List of municipalities in Alberta

Location of Alberta in Canada

Distribution of Alberta's 5 specialized municipalities (red) and 75 rural municipalities, which include municipal districts (orange), improvement districts (green) and special areas (brown) (2011)

Alberta is the fourth-most populous province in Canada with 3,645,257 residents as of 2011 and is the fourth-largest in land area at approximately 640,000 km² (250,000 sq mi).^[1] Alberta's 354 municipalities cover 98.9% of the province's land mass and are home to 98.6% of its population.^{[2][3][lower-alpha 1]} These municipalities provide local government services, including roads, water, sewer and garbage collection among others, and a variety of programs to their residents.^[4][5]

According to the Municipal Government Act (MGA), which was enacted in 2000, a municipality in Alberta is "a city, town, village, summer village, municipal district or specialized municipality, a town under the Parks Towns Act, or a municipality formed by special Act".^[6] The MGA also recognizes improvement districts and special areas as municipal authorities while Metis settlements are recognized as municipalities by the Government of Alberta's Ministry of Municipal Affairs.^[6][7] Cities, towns, villages, summer villages, municipal districts, specialized municipalities and improvement districts are formed under the provincial authority of the MGA.^[6] Special areas and Metis settlements are formed under the provincial authority of the Special Areas Act (SAA) and the Metis Settlements Act (MSA) respectively, of which both were enacted in 2000.^[8][9] As provincial law, the MGA, the SAA and the MSA were passed by the Legislative Assembly of Alberta with royal assent granted by the Lieutenant Governor.^[10]

Of Alberta's 354 municipalities, 266 of them are urban municipalities (18 cities, 107 towns, 90 villages and 51 summer villages), 5 are specialized municipalities, 75 are rural municipalities (64 municipal districts, 8 improvement districts and 3 special areas) and 8 are Metis settlements.^[2] The MGA, the SAA and the MSA stipulate governance of these municipalities.^[6][8][9] Alberta's Ministry of Municipal Affairs is responsible for providing provincial services to municipalities.^[11]

Over half of Alberta's population resides in its two largest cities. Calgary, the largest city, is home to 30% of the province's population (1,096,833 residents), while Edmonton, Alberta's capital city, is home to 22% (812,201 residents).^[3] Improvement District No. 25 (Willmore Wilderness) and Improvement District No. 349 are Alberta's smallest municipalities by population; both are unpopulated.^[3][12] The largest municipality by land area is Mackenzie County at 80,478 km² (31,073 sq mi), while the smallest by land area is the Summer Village of Castle Island at 0.05 km² (0.019 sq mi).^[3]

Urban municipalities

Distribution of Alberta's 266 urban municipalities including 18 cities (black), 107 towns (dark purple), 90 villages (light purple) and 51 summer villages (pink) (2011)

Alberta's Municipal Government Act (MGA), enacted in 2000, defines urban municipality as a "city, town, village or summer village."^[6] For federal census purposes, Statistics Canada recognizes all four urban municipality types as census subdivisions.^[13]

Combined, Alberta has 266 urban municipalities comprising 18 cities, 107 towns, 90 villages and 51 summer villages.^[2] The 266 urban municipalities have a total population of 2,953,387, a total land area of 3,783 km² (1,461 sq mi), and an average population of 11,145. These totals represent 81% of Alberta's population yet only 0.6% of its land area.

Cities

The MGA stipulates that an area may incorporate as a city if it has a population of 10,000 people or more and the majority of its buildings are on parcels of land smaller than 1,850 m² (19,900 sq ft).^[6] Alberta has 18 cities that had a cumulative population of 2,474,510 and an average population of 137,472 in the 2011 census.^[2][3] These 18 cities include Lloydminster, of which a portion is located within the neighbouring province of Saskatchewan.^[14] Alberta's largest city by population and land area is Calgary with 1,096,833 and 825 km² (319 sq mi), while Lacombe is its smallest city by population with 11,707 and Brooks is its smallest city by land area with 18 km² (6.9 sq mi).^[3] Chestermere is Alberta's newest city, which changed from a town to a city on January 1, 2015.^[15]

Of Alberta's 18 cities, Cold Lake and Fort Saskatchewan have less than the current minimum density requirement of 400 residents per square kilometre. Cold Lake and Fort Saskatchewan were incorporated as a town and city respectively prior to the MGA being enacted in 2000.^[6][16]

Towns

The MGA stipulates that an area may incorporate as a town if it has a population of 1,000 people or more and the majority of its buildings are on parcels of land smaller than 1,850 m² (19,900 sq ft).^[6] Alberta has 107 towns that had a cumulative population of 437,006 and an average population of 4,084 in the 2011 census.^[2][3] The province's largest and smallest towns by population are Okotoks and Granum with 24,511 and 447 respectively, while its largest and smallest by land area are Drumheller and Eckville with 108 km² (42 sq mi) and 1.6 km² (0.62 sq mi) respectively.^[3] Onoway is Alberta's newest town, which changed from a village to a town on September 1, 2005.^[17]

Of Alberta's 107 towns, 14 have populations less than the current minimum population requirement of 1,000 and 61 have less than the current minimum density requirement of 400 residents per square kilometre. All of these were incorporated as either towns or villages prior to the MGA being enacted in 2000.^[6][17]

Villages

The MGA stipulates that an area may incorporate as a village if it has a population of 300 people or more and the majority of its buildings are on parcels of land smaller than 1,850 m² (19,900 sq ft).^[6] Alberta has 90 villages that had a cumulative population of 38,223 and an average population of 425 in the 2011 census.^[2][3] The province's largest and smallest villages by population are Stirling and Gadsby with 1,090 and 25 respectively, while its largest and smallest by land area are Chipman and Edberg with 9.6 km² (3.7 sq mi) and 0.4 km² (0.15 sq mi) respectively.^[3] The last communities to incorporate as villages were Alberta Beach and Spring Lake, which both changed from summer villages to villages on January 1, 1999.^[18]

Of Alberta's 90 villages, 37 have populations less than the current minimum population requirement of 300 and 75 have less than the current minimum density requirement of 400 residents per square kilometre. All of these were incorporated as villages prior to the MGA being enacted in 2000.^[6][18]

Summer villages

Under previous legislation, a community could incorporate as a summer village if it had "a minimum of 50 separate buildings occupied as dwellings at any time during a six-month period".^[19] A community can no longer incorporate as a summer village under the MGA.^[6][20]

Alberta has 51 summer villages that had a cumulative population of 4,586 and an average population of 90 in the 2011 census.^[2][3] The province's largest summer village by population is Island Lake with 243, while Betula Beach and Kapasiwin are Alberta's smallest summer villages with a population of 10 each.^{[3][lower-alpha 2]} The province's largest and smallest summer villages by land area are Sandy Beach and Castle Island with 2.4 km² (0.93 sq mi) and 0.05 km² (0.019 sq mi) respectively.^[3] Gull Lake and Kapasiwin were the last communities in Alberta to incorporate as summer villages. Both were incorporated on September 1, 1993.^[22] Since then, two summer villages have incorporated as villages (Alberta Beach and Edmonton Beach, now named Spring Lake) and one has dissolved (White Gull).^[18][23]

List of urban municipalities

Calgary, Alberta's largest city

Edmonton, Alberta's capital and second largest city

Red Deer, Alberta's third largest city, is located at the midpoint between Calgary and Edmonton.

Lethbridge is Alberta's fourth largest city.

St. Albert, Alberta's fifth largest city, is located adjacent to Edmonton.

Medicine Hat, Alberta's sixth largest city.

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Urban municipalities of Alberta
Name	Status[2]	Incorporation date (current status)[16]	Population (2011)[3]	Population (2006)[3]	Change (%)[3]	Land area (km²)[3]	Population density (per km²)[3]
Acme	Village	July 7, 1910	653	656	−0.5	2.47	263.9
Airdrie	City	January 1, 1985	42,564	28,927	47.1	33.10	1,286.0
Alberta Beach	Village	January 1, 1999	865	884	−2.1	1.98	436.7
Alix	Village	June 3, 1907	830	851	−2.5	3.15	263.4
Alliance	Village	August 26, 1918	174	158	10.1	0.64	270.1
Amisk	Village	January 1, 1956	207	172	20.3	0.76	272.2
Andrew	Village	June 24, 1930	379	465	−18.5	1.23	308.7
Argentia Beach	Summer village	January 1, 1967	15	52	−71.2	0.69	21.6
Arrowwood	Village	May 13, 1926	188	221	−14.9	0.66	286.1
Athabasca[lower-alpha 3]	Town	September 19, 1911	2,990	2,580	15.9	17.48	171.1
Banff	Town	January 1, 1990	7,584	6,700	13.2	4.88	1,555.0
Barnwell	Village	January 1, 1980	771	618	24.8	1.49	517.2
Barons	Village	May 6, 1910	315	276	14.1	0.68	462.2
Barrhead	Town	November 26, 1946	4,432	4,209	5.3	8.10	547.2
Bashaw	Town	May 1, 1964	873	796	9.7	2.84	306.9
Bassano	Town	January 16, 1911	1,282	1,345	−4.7	5.16	248.6
Bawlf	Village	October 12, 1906	403	367	9.8	0.96	418.5
Beaumont	Town	January 1, 1980	13,284	8,961	48.2	10.50	1,264.8
Beaverlodge	Town	January 24, 1956	2,365	2,264	4.5	5.58	424.0
Beiseker	Village	February 23, 1921	785	804	−2.4	2.84	276.8
Bentley	Town	January 1, 2001	1,073	1,083	−0.9	2.30	466.3
Berwyn	Village	November 28, 1936	526	516	1.9	1.66	316.7
Betula Beach	Summer village	January 1, 1960	10	15	−33.3	0.18	54.5
Big Valley	Village	March 9, 1942	364	351	3.7	1.84	198.3
Birch Cove	Summer village	December 31, 1988	45	38	18.4	0.29	157.8
Birchcliff	Summer village	January 1, 1972	112	125	−10.4	0.98	114.0
Bittern Lake[lower-alpha 4]	Village	November 2, 1904	224	225	−0.4	6.64	33.7
Black Diamond	Town	January 1, 1956	2,373	1,900	24.9	3.21	740.3
Blackfalds	Town	April 1, 1980	6,300	4,618	36.4	16.36	385.0
Bon Accord	Town	November 20, 1979	1,488	1,534	−3.0	2.11	706.2
Bondiss	Summer village	January 1, 1983	106	131	−19.1	1.33	79.9
Bonnyville	Town	February 3, 1948	6,216	5,832	6.6	14.10	440.7
Bonnyville Beach	Summer village	January 1, 1958	95	97	−2.1	0.38	253.2
Botha	Village	September 5, 1911	175	185	−5.4	1.09	160.7
Bow Island	Town	February 1, 1912	2,025	1,790	13.1	5.92	342.1
Bowden	Town	September 1, 1981	1,241	1,210	2.6	2.73	454.7
Boyle	Village	December 31, 1953	916	854	7.3	7.28	125.8
Breton	Village	January 1, 1957	496	550	−9.8	1.73	286.5
Brooks	City	September 1, 2005	13,676	12,508	9.3	18.19	751.9
Bruderheim	Town	September 17, 1980	1,155	1,215	−4.9	4.23	273.2
Burnstick Lake	Summer village	December 31, 1991	16	43	−62.8	0.18	89.9
Calgary	City	January 1, 1894	1,096,833	988,812	10.9	825.29	1,329.0
Calmar	Town	January 19, 1954	1,970	1,959	0.6	4.65	423.7
Camrose	City	January 1, 1955	17,286	15,630	10.6	42.50	406.7
Canmore	Town	June 1, 1966	12,288	12,039	2.1	68.90	178.4
Carbon	Village	November 18, 1912	592	570	3.9	2.00	295.6
Cardston	Town	July 2, 1901	3,580	3,452	3.7	8.64	414.1
Carmangay	Village	March 4, 1936	367	336	9.2	1.86	197.1
Caroline	Village	December 31, 1951	501	515	−2.7	1.98	252.8
Carstairs	Town	September 1, 1966	3,442	2,699	27.5	11.53	298.4
Castle Island	Summer village	January 1, 1955	19	22	−13.6	0.05	361.9
Castor	Town	June 27, 1910	932	931	0.1	2.72	343.1
Cereal	Village	August 19, 1914	134	126	6.3	0.95	141.6
Champion	Village	May 27, 1911	378	364	3.8	0.88	429.7
Chauvin	Village	December 30, 1912	334	308	8.4	2.32	143.9
Chestermere[lower-alpha 5]	City	January 1, 2015[15]	14,824	9,923	49.4	32.64	454.1
Chipman	Village	October 21, 1913	284	253	12.3	9.61	29.5
Claresholm	Town	August 31, 1905	3,758	3,700	1.6	9.08	414.0
Clive	Village	January 9, 1912	675	562	20.1	2.12	318.3
Clyde	Village	January 28, 1914	503	470	7.0	1.36	370.7
Coaldale	Town	January 7, 1952	7,493	6,177	21.3	7.95	942.8
Coalhurst	Town	June 1, 1995	1,963	1,523	28.9	2.39	820.3
Cochrane	Town	February 15, 1971	17,580	13,760	27.8	30.03	585.5
Cold Lake	City	October 1, 2000	13,839	11,991	15.4	59.30	233.4
Consort	Village	September 23, 1912	689	739	−6.8	2.83	243.3
Coronation	Town	April 29, 1912	947	1,015	−6.7	3.73	253.6
Coutts	Village	January 1, 1960	277	305	−9.2	0.98	283.3
Cowley	Village	August 16, 1906	236	219	7.8	1.40	168.8
Cremona	Village	January 1, 1955	457	463	−1.3	1.71	267.8
Crossfield	Town	August 1, 1980	2,853	2,668	6.9	11.87	240.3
Crystal Springs	Summer village	January 1, 1957	90	112	−19.6	0.58	156.0
Czar	Village	November 12, 1917	167	175	−4.6	1.18	141.6
Daysland	Town	April 2, 1907	807	818	−1.3	1.75	461.2
Delburne	Village	January 17, 1913	830	765	8.5	3.92	211.5
Delia[lower-alpha 6]	Village	July 20, 1914	186	207	−10.1	1.31	142.5
Devon	Town	February 24, 1950	6,510	6,261	4.0	11.72	555.6
Dewberry	Village	January 1, 1957	201	196	2.6	0.84	238.5
Didsbury	Town	September 27, 1906	4,957	4,305	15.1	16.08	308.2
Donalda	Village	December 30, 1912	259	224	15.6	0.99	262.3
Donnelly	Village	January 1, 1956	305	293	4.1	1.27	239.9
Drayton Valley	Town	February 1, 1957	7,049	6,893	2.3	12.27	574.3
Drumheller[lower-alpha 7]	Town	March 2, 1916 January 1, 1998	8,029	7,932	1.2	107.93	74.4
Duchess	Village	May 12, 1921	992	978	1.4	1.89	526.2
Eckville	Town	July 1, 1966	1,125	951	18.3	1.58	710.8
Edberg	Village	February 4, 1930	168	155	8.4	0.36	470.9
Edgerton	Village	September 11, 1917	317	373	−15.0	1.89	168.1
Edmonton	City	October 8, 1904	812,201	730,372	11.2	684.37	1,186.8
Edson	Town	September 21, 1911	8,475	8,098	4.7	29.58	286.5
Elk Point	Town	January 1, 1962	1,412	1,487	−5.0	4.88	289.1
Elnora	Village	July 22, 1929	313	280	11.8	1.48	210.9
Empress	Village	February 5, 1914	188	136	38.2	1.75	107.6
Fairview	Town	April 25, 1949	3,162	3,297	−4.1	11.30	279.8
Falher	Town	January 1, 1955	1,075	941	14.2	2.87	374.7
Ferintosh	Village	January 9, 1911	181	153	18.3	0.62	290.2
Foremost	Village	December 31, 1950	526	524	0.4	1.89	277.8
Forestburg	Village	August 21, 1919	831	895	−7.2	2.75	302.0
Fort Macleod[lower-alpha 8]	Town	March 29, 1912	3,117	3,072	1.5	23.34	133.5
Fort Saskatchewan	City	July 1, 1985	19,051	14,957	27.4	48.12	395.9
Fox Creek	Town	September 1, 1983	1,969	2,278	−13.6	11.54	170.6
Gadsby	Village	May 6, 1910	25	35	−28.6	0.82	30.5
Ghost Lake	Summer village	December 31, 1953	81	78	3.8	0.63	129.4
Gibbons	Town	April 1, 1977	3,030	2,642	14.7	7.39	409.9
Girouxville	Village	December 31, 1951	266	282	−5.7	0.58	461.2
Glendon	Village	January 1, 1956	486	421	15.4	1.98	245.1
Glenwood	Village	January 1, 1961	287	280	2.5	1.46	197.2
Golden Days	Summer village	January 1, 1965	141	207	−31.9	2.27	62.0
Grande Cache	Town	September 1, 1983	4,319	3,783	14.2	35.48	121.7
Grande Prairie	City	January 1, 1958	55,032	47,107	16.8	72.80	755.9
Grandview	Summer village	January 1, 1967	108	127	−15.0	0.80	135.6
Granum[lower-alpha 9]	Town	November 7, 1910	447	415	7.7	1.87	239.6
Grimshaw	Town	February 2, 1953	2,515	2,537	−0.9	7.21	349.0
Gull Lake	Summer village	September 1, 1993	122	204	−40.2	0.70	174.9
Half Moon Bay	Summer village	January 1, 1978	38	32	18.8	0.17	229.2
Halkirk	Village	February 10, 1912	121	113	7.1	0.65	185.7
Hanna	Town	April 14, 1914	2,673	2,847	−6.1	8.56	312.4
Hardisty	Town	November 9, 1910	639	760	−15.9	5.48	116.6
Hay Lakes[lower-alpha 10]	Village	April 17, 1928	425	362	17.4	0.58	730.1
Heisler	Village	January 1, 1961	151	153	−1.3	0.76	199.9
High Level	Town	September 1, 1983	3,641	3,887	−6.3	31.99	113.8
High Prairie	Town	January 10, 1950	2,600	2,785	−6.6	7.92	328.2
High River	Town	February 12, 1906	12,920	10,716	20.6	14.27	905.5
Hill Spring	Village	January 1, 1961	186	192	−3.1	1.11	167.2
Hines Creek	Village	December 31, 1951	380	430	−11.6	4.37	86.9
Hinton	Town	December 29, 1958	9,640	9,738	−1.0	33.77	285.4
Holden	Village	April 14, 1909	381	398	−4.3	1.70	224.3
Horseshoe Bay	Summer village	January 1, 1985	37	214	−82.7	1.04	35.4
Hughenden	Village	December 27, 1917	230	231	−0.4	0.78	296.6
Hussar	Village	April 20, 1928	176	187	−5.9	0.99	177.8
Hythe	Village	August 31, 1929	820	821	−0.1	4.12	198.8
Innisfail	Town	November 20, 1903	7,876	7,331	7.4	19.53	403.2
Innisfree	Village	March 11, 1911	220	233	−5.6	1.27	172.6
Irma	Village	May 30, 1912	457	444	2.9	1.11	410.7
Irricana	Town	June 9, 2005	1,162	1,243	−6.5	3.18	364.9
Island Lake South	Summer village	January 1, 1983	72	105	−31.4	0.63	114.3
Island Lake	Summer village	January 1, 1958	243	351	−30.8	1.45	167.8
Itaska Beach	Summer village	June 30, 1953	20	35	−42.9	0.28	70.8
Jarvis Bay	Summer village	January 1, 1986	203	183	10.9	0.55	371.1
Kapasiwin	Summer village	September 1, 1993	10	15[26]	−33.3	0.31	32.3
Killam	Town	May 1, 1965	981	1,019	−3.7	4.53	216.3
Kitscoty	Village	March 22, 1911	846	709	19.3	1.54	549.8
Lacombe	City	September 5, 2010	11,707	10,752	8.9	20.89	560.3
Lakeview	Summer village	October 25, 1913	26	36	−27.8	0.33	78.8
Lamont	Town	May 31, 1968	1,753	1,669	5.0	9.27	189.2
Larkspur	Summer village	January 1, 1985	38	56	−32.1	0.22	172.0
Leduc	City	September 1, 1983	24,279	16,967	43.1	36.97	656.7
Legal	Town	January 1, 1998	1,225	1,192	2.8	3.22	381.0
Lethbridge	City	May 9, 1906	83,517	74,685	11.8	122.36	682.6
Linden	Village	January 1, 1964	725	660	9.8	2.56	283.3
Lloydminster (part)[lower-alpha 11]	City	January 1, 1958	18,032	15,910	13.3	24.19	745.6
Lomond	Village	February 16, 1916	173	175	−1.1	1.28	134.9
Longview	Village	January 1, 1964	307	300	2.3	1.09	282.1
Lougheed	Village	November 7, 1911	233	217	7.4	1.92	121.5
Magrath	Town	July 24, 1907	2,217	2,081	6.5	4.97	446.2
Ma-Me-O Beach	Summer village	December 31, 1948	113	155	−27.1	0.65	173.4
Manning	Town	January 1, 1957	1,164	1,493	−22.0	3.42	340.0
Mannville	Village	December 29, 1906	803	782	2.7	2.15	373.6
Marwayne	Village	December 31, 1952	612	521	17.5	1.68	364.5
Mayerthorpe	Town	March 20, 1961	1,398	1,474	−5.2	4.78	292.7
McLennan	Town	February 11, 1948	809	824	−1.8	3.58	226.2
Medicine Hat	City	May 9, 1906	60,005	56,997	5.3	112.01	535.7
Mewatha Beach	Summer village	January 1, 1978	79	167	−52.7	0.78	101.9
Milk River	Town	February 7, 1956	811	816	−0.6	2.39	339.6
Millet	Town	September 1, 1983	2,092	2,068	1.2	3.74	558.7
Milo	Village	May 7, 1931	122	100	22.0	1.04	116.9
Morinville	Town	April 21, 1911	8,569	6,775	26.5	11.34	755.6
Morrin	Village	April 16, 1920	245	253	−3.2	0.82	298.9
Mundare	Town	January 4, 1951	855	712	20.1	4.20	203.6
Munson	Village	May 5, 1911	204	217	−6.0	2.60	78.5
Myrnam	Village	August 22, 1930	370	362	2.2	2.76	134.2
Nakamun Park	Summer village	January 1, 1966	36	88	−59.1	0.41	88.7
Nampa	Village	January 1, 1958	362	360	0.6	1.86	194.9
Nanton	Town	August 9, 1907	2,132	2,055	3.7	4.80	443.9
Nobleford	Village	February 28, 1918	1,000	689	45.1	1.54	647.8
Norglenwold	Summer village	January 1, 1965	232	270	−14.1	0.67	345.2
Norris Beach	Summer village	December 31, 1988	46	40	15.0	0.16	285.5
Okotoks	Town	June 1, 1904	24,511	17,150	42.9	19.24	1,273.8
Olds	Town	July 1, 1905	8,235	7,253	13.5	14.87	553.8
Onoway	Town	September 1, 2005	1,039	875	18.7	3.34	311.5
Oyen	Town	September 1, 1965	973	1,015	−4.1	4.93	197.4
Paradise Valley	Village	January 1, 1964	174	183	−4.9	0.57	306.9
Parkland Beach	Summer village	January 1, 1984	124	135	−8.1	0.93	133.8
Peace River[lower-alpha 12]	Town	December 1, 1919	6,729[28]	6,315	6.6	25.92	259.6
Pelican Narrows	Summer village	July 1, 1979	162	141	14.9	0.70	230.0
Penhold	Town	September 1, 1980	2,375	1,971	20.5	5.33	445.3
Picture Butte	Town	January 1, 1960	1,650	1,592	3.6	2.90	569.5
Pincher Creek	Town	May 12, 1906	3,685	3,625	1.7	10.19	361.6
Point Alison	Summer village	December 31, 1950	15	15	0.0	0.16	92.9
Ponoka	Town	October 15, 1904	6,773	6,576	3.0	13.05	519.2
Poplar Bay	Summer village	January 1, 1967	80	84	−4.8	0.79	101.0
Provost	Town	December 29, 1952	2,041	2,072	−1.5	4.93	413.8
Rainbow Lake	Town	September 1, 1995	870	965	−9.8	11.04	78.8
Raymond	Town	July 1, 1903	3,743	3,225	16.1	6.85	546.1
Red Deer	City	March 25, 1913	90,564	83,154	8.9	104.29	868.4
Redcliff	Town	August 5, 1912	5,588	5,116	9.2	16.20	344.9
Redwater	Town	December 31, 1950	1,915	2,202	−13.0	20.12	95.2
Rimbey	Town	December 13, 1948	2,378	2,252	5.6	11.34	209.7
Rochon Sands	Summer village	May 17, 1929	65[28]	66	−1.5	2.32	28.0
Rocky Mountain House	Town	August 31, 1939	6,933	6,874	0.9	12.99	533.6
Rockyford	Village	March 28, 1919	325	349	−6.9	1.08	300.0
Rosalind	Village	January 1, 1966	190	190	0.0	0.59	322.2
Rosemary	Village	December 31, 1951	342	388	−11.9	0.56	607.8
Ross Haven	Summer village	January 1, 1962	137	198	−30.8	0.70	194.5
Rycroft	Village	March 15, 1944	628	638	−1.6	1.69	372.5
Ryley[lower-alpha 13]	Village	April 2, 1910	497	458	8.5	1.97	251.9
Sandy Beach	Summer village	January 1, 1956	223	239	−6.7	2.43	91.8
Seba Beach	Summer village	August 20, 1920	143	203	−29.6	0.71	201.1
Sedgewick	Town	May 1, 1966	857	891	−3.8	2.60	329.1
Sexsmith	Town	October 15, 1979	2,418	1,969	22.8	13.43	180.1
Silver Beach	Summer village	December 31, 1953	52	47	10.6	0.66	78.2
Silver Sands	Summer village	January 1, 1969	85	173	−50.9	2.35	36.2
Slave Lake	Town	August 2, 1965	6,782	6,703	1.2	14.18	478.4
Smoky Lake	Town	February 1, 1962	1,022	1,010	1.2	4.20	243.5
South Baptiste	Summer village	January 1, 1983	52	69	−24.6	1.05	49.6
South View	Summer village	January 1, 1970	35	115	−69.6	0.69	51.0
Spirit River	Town	September 18, 1951	1,025	1,148	−10.7	2.81	365.4
Spring Lake[lower-alpha 14]	Village	January 1, 1999	533	501	6.4	2.12	251.5
Spruce Grove	City	March 1, 1986	26,171	19,541	33.9	32.37	808.6
St. Albert	City	January 1, 1977	61,466	57,764	6.4	48.27	1,273.4
St. Paul[lower-alpha 15]	Town	December 15, 1936	5,400	5,106	5.8	7.89	684.7
Standard	Village	April 29, 1922	379	380	−0.3	2.34	162.1
Stavely	Town	May 25, 1912	505	435	16.1	1.62	311.3
Stettler	Town	November 23, 1906	5,748	5,445	5.6	13.12	438.2
Stirling	Village	September 3, 1901	1,090	921	18.3	2.64	413.6
Stony Plain	Town	December 10, 1908	15,051	12,363	21.7	35.61	422.7
Strathmore	Town	July 6, 1911	12,305	10,280	19.7	27.28	451.0
Sunbreaker Cove	Summer village	December 31, 1990	69	137	−49.6	0.49	140.6
Sundance Beach	Summer village	January 1, 1970	82	102	−19.6	0.42	196.2
Sundre	Town	January 1, 1956	2,610	2,523	3.4	11.16	233.9
Sunrise Beach	Summer village	December 31, 1988	149	170	−12.4	1.72	86.4
Sunset Beach	Summer village	May 1, 1977	44	88	−50.0	0.99	44.4
Sunset Point	Summer village	January 1, 1959	221	242	−8.7	1.11	198.6
Swan Hills	Town	January 1, 1967	1,465	1,645	−10.9	25.44	57.6
Sylvan Lake	Town	May 20, 1946	12,327	10,250	20.3	15.62	789.4
Taber	Town	July 1, 1907	8,104	7,591	6.8	15.09	537.2
Thorsby	Village	December 31, 1949	951[28]	945	0.6	3.87	245.7
Three Hills	Town	January 1, 1929	3,198	3,089	3.5	5.63	567.8
Tofield	Town	September 10, 1909	2,182	1,876	16.3	8.17	267.1
Trochu	Town	August 1, 1962	1,072	1,005	6.7	2.82	380.1
Turner Valley	Town	September 1, 1977	2,167	1,908	13.6	5.45	397.6
Two Hills	Town	January 1, 1955	1,379	1,047	31.7	3.31	416.3
Val Quentin	Summer village	January 1, 1966	157	181	−13.3	0.30	522.5
Valleyview	Town	February 5, 1957	1,761	1,725	2.1	9.66	182.2
Vauxhall	Town	January 1, 1961	1,288	1,069	20.5	2.88	447.6
Vegreville	Town	August 15, 1906	5,717	5,519	3.6	13.92	410.6
Vermilion	Town	August 27, 1906	3,930	4,036	−2.6	13.69	287.0
Veteran	Village	June 30, 1914	249	293	−15.0	0.84	297.0
Viking	Town	November 10, 1952	1,041	1,085	−4.1	3.76	277.1
Vilna	Village	June 23, 1923	249	274	−9.1	0.90	277.5
Vulcan	Town	June 15, 1921	1,836	1,940	−5.4	6.58	279.0
Wabamun	Village	January 1, 1980	661	601	10.0	3.24	203.8
Wainwright	Town	July 14, 1910	5,925	5,426	9.2	8.91	665.4
Waiparous	Summer village	January 1, 1986	42	49	−14.3	0.41	103.0
Warburg	Village	December 31, 1953	789	621	27.1	2.70	292.6
Warner	Village	November 12, 1908	331	307	7.8	1.15	288.5
Waskatenau	Village	May 19, 1932	255	278	−8.3	0.60	427.6
Wembley	Town	August 1, 1980	1,383	1,443	−4.2	4.54	304.8
West Baptiste	Summer village	January 1, 1983	52	104	−50.0	0.60	86.2
West Cove	Summer village	January 1, 1963	121	169	−28.4	1.21	100.1
Westlock	Town	January 7, 1947	4,823	5,008	−3.7	13.57	355.3
Wetaskiwin	City	May 9, 1906	12,525	11,689	7.2	18.20	688.2
Whispering Hills	Summer village	January 1, 1983	108	125	−13.6	1.73	62.3
White Sands	Summer village	January 1, 1980	91	120	−24.2	1.60	57.0
Whitecourt	Town	December 20, 1971	9,605	8,971	7.1	26.14	367.4
Willingdon	Village	August 31, 1928	275	295	−6.8	0.97	283.8
Yellowstone	Summer village	January 1, 1965	124	170	−27.1	0.28	438.5
Youngstown	Village	December 31, 1936	178	170	4.7	1.00	177.7
Total cities	—	—	2,474,510	2,207,686	12.1	2,335.86	1,059.4
Total towns	—	—	437,006	394,739	10.7	1,241.04	352.1
Total villages	—	—	38,223	36,837	3.8	163.87	232.8
Total summer villages	—	—	4,586	6,140	−25.3	41.06	111.7
Total urban municipalities	—	—	2,953,387	2,645,467	11.6	3,782.56	780.8
Province of Alberta	—	—	3,645,257	3,290,350	10.8	640,081.87	5.7

Specialized municipalities

Distribution of Alberta's five specialized municipalities and two urban service areas (2011)

Sherwood Park is an urban service area within Strathcona County.

Fort McMurray is an urban service area within the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo.

Specialized municipalities in Alberta are unique local governments.^[32] Alberta's Municipal Government Act (MGA), enacted in 2000, provides the authority to form a specialized municipality under the following scenarios:^[6]

• where the Minister of Municipal Affairs is satisfied that the other incorporated statuses under the MGA do not meet the needs of the proposed municipality's residents;
• to form a local government that, in the opinion of the Minister of Municipal Affairs, will provide for the orderly development of the municipality in a similar fashion to the other incorporated statuses within the MGA, including other previously incorporated specialized municipalities; or
• for any other circumstances that are deemed appropriate by the Minister of Municipal Affairs.

Alberta has five specialized municipalities, which are recognized as census subdivisions by Statistics Canada.^[2][13] In the 2011 census, they had a cumulative population of 178,979, a total land area of 146,595 km² (56,601 sq mi), and an average population of 35,796.^[3] These totals represent 5% of Alberta's population yet 22.9% of its land area.

The province's largest and smallest specialized municipalities by population are Strathcona County and the Municipality of Jasper with 92,490 and 4,432 respectively, while its largest and smallest by land area are Mackenzie County and the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass with 80,478 km² (31,073 sq mi) and 373 km² (144 sq mi) respectively.^[3][28] The Municipality of Crowsnest Pass is Alberta's newest specialized municipality, which was incorporated as a town prior to January 16, 2008.^[33] Alberta's first specialized municipality was the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, which formed on April 1, 1995.^[33]

Strathcona County and the Regional Municipality (RM) of Wood Buffalo are home to the unincorporated hamlets of Sherwood Park and Fort McMurray respectively.^[34] These communities are designated urban service areas, which are deemed equivalents of cities.^[35][36] Excluding Sherwood Park and Fort McMurray, 18 other unincorporated communities, also recognized as hamlets by Alberta Municipal Affairs, are distributed among Mackenzie County, Strathcona County and the RM of Wood Buffalo.^[34]

List of specialized municipalities

Specialized municipalities of Alberta
Name	Incorporation date (specialized municipality)[33]	Population (2011)[3]	Population (2006)[3]	Change (%)[3]	Land area (km²)[3]	Population density (per km²)[3]
Crowsnest Pass, Municipality of	January 16, 2008	5,565	5,749	−3.2	373.07	14.9
Jasper, Municipality of	July 20, 2001	4,432[28]	4,265	3.9	925.52	4.8
Mackenzie County	June 23, 1999	10,927	10,002	9.2	80,478.12	0.1
Strathcona County	January 1, 1996	92,490	82,511	12.1	1,180.56	78.3
Wood Buffalo, Regional Municipality of	April 1, 1995	65,565	51,924[26]	26.3	63,637.47	1.0
Total specialized municipalities	—	178,979	154,451	15.9	146,594.74	1.2
Province of Alberta	—	3,645,257	3,290,350	10.8	640,081.87	5.7

Rural municipalities

Distribution of Alberta's 75 rural municipalities including 64 municipal districts (orange), 8 improvement districts (green) and 3 special areas (brown) (2011)

Rural municipalities in Alberta include municipal districts (counties), improvement districts and special areas.^[37] For federal census purposes, Statistics Canada recognizes all three rural municipality types as census subdivisions.^[13] However, Statistics Canada embeds Alberta's eight Metis settlements, a separate type of municipality, into the census subdivisions for six municipal districts.^[38]

Combined, Alberta has 75 rural municipalities comprising 64 municipal districts, 8 improvement districts and 3 special areas.^[2] The 75 rural municipalities have a total population of 458,966, a total land area of 483,655 km² (186,740 sq mi), and an average population of 6,120.^{[3][lower-alpha 16]} These totals represent 13% of Alberta's population yet 75.6% of its land area.

Municipal districts

In Alberta, a municipal district, also known as a county, is a type of rural municipality.^[37] The MGA, enacted in 2000, stipulates that an area may incorporate as a municipal district if it has a population of 1,000 people or more and the majority of its buildings are on parcels of land larger than 1,850 m² (19,900 sq ft).^[6]

Alberta has 64 municipal districts that had a cumulative population of 452,321 and an average population of 7,068 in the 2011 census.^{[2][3][lower-alpha 16]} The province's largest and smallest municipal districts by population are Rocky View County and the Municipal District (MD) of Ranchland No. 66 with 36,461 and 79 respectively, while its largest and smallest by land area are the MD of Greenview No. 16 and the MD of Spirit River No. 133 with 32,989 km² (12,737 sq mi) and 684 km² (264 sq mi) respectively.^[3] Lac La Biche County is Alberta's newest municipal district, which was formed on August 1, 2007 through the amalgamation of the former Town of Lac La Biche and the former Lakeland County.^[39] Unincorporated communities recognized as hamlets by Alberta Municipal Affairs are located within every municipal district with the exception of Mountain View County, the MD of Ranchland No. 66 and the MD of Spirit River No. 133.^[34]

Of Alberta's 64 municipal districts, 3 have populations less than the current minimum population requirement of 1,000. All of these were incorporated as municipal districts prior to the MGA being enacted in 2000.^[6][39]

Improvement districts

In Alberta, an improvement district is a type of rural municipality that can be incorporated by the Lieutenant Governor in Council on the recommendation of Alberta's Minister of Municipal Affairs under the authority of the MGA.^[6][37] Improvement districts are administered by the Province of Alberta through its Ministry of Municipal Affairs.^[37]

Alberta has eight improvement districts that had a cumulative population of 2,146 and an average population of 268 in the 2011 census.^[2][3] Five of them are within national parks while two are within provincial parks.^[37] Alberta's largest improvement district by population is Improvement District (ID) No. 9, located within Banff National Park, with 1,175, while its largest by land area is ID No. 24, located within Wood Buffalo National Park, with 33,412 km² (12,900 sq mi).^[3][37] ID No. 25 (Willmore Wilderness) and ID No. 349 are Alberta's two unpopulated improvement districts, while its smallest by land area is ID No. 13 (Elk Island) with 165 km² (64 sq mi).^[3][12] ID No. 349 is also Alberta's newest improvement district, which was formed on January 1, 2012 from portions of Lac La Biche County and the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo.^[40] Alberta Municipal Affairs recognizes two unincorporated communities within improvement districts as hamlets – Lake Louise within ID No. 9 (Banff National Park) and Waterton Park within ID No. 4 (Waterton Lakes National Park).^[34]

Special areas

In Alberta, a special area is a type of rural municipality that can be incorporated by the Lieutenant Governor in Council under the authority of the Special Areas Act, which was enacted in 2000.^[8][37] They were originally created in 1938 as a result of hardship brought upon a particular area in southeastern Alberta during the drought of the 1930s.^[37]

Alberta has three special areas that had a cumulative population of 4,499 and an average population of 1,500 in the 2011 census.^[2][3] The province's largest by population and land area is Special Area (SA) No. 2 with 2,025 and 9,342 km² (3,607 sq mi) respectively. Alberta's smallest by population is SA No. 3 with 1,122, while its smallest by land area is SA No. 4 with 4,403 km² (1,700 sq mi).^[3] The last special area to form was SA No. 4, which incorporated on January 1, 1969 through the removal of certain lands from SA No. 3.^[41] The three special areas are administered as a single unit by the Special Areas Board, and are home to 16 unincorporated communities recognized as hamlets by Alberta Municipal Affairs.^[37][41]

List of rural municipalities

Rural municipalities of Alberta
Name	Status[2]	Incorporation date (current status) [39][40][41]	Population (2011)[3]	Population (2006)[3]	Change (%)[3]	Land area (km²)[3]	Population density (per km²)[3]
MD of Acadia No. 34	Municipal district	December 9, 1913	495	545	−9.2	1,076.26	0.5
Athabasca County	Municipal district	January 1, 1947	7,662	7,572	1.2	6,122.75	1.3
County of Barrhead No. 11	Municipal district	January 1, 1955	6,096	5,845	4.3	2,404.70	2.5
Beaver County	Municipal district	February 1, 1943	5,689	5,676	0.2	3,315.84	1.7
Big Lakes County[lower-alpha 16]	Municipal district	January 1, 1995	4,194[14]	3,995	5.0	11,965.83	0.3
MD of Bighorn No. 8	Municipal district	January 1, 1988	1,341	1,264	6.1	2,767.94	0.5
Birch Hills County	Municipal district	January 1, 1995	1,582	1,470	7.6	2,856.69	0.6
MD of Bonnyville No. 87[lower-alpha 16]	Municipal district	January 1, 1955	10,101[14]	9,047	11.7	5,451.49	1.9
Brazeau County	Municipal district	July 1, 1988	7,201	7,040	2.3	3,020.71	2.4
Camrose County	Municipal district	January 1, 1944	7,721	7,150	8.0	3,320.61	2.3
Cardston County	Municipal district	January 1, 1954	4,167	4,037	3.2	3,414.87	1.2
Clear Hills County	Municipal district	January 1, 1995	2,801	2,714	3.2	15,115.03	0.2
Clearwater County	Municipal district	January 1, 1985	12,278	11,826	3.8	18,691.78	0.7
Cypress County	Municipal district	January 1, 1985	7,214	6,709	7.5	13,160.44	0.5
MD of Fairview No. 136	Municipal district	December 9, 1914	1,673	1,432	16.8	1,389.01	1.2
Flagstaff County	Municipal district	January 1, 1944	3,591[lower-alpha 17]	3,892	−7.7	4,067.08	0.9
MD of Foothills No. 31	Municipal district	January 1, 1954	21,258	19,731	7.7	3,642.90	5.8
County of Forty Mile No. 8	Municipal district	January 1, 1954	3,336	3,414	−2.3	7,229.68	0.5
County of Grande Prairie No. 1	Municipal district	December 21, 1943	20,347	17,929	13.5	5,862.74	3.5
MD of Greenview No. 16	Municipal district	January 1, 1994	5,299	5,464	−3.0	32,989.05	0.2
Improvement District No. 4 (Waterton)	Improvement district	January 1, 1944	88	160	−45.0	480.58	0.2
Improvement District No. 9 (Banff)	Improvement district	April 1, 1945	1,175	938	25.3	6,782.23	0.2
Improvement District No. 12 (Jasper National Park)	Improvement district	April 1, 1945	34	24	41.7	10,181.58	0.0
Improvement District No. 13 (Elk Island)	Improvement district	April 1, 1958	10	21	−52.4	165.28	0.1
Improvement District No. 24 (Wood Buffalo)	Improvement district	January 1, 1967	590	422	39.8	33,412.25	0.0
Improvement District No. 25 (Willmore Wilderness)	Improvement district	January 2, 1994	0	0	—	4,604.97	0.0
Improvement District No. 349	Improvement district	January 1, 2012	0[44]	—	—	5,804.56	0.0
Kananaskis Improvement District	Improvement district	January 1, 1983	249	429	−42.0	4,210.72	0.1
Kneehill County	Municipal district	January 1, 1944	4,921	5,218	−5.7	3,380.04	1.5
Lac La Biche County[lower-alpha 16]	Municipal district	August 1, 2007	8,397[14]	9,118	−7.9	16,299.60	0.5
Lac Ste. Anne County	Municipal district	January 1, 1944	10,260	9,880	3.8	2,845.61	3.6
Lacombe County	Municipal district	January 1, 1944	10,312	10,394	−0.8	2,766.65	3.7
Lamont County	Municipal district	January 1, 1944	3,872	3,905	−0.8	2,385.91	1.6
Leduc County	Municipal district	January 1, 1944	13,524[28]	13,135	3.1	2,607.56	5.2
MD of Lesser Slave River No. 124	Municipal district	January 1, 1995	2,929	2,820	3.9	10,075.88	0.3
Lethbridge County	Municipal district	January 1, 1954	10,061	10,254	−1.9	2,837.80	3.5
County of Minburn No. 27	Municipal district	January 30, 1942	3,383[lower-alpha 18]	3,319	1.9	2,910.71	1.2
Mountain View County	Municipal district	January 1, 1944	12,359	12,308	0.4	3,779.34	3.3
County of Newell	Municipal district	January 1, 1953	6,786	6,852	−1.0	5,904.72	1.1
County of Northern Lights[lower-alpha 16]	Municipal district	January 1, 1995	3,555	3,556	−0.0	19,027.69	0.2
Northern Sunrise County[lower-alpha 16]	Municipal district	April 1, 1994	1,791[14]	1,747	2.5	21,140.10	0.1
MD of Opportunity No. 17	Municipal district	August 1, 1995	3,074	2,847	8.0	29,140.78	0.1
County of Paintearth No. 18	Municipal district	January 1, 1944	2,029	2,126	−4.6	3,287.24	0.6
Parkland County	Municipal district	January 1, 1969	30,568	29,220	4.6	2,387.68	12.8
MD of Peace No. 135	Municipal district	December 11, 1916	1,446[28]	1,487	−9.6	850.88	1.6
MD of Pincher Creek No. 9	Municipal district	January 1, 1944	3,158	3,309	−4.6	3,480.91	0.9
Ponoka County	Municipal district	January 1, 1952	8,856	8,640	2.5	2,807.94	3.2
MD of Provost No. 52	Municipal district	March 1, 1943	2,288	2,547	−10.2	3,625.2	0.6
MD of Ranchland No. 66	Municipal district	January 1, 1995	79	86	−8.1	2,639.16	0.0
Red Deer County	Municipal district	January 1, 1944	18,351	18,649	−1.6	3,949.00	4.6
Rocky View County	Municipal district	January 1, 1955	36,461	33,173	9.9	3,885.41	9.4
Saddle Hills County	Municipal district	January 1, 1995	2,288	2,458	−6.9	5,836.92	0.4
Smoky Lake County[lower-alpha 16]	Municipal district	March 1, 1943	2,459[14]	2,716	−9.5	2,632.92	0.9
MD of Smoky River No. 130	Municipal district	January 1, 1952	2,126	2,442	−12.9	2,842.59	0.7
Special Area No. 2	Special area	April 7, 1959	2,025	2,074	−2.4	9,342.42	0.2
Special Area No. 3	Special area	April 7, 1959	1,122	1,266	−11.4	6,623.96	0.2
Special Area No. 4	Special area	January 1, 1969	1,352	1,389	−2.7	4,403.03	0.3
MD of Spirit River No. 133	Municipal district	December 11, 1916	713	662	7.7	684.14	1.0
County of St. Paul No. 19	Municipal district	January 30, 1942	5,831	5,925	−1.6	3,296.72	1.8
Starland County	Municipal district	February 1, 1943	2,057	2,371	−13.2	2,557.7	0.8
County of Stettler No. 6	Municipal district	March 1, 1943	5,103[28]	5,189	−1.9	4,005.10	1.3
Sturgeon County	Municipal district	January 1, 1955	19,578	18,566	5.5	2,088.55	9.4
MD of Taber	Municipal district	January 1, 1954	6,851	6,275	9.2	4,203.79	1.6
Thorhild County	Municipal district	January 1, 1955	3,417	3,547	−3.7	2,000.05	1.7
County of Two Hills No. 21	Municipal district	January 1, 1944	3,160	2,918	8.3	2,631.33	1.2
County of Vermilion River	Municipal district	January 1, 1944	7,905	7,462	5.9	5,518.18	1.4
Vulcan County	Municipal district	January 1, 1951	3,875	3,718	4.2	5,429.50	0.7
MD of Wainwright No. 61	Municipal district	January 30, 1942	4,138	3,558	16.3	4,153.72	1.0
County of Warner No. 5	Municipal district	January 1, 1954	3,841	3,654	5.1	4,517.67	0.9
Westlock County	Municipal district	February 1, 1943	7,644	6,910	10.6	3,170.71	2.4
County of Wetaskiwin No. 10	Municipal district	February 1, 1943	10,866	10,519	3.3	3,129.40	3.5
Wheatland County	Municipal district	January 1, 1955	8,285	8,109	2.2	4,539.26	1.8
MD of Willow Creek No. 26	Municipal district	January 1, 1954	5,107	5,337	−4.3	4,558.89	1.1
Woodlands County	Municipal district	January 1, 1994	4,306	4,158	3.6	7,668.31	0.6
Yellowhead County	Municipal district	January 1, 1994	10,469	10,045	4.2	22,296.26	0.5
Total municipal districts[lower-alpha 16]	—	—	452,426	437,881	3.3	397,642.92	1.1
Total improvement districts	—	—	2,146	1,994	7.6	65,642.17	0.0
Total special areas	—	—	4,499	4,729	−4.9	20,369.41	0.2
Total rural municipalities[lower-alpha 16]	—	—	458,966	444,604	3.2	483,654.5	0.9
Province of Alberta	—	—	3,645,257	3,290,350	10.8	640,081.87	5.7

Metis settlements

Distribution of Alberta's 8 Metis settlements among its 64 municipal districts (2011)

Metis settlements are unique local governments dedicated to Alberta's Metis people.^{[46][lower-alpha 19]} The settlements were originally created in 1938 under the authority of the Metis Population Betterment Act with land and governance being transferred to the settlements in 1989.^[46] Metis settlements are presently under the jurisdiction of the Metis Settlements Act, which was enacted in 2000.^[9]

Alberta has eight Metis settlements.^[2] Unlike the other types of municipalities, Metis settlements are not recognized as census subdivisions by Statistics Canada for federal census purposes.^[13] Rather, Statistics Canada recognizes them as designated places embedded within six municipal districts.^[38]

Alberta's eight Metis settlements had a cumulative population of 4,826 and an average population of 603 in the 2011 census.^[47] The province's largest and smallest Metis settlements by population are Kikino and East Prairie with 964 and 366 respectively, while the largest and smallest by land area are Paddle Prairie and Elizabeth with 1,717 km² (663 sq mi) and 250 km² (97 sq mi) respectively.^[47]

List of Metis settlements

Metis settlements of Alberta
Name	Municipal district[34][38]	Population (2011)[47]	Population (2006)[47]	Change (%)[47]	Land area (km²)[47]	Population density (per km^2)[47]
Buffalo Lake	Smoky Lake County	492	248	98.4	336.97	1.5
East Prairie	Big Lakes County	366	352	4.0	333.87	1.1
Elizabeth	MD of Bonnyville No. 87	654	663	−1.4	250.21	2.6
Fishing Lake	MD of Bonnyville No. 87	436	484	−9.9	355.74	1.2
Gift Lake[lower-alpha 20]	Big Lakes County Northern Sunrise County	662	820	−19.3	812.45	0.8
Kikino[lower-alpha 21]	Smoky Lake County Lac La Biche County	964	398	142.2	444.27	2.2
Paddle Prairie	County of Northern Lights	562	216	160.2	1,716.72	0.3
Peavine	Big Lakes County	690	822	−16.1	817.13	0.8
Total Metis settlements	—	4,826	4,003	20.6	5,067.36	3.7
Province of Alberta	—	3,645,257	3,290,350	10.8	640,081.87	5.7

See also

• List of former urban municipalities in Alberta
• List of population centres in Alberta

Notes

1. The remaining 1.4% of Alberta's population resides on Indian reserves or Indian settlements, which occupy the remaining 1.1% of the province's land mass.^[3]
2. Actual populations may not be 10 as Statistics Canada, to protect privacy, rounds population to the nearest 5 in the event a geographic area's actual population is less than 15.^[21]
3. Athabasca was formerly known as Athabasca Landing prior to August 4, 1913.^[17]
4. Bittern Lake was formerly known as Rosenroll prior to December 16, 1911.^[24]
5. Chestermere was formerly known as Chestermere Lake prior to March 1, 1993.^[17]
6. Delia was formerly known as Highland prior to December 9, 1915.^[25]
7. Drumheller originally incorporated as a city on April 3, 1930 but reverted from city status as a result of its amalgamation with the M.D. of Badlands No. 7 in 1998.^[17]
8. Fort Macleod was formerly known as Macleod prior to April 1, 1952.^[17]
9. Granum was formerly known as Leavings prior to March 31, 1908.^[17]
10. Hay Lakes was formerly known as Hay Lake prior to January 1, 1932.^[18]
11. The balance of Lloydminster is located within Saskatchewan. The 2011 and 2006 populations presented here do not include 9,772 and 8,118 in the Saskatchewan portion of Lloydminster respectively, while the land area also does not include 17.34 km² (6.70 sq mi) in the Saskatchewan portion. The city's total populations in 2011 and 2006 were 27,804 and 24,028 respectively, while its total land area was 41.53 km² (16.03 sq mi).^[27]
12. Peace River was formerly known as Peace River Crossing prior to May 22, 1916.^[17]
13. Ryley was also known as Equity in 1909.^[29]
14. Spring Lake was formerly known as Edmonton Beach prior to January 1, 1999.^[30]
15. St. Paul was originally named St. Paul de Metis.^[31]
16. Statistics presented for six municipal districts (the Big Lakes County, the MD of Bonnyville No. 87, Lac La Biche County, the County of Northern Lights, Northern Sunrise County and Smoky Lake County) differ from statistics for their corresponding census subdivisions published by Statistics Canada to recognize that Alberta's eight Metis settlements, which are designated places located within these six municipal districts, are separate municipalities.^[38] The statistics presented for total municipal districts and total rural municipalities therefore exclude the statistics associated with the eight Metis settlements.
17. Figure includes the 119 residents of Galahad and the 228 residents of Strome, which both dissolved from village status on January 1, 2016 to become hamlets under the jurisdiction of the Flagstaff County.^[42][43]
18. Figure includes the 105 residents of Minburn which dissolved from village status on July 1, 2015 to become a hamlet under the jurisdiction of the County of Minburn No. 27.^[45]
19. The Metis are descendants of people of mixed First Nations and European heritage.
20. Gift Lake comprises two parts. The majority is located within Big Lakes County, while the balance is located within Northern Sunrise County. The Big Lakes County portion had a population of 662 living on 811.30 km² (313.24 sq mi) in 2011, while the Northern Sunrise County portion had a population of 0 living on 1.15 km² (0.44 sq mi).^[48]
21. Kikino comprises two parts. The majority is located within Smoky Lake County, while the balance is located within Lac La Biche County. The Smoky Lake County portion had a population of 959 living on 442.92 km² (171.01 sq mi) in 2011, while the Lac La Biche County portion had a population of 5 living on 1.35 km² (0.52 sq mi).^[49]

References

1. "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, 2011 and 2006 censuses". Statistics Canada. Retrieved June 25, 2013.
2. "2016 Municipal Codes" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. January 12, 2016. pp. 1–5. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
3. "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2011 and 2006 censuses (Alberta)". Statistics Canada. February 8, 2012. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
4. "What Are Municipalities?". Alberta Municipal Affairs. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
5. "The Provisions of Programs and Services Through Municipalities". Alberta Municipal Affairs. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
6. "Municipal Government Act, Revised Statutes of Alberta 2000, Chapter M–26 (Office Consolidation)" (PDF). Alberta Queen's Printer. June 17, 2013. pp. 30–31, 47, 64–66, 69, 306. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
7. "Types Of Municipalities In Alberta". Alberta Municipal Affairs. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
8. "Special Areas Act, Revised Statutes of Alberta 2000, Chapter S–16 (Office Consolidation)" (PDF). Alberta Queen's Printer. May 27, 2013. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
9. "Metis Settlements Act, Revised Statutes of Alberta 2000, Chapter M–14 (Office Consolidation)" (PDF). Alberta Queen's Printer. June 17, 2013. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
10. "Information Sheet: The Legislative Assembly of Alberta" (PDF). Legislative Assembly of Alberta. p. 2. Retrieved November 1, 2013.
11. "About The Ministry of Municipal Affairs". Alberta Municipal Affairs. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
12. "2013 Municipal Affairs Population List" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. November 20, 2013. p. 9. ISBN 978-1-4601-1418-6. Retrieved December 6, 2013.
13. "Interim List of Changes to Municipal Boundaries, Status, and Names: From January 2, 2012 to January 1, 2013" (PDF). Statistics Canada. pp. 6–7. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
14. "2012 Municipal Affairs Population List" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. November 22, 2012. pp. 1–2, 10. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
15. "O.C. 499/2014". Government of Alberta. December 19, 2014. Retrieved January 1, 2015.
16. "Municipal Profiles: Summary Reports (Cities)" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. October 18, 2013. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
17. "Municipal Profiles: Summary Reports (Towns)" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. October 18, 2013. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
18. "Municipal Profiles: Summary Reports (Villages)" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. October 18, 2013. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
19. Jack K. Masson with Edward C. LeSage (1994). Alberta's Local Governments: Politics and Democracy. The University of Alberta Press. p. 69. ISBN 0-88864-251-2.
20. "Types of Municipalities in Alberta: Urban Municipal Governments". Alberta Municipal Affairs. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
21. "Population and Dwelling Count Highlight Tables, 2011 Census – Notes (Adjustment of population counts)". Statistics Canada. January 30, 2013. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
22. "Municipal Profiles: Summary Reports (Summer Villages)" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. October 18, 2013. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
23. "Order in Council 461/2002". Government of Alberta. October 8, 2002. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
24. "Order in Council 979/11" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. December 16, 1911. Retrieved July 26, 2010.
25. "Change in Name of Village Municipality – Highland to Delia" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. December 9, 1915. Retrieved July 26, 2010.
26. "2006 Census corrections and updates". Statistics Canada. June 23, 2009. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
27. "Census Profile: Lloydminster (Part), Alberta (Code 4810039) and Lloydminster (Part), Saskatchewan (Code 4717029) (table)". Statistics Canada. March 1, 2013. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
28. "Corrections and updates". Statistics Canada. September 11, 2013. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
29. "The Village of Ryley – Equity". Village of Ryley. Retrieved April 13, 2010.
30. "Order in Council 517/98". Alberta Municipal Affairs. December 9, 1998. Retrieved July 26, 2010.
31. "Order in Council 518/12" (PDF). Government of Alberta. June 14, 1912. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
32. "Types Of Municipalities In Alberta: Specialized Municipalities". Alberta Municipal Affairs. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
33. "Municipal Profiles (Specialized Municipalities)" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. December 27, 2013. Retrieved December 30, 2013.
34. "Specialized and Rural Municipalities and Their Communities" (PDF) (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. August 30, 2013. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
35. "Order in Council 817/94" (PDF). Province of Alberta. December 21, 1994. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
36. "Order in Council 761/95" (PDF). Province of Alberta. December 6, 1995. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
37. "Types Of Municipalities In Alberta: Rural Municipal Governments". Alberta Municipal Affairs. October 28, 2013.
38. "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions, census subdivisions (municipalities) and designated places, 2011 and 2006 censuses". Statistics Canada. January 30, 2013. Retrieved November 4, 2013.
39. "Municipal Profiles: Summary Reports (Municipal Districts)" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. October 18, 2013. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
40. "Municipal Profiles: Summary Reports (Improvement Districts)" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. October 18, 2013. pp. PDF pages 1, 9, 17, 25, 33, 41, 48 and 56. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
41. "Municipal Profiles: Summary Reports (Special Areas Board)" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. October 18, 2013. p. 1. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
42. "O.C. 259/2015". Government of Alberta. November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
43. "O.C. 260/2015". Government of Alberta. November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
44. "Interim List of Changes to Municipal Boundaries, Status, and Names From January 2, 2011 to January 1, 2012 (Table 1 – Changes to census subdivisions in alphabetical order by province and territory)" (XLSX). Statistics Canada. November 14, 2012. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
45. "O.C. 152/2015". Government of Alberta. June 24, 2015. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
46. "Premier Redford celebrates Metis Settlements 75th anniversary". Alberta Government. August 15, 2013. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
47. "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and designated places, 2011 and 2006 censuses (Alberta)". Statistics Canada. January 30, 2013. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
48. "Census Profile: Gift Lake part A, Alberta (Code 480087) and Gift Lake part B, Alberta (Code 480274) (table)". Statistics Canada. March 1, 2013. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
49. "Census Profile: Kikino part A, Alberta (Code 480116) and Kikino part B, Alberta (Code 480275) (table)". Statistics Canada. March 1, 2013. Retrieved November 3, 2013.

External links

• Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties
• Alberta Municipal Affairs
• Alberta Urban Municipalities Association
• Association of Summer Villages of Alberta
• Metis Settlements General Council