The Largest Canadian Cities By Land Area

Canada is one of the largest countries in the world by total area and the fourth-largest by land area. It occupies much of the North American continent, sharing its border with the United States and stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean in the east and west respectively. Canada is divided into ten provinces and three territories. It has over 1,130 municipalities that hold 162 cities, several towns, and ville. The largest Canadian cities can be ranked by either population or land area. This article focuses on the largest cities by land area.

Largest Cities Of Canada By Land Area

Cities With Over 5,000 Square Km Land Area

The largest city in Canada by land area is La Tuque, Quebec, with an area of 28,099 square kilometers. La Tuque is a ville located on the St. Maurice River and has a population of just over 11,000 people, living mainly in the urban areas. Its name originates from the nearby rock formation which resembles a Canadian hat known as tuque.

The second largest city in the country is Senneterre, Quebec, with a land area of 16,324 square kilometers. Its territory includes a largely undeveloped area stretching from Bell River to the Maurice Region. The town center is surrounded by Parent Lake and Tiblemont Lake. Despite the large size, Seneterre has a population of only 3,000 people.

Rouyn-Noranda, also in Quebec, is the third largest city in Canada, covering a land area of about 6,441 square kilometers. It is located on Osisko Lake in the region of Abitibi-Temiscamingue. Rouyn-Noranda city has a population of over 41,000 people as per the 2011 census.

Cities Covering 2,000 To 5,000 Square Km

Val-d'Or covers a land area of about 3,995 square kilometers. It is the fourth largest city in Quebec and also Canada. Val-d'Or is located in the region of Abitibi-temiscamingue and has a population of about 31,800 people. The name of the city is a French word which translates to “Village of Gold.” Val-d'Or is known for the vast park and other attractions including the City of Gold.

Greater Sudbury is the largest city outside Quebec. It is the largest city in Ontario by land area, occupying an area of about 3,201 square kilometers and has a population of over 161,000 people. By population, it is the largest city in Northern Ontario. The city has 330 lakes within the city limits with Lake Wanapitei as the prominent one.

Kawartha Lakes is the sixth-largest city in Canada and the second-largest in Ontario with a land area of 3,059 square kilometers. It is a mainly rural city with a population of about 75,000 people. The city is named after Kawartha Lakes with the term meaning “Land of Reflection” in the Anishinaabe language.

Ontario’s Timmins and Ottawa cities wrap the list of cities with over 2,000 square kilometers of land. The two cities occupy 2,962 and 2,778 square kilometers respectively. Timmins is located in the northeastern Ontario while Ottawa is on the south bank of Ottawa River. Ottawa is also the capital of Canada and the most educated city in the country.

Provinces With The Most Largest Cities

Quebec, Ontario, and Manitoba's cities dominate the list of the largest cities in Canada. Of the top 20 largest cities by land area, eight are in Quebec, eight in Ontario, and four are in Manitoba. The largest city outside of Ontario and Quebec is Gillam in Manitoba, covering a land area of 1,996.34 square kilometers. It is also the ninth largest city in Canada.