List of cities in Ontario

Cities in the Canadian province of Ontario

A city is a subtype of municipalities in the Canadian province of Ontario. A city can have the municipal status of either a single-tier or lower-tier municipality. Prior to 2003, Ontario had minimum population thresholds of 15,000 and 25,000 for city status. Minimum population thresholds are no longer necessary for a municipality to brand itself as a city.

Ontario has 52 cities,[1] which together had in 2016 a cumulative population of 9,900,179 and average population of 190,388.[2] The most and least populous are Toronto and Dryden, with 2,794,356 and 7,749 residents, respectively.[2] Ontario's newest city is Richmond Hill, whose council voted to change from a town to a city on March 26, 2019.[3] Previous to that, Markham changed from a town to a city on July 1, 2012.[4]

## History[edit]

Under the former Municipal Act, 1990, a city was both an urban and a local municipality.[5] Under that act, the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) could change the status of a village or town, upon its request, to a city if it had a population of 15,000 or more.[5] The OMB could also incorporate a township as a city under the same conditions with the exception that the population requirements was 25,000 or more.[5] In either event, if located within a county, authorization by the Minister of Municipal Affairs was also required.[5]

In the transition to the Municipal Act, 2001, conventional municipal statuses and their associated population threshold requirements were abandoned. On December 31, 2002, every city that:[6]

* "existed and formed part of a county, a regional or district municipality or the County of Oxford for municipal purposes" became a lower-tier municipality yet retained its name as a city; and
* "existed and did not form part of a county, a regional or district municipality or the County of Oxford for municipal purposes" became a single-tier municipality yet retained its name as a city.

The current legislation also provides lower- and single-tier municipalities with the authority to name themselves as "cities", or other former conventional municipal status types such as "towns", "villages" or "townships", or generically as "municipalities".[7]

## List[edit]

Rank (2021)  | Municipality  | Municipal status  | Population (2021)  | Population (2016)  | Change  | Land area (km2)  | Population density (/km2)

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

| Toronto | City  | 2,794,356  | 2,731,571  | +2.3% | 631.1  | 4,427.8

| Ottawa | City  | 1,017,449  | 934,243  | +8.9% | 2788.2  | 364.9

| Mississauga | City  | 717,961  | 721,599  | −0.5% | 292.74  | 2,452.6

| Brampton | City  | 656,480  | 593,638  | +10.6% | 265.89  | 2,469.0

| Hamilton | City  | 569,353  | 536,917  | +6.0% | 1118.31  | 509.1

| London | City  | 422,324  | 383,822  | +10.0% | 420.5  | 1,004.3

| Markham | City  | 338,503  | 328,966  | +2.9% | 210.93  | 1,604.8

| Vaughan | City  | 323,103  | 306,233  | +5.5% | 272.44  | 1,186.0

| Kitchener | City  | 256,885  | 233,222  | +10.1% | 136.81  | 1,877.7

| Windsor | City  | 229,660  | 217,188  | +5.7% | 146.02  | 1,572.8

| Richmond Hill | City  | 202,022  | 195,022  | +3.6% | 100.79  | 2,004.4

| Burlington | City  | 186,948  | 183,314  | +2.0% | 186.12  | 1,004.4

| Oshawa | City  | 175,383  | 159,458  | +10.0% | 145.72  | 1,203.6

| Greater Sudbury | City  | 166,004  | 161,531  | +2.8% | 3186.26  | 52.1

| Barrie | City  | 147,829  | 141,434  | +4.5% | 99.01  | 1,493.1

| Guelph | City  | 143,740  | 131,794  | +9.1% | 87.43  | 1,644.1

| Cambridge | City  | 138,479  | 129,920  | +6.6% | 112.99  | 1,225.6

| St. Catharines | City  | 136,803  | 133,113  | +2.8% | 96.20  | 1,422.1

| Waterloo | City  | 121,436  | 104,986  | +15.7% | 64.06  | 1,895.7

| Thunder Bay | City  | 108,843  | 107,909  | +0.9% | 327.77  | 332.1

| Brantford | City  | 104,688  | 98,563  | +6.2% | 98.65  | 1,061.2

| Pickering | City  | 99,186  | 91,771  | +8.1% | 231.10  | 429.2

| Niagara Falls | City  | 94,415  | 88,071  | +7.2% | 210.25  | 449.1

| Peterborough | City  | 83,651  | 81,032  | +3.2% | 64.76  | 1,291.7

| Sault Ste. Marie | City  | 72,051  | 73,368  | −1.8% | 221.99  | 324.6

| Sarnia | City  | 72,047  | 71,594  | +0.6% | 163.90  | 439.6

| Norfolk County | City  | 67,490  | 64,044  | +5.4% | 1597.68  | 42.2

| Welland | City  | 55,750  | 52,293  | +6.6% | 81.16  | 686.9

| Belleville | City  | 55,071  | 50,716  | +8.6% | 247.15  | 222.8

| North Bay | City  | 52,662  | 51,553  | +2.2% | 315.53  | 166.9

## Gallery[edit]

* Toronto is Ontario's capital and Canada's largest city

* Ottawa is Canada's capital and Ontario's second largest city

* Downtown Brampton

* Skyline of downtown Hamilton

* Skyline of downtown London

* Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts in Richmond Hill, Ontario's newest city

* Vaughan as viewed from Canada's Wonderland

* Downtown Kitchener

* Downtown Windsor

* Downtown Mississauga

Name[1][8] | Municipal
status[1] | Census division[1][9] | Population
(2016)[2] | Population
(2011)[8] | Change
(%)[8] | Area
(km2)[8] | Population
density[8]

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Barrie[note 1] | Single-tier | Simcoe | 141,434 | 136,063 | 3.9 | 99.04 | 1,428.0
Belleville | Single-tier | Hastings | 50,716 | 49,454 | 2.6 | 247.25 | 205.1
Brampton | Lower-tier | Peel | 593,638 | 523,911 | 13.3 | 266.36 | 2,228.7
Brant | Single-tier | Brant | 36,707 | 35,638 | 3.0 | 843.25 | 43.5
Brantford[note 2] | Single-tier | Brant | 97,496 | 93,650 | 4.1 | 72.44 | 1,345.9
Brockville | Single-tier | Leeds and Grenville | 21,346 | 21,870 | −2.4 | 20.85 | 1,023.6
Burlington | Lower-tier | Halton | 183,314 | 175,779 | 4.3 | 185.66 | 987.3
Cambridge[note 3] | Lower-tier | Waterloo | 129,920 | 126,748 | 2.5 | 113.01 | 1,149.6
Clarence-Rockland | Lower-tier | Prescott and Russell | 24,512 | 23,185 | 5.7 | 297.71 | 82.3
Cornwall | Single-tier | Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry | 46,589 | 46,340 | 0.5 | 61.56 | 756.8
Chatham | Single-tier | Chatham | 43,550 | 44,676 | 2.3 | 2,451.9 | 756.8
Dryden[note 4] | Single-tier | Kenora | 7,749 | 7,617 | 1.7 | 66.19 | 117.1
Elliot Lake | Single-tier | Algoma | 10,741 | 11,348 | −5.3 | 714.65 | 15.0
Greater Sudbury[note 5] | Single-tier | Sudbury | 161,531 | 160,274 | 0.8 | 3,228.35 | 50.0
Guelph | Single-tier | Wellington | 131,794 | 121,688 | 8.3 | 87.22 | 1,511.1
Haldimand County | Single-tier | Haldimand | 45,608 | 44,876 | 1.6 | 1,251.54 | 36.4
Hamilton[note 6] | Single-tier | Hamilton | 536,917 | 519,949 | 3.3 | 1,117.29 | 480.6
Kawartha Lakes | Single-tier | Kawartha Lakes | 75,423 | 73,214 | 3.0 | 3,084.38 | 24.5
Kenora | Single-tier | Kenora | 15,096 | 15,348 | −1.6 | 211.59 | 71.3
Kingston | Single-tier | Frontenac | 123,798 | 123,363 | 0.4 | 451.19 | 274.4
Kitchener[note 7] | Lower-tier | Waterloo | 233,222 | 219,153 | 6.4 | 136.77 | 1,705.2
London[note 8] | Single-tier | Middlesex | 383,822 | 366,151 | 4.8 | 420.35 | 913.1
Leamington | Single-tier | Essex | 27,595 | 28,403 | 0.58 | 261.24 | 105.3
Markham | Lower-tier | York | 328,966 | 301,709 | 9.0 | 212.35 | 1,549.2
Mississauga[note 9] | Lower-tier | Peel | 721,599 | 713,443 | 1.1 | 292.43 | 2,467.6
Niagara Falls[note 10] | Lower-tier | Niagara | 88,071 | 82,997 | 6.1 | 209.73 | 419.9
Norfolk County | Single-tier | Norfolk | 64,044 | 63,175 | 1.4 | 1,607.55 | 39.8
North Bay | Single-tier | Nipissing | 51,553 | 53,651 | −3.9 | 319.11 | 161.6
Orillia | Single-tier | Simcoe | 31,166 | 30,586 | 1.9 | 28.58 | 1,090.3
Oshawa[note 11] | Lower-tier | Durham | 159,458 | 149,607 | 6.6 | 145.64 | 1,094.9
Ottawa[note 12] | Single-tier | Ottawa | 934,243 | 883,391 | 5.8 | 2,790.30 | 334.8
Owen Sound | Lower-tier | Grey | 21,341 | 21,688 | −1.6 | 24.27 | 879.2
Pembroke[note 13] | Single-tier | Renfrew | 13,882 | 14,360 | −3.3 | 14.56 | 953.3
Peterborough[note 14] | Single-tier | Peterborough | 81,032 | 78,698 | 2.9 | 64.25 | 1,261.2
Pickering | Lower-tier | Durham | 91,771 | 88,721 | 3.4 | 231.55 | 396.3
Port Colborne | Lower-tier | Niagara | 18,306 | 18,424 | −0.6 | 121.96 | 150.1
Prince Edward County | Single-tier | Prince Edward | 24,735 | 25,258 | −2.1 | 1,050.49 | 23.5
Quinte West | Single-tier | Hastings | 43,577 | 43,086 | 1.1 | 494.02 | 88.2
Richmond Hill[note 15] | Lower-tier | York | 195,022 | 185,541 | 5.1 | 101.11 | 1,928.8
Sarnia | Lower-tier | Lambton | 71,594 | 72,366 | −1.1 | 164.85 | 434.3
Sault Ste. Marie | Single-tier | Algoma | 73,368 | 75,141 | −2.4 | 223.24 | 328.6
St. Catharines[note 16] | Lower-tier | Niagara | 133,113 | 131,400 | 1.3 | 96.13 | 1,384.8
St. Thomas | Single-tier | Elgin | 38,909 | 37,905 | 2.6 | 35.63 | 1,092.1
Stratford | Single-tier | Perth | 31,465 | 30,886 | 1.8 | 28.28 | 1,112.5
Temiskaming Shores | Single-tier | Timiskaming | 9,920 | 10,400 | −4.6 | 178.11 | 55.7
Thorold | Lower-tier | Niagara | 18,801 | 17,931 | 4.9 | 82.99 | 226.5
Thunder Bay[note 17] | Single-tier | Thunder Bay | 107,909 | 108,359 | −0.4 | 328.36 | 328.6
Timmins | Single-tier | Cochrane | 41,788 | 43,165 | −3.2 | 2,978.83 | 14.0
Toronto[note 18] | Single-tier | Toronto | 2,731,571 | 2,615,060 | 4.5 | 630.20 | 4,334.4
Vaughan | Lower-tier | York | 306,233 | 288,301 | 6.2 | 273.56 | 1,119.4
Waterloo[note 19] | Lower-tier | Waterloo | 104,986 | 98,780 | 6.3 | 64.02 | 1,639.8
Welland | Lower-tier | Niagara | 52,293 | 50,631 | 3.3 | 81.04 | 645.3
Windsor[note 20] | Single-tier | Essex | 217,188 | 210,891 | 3.0 | 146.38 | 1,483.8
Woodstock | Lower-tier | Oxford | 40,902 | 37,754 | 8.3 | 48.97 | 835.3
Total cities | — | — | 9,900,179 | 9,478,924 | 2.39 | 26,045.14 | 813.91

## See also[edit]

* List of communities in Ontario
* List of municipalities in Ontario
* List of towns in Ontario
* List of township municipalities in Ontario
* List of villages in Ontario

## Notes and references[edit]

### Notes[edit]

1. ^ The Barrie census metropolitan area (CMA) is formed around the City of Barrie.
2. ^ The Brantford CMA includes the City of Brantford as well as the County of Brant, which is a single-tier city.
3. ^ The City of Cambridge, as well as the cities of Kitchener and Waterloo, form parts of the Kitchener–Cambridge–Waterloo CMA.
4. ^ Dryden is Ontario's smallest city by population.
5. ^ Greater Sudbury is Ontario's largest city by area. The Greater Sudbury CMA is formed around the City of Greater Sudbury.
6. ^ Hamilton is Canada's tenth-largest city. The Hamilton CMA includes the cities of Burlington and Hamilton.
7. ^ The City of Kitchener, as well as the cities of Cambridge and Waterloo, form parts of the Kitchener–Cambridge–Waterloo CMA.
8. ^ The London CMA includes the cities of London and St. Thomas.
9. ^ Mississauga is Ontario's largest lower-tier city.
10. ^ The City of Niagara Falls, as well as the cities of Port Colborne, St. Catharines, Thorold and Welland, form parts of the St. Catharines–Niagara CMA.
11. ^ The Oshawa CMA is formed around the City of Oshawa.
12. ^ Ottawa is Canada's capital and fourth-largest city. The Ontario portion of the Ottawa–Gatineau CMA includes the cities of Clarence-Rockland and Ottawa.
13. ^ Pembroke is Ontario's smallest city by area.
14. ^ The Peterborough CMA is formed around the City of Peterborough.
15. ^ Richmond Hill is Ontario's newest city, adopting the name on March 26, 2019.
16. ^ The City of St. Catharines, as well as the cities of Niagara Falls, Port Colborne, Thorold and Welland, form parts of the St. Catharines–Niagara CMA.
17. ^ The Thunder Bay CMA is formed around the City of Thunder Bay.
18. ^ Toronto is Ontario's capital and Canada's and Ontario's largest city by population. The Toronto CMA includes the cities of Brampton, Markham, Mississauga, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Toronto and Vaughan.
19. ^ The City of Waterloo, as well as the cities of Cambridge and Kitchener, form parts of the Kitchener–Cambridge–Waterloo CMA.
20. ^ The Windsor CMA is formed around the City of Windsor.

### References[edit]

1. ^ a b c d "List of Ontario Municipalities". Ontario Municipal Affairs and Housing. September 21, 2012. Archived from the original on February 28, 2013. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
2. ^ a b c "subdivisions (municipalities) and designated places, 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data". Statistics Canada. 8 February 2017.
3. ^ "Richmond Hill Becomes a City". RichmondHill.ca. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
4. ^ "Markham to change from town to city". CBC News. May 30, 2012. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
5. ^ a b c d "Municipal Act, R.S.O. 1990, Chapter M.45". Service Ontario. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
6. ^ "Municipal Act, S.O. 2001, Chapter 25". Service Ontario. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
7. ^ "The Municipal Councillor's Guide". Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
8. ^ a b c d e "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2011 and 2006 censuses (Ontario)". Statistics Canada. May 28, 2012. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
9. ^ "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census divisions, 2011 and 2006 censuses (Ontario)". Statistics Canada. January 30, 2013. Retrieved June 27, 2013.

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