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List of cities in British Columbia

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File:Victoria, British Columbia Skyline at Twilight.jpg

As of 2024, British Columbia has 161 municipalities,{{Cite web |last=Affairs |first=Ministry of Municipal |title=Regional districts in B.C. - Province of British Columbia |url=https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/local-governments/facts-framework/systems/regional-districts |access-date=September 11, 2024 |publisher=Government of British Columbia}} out of which 53 are classified as cities. According to the 2021 Canadian census, British Columbia is the third most populous province in Canada, with 5,000,879 inhabitants, and the second largest province by land area, covering {{Convert|920,686.55|km2|abbr=off}}.{{cite web |date=February 9, 2022 |title=Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories |url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810000101 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220209134802/https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810000101 |archive-date=February 9, 2022 |access-date=July 4, 2024 |publisher=Statistics Canada |language=en}}

Cities, towns, district municipalities and villages in British Columbia are referred to as municipalities and all are included in local governments in the province, which may be incorporated under the Local Government Act of 2015. In order for a municipality in British Columbia to be classified as a city, it must have a minimum population of 5,000.{{Cite web |last=Affairs |first=Ministry of Municipal |title=Municipalities in B.C. - Province of British Columbia |url=https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/local-governments/facts-framework/systems/municipalities |access-date=September 11, 2024 |publisher=Government of British Columbia}}{{cite web |date=December 16, 2015 |title=Local Government Act: Part 2 — Incorporation of Municipalities |url=https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/r15001_02#section3 |access-date=September 11, 2024 |publisher=Government of British Columbia}} Although the populations of Enderby, Grand Forks, Greenwood and Rossland fall below this threshold, they are still classified as cities.

The largest city by population in British Columbia is Vancouver, with 662,248 residents, and the smallest is Greenwood, with 702 residents. The largest city by land area is Abbotsford, which spans {{convert|375.55|km2|mi2|abbr=off}}, while the smallest is Duncan, at {{convert|2.07|km2|mi2|abbr=off}}. The first municipality to incorporate as a city was New Westminster on July 16, 1860, while the province's newest city is Mission, a district municipality that was reclassified as a city on March 29, 2021. Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia.{{cite web |title=Victoria |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Victoria-British-Columbia |website=Britannica |date=September 5, 2024 |last1=McGillivray |first1=Brett |access-date=September 11, 2024 |language=en}}

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Cities

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class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: right"

|+ Cities in British Columbia

!scope="col" | Name

!scope="col" | Regional district{{cite web |title=British Columbia Regional Districts, Municipalities, Corporate Name, Date of Incorporation and Postal Address |url=http://www.cscd.gov.bc.ca/lgd/infra/library/Name%20Incorp%202011.xls |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140713004716/http://www.cscd.gov.bc.ca/lgd/infra/library/Name%20Incorp%202011.xls |archive-date=July 13, 2014 |access-date=December 8, 2012 |publisher=Government of British Columbia |format=XLS}}

!scope="col" | Incorporation date

!scope="col" | Population (2021){{cite web |url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/search-recherche/lst/results-resultats.cfm?Lang=E&GEOCODE=59 |title=Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population, 2021 census (British Columbia) |publisher=Statistics Canada |date=October 30, 2022}}

!scope="col" | Population (2016){{cite web |date=February 9, 2022 |title=Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2021 and 2016 censuses (British Columbia) |url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810000202&geocode=A000259#tPopDwell |access-date=September 11, 2024 |publisher=Statistics Canada}}

!scope="col" | Change (%)

!scope="col" | Area ({{km2}})

!scope="col" | Population density

scope="row" | Abbotsford

| style="text-align: left;" | Fraser Valley || December 12, 1995 || 153,524 || 141,397 || 8.6% || 375.33 {{km2}}|| 409.0

scope="row"| Armstrong

| style="text-align: left;" | North Okanagan || March 31, 1913 || 5,323 || 5,114|| 4.1% || 5.22 {{km2}}|| 1020.0

scope="row"| Burnaby

| style="text-align: left;" | Metro Vancouver || September 22, 1892 || 249,125 || 232,755 || 7.0% || 90.57 {{km2}}|| 2750.7

scope="row"| Campbell River

| style="text-align: left;" | Strathcona || June 24, 1947 || 35,519 || 33,007 || 7.6% || 144.38 {{km2}}|| 246.0

scope="row"| Castlegar

| style="text-align: left;" | Central Kootenay || January 1, 1974 || 8,338 || 8,039 || 3.7% || 19.87 {{km2}}|| 419.6

scope="row"| Chilliwack

| style="text-align: left;" | Fraser Valley || April 26, 1873 || 93,203 || 83,788 || 11.2% || 261.34 {{km2}}|| 356.6

scope="row"| Colwood

| style="text-align: left;" | Capital || June 24, 1985 || 18,961 || 16,859 || 12.5% || 17.66 {{km2}}|| 1073.6

scope="row"| Coquitlam

| style="text-align: left;" | Metro Vancouver || July 25, 1891 || 148,625 || 139,284 || 6.7% || 122.15 {{km2}}|| 1216.7

scope="row"| Courtenay

| style="text-align: left;" | Comox Valley || January 1, 1915 || 28,420 || 25,639 || 10.8% || 32.42 {{km2}}|| 876.7

scope="row"| Cranbrook

| style="text-align: left;" | East Kootenay || November 1, 1905 || 20,499 || 20,047 || 2.3% || 31.97 {{km2}}|| 641.2

scope="row"| Dawson Creek

| style="text-align: left;" | Peace River || May 26, 1936 || 12,323 || 12,178 || 1.2% || 26.72 {{km2}}|| 461.1

scope="row"| Delta

| style="text-align: left;" | Metro Vancouver || September 22, 2017{{cite web |date=September 22, 2017 |title=Order in Council No. 362 |url=http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/oic/oic_cur/0362_2017 |access-date=January 10, 2018 |publisher=Province of British Columbia}}|| 108,455 || 102,238 || 6.1% || 179.66 {{km2}}|| 603.7

scope="row"| Duncan

| style="text-align: left;" | Cowichan Valley || March 4, 1912 || 5,047 || 4,944 || 2.1% || 2.06 {{km2}}|| 2444.5

scope="row"| Enderby

| style="text-align: left;" | North Okanagan || March 1, 1905 || 3,028 || 2,964 || 2.2% || 4.26 {{km2}}|| 710.4

scope="row"| Fernie

| style="text-align: left;" | East Kootenay || July 28, 1904 || 6,320 || 5,396 || 17.1% || 15.11 {{km2}}|| 418.3

scope="row"| Fort St. John

| style="text-align: left;" | Peace River || December 31, 1947 || 21,465 || 20,260 || 5.9% || 32.67 {{km2}}|| 656.9

scope="row"| Grand Forks

| style="text-align: left;" | Kootenay Boundary || April 15, 1897 || 4,112 || 4,049 || 1.6% || 10.37 {{km2}}|| 396.4

scope="row"| Greenwood

| style="text-align: left;" | Kootenay Boundary || July 12, 1897 || 702 || 665 || 5.6% || 2.42 {{km2}}|| 290.2

scope="row"| Kamloops

| style="text-align: left;" | Thompson-Nicola || October 17, 1967 || 97,902 || 90,280 || 8.4% || 297.93 {{km2}}|| 328.6

scope="row"| Kelowna

| style="text-align: left;" | Central Okanagan || May 4, 1905 || 144,576 || 127,390 || 13.5% || 211.85 {{km2}}|| 682.4

scope="row"| Kimberley

| style="text-align: left;" | East Kootenay || March 29, 1944 || 8,115 || 7,425 || 9.3% || 60.51 {{km2}}|| 134.1

scope="row"| Langford

| style="text-align: left;" | Capital || December 8, 1992 || 46,584 || 35,342 || 31.8% || 41.43 {{km2}}|| 1124.4

scope="row"| Langley

| style="text-align: left;" | Metro Vancouver || March 15, 1955 || 28,963 || 25,888 || 11.9% || 10.18 {{km2}}|| 2845.2

scope="row"| Maple Ridge

| style="text-align: left;" | Metro Vancouver || September 12, 2014{{cite web |date=September 9, 2014 |title=Order of the Lieutenant Governor in Council: Order in Council No. 513 |url=http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/oic/oic_cur/0513_2014 |access-date=September 14, 2014 |publisher=Province of British Columbia |format=PDF}}|| align="right" | 90,990 || 82,256 || 10.6% || 267.82 {{km2}}|| 339.7

scope="row"| Merritt

| style="text-align: left;" | Thompson-Nicola || April 1, 1911 || 7,051 || 7,139 || -1.2% || 26.04 {{km2}}|| 270.7

scope="row"| Mission

| style="text-align: left;" | Fraser Valley || March 29, 2021{{Cite web |date=March 29, 2021 |title=Order in Council 0187-2021 |url=https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/oic/oic_cur/0187_2021/search/CIVIX_DOCUMENT_ROOT_STEM:(%22City%20of%20Mission%22)?1#hit1 |access-date=March 29, 2021 |publisher=Government of British Columbia}}|| 41,519 || 38,554 || 7.7% || 226.98 {{km2}}|| 182.9

scope="row"| Nanaimo

| style="text-align: left;" | Nanaimo || December 24, 1874 || 99,863 || 90,504 || 10.3% || 90.45 {{km2}}|| 1104.1

scope="row"| Nelson

| style="text-align: left;" | Central Kootenay || March 18, 1897 || 11,106 || 10,572 || 5.1% || 11.93 {{km2}}|| 930.6

scope="row"| New Westminster

| style="text-align: left;" | Metro Vancouver || July 16, 1860 || 78,916 || 70,996 || 11.2% || 15.62 {{km2}}|| 5052.4

scope="row"| North Vancouver

| style="text-align: left;" | Metro Vancouver || August 10, 1891 || 58,120 || 52,898 || 9.9% || 11.83 {{km2}}|| 4913.0

scope="row"| Parksville

| style="text-align: left;" | Nanaimo || June 19, 1945 || 13,642 || 12,453 || 9.5% || 14.52 {{km2}}|| 939.5

scope="row"| Penticton

| style="text-align: left;" | Okanagan-Similkameen || January 1, 1909 || 36,885 || 33,761 || 9.3% || 43.03 {{km2}}|| 857.3

scope="row"| Pitt Meadows

| style="text-align: left;" | Metro Vancouver || April 25, 1914 || 19,146 || 18,573 || 3.1% || 86.34 {{km2}}|| 221.7

scope="row"| Port Alberni

| style="text-align: left;" | Alberni-Clayoquot || October 28, 1967 || 18,259 || 17,678 || 3.3% || 19.66 {{km2}}|| 928.9

scope="row"| Port Coquitlam

| style="text-align: left;" | Metro Vancouver || March 7, 1913 || 61,498 || 58,612 || 4.9% || 29.16 {{km2}}|| 2108.7

scope="row"| Port Moody

| style="text-align: left;" | Metro Vancouver || March 11, 1913 || 33,535 || 33,551 || 0.0% || 25.85 {{km2}}|| 1297.3

scope="row"| Powell River

| style="text-align: left;" | Powell River || October 15, 1955 || 13,943 || 13,157 || 6.0% || 28.91 {{km2}}|| 482.4

scope="row"| Prince George

| style="text-align: left;" | Fraser-Fort George || March 6, 1915 || 76,708|| 74,003 || 3.7% || 316.74 {{km2}}|| 242.2

scope="row"| Prince Rupert

| style="text-align: left;" | North Coast || March 10, 1910 || 12,300 || 12,220 || 0.7% || 66.00 {{km2}}|| 186.4

scope="row"| Quesnel

| style="text-align: left;" | Cariboo || March 21, 1928 || 9,889 || 9,879 || 0.1% || 35.35 {{km2}}|| 279.8

scope="row"| Revelstoke

| style="text-align: left;" | Columbia Shuswap || March 1, 1899 || 8,275 || 7,562 || 9.4% || 41.28 {{km2}}|| 200.5

scope="row"| Richmond

| style="text-align: left;" | Metro Vancouver || November 10, 1879 || 209,937 || 198,309 || 5.9% || 128.87 {{km2}}|| 1629.0

scope="row"| Rossland

| style="text-align: left;" | Kootenay Boundary || March 18, 1897 || 4,140 || 3,729 || 11.0% || 59.72 {{km2}}|| 69.3

scope="row"| Salmon Arm

| style="text-align: left;" | Columbia Shuswap || May 15, 1905 || 19,432 || 17,706 || 9.7% || 155.19 {{km2}}|| 125.2

scope="row"| Surrey

| style="text-align: left;" | Metro Vancouver || November 10, 1879 || 568,322 || 517,887 || 9.7% || 316.11 {{km2}}|| 1797.9

scope="row"| Terrace

| style="text-align: left;" | Kitimat–Stikine || December 31, 1927 || 12,017 || 11,643 || 3.2% || 57.33 {{km2}}|| 209.6

scope="row"| Trail

| style="text-align: left;" | Kootenay Boundary || June 14, 1901 || 7,920 || 7,709 || 2.7% || 34.90 {{km2}}|| 226.9

scope="row"| Vancouver{{refn|Vancouver is Canada's eighth-largest city and British Columbia's largest city by population. The Vancouver CMA includes the cities of Burnaby, Coquitlam, Delta, Langley, Maple Ridge, New Westminster, North Vancouver, Pitt Meadows, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Richmond, Surrey, Vancouver and White Rock.|group=BC}}

| style="text-align: left;" | Metro Vancouver || April 6, 1886 || 662,248|| 631,486 || 4.9% || 115.18 {{km2}}|| 5749.9

scope="row"| Vernon

| style="text-align: left;" | North Okanagan || December 30, 1892 || 44,519 || 40,116 || 11.0% || 96.43 {{km2}}|| 461.7

scope="row"| Victoria{{refn|Victoria is British Columbia's capital. The Victoria CMA includes the cities of Colwood, Langford and Victoria.|group=BC}}

| style="text-align: left;" | Capital || August 2, 1862 || 91,867 || 85,792 || 7.1% || 19.45 {{km2}}|| 4722.3

scope="row"| West Kelowna

| style="text-align: left;" | Central Okanagan || June 26, 2015{{cite web |date=June 26, 2015 |title=Order in Council No. 357 |url=http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/oic/oic_cur/0357_2015/search/CIVIX_DOCUMENT_ROOT_STEM:(West%20Kelowna)%20AND%20CIVIX_DOCUMENT_ANCESTORS:1990219485?1#hit1 |access-date=July 1, 2015 |publisher=Province of British Columbia}}|| 36,078 || 32,655 || 10.5% || 122.09 {{km2}}|| 295.5

scope="row"| White Rock

| style="text-align: left;" | Metro Vancouver || April 15, 1957 || 21,939 || 19,952 || 10.0% || 5.17 {{km2}}|| 4240.6

scope="row"| Williams Lake

| style="text-align: left;" | Cariboo || March 15, 1929 || 10,947 || 10,753 || 1.8% || 33.12 {{km2}}|| 330.5

scope="row" align="center"| Total cities

!scope="col" align="center"| —

!scope="col" align="center"| —

!scope="col" align="center"| 3,630,140

!scope="col" align="center"| 3,367,053

!scope="col" align="center"| 7.8%

!scope="col" align="center"| 4497.15

!scope="col" align="center"| 807.2

= Former cities =

class="wikitable sortable"

|+Former cities in British Columbia

!Name

!Held city status

Kaslo

|1893{{Endash}}1959{{cite book |url=https://www.memorybc.ca/city-of-kaslo-fonds |title=City of Kaslo Fonds |publisher=The British Columbia Archival Information Network |access-date=January 18, 2023}}

Phoenix

|1900{{Endash}}1919{{cite web |title=Name Details: Phoenix (Abandoned Locality) |url=http://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/14193.html |access-date=June 27, 2013 |publisher=Government of British Columbia}}

Sandon

|1898{{Endash}}1920{{cite web |url=http://www.sandonmuseum.ca/social-history/52-from-boom-to-bust-in-20-years |title=From Boom to Bust in 20 Years: Sandon's History as an Incorporated City |publisher=Sandon Museum | access-date=June 26, 2013}}

See also

Notes

{{reflist|group=BC}}

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Subdivisions of British Columbia|city=yes|town=yes|village=yes|district=yes}}

{{Canada topic|List of cities in}}

*

British Columbia

populated places B