The 10 Biggest Cities In Prince Edward Island

A Canadian Maritime province, Prince Edward Island, is located in the Atlantic Ocean. It consists of the main island of the same name and several other smaller islands. With a population of 142,907, it is Canada’s least populous province. It is also the country’s least extensive province and covers an area of 5,660 square km. However, despite being the smallest by both area and population, it is the most densely populated province in the country.

Prince Edward Island has 63 municipalities with 70% of the total population residing in these municipalities. The province has 2 cities, 10 towns, 50 communities, and one resort municipality. Charlottetown, the biggest city in the province, hosts nearly 26% of the population while the Charlottetown census agglomeration is home to another 24% of the provincial population.

The Five Most Populous Cities In Prince Edward Island

1. Charlottetown

With a population of 36,094 individuals, Charlottetown is the biggest city in Prince Edward Island. It is also its provincial capital and the county seat of Queens County. The famous Charlottetown Conference of 1864 was held in this city. The roughly V-shaped Charlottetown is located on its namesake harbor at the confluence point of three rivers that drain into the Northumberland Strait. The public sector forms the backbone of this city’s economy. The federal, provincial and municipal governments, as well as the education and health-care sectors, are the biggest employers in this city.

2. Summerside

The second most populated city of the province, Summerside, is home to 14,829 individuals (as of 2016). It is located in Prince County. The city was officially incorporated in 1877. The Summerside Tax Centre is the biggest employer in the city. It is an agency of the Canadian Government. Summerside also has many transportation and aerospace companies.

3. Stratford

Stratford is the third biggest municipality in Prince Edward Island. It is located in Queens County to the southeast of Charlottesville and is home to 9,706 people. Stratford is connected to Charlottetown, the provincial capital, by the Hillsborough River Bridge. With recent improvements in the connectivity between the two cities, Stratford has experienced rapid growth of population. Most residents of Stratford now work in Charlottesville. Stratford has thus entered a new phase of development and many improvements have been made to its existing infrastructure.

4. Cornwall

With a population of only 5,348 people, Cornwall is the province’s fourth most populated municipality. It is located in the Queens County immediately west of Charlottetown.

5. Three Rivers

Prince Edward Island’s fifth biggest municipality, the Three Rivers, is a town located in Kings County. 4,519 people live in the city.

Smallest Municipality In The Province

Tignish Shore is the smallest municipality in Prince Edward Island. It had a population of only 57 individuals in 2016.