List of municipalities in Alberta

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 19 cities that had a cumulative population of 3,023,641 in the 2021 Census of Population.[2][3] These 19 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 1,306,784 and 820.62 km² (316.84 sq mi), while Wetaskiwin is its smallest city by population with 12,594 and land area at 18.75 km² (7.24 sq mi).[3] Beaumont is Alberta's newest city; it became Alberta's 19th city on January 1, 2019.[15]

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 106 towns that had a cumulative population of 471,028 in the 2021 Census of Population.[2][3][16] The province's largest and smallest towns by population are Cochrane and Rainbow Lake with 32,199 and 495 respectively, while its largest and smallest by land area are Drumheller and Eckville with 107.56 km² (41.53 sq mi) and 1.61 km² (0.62 sq mi) respectively.[3] Nobleford is Alberta's newest town, which changed from a village to a town on February 28, 2021.[17]

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 81 villages that had a cumulative population of 32,753 in the 2021 Census of Population.[2][3] The province's largest and smallest villages by population are Stirling and Halkirk with 1,164 and 92 respectively, while its largest and smallest by land area are Chipman and Edberg with 9.60 km² (3.71 sq mi) and 0.35 km² (0.14 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]

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 5,955 in the 2021 Census of Population.[2][3] The province's largest summer village by population is Norglenwold with 306, while Castle Island is Alberta's smallest summer village with a population of 15.[3] The province's largest and smallest summer villages by land area are Silver Sands and Castle Island with 2.51 km² (0.97 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.[21] 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][22]

• 
  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.

In Alberta, a municipal district, typically branded as a county, is a type of rural municipality.[31] 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 63 municipal districts that had a cumulative population of 470,620 in the 2021 Census of Population.[2][3] The province's largest and smallest municipal districts by population are Rocky View County and the Municipal District (MD) of Ranchland No. 66 with 41,028 and 110 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 32,925.53 km² (12,712.62 sq mi) and 679.86 km² (262.50 sq mi) respectively.[3] 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.[27]

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][31] Improvement districts are administered by the Province of Alberta through its Ministry of Municipal Affairs.[31]

Alberta had eight improvement districts that had a cumulative population of 2,024 in the 2021 Census of Population.[2][3] The number of improvement districts was reduced to seven on May 1, 2021 when Improvement District (ID) No. 349 dissolved by way of annexation to the MD of Bonnyville No. 87.[33] Five of Alberta's improvement districts are within national parks while two are within provincial parks.[31] Alberta's largest improvement district by population is ID No. 9, located within Banff National Park, with 1,004, while its largest by land area is ID No. 24, located within Wood Buffalo National Park, at 33,053.78 km² (12,762.14 sq mi).[3][31] ID No. 13 (Elk Island), ID No. 12 (Jasper National Park) and ID No. 25 (Willmore Wilderness) are unpopulated,[lower-alpha 2] while its smallest by land area is ID No. 13 (Elk Island) at 165.00 km² (63.71 sq mi).[3] 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).[27]

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][31] 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.[31]

Alberta has three special areas that had a cumulative population of 4,238 in the 2021 Census of Populations.[2][3] The province's largest by population and land area is Special Area (SA) No. 2 with 1,860 and 9,195.06 km² (3,550.23 sq mi) respectively. Alberta's smallest by population is SA No. 3 with 1,142, while its smallest by land area is SA No. 4 with 4,299.80 km² (1,660.16 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.[34] 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.[31][34]