A population centre, in Canadian census data, is a populated place, or a cluster of interrelated populated places, which meet the demographic characteristics of an urban area. A population centre has a population of at least 1,000 and a population density of no fewer than 400 people per square kilometre. [1]
Population centres are not the same thing as urban municipalities. For example, the city of St. Albert is legally separate from Edmonton, but they are part of the same population centre.
The term was introduced in the Canada 2011 Census; prior to that, Statistics Canada used the term urban area. [1]
As of the 2006 Census of Canada, the Province of Alberta had 107 urban areas [2] with a cumulative population of 2,699,851 and an average population of 25,232. In the 2011 census, Statistics Canada listed 109 population centres in the province. [3] This number increased to 122 in the Canada 2016 Census.
The below table is a list of those population centres in Alberta from the 2021 Census of Population as designated, named, and delineated by Statistics Canada. [4]
Rank | Population centre [4] | Size group [4] | Population (2021) [4] | Population (2016) [4] | Change [4] | Land area (km2) [4] | Population density [4] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Calgary | Large urban | 1,305,550 | 1,240,413 | +5.3% | 621.72 | 2,099.9/km2 |
2 | Edmonton | Large urban | 1,151,635 | 1,070,998 | +7.5% | 627.2 | 1,836.2/km2 |
3 | Red Deer | Medium | 99,846 | 99,773 | +0.1% | 65.93 | 1,514.4/km2 |
4 | Lethbridge | Medium | 92,563 | 89,309 | +3.6% | 64 | 1,446.3/km2 |
5 | Airdrie | Medium | 73,578 | 61,082 | +20.5% | 33.03 | 2,227.6/km2 |
6 | Fort McMurray | Medium | 68,002 | 67,123 | +1.3% | 52.17 | 1,303.5/km2 |
7 | Medicine Hat | Medium | 63,382 | 63,111 | +0.4% | 53.2 | 1,191.4/km2 |
8 | Grande Prairie | Medium | 63,172 | 62,382 | +1.3% | 49.74 | 1,270.0/km2 |
9 | Spruce Grove | Medium | 39,348 | 36,279 | +8.5% | 29.76 | 1,322.2/km2 |
10 | Leduc | Medium | 33,505 | 29,561 | +13.3% | 67.43 | 496.9/km2 |
11 | Cochrane | Medium | 31,638 | 25,501 | +24.1% | 23.71 | 1,334.4/km2 |
12 | Lloydminster | Medium | 31,582 | 31,400 | +0.6% | 24.43 | 1,292.8/km2 |
13 | Okotoks | Medium | 30,214 | 28,833 | +4.8% | 17.23 | 1,753.6/km2 |
14 | Fort Saskatchewan | Small | 26,831 | 23,944 | +12.1% | 21.85 | 1,228.0/km2 |
15 | Chestermere | Small | 21,425 | 19,477 | +10.0% | 8.99 | 2,383.2/km2 |
16 | Beaumont | Small | 20,779 | 17,396 | +19.4% | 10.4 | 1,998.0/km2 |
17 | Camrose | Small | 18,454 | 18,520 | −0.4% | 17.1 | 1,079.2/km2 |
18 | Stony Plain | Small | 17,253 | 16,416 | +5.1% | 17.73 | 973.1/km2 |
19 | Sylvan Lake | Small | 16,142 | 14,977 | +7.8% | 10.49 | 1,538.8/km2 |
20 | Brooks | Small | 14,904 | 14,436 | +3.2% | 12.78 | 1,166.2/km2 |
21 | High River | Small | 14,119 | 13,420 | +5.2% | 10.13 | 1,393.8/km2 |
22 | Strathmore | Small | 13,851 | 13,592 | +1.9% | 9.46 | 1,464.2/km2 |
23 | Canmore | Small | 13,268 | 12,021 | +10.4% | 12.96 | 1,023.8/km2 |
24 | Lacombe | Small | 12,835 | 12,740 | +0.7% | 11.87 | 1,081.3/km2 |
25 | Wetaskiwin | Small | 12,438 | 12,491 | −0.4% | 12.11 | 1,027.1/km2 |
26 | Morinville | Small | 10,385 | 9,848 | +5.5% | 11.15 | 931.4/km2 |
27 | Blackfalds | Small | 10,315 | 9,161 | +12.6% | 8.93 | 1,155.1/km2 |
28 | Whitecourt | Small | 9,195 | 9,515 | −3.4% | 10.22 | 899.7/km2 |
29 | Hinton | Small | 9,191 | 9,205 | −0.2% | 12.97 | 708.6/km2 |
30 | Olds | Small | 8,983 | 8,944 | +0.4% | 9.51 | 944.6/km2 |
31 | Taber | Small | 8,978 | 8,558 | +4.9% | 15.69 | 572.2/km2 |
32 | Coaldale | Small | 8,592 | 8,153 | +5.4% | 5.84 | 1,471.2/km2 |
33 | Banff | Small | 8,305 | 7,851 | +5.8% | 4.08 | 2,035.5/km2 |
34 | Edson | Small | 8,166 | 8,148 | +0.2% | 10.7 | 763.2/km2 |
35 | Grand Centre | Small | 7,514 | 7,256 | +3.6% | 18.07 | 415.8/km2 |
36 | Cold Lake | Small | 7,201 | 6,795 | +6.0% | 5.71 | 1,261.1/km2 |
37 | Ponoka | Small | 7,032 | 6,899 | +1.9% | 5.61 | 1,253.5/km2 |
38 | Innisfail | Small | 7,016 | 6,937 | +1.1% | 5.23 | 1,341.5/km2 |
39 | Drayton Valley | Small | 6,970 | 6,867 | +1.5% | 7.22 | 965.4/km2 |
40 | Devon | Small | 6,545 | 6,578 | −0.5% | 14.26 | 459.0/km2 |
41 | Slave Lake | Small | 6,542 | 6,155 | +6.3% | 6.63 | 986.7/km2 |
42 | Rocky Mountain House | Small | 6,518 | 6,429 | +1.4% | 7.47 | 872.6/km2 |
43 | Drumheller | Small | 6,497 | 6,439 | +0.9% | 9.48 | 685.3/km2 |
44 | Wainwright | Small | 6,461 | 6,153 | +5.0% | 5.08 | 1,271.9/km2 |
45 | Bonnyville | Small | 6,359 | 5,858 | +8.6% | 6.4 | 993.6/km2 |
46 | St. Paul | Small | 5,685 | 5,728 | −0.8% | 5.03 | 1,130.2/km2 |
47 | Stettler | Small | 5,595 | 5,872 | −4.7% | 7.46 | 750.0/km2 |
48 | Redcliff | Small | 5,385 | 5,474 | −1.6% | 7.39 | 728.7/km2 |
49 | Vegreville | Small | 5,383 | 5,436 | −1.0% | 5.05 | 1,065.9/km2 |
50 | Langdon | Small | 5,193 | 5,060 | +2.6% | 4.32 | 1,202.1/km2 |
51 | Didsbury | Small | 5,024 | 5,206 | −3.5% | 5.43 | 925.2/km2 |
52 | Carstairs | Small | 4,898 | 4,077 | +20.1% | 4.76 | 1,029.0/km2 |
53 | Westlock | Small | 4,820 | 4,957 | −2.8% | 5.26 | 916.3/km2 |
54 | Peace River | Small | 4,264 | 4,348 | −1.9% | 5.06 | 842.7/km2 |
55 | Barrhead | Small | 4,055 | 4,387 | −7.6% | 4.73 | 857.3/km2 |
56 | Jasper | Small | 4,029 | 3,948 | +2.1% | 1.84 | 2,189.7/km2 |
57 | Raymond | Small | 3,942 | 3,553 | +10.9% | 3.92 | 1,005.6/km2 |
58 | Crossfield | Small | 3,579 | 2,973 | +20.4% | 3.99 | 897.0/km2 |
59 | Vermilion | Small | 3,552 | 3,697 | −3.9% | 3.66 | 970.5/km2 |
60 | Cardston | Small | 3,519 | 3,389 | +3.8% | 3.88 | 907.0/km2 |
61 | Pincher Creek | Small | 3,463 | 3,523 | −1.7% | 4.06 | 853.0/km2 |
62 | High Level | Small | 3,461 | 2,746 | +26.0% | 2.68 | 1,291.4/km2 |
63 | Claresholm | Small | 3,434 | 3,424 | +0.3% | 2.68 | 1,281.3/km2 |
64 | Penhold | Small | 3,359 | 3,210 | +4.6% | 1.65 | 2,035.8/km2 |
65 | Fort Macleod | Small | 3,038 | 2,718 | +11.8% | 2.28 | 1,332.5/km2 |
66 | Grande Cache | Small | 3,037 | 3,286 | −7.6% | 3.72 | 816.4/km2 |
67 | Gibbons | Small | 2,989 | 2,973 | +0.5% | 4.78 | 625.3/km2 |
68 | La Crète | Small | 2,911 | 2,739 | +6.3% | 3.02 | 963.9/km2 |
69 | Three Hills | Small | 2,902 | 3,078 | −5.7% | 3.14 | 924.2/km2 |
70 | Coalhurst | Small | 2,818 | 2,623 | +7.4% | 1.76 | 1,601.1/km2 |
71 | Clairmont | Small | 2,808 | 2,411 | +16.5% | 4.16 | 675.0/km2 |
72 | Black Diamond | Small | 2,574 | 2,552 | +0.9% | 2.15 | 1,197.2/km2 |
73 | Grimshaw | Small | 2,519 | 2,599 | −3.1% | 4.13 | 609.9/km2 |
74 | Fairview | Small | 2,427 | 2,598 | −6.6% | 2.26 | 1,073.9/km2 |
75 | Turner Valley | Small | 2,409 | 2,373 | +1.5% | 3.3 | 730.0/km2 |
76 | Magrath | Small | 2,308 | 2,235 | +3.3% | 2.7 | 854.8/km2 |
77 | Sexsmith | Small | 2,275 | 2,461 | −7.6% | 1.83 | 1,243.2/km2 |
78 | Rimbey | Small | 2,258 | 2,349 | −3.9% | 3.63 | 622.0/km2 |
79 | Beaverlodge | Small | 2,251 | 2,440 | −7.7% | 3.33 | 676.0/km2 |
80 | Hanna | Small | 2,234 | 2,332 | −4.2% | 2.29 | 975.5/km2 |
81 | Lac la Biche | Small | 2,138 | 2,294 | −6.8% | 2.94 | 727.2/km2 |
82 | High Prairie | Small | 2,065 | 2,264 | −8.8% | 2.37 | 871.3/km2 |
83 | Westlake | Small | 2,040 | 1,363 | +49.7% | 3.27 | 623.9/km2 |
84 | Nanton | Small | 1,984 | 1,970 | +0.7% | 1.56 | 1,271.8/km2 |
85 | Heritage Pointe | Small | 1,974 | 2,075 | −4.9% | 4.78 | 413.0/km2 |
86 | Calmar | Small | 1,883 | 1,986 | −5.2% | 1.33 | 1,415.8/km2 |
87 | Millet | Small | 1,847 | 1,905 | −3.0% | 2.18 | 847.2/km2 |
88 | Provost | Small | 1,834 | 1,945 | −5.7% | 2.09 | 877.5/km2 |
89 | Bow Island | Small | 1,829 | 1,773 | +3.2% | 1.3 | 1,406.9/km2 |
90 | Tofield | Small | 1,811 | 1,854 | −2.3% | 1.22 | 1,484.4/km2 |
91 | Picture Butte | Small | 1,808 | 1,700 | +6.4% | 1.95 | 927.2/km2 |
92 | Redwater | Small | 1,802 | 1,591 | +13.3% | 2.01 | 896.5/km2 |
93 | Sundre | Small | 1,781 | 1,866 | −4.6% | 2.37 | 751.5/km2 |
94 | Vulcan | Small | 1,558 | 1,680 | −7.3% | 1.7 | 916.5/km2 |
95 | Springbrook | Small | 1,534 | 1,502 | +2.1% | 2.19 | 700.5/km2 |
96 | Blairmore | Small | 1,522 | 1,545 | −1.5% | 2.04 | 746.1/km2 |
97 | Bon Accord | Small | 1,451 | 1,529 | −5.1% | 2.13 | 681.2/km2 |
98 | Coleman | Small | 1,441 | 1,475 | −2.3% | 1.99 | 724.1/km2 |
99 | Nobleford | Small | 1,438 | 1,278 | +12.5% | 0.98 | 1,467.3/km2 |
100 | Wembley | Small | 1,432 | 1,516 | −5.5% | 2.2 | 650.9/km2 |
101 | Fox Creek | Small | 1,426 | 1,730 | −17.6% | 1.36 | 1,048.5/km2 |
102 | Elk Point | Small | 1,394 | 1,437 | −3.0% | 2.26 | 616.8/km2 |
103 | Two Hills | Small | 1,379 | 1,291 | +6.8% | 1.25 | 1,103.2/km2 |
104 | Lamont | Small | 1,328 | 1,347 | −1.4% | 1.93 | 688.1/km2 |
105 | Vauxhall | Small | 1,286 | 1,222 | +5.2% | 2.71 | 474.5/km2 |
106 | Valleyview | Small | 1,280 | 1,421 | −9.9% | 1.55 | 825.8/km2 |
107 | Bowden | Small | 1,275 | 1,240 | +2.8% | 2.82 | 452.1/km2 |
108 | Lancaster Park | Small | 1,253 | 1,501 | −16.5% | 0.92 | 1,362.0/km2 |
109 | Swan Hills | Small | 1,191 | 1,275 | −6.6% | 2.39 | 498.3/km2 |
110 | Bassano | Small | 1,186 | 1,201 | −1.2% | 1.33 | 891.7/km2 |
111 | Athabasca | Small | 1,181 | 1,250 | −5.5% | 2.03 | 581.8/km2 |
112 | Mayerthorpe | Small | 1,171 | 1,205 | −2.8% | 1.29 | 907.8/km2 |
113 | Legal | Small | 1,164 | 1,251 | −7.0% | 1.79 | 650.3/km2 |
114 | Irricana | Small | 1,135 | 1,160 | −2.2% | 1.14 | 995.6/km2 |
115 | Stirling | Small | 1,134 | 938 | +20.9% | 2.03 | 558.6/km2 |
116 | Alberta Beach - Val Quentin | Small | 1,103 | 1,327 | −16.9% | 1.69 | 652.7/km2 |
117 | Carriage Lane Estates | Small | 1,094 | 1,008 | +8.5% | 1.34 | 816.4/km2 |
118 | Cardiff | Small | 1,033 | 1,167 | −11.5% | 0.98 | 1,054.1/km2 |
119 | Manning | Small | 1,027 | 1,072 | −4.2% | 1.37 | 749.6/km2 |
The following is a list of communities were once designated as population centres by Statistics Canada, but were retired after their populations dropped below 1,000 people. Some of them have since surpassed the minimum population threshold of 1,000 yet have not been reintroduced as population centres.
The following is a list of communities were once designated as urban areas by Statistics Canada, but were retired after their populations dropped below 1,000 people. Some of them have since surpassed the minimum population threshold of 1,000 yet have not been reintroduced as population centres.
Camrose is a city in central Alberta, Canada that is surrounded by Camrose County. Located along Highway 13 it had its beginnings as a railroad hub.
Leduc is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada. It is 33 km (21 mi) south of the provincial capital of Edmonton and is part of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region.
The Municipality of Crowsnest Pass is a specialized municipality in southwest Alberta, Canada. Within the Rocky Mountains adjacent to the eponymous Crowsnest Pass, the municipality formed as a result of the 1979 amalgamation of five municipalities – the Village of Bellevue, the Town of Blairmore, the Town of Coleman, the Village of Frank, and Improvement District No. 5, which included the Hamlet of Hillcrest and numerous other unincorporated communities.
Frank is an urban community in the Rocky Mountains within the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass in southwest Alberta, Canada. It was formerly incorporated as a village prior to 1979 when it amalgamated with four other municipalities to form Crowsnest Pass.
Sexsmith is a town in northern Alberta, it is on Highway 2, 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of Grande Prairie.
Beaumont is a city in Leduc County within the Edmonton Metropolitan Region of Alberta, Canada. It is located at the intersection of Highway 625 and Highway 814, adjacent to the City of Edmonton and 6.0 kilometres (3.7 mi) northeast of the City of Leduc. The Nisku Industrial Park and the Edmonton International Airport are located 4.0 kilometres (2.5 mi) to the west and 8.0 kilometres (5.0 mi) to the southwest respectively.
Grande Cache is a hamlet in West-Central Alberta, Canada within and administered by the Municipal District of Greenview No. 16. It is located on Highway 40 approximately 145 kilometres (90 mi) northwest of Hinton and 435 kilometres (270 mi) west of Edmonton. Grande Cache overlooks the Smoky River, is at the northern edge of Alberta's Rockies, and serves as a gateway to the Willmore Wilderness Park. The hamlet held town status prior to 2019.
McLennan is a town in northern Alberta, Canada. It is approximately 50 km (31 mi) north of High Prairie on Highway 2.
Wembley is a town in northern Alberta, Canada. It is approximately 23 km (14 mi) west of Grande Prairie at the junction of Highway 43 and Highway 724.
Berwyn is a village in northwestern Alberta, Canada. It is located approximately 37 km (23 mi) west of the Town of Peace River, 10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of the Town of Grimshaw, and 15 km (9.3 mi) northeast of the Duncan's First Nation reserve.
Hythe is a hamlet in northwest Alberta, Canada within the County of Grande Prairie No. 1. It is located on Highway 43 approximately 58 km (36 mi) northwest of the City of Grande Prairie and 73 km (45 mi) southeast of the City of Dawson Creek, British Columbia. It held village status prior to July 2021.
Kinuso is a hamlet in northern Alberta, Canada within Big Lakes County, and surrounded by the Swan River First Nation reserve. It is located approximately 48 kilometres (30 mi) west of Slave Lake and 71 km east of High Prairie along Highway 2, south of the southern shore of Lesser Slave Lake.
Rycroft is a village in northern Alberta, Canada. It is approximately 68 km (42 mi) north of Grande Prairie and 7 km (4.3 mi) east of Spirit River. Dunvegan Provincial Park is located 20 km north of the community.
Wanham is a hamlet in northern Alberta, Canada within Birch Hills County. It is located 29 km (18 mi) east of Rycroft along Highway 49 and approximately 106 km (66 mi) north of Grande Prairie, in the farmlands of Peace River Country. Saddle River, a tributary of Peace River, flows immediately north of the community. The origin of the name Wanham could have come from Wanham in England.
According to the 2021 census, the City of Edmonton had a population of 1,010,899 residents, compared to 4,262,635 for all of Alberta, Canada. The total population of the Edmonton census metropolitan area (CMA) was 1,418,118, making it the sixth-largest CMA in Canada.
Aetna is a hamlet in southern Alberta, Canada within Cardston County, located 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) east of Highway 2, approximately 70 kilometres (43 mi) southwest of Lethbridge.
Cadogan is a hamlet in central Alberta, Canada within the Municipal District of Provost No. 52. Previously an incorporated municipality, Cadogan dissolved from village status on January 1, 1946 to become part of the Municipal District of Hillcrest No. 362.
Eaglesham is a hamlet in northern Alberta, Canada within Birch Hills County, located 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) north of Highway 49, approximately 89 kilometres (55 mi) northeast of Grande Prairie.