18931959 [13]
Phoenix 19001919 [14]
Sandon 18981920 [15]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Columbia</span> Province of Canada

British Columbia is the westernmost province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, forests, lakes, mountains, inland deserts and grassy plains. British Columbia borders the province of Alberta to the east; the territories of Yukon and Northwest Territories to the north; the U.S. states of Washington, Idaho and Montana to the south, and Alaska to the northwest. With an estimated population of over 5.6 million as of 2024, it is Canada's third-most populous province. The capital of British Columbia is Victoria, while the province's largest city is Vancouver. Vancouver and its suburbs together make up the third-largest metropolitan area in Canada, with the 2021 census recording 2.6 million people in Metro Vancouver. British Columbia is Canada's third-largest province in terms of total area, after Quebec and Ontario.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lower Mainland</span> Region in British Columbia, Canada

The Lower Mainland is a geographic and cultural region of the mainland coast of British Columbia that generally comprises the regional districts of Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. Home to approximately 3.05 million people as of the 2021 Canadian census, the Lower Mainland contains sixteen of the province's 30 most populous municipalities and approximately 60% of the province's total population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abbotsford, British Columbia</span> City in British Columbia, Canada

Abbotsford is a city in British Columbia next to the Canada–United States border, Greater Vancouver, and the Fraser River. With a census population of 153,569 people (2021), it is the largest municipality in the province outside metropolitan Vancouver. Abbotsford–Mission has the third-highest proportion of visible minorities among census metropolitan areas in Canada, after the Greater Toronto Area and the Greater Vancouver CMA. It is home to Tradex, the University of the Fraser Valley, and Abbotsford International Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metro Vancouver Regional District</span> Regional district in British Columbia, Canada

The Metro Vancouver Regional District (MVRD), or simply Metro Vancouver, is a Canadian political subdivision and corporate entity representing the metropolitan area of Greater Vancouver, designated by provincial legislation as one of the 28 regional districts in British Columbia. The organization was known as the Regional District of Fraser–Burrard for nearly one year upon incorporating in 1967, and as the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) from 1968 to 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coquitlam</span> City in British Columbia, Canada

Coquitlam is a city in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. Mainly suburban, Coquitlam is the sixth-largest city in the province, with a population of 148,625 in 2021, and one of the 21 municipalities comprising Metro Vancouver. The mayor is Richard Stewart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saanich, British Columbia</span> Municipality in British Columbia, Canada

Saanich is a district municipality on the southern end of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada, within the Greater Victoria area. The population was 117,735 at the 2021 census, making it the most populous municipality in the Capital Regional District and Vancouver Island, and the eighth-most populous in the province. With an area of 103.44 square kilometres (39.94 sq mi), Saanich is also the largest municipality in Greater Victoria. The district adopted its name after the Saanich First Nation, meaning "emerging land" or "emerging people".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port Coquitlam</span> City in British Columbia, Canada

Port Coquitlam is a city in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of 21 municipalities comprising Metro Vancouver. Located 27 km (17 mi) east of Vancouver, it is on the north bank of the confluence of the Fraser River and the Pitt River. Coquitlam borders it to the north and west. Pitt Meadows lies across the Pitt River from it. Port Coquitlam is bisected by Lougheed Highway and the Canadian Pacific Kansas City railway. Port Coquitlam is often referred to as "PoCo". It is Canada's 93rd-largest municipality by population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mission, British Columbia</span> City in British Columbia, Canada

Mission is a city in the Lower Mainland of the province of British Columbia, Canada. It was originally incorporated as a district municipality in 1892, growing to include additional villages and rural areas over the years, adding the original Town of Mission City, long an independent core of the region, in 1969. It is bordered by the city of Abbotsford to the south and the city of Maple Ridge to the west. To the east are the unincorporated areas of Hatzic and Dewdney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Census geographic units of Canada</span> Term used in Canada

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Filipino Canadians</span> Ethnic group

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port Moody</span> City in British Columbia, Canada

Port Moody is a city in British Columbia, Canada, and a member municipality of the Metro Vancouver Regional District. It envelops the east end of Burrard Inlet and is the smallest of the Tri-Cities, bordered by Coquitlam on the east and south and by Burnaby on the west. The villages of Belcarra and Anmore, along with the rugged Coast Mountains, lie to the northwest and north, respectively. It is named for Richard Clement Moody, the first lieutenant governor of the Colony of British Columbia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater Vancouver</span> Metropolitan area in British Columbia, Canada

Greater Vancouver, also known as Metro Vancouver, is the metropolitan area with its major urban centre being the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The term "Greater Vancouver" describes an area that is roughly coterminous with the region governed by the Metro Vancouver Regional District (MVRD), though it predates the 1966 creation of the regional district. It is often used to include areas beyond the boundaries of the regional district but does not generally include wilderness and agricultural areas that are included within the MVRD.

The demographics of Metro Vancouver indicate a multicultural and multiracial region. Metro Vancouver is a metropolitan area, with its major urban centre being Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The Vancouver census metropolitan area, as defined by Statistics Canada, encompasses roughly the same territory as the Metro Vancouver Regional District, a regional district in British Columbia. The regional district includes 23 local authorities. Figures provided here are for the Vancouver census metropolitan area and not for the City of Vancouver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maillardville</span> Neighbourhood of Coquitlam in Lower Mainland, British Columbia, Canada

Maillardville is a community on the south slope of the city of Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Canada</span> Region of Canada

Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces, Canadian West, or Western provinces of Canada, and commonly known within Canada as the West, is a Canadian region that includes the four western provinces just north of the Canada–United States border namely British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The people of the region are often referred to as "Western Canadians" or "Westerners", and though diverse from province to province are largely seen as being collectively distinct from other Canadians along cultural, linguistic, socioeconomic, geographic and political lines. They account for approximately 32% of Canada's total population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sikhism in Greater Vancouver</span> Religious community

Sikhism in Greater Vancouver is one of the main religions across the region, especially among the Indo-Canadian population. The Sikh community in Vancouver is the oldest, largest and most influential across Canada, having begun in the late 19th century.

References

  1. Affairs, Ministry of Municipal. "Regional districts in B.C. - Province of British Columbia". Government of British Columbia . Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2021 and 2016 censuses (British Columbia)". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  3. 1 2 "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Archived from the original on February 9, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  4. Affairs, Ministry of Municipal. "Municipalities in B.C. - Province of British Columbia". Government of British Columbia . Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  5. "Local Government Act: Part 2 — Incorporation of Municipalities". Government of British Columbia. December 16, 2015. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 "British Columbia Regional Districts, Municipalities, Corporate Name, Date of Incorporation and Postal Address". Government of British Columbia. Archived from the original (XLS) on July 13, 2014. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  7. 1 2 "Order in Council 0187-2021". Government of British Columbia. March 29, 2021. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  8. McGillivray, Brett (September 5, 2024). "Victoria". Britannica . Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  9. "Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population, 2021 census (British Columbia)". Statistics Canada. October 30, 2022. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
  10. "Order in Council No. 362". Province of British Columbia. September 22, 2017. Retrieved January 10, 2018.
  11. "Order of the Lieutenant Governor in Council: Order in Council No. 513" (PDF). Province of British Columbia. September 9, 2014. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
  12. "Order in Council No. 357". Province of British Columbia. June 26, 2015. Retrieved July 1, 2015.
  13. City of Kaslo Fonds. The British Columbia Archival Information Network. Retrieved January 18, 2023.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  14. "Name Details: Phoenix (Abandoned Locality)". Government of British Columbia . Retrieved June 27, 2013.
  15. "From Boom to Bust in 20 Years: Sandon's History as an Incorporated City". Sandon Museum. Retrieved June 26, 2013.