List of communities in Alberta

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Rural and specialized municipalities, cities, towns, and select hamlets in Alberta

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Distribution of Alberta's 6 specialized municipalities (red) and 74 rural municipalities, which include municipal districts that are often branded as counties (orange), improvement districts (dark green) and special areas (light green) (2020)

The province of Alberta, Canada, is divided into ten types of local governments – urban municipalities (including cities, towns, villages and summer villages), specialized municipalities, rural municipalities (including municipal districts (often named as counties), improvement districts, and special areas), Métis settlements, and Indian reserves. All types of municipalities are governed by local residents and were incorporated under various provincial acts, with the exception of improvement districts (governed by either the provincial or federal government), and Alberta's Indian reserves (governed by local band governments under federal jurisdiction).

Alberta also has numerous unincorporated communities (including urban service areas, hamlets and a townsite) that are not independent municipalities in their own right. However, they are all recognized as sub-municipal entities by Ministry of Municipal Affairs under the jurisdiction of specialized municipalities or rural municipalities, with the exception of the lone townsite (its jurisdiction is shared with an Indian reserve that surrounds it).

With the exception of Métis settlements, Statistics Canada recognizes all of Alberta's municipalities as census subdivisions and groups them into 19 census divisions based on geography. Within census divisions, Statistics Canada groups some of Alberta's municipalities/census subdivisions into two census metropolitan areas (CMAs) or 12 census agglomerations (CAs) for enumeration purposes. All CMAs include large urban centres and surrounding census subdivisions. All CAs also include large urban centres and in some cases their surrounding census subdivisions.

With the exception of Indian reserves, the administration of municipalities in Alberta is regulated by the Municipal Government Act,<ref name=munact>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> the Special Areas Act<ref name=specact>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and the Metis Settlements Act.<ref name=metisact>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

As of 2019, the combined unofficial population of all of Alberta's municipalities was 4,271,759.<ref name=2019pop>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Municipalities

Urban municipalities

Cities

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According to Section 82 of the Municipal Government Act (MGA), 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 Template:Cvt.<ref name=munact />

Essentially, cities are formed from urban communities with populations of at least 10,000 people.<ref name=muntypes>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Alberta currently has a total of 19 cities with a combined population totalling 2,959,559 as of 2019.<ref name=2019pop /> List of cities in Alberta

Towns

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According to Section 81 of the Municipal Government Act (MGA), 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 Template:Cvt.<ref name=munact />

Essentially, towns are formed from urban communities with populations of at least 1,000 people. When a town's population exceeds 10,000 people, its council may apply to change its status to that of a city, but the change in incorporated status is not mandatory.<ref name=muntypes />

Communities with shrinking populations are allowed to retain town status even if the number of residents falls below the 1,000 limit. Some of Alberta's towns have never reached a population of 1,000 people, but were incorporated as towns before the current requirement to have a population of 1,000 or more.

Alberta currently has a total of 107 towns, with a combined population totalling 466,470 as of 2019.<ref name=2019pop />

List of towns in Alberta

Villages

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According to Section 80 of the Municipal Government Act (MGA), 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 Template:Cvt.<ref name=munact />

Essentially, villages are formed from urban communities with populations of at least 300 people. When a village's population exceeds 1,000 people, its council may apply to change its status to that of a town, but the change in incorporated status is not mandatory.

Communities with shrinking populations are allowed to retain village status even if the number of residents falls below the 300 limit. Some of Alberta's villages have never reached a population of 300 people, but were incorporated as villages before there was a requirement to have a population of 300 or more.

Alberta currently has a total of 81 villages, with a combined population totalling 34,600 as of 2021.<ref name=2016StatCanAB3>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

List of villages in Alberta

Summer villages

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According to former Section 79 of the Municipal Government Act (MGA), a summer village is an area that:

• has at least 60 parcels of land developed with dwelling buildings; and
• has a population of less than 300 persons where the majority of the persons who would be electors do not permanently reside in that area.

As a result of Section 79 being repealed,<ref name=munact /> summer villages can no longer be formed in Alberta.<ref name=muntypes />

Essentially, summer villages were once formed from urban communities with populations of less than 300 people and significant non-permanent populations. When a summer village's population exceeds 300 people, its council may apply to change its status to that of a village, but the change in incorporated status is not mandatory.

Alberta currently has a total of 51 summer villages, with a combined population totalling 5,200 as of 2019.<ref name=2019pop />

Summer villages of Alberta

Specialized municipalities

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} According to Section 83 of the Municipal Government Act (MGA), a municipality may incorporate as a specialized municipality under one of the following three scenarios:

• where the Minister of Alberta Municipal Affairs (AMA) is satisfied that the other incorporated statuses under the MGA do not meet the needs of the municipality's residents;
• to form a local government that, in the opinion of the Minister of AMA, will provide for the orderly development of the municipality in a similar fashion to the other incorporated statuses within the MGA; or
• for any other circumstances that are deemed appropriate by the Minister of AMA.<ref name=munact />

Essentially, specialized municipalities are municipalities that are unconventional in nature compared to other municipalities in Alberta, and they are incorporated under the authority of the existing MGA instead of relying on the creation of their own separate acts (i.e., the Special Areas Act<ref name=specact /> allowed the incorporation of Alberta's three special areas and the Metis Settlements Act<ref name=metisact /> allowed the incorporation of Alberta's eight Métis settlements).<ref name=muntypes />

Alberta's six specialized municipalities have a combined population totalling 242,395 as of 2019.<ref name=2019pop /> List of specialized municipalities in Alberta

Rural municipalities

Municipal districts

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According to Section 78 of the Municipal Government Act (MGA), a municipal district is an area in which:

• the majority of the buildings used as dwellings are on parcels of land with an area of at least Template:Cvt; and
• there is a population of 1,000 or more.<ref name=munact />

Essentially, municipal districts are large rural areas in which their citizens reside on farms, country residential subdivisions or unincorporated communities (i.e., hamlets, localities and other settlements).<ref name=muntypes />

In Alberta, the term county is synonymous with the term municipal district – it is not its own incorporated municipal status that is different from that of a municipal district. As such, Alberta Municipal Affairs provides municipal districts with the opportunity to brand themselves either as municipal districts or counties in their official names.

Of Alberta's 63 municipal districts, 46 of them brand themselves as counties. Over the past 30 years, Alberta has observed a trend of numerous municipal districts rebranding themselves as counties through official name changes. Some of the reasons why a municipal district would rebrand itself as a county include that the term county is: more recognizable by the general public; has a more traditional appeal; and is more marketable from an economic development perspective.

The last municipal district (MD) to rebrand itself as a county was the MD of Foothills No. 31, which was renamed as Foothills County on January 1, 2019.<ref name=Foothills>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Alberta's 63 municipal districts have a combined population totalling 471,852 as of 2019.<ref name=2019pop />

Municipal districts of Alberta

Improvement districts

According to Section 581 of the Municipal Government Act (MGA), Alberta's Lieutenant Governor in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister of Municipal Affairs, may form an improvement district. Section 582 of the MGA requires that the order to form an improvement district must describe its boundaries and give it an official name.

Alberta currently has seven improvement districts, which have a combined population totaling 2,146.<ref name=2011censusABmunis /> With some exceptions, their boundaries are coterminous with that of a national or provincial park. Five of them are located within national parks, and two are within provincial parks.

Improvement districts of Alberta

Name	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Population (2006)<ref name=2011censusABmunis />	Change (%)<ref name=2011censusABmunis />	Land area (km2)<ref name=2011censusABmunis />	Population density (per km2)<ref name=2011censusABmunis />	Remarks
004Improvement District No. 4 (Waterton)	Template:Dts	Template:Nts	Template:Nts	Template:Nts	Template:Nts	Template:Pop density	Coincident with Waterton Lakes National Park
009Improvement District No. 9 (Banff)	Template:Dts	Template:Nts	Template:Nts	Template:Nts	Template:Nts	Template:Pop density	Coincident with Banff National Park excluding the Town of Banff
012Improvement District No. 12 (Jasper National Park)	Template:Dts	Template:Nts	Template:Nts	Template:Nts	Template:Nts	Template:Pop density	Coincident with Jasper National Park excluding the Municipality of Jasper
013Improvement District No. 13 (Elk Island)	Template:Dts	Template:Nts	Template:Nts	Template:Nts	Template:Nts	Template:Pop density	Coincident with Elk Island National Park
024Improvement District No. 24 (Wood Buffalo)	Template:Dts	Template:Nts	Template:Nts	Template:Nts	Template:Nts	Template:Pop density	Coincident with the Alberta portion of Wood Buffalo National Park excluding Peace Point 222
025Improvement District No. 25 (Willmore Wilderness)	Template:Dts	Template:Nts	Template:Nts	—	Template:Nts	Template:Pop density	Coincident with Willmore Wilderness Park
KananaskisKananaskis Improvement District	Template:Dts	Template:Nts	Template:Nts	Template:Nts	Template:Nts	Template:Pop density	Consists mostly of Kananaskis Country
Total improvement districts	—	Template:Nts	Template:Nts	Template:Nts	Template:Nts	Template:Pop density	—

Special areas

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Special areas are rural municipalities created in 1938 under the authority of the Special Areas Act.<ref name=specact /><ref name=muntypes /> A special area is not to be confused with a specialized municipality, which is a completely different municipal status.

Alberta's three special areas had a combined population totalling 4,184 in 2016.<ref name=2019pop />

Special areas of Alberta

Unincorporated communities

Urban service areas

An urban service area is a type of hamlet that is not officially defined under the Municipal Government Act (MGA). However, the province of Alberta recognizes it as equivalent to a city for the purposes of program delivery and grant eligibility according to the Orders in Council that established the Regional Municipality (RM) of Wood Buffalo and Strathcona County as specialized municipalities.<ref name=RMWB_OC>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=SC_OC>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

These Orders in Council (see Schedule 1, Section 7<ref name=RMWB_OC /> and Schedule 1, Section 3<ref name=SC_OC /> respectively) also state that:

• the specialized municipalities shall provide to the province of Alberta any information required to administer programs or to determine the amount of grants which would have been paid if the urban service areas were incorporated cities; and
• for the purposes of enactments affecting roads, culverts, ditches, drains, and highways, the urban service areas are deemed to be cities.

Essentially, urban services areas meet the eligibility requirements of the MGA to incorporate as a city. As such, they are Alberta's largest hamlets.

There are currently two urban services areas in Alberta: Fort McMurray and Sherwood Park.

Fort McMurray, within the jurisdiction of the RM of Wood Buffalo, was formerly a city prior its amalgamation with Improvement District No. 143 on April 1, 1995. It was designated an urban service area at the time of the amalgamation.<ref name=RMWB_OC />

Sherwood Park has always been an unincorporated community under the jurisdiction of Strathcona County. It became an urban service area when Strathcona County changed its status from a municipal district to a specialized municipality on January 1, 1996.<ref name=SC_OC />

Hamlets

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} According to Section 59 of the Municipal Government Act (MGA), hamlets are unincorporated communities that:

• consist of five or more buildings used as dwellings, a majority of which are on parcels of land smaller than Template:Cvt;
• have a generally accepted boundary and name; and
• contain parcels of land that are used for non‑residential purposes.<ref name=munact />

Further, Section 59 of the MGA provides the councils of municipal districts (or counties) and specialized municipalities the authority to designate unincorporated communities within its boundaries as hamlets.<ref name=munact /><ref name=muntypes /> Hamlets may also be designated within improvement districts and special areas by the Minister of Municipal Affairs pursuant to Section 590 of the MGA and Section 10 of the Special Areas Act respectively.<ref name=munact /><ref name=specact />

When a hamlet's population reaches 300, it becomes eligible to incorporated as a village under Section 80 of the MGA, so long as the majority of the buildings are still on parcels of land smaller than Template:Cvt.<ref name=munact /> However, it is a modern-day rarity for a hamlet to incorporate as a village – Barnwell and Wabamun were the last two to do so both on January 1, 1980. It is much more common these days for villages to revert to hamlet status through the dissolution process instead.

There are currently 403 hamlets in Alberta, two of which are the urban services areas presented above.<ref>Template:AltaMC</ref>

Hamlets of Alberta

Townsites

A townsite is a type of unincorporated community that is not officially defined under the Municipal Government Act (MGA), but it is generally regarded as an independent urban area within an Indian reserve that is comparable in population, land area, services, and built form, to that of Alberta's incorporated towns. Essentially, townsites would meet the eligibility requirements of the MGA to incorporate as a town if they were not on Indian reserve lands under federal jurisdiction.

Redwood Meadows is Alberta's only townsite at this time and is located within the Tsuutʼina Nation.

Other unincorporated communities

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Métis settlements

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Métis settlements are rural areas inhabited by the indigenous Métis in Alberta and were established and recognized in 1936 under the Métis Population Betterment Act. The settlements provide an autonomous land base, allow better access to education, health and other social services, and provide economic development opportunities for the only recognized Métis land-base in Canada.<ref name=metisact /> Métis settlements now operate under the authority of the Métis Settlements Act.<ref name=muntypes /> These eight Métis settlements are governed by a unique Métis government known as the Métis Settlements General Council (MSGC).

Alberta currently has eight Métis settlements, all of which are in the northern half of the province. The official names of the eight settlements, and the municipal districts they are within, are as follows:

Métis settlements of Alberta

*Areas generated from provincial Métis settlement boundary data.

Very small portions of the Gift Lake Métis Settlement and the Kikino Métis Settlement are also located within Northern Sunrise County and Lac La Biche County respectively.

Alberta's eight Métis settlements have a combined population totalling 5,632 as of 2018.<ref name=2019pop />

Indian reserves

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Indian reserves in Alberta cover a total area of Template:Cvt and range in size from Template:Cvt to Template:Cvt.<ref name=muntypes /> Under the Constitution Act, 1982, legislative authority over Indian reserves is allocated to the Parliament of Canada. The Government of Canada exercises executive authority over Indian reserves through Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada. Local administration is exercised by Band councils whose members are elected by members of the reserve.

Indian reserves of Alberta

List of Indian reserves in Alberta

See also

• List of census divisions of Alberta
• List of designated places in Alberta
• List of ghost towns in Alberta
• List of municipalities in Alberta
• List of population centres in Alberta
• List of settlements in Alberta

External links

• Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties
• Alberta Municipal Affairs
• Alberta Urban Municipalities Association
• Association of Summer Villages of Alberta