# List of municipalities in Alberta

Alberta is the fourth-most populous province in Canada with 4,262,635 residents as of 2021 Census of Population and is the fourth-largest in land area at 634,658 km$^2$ (245,043 sq mi). Alberta's 344 municipalities cover 99.7% of the province's land mass and are home to 99% of its population. These municipalities provide local government services, including roads, water, sewer and garbage collection among others, and a variety of programs to their residents.
According to the Municipal Government Act (MGA), which was enacted in 2000, a municipality in Alberta is "a city, town, village, summer village, municipal district or specialized municipality, a town under the Parks Towns Act, or a municipality formed by special Act". The MGA also recognizes improvement districts and special areas as municipal authorities while Metis settlements are recognized as municipalities by the Government of Alberta's Ministry of Municipal Affairs. Cities, towns, villages, summer villages, municipal districts, specialized municipalities and improvement districts are formed under the provincial authority of the MGA. Special areas and Metis settlements are formed under the provincial authority of the Special Areas Act (SAA) and the Metis Settlements Act (MSA) respectively, of which both were enacted in 2000. As provincial law, the MGA, the SAA and the MSA were passed by the Legislative Assembly of Alberta with royal assent granted by the Lieutenant Governor.
Of Alberta's 341 municipalities, 253 of them are urban municipalities (19 cities, 105 towns, 78 villages and 51 summer villages), 6 are specialized municipalities, 73 are rural municipalities (63 municipal districts, 7 improvement districts and 3 special areas) and 8 are Metis settlements. The MGA, the SAA and the MSA stipulate governance of these municipalities. Alberta's Ministry of Municipal Affairs is responsible for providing provincial services to municipalities.
Over half of Alberta's population resides in its two largest cities. Calgary, the largest city, is home to 30.7% of the province's population (1,306,784 residents), while Edmonton, Alberta's capital city, is home to 23.7% (1,010,899 residents). Improvement District No. 13 (Elk Island). Improvement District No. 12 (Jasper National Park) and Improvement District No. 25 (Willmore Wilderness) are Alberta's smallest municipalities by population; they are unpopulated according to the 2021 Census of Population. The largest municipality by land area is Mackenzie County at 79,629.26 km$^2$ (30,745.03 sq mi), while the smallest by land area is the Summer Village of Castle Island at 0.05 km$^2$ (0.019 sq mi).

## Urban municipalities

Alberta's Municipal Government Act (MGA), enacted in 2000, defines urban municipality as a "city, town, village or summer village." For federal census purposes, Statistics Canada recognizes all four urban municipality types as census subdivisions.
Combined, Alberta has 257 urban municipalities comprising 19 cities, 106 towns, 81 villages and 51 summer villages. The 257 urban municipalities have a total population of 3,533,377, a total land area of 4,052.34 km$^2$ (1,564.62 sq mi). These totals represent 83% of Alberta's population yet only 0.6% of its land area.

### Cities

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 m$^2$ (19,900 sq ft). Alberta has 19 cities that had a cumulative population of 3,023,641 in the 2021 Census of Population. These 19 cities include Lloydminster, of which a portion is located within the neighbouring province of Saskatchewan. Alberta's largest city by population and land area is Calgary with 1,306,784 and 820.62 km$^2$ (316.84 sq mi), while Wetaskiwin is its smallest city by population with 12,594 and land area at 18.75 km$^2$ (7.24 sq mi). Beaumont is Alberta's newest city; it became Alberta's 19th city on January 1, 2019.

### Towns

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 m$^2$ (19,900 sq ft). Alberta has 105 towns that had a cumulative population of 471,028 in the 2021 Census of Population. 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 km$^2$ (41.53 sq mi) and 1.61 km$^2$ (0.62 sq mi) respectively. Diamond Valley is Alberta's newest town, formed by the amalgamation of Black Diamond and Turner Valley on January 1, 2023.

### Villages

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 m$^2$ (19,900 sq ft). Alberta has 79 villages that had a cumulative population of 32,191 in the 2021 Census of Population. The province's largest and smallest villages by population are Stirling and Edberg with 1,164 and 126 respectively, while its largest and smallest by land area are Chipman and Edberg with 9.60 km$^2$ (3.71 sq mi) and 0.35 km$^2$ (0.14 sq mi) respectively. 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.

### Summer villages

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". A community can no longer incorporate as a summer village under the MGA.
Alberta has 51 summer villages that had a cumulative population of 5,955 in the 2021 Census of Population. 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. The province's largest and smallest summer villages by land area are Silver Sands and Castle Island with 2.51 km$^2$ (0.97 sq mi) and 0.05 km$^2$ (0.019 sq mi) respectively. Gull Lake and Kapasiwin were the last communities in Alberta to incorporate as summer villages. Both were incorporated on September 1, 1993. Since then, two summer villages have incorporated as villages (Alberta Beach and Edmonton Beach, now named Spring Lake) and one has dissolved (White Gull).

### List of urban municipalities

* 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.
* Airdrie, Alberta's fifth largest city, is located adjacent to Calgary.
* A
* B
* C
* D
* E
* F
* G
* H
* I
* J
* K
* L
* M
* N
* O
* P
* R
* S
* T
* V
* W
* Y
List of urban municipalities in Alberta :
| Name | Status | Incorporation date (current status) | 2021 Census of Population | 2021 Census of Population | 2021 Census of Population | 2021 Census of Population | 2021 Census of Population |
| Name | Status | Incorporation date (current status) | Population (2021) | Population (2016) | Change (%) | Land area (km$^2$) | Population density (/km$^2$) |
| Acme | Village | July 7, 1910 | 606 | 653 | −7.2% | 2.49 | 243.4 |
| Airdrie | City | January 1, 1985 | 74,100 | 61,581 | +20.3% | 84.39 | 878.1 |
| Alberta Beach | Village | January 1, 1999 | 864 | 1,018 | −15.1% | 2.02 | 427.7 |
| Alix | Village | June 3, 1907 | 774 | 734 | +5.4% | 3.11 | 248.9 |
| Alliance | Village | August 26, 1918 | 166 | 159 | +4.4% | 0.62 | 267.7 |
| Amisk | Village | January 1, 1956 | 219 | 204 | +7.4% | 0.76 | 288.2 |
| Andrew | Village | June 24, 1930 | 366 | 425 | −13.9% | 1.18 | 310.2 |
| Argentia Beach | Summer village | January 1, 1967 | 39 | 27 | +44.4% | 0.62 | 62.9 |
| Arrowwood | Village | May 13, 1926 | 188 | 207 | −9.2% | 0.75 | 250.7 |
| Athabasca | Town | September 19, 1911 | 2,759 | 2,965 | −6.9% | 17.79 | 155.1 |
| Banff | Town | January 1, 1990 | 8,305 | 7,851 | +5.8% | 4.08 | 2,035.5 |
| Barnwell | Village | January 1, 1980 | 978 | 947 | +3.3% | 1.50 | 652.0 |
| Barons | Village | May 6, 1910 | 313 | 341 | −8.2% | 0.81 | 386.4 |
| Barrhead | Town | November 26, 1946 | 4,320 | 4,579 | −5.7% | 8.20 | 526.8 |
| Bashaw | Town | May 1, 1964 | 848 | 830 | +2.2% | 2.72 | 311.8 |
| Bassano | Town | January 16, 1911 | 1,216 | 1,206 | +0.8% | 5.23 | 232.5 |
| Bawlf | Village | October 12, 1906 | 412 | 422 | −2.4% | 0.89 | 462.9 |
| Beaumont | City | January 1, 2019 | 20,888 | 17,457 | +19.7% | 24.70 | 845.7 |
| Beaverlodge | Town | January 24, 1956 | 2,271 | 2,465 | −7.9% | 5.38 | 422.1 |
| Beiseker | Village | February 23, 1921 | 754 | 819 | −7.9% | 2.85 | 264.6 |
| Bentley | Town | January 1, 2001 | 1,042 | 1,078 | −3.3% | 2.24 | 465.2 |
| Berwyn | Village | November 28, 1936 | 577 | 538 | +7.2% | 1.57 | 367.5 |
| Betula Beach | Summer village | January 1, 1960 | 27 | 16 | +68.8% | 0.23 | 117.4 |
| Big Valley | Village | March 9, 1942 | 331 | 346 | −4.3% | 1.86 | 178.0 |
| Birch Cove | Summer village | December 31, 1988 | 67 | 45 | +48.9% | 0.29 | 231.0 |
| Birchcliff | Summer village | January 1, 1972 | 211 | 117 | +80.3% | 0.97 | 217.5 |
| Bittern Lake | Village | November 2, 1904 | 216 | 220 | −1.8% | 6.57 | 32.9 |
| Blackfalds | Town | April 1, 1980 | 10,470 | 9,328 | +12.2% | 16.58 | 631.5 |
| Bon Accord | Town | November 20, 1979 | 1,461 | 1,529 | −4.4% | 3.99 | 366.2 |
| Bondiss | Summer village | January 1, 1983 | 124 | 110 | +12.7% | 1.18 | 105.1 |
| Bonnyville | Town | February 3, 1948 | 6,404 | 5,975 | +7.2% | 14.17 | 451.9 |
| Bonnyville Beach | Summer village | January 1, 1958 | 70 | 84 | −16.7% | 0.23 | 304.3 |
| Bow Island | Town | February 1, 1912 | 2,036 | 1,983 | +2.7% | 5.68 | 358.5 |
| Bowden | Town | September 1, 1981 | 1,280 | 1,240 | +3.2% | 3.46 | 369.9 |
| Boyle | Village | December 31, 1953 | 825 | 845 | −2.4% | 7.12 | 115.9 |
| Breton | Village | January 1, 1957 | 567 | 574 | −1.2% | 1.72 | 329.7 |
| Brooks | City | September 1, 2005 | 14,924 | 14,451 | +3.3% | 18.21 | 819.5 |
| Bruderheim | Town | September 17, 1980 | 1,329 | 1,323 | +0.5% | 9.28 | 143.2 |
| Burnstick Lake | Summer village | December 31, 1991 | 21 | 15 | +40.0% | 0.18 | 116.7 |
| Calgary | City | January 1, 1894 | 1,306,784 | 1,239,220 | +5.5% | 820.62 | 1,592.4 |
| Calmar | Town | January 19, 1954 | 2,183 | 2,228 | −2.0% | 4.67 | 467.5 |
| Camrose | City | January 1, 1955 | 18,772 | 18,742 | +0.2% | 41.67 | 450.5 |
| Canmore | Town | June 1, 1966 | 15,990 | 13,992 | +14.3% | 68.47 | 233.5 |
| Carbon | Village | November 18, 1912 | 492 | 454 | +8.4% | 1.99 | 247.2 |
| Cardston | Town | July 2, 1901 | 3,724 | 3,585 | +3.9% | 8.58 | 434.0 |
| Carmangay | Village | March 4, 1936 | 269 | 242 | +11.2% | 1.80 | 149.4 |
| Carstairs | Town | September 1, 1966 | 4,898 | 4,077 | +20.1% | 11.77 | 416.1 |
| Castle Island | Summer village | January 1, 1955 | 15 | 10 | +50.0% | 0.05 | 300.0 |
| Castor | Town | June 27, 1910 | 803 | 929 | −13.6% | 2.61 | 307.7 |
| Champion | Village | May 27, 1911 | 351 | 317 | +10.7% | 0.88 | 398.9 |
| Chauvin | Village | December 30, 1912 | 304 | 335 | −9.3% | 2.22 | 136.9 |
| Chestermere | City | January 1, 2015 | 22,163 | 19,887 | +11.4% | 32.83 | 675.1 |
| Chipman | Village | October 21, 1913 | 246 | 274 | −10.2% | 9.60 | 25.6 |
| Claresholm | Town | August 31, 1905 | 3,804 | 3,790 | +0.4% | 10.51 | 361.9 |
| Clive | Village | January 9, 1912 | 775 | 715 | +8.4% | 2.17 | 357.1 |
| Clyde | Village | January 28, 1914 | 415 | 430 | −3.5% | 1.28 | 324.2 |
| Coaldale | Town | January 7, 1952 | 8,771 | 8,331 | +5.3% | 13.58 | 645.9 |
| Coalhurst | Town | June 1, 1995 | 2,869 | 2,668 | +7.5% | 3.08 | 931.5 |
| Cochrane | Town | February 15, 1971 | 32,199 | 25,853 | +24.5% | 31.58 | 1,019.6 |
| Cold Lake | City | October 1, 2000 | 15,661 | 14,976 | +4.6% | 66.61 | 235.1 |
| Consort | Village | September 23, 1912 | 644 | 729 | −11.7% | 3.02 | 213.2 |
| Coronation | Town | April 29, 1912 | 868 | 940 | −7.7% | 3.57 | 243.1 |
| Coutts | Village | January 1, 1960 | 224 | 245 | −8.6% | 1.18 | 189.8 |
| Cowley | Village | August 16, 1906 | 216 | 209 | +3.3% | 1.36 | 158.8 |
| Cremona | Village | January 1, 1955 | 437 | 444 | −1.6% | 1.93 | 226.4 |
| Crossfield | Town | August 1, 1980 | 3,599 | 2,983 | +20.7% | 11.89 | 302.7 |
| Crystal Springs | Summer village | January 1, 1957 | 74 | 51 | +45.1% | 0.45 | 164.4 |
| Czar | Village | November 12, 1917 | 248 | 202 | +22.8% | 1.12 | 221.4 |
| Daysland | Town | April 2, 1907 | 789 | 824 | −4.2% | 1.77 | 445.8 |
| Delburne | Village | January 17, 1913 | 919 | 892 | +3.0% | 3.79 | 242.5 |
| Delia | Village | July 20, 1914 | 152 | 216 | −29.6% | 1.33 | 114.3 |
| Devon | Town | February 24, 1950 | 6,545 | 6,578 | −0.5% | 14.26 | 459.0 |
| Diamond Valley | Town | January 1, 2023 | 5,341 | 5,264 | +1.5% | 12.57 | 424.9 |
| Didsbury | Town | September 27, 1906 | 5,070 | 5,268 | −3.8% | 16.12 | 314.5 |
| Donalda | Village | December 30, 1912 | 226 | 219 | +3.2% | 0.97 | 233.0 |
| Donnelly | Village | January 1, 1956 | 338 | 359 | −5.8% | 1.26 | 268.3 |
| Drayton Valley | Town | February 1, 1957 | 7,291 | 7,235 | +0.8% | 30.90 | 236.0 |
| Drumheller | Town | January 1, 1998 | 7,909 | 7,982 | −0.9% | 107.56 | 73.5 |
| Duchess | Village | May 12, 1921 | 1,053 | 1,085 | −2.9% | 1.93 | 545.6 |
| Eckville | Town | July 1, 1966 | 1,014 | 1,125 | −9.9% | 1.61 | 629.8 |
| Edberg | Village | February 4, 1930 | 126 | 151 | −16.6% | 0.35 | 360.0 |
| Edgerton | Village | September 11, 1917 | 385 | 384 | +0.3% | 2.01 | 191.5 |
| Edmonton | City | October 8, 1904 | 1,010,899 | 933,088 | +8.3% | 765.61 | 1,320.4 |
| Edson | Town | September 21, 1911 | 8,374 | 8,414 | −0.5% | 29.43 | 284.5 |
| Elk Point | Town | January 1, 1962 | 1,399 | 1,452 | −3.7% | 4.91 | 284.9 |
| Elnora | Village | July 22, 1929 | 288 | 298 | −3.4% | 1.50 | 192.0 |
| Empress | Village | February 5, 1914 | 148 | 135 | +9.6% | 1.58 | 93.7 |
| Fairview | Town | April 25, 1949 | 2,817 | 2,998 | −6.0% | 10.67 | 264.0 |
| Falher | Town | January 1, 1955 | 1,001 | 1,047 | −4.4% | 2.83 | 353.7 |
| Foremost | Village | December 31, 1950 | 630 | 541 | +16.5% | 2.13 | 295.8 |
| Forestburg | Village | August 21, 1919 | 807 | 880 | −8.3% | 4.04 | 199.8 |
| Fort Macleod | Town | March 29, 1912 | 3,297 | 2,967 | +11.1% | 22.54 | 146.3 |
| Fort Saskatchewan | City | July 1, 1985 | 27,088 | 24,169 | +12.1% | 56.50 | 479.4 |
| Fox Creek | Town | September 1, 1983 | 1,639 | 1,971 | −16.8% | 12.26 | 133.7 |
| Ghost Lake | Summer village | December 31, 1953 | 82 | 82 | 0.0% | 0.62 | 132.3 |
| Gibbons | Town | April 1, 1977 | 3,218 | 3,159 | +1.9% | 9.46 | 340.2 |
| Girouxville | Village | December 31, 1951 | 278 | 219 | +26.9% | 0.66 | 421.2 |
| Glendon | Village | January 1, 1956 | 338 | 493 | −31.4% | 1.99 | 169.8 |
| Glenwood | Village | January 1, 1961 | 272 | 316 | −13.9% | 1.37 | 198.5 |
| Golden Days | Summer village | January 1, 1965 | 248 | 160 | +55.0% | 2.13 | 116.4 |
| Grande Prairie | City | January 1, 1958 | 64,141 | 63,166 | +1.5% | 132.71 | 483.3 |
| Grandview | Summer village | January 1, 1967 | 143 | 109 | +31.2% | 0.45 | 317.8 |
| Grimshaw | Town | February 2, 1953 | 2,601 | 2,718 | −4.3% | 7.08 | 367.4 |
| Gull Lake | Summer village | September 1, 1993 | 226 | 176 | +28.4% | 0.70 | 322.9 |
| Half Moon Bay | Summer village | January 1, 1978 | 65 | 42 | +54.8% | 0.12 | 541.7 |
| Hanna | Town | April 14, 1914 | 2,394 | 2,559 | −6.4% | 8.40 | 285.0 |
| Hardisty | Town | November 9, 1910 | 548 | 554 | −1.1% | 4.50 | 121.8 |
| Hay Lakes | Village | April 17, 1928 | 456 | 495 | −7.9% | 0.59 | 772.9 |
| Heisler | Village | January 1, 1961 | 135 | 160 | −15.6% | 0.63 | 214.3 |
| High Level | Town | September 1, 1983 | 3,922 | 3,159 | +24.2% | 28.70 | 136.7 |
| High Prairie | Town | January 10, 1950 | 2,380 | 2,564 | −7.2% | 7.01 | 339.5 |
| High River | Town | February 12, 1906 | 14,324 | 13,594 | +5.4% | 22.19 | 645.5 |
| Hill Spring | Village | January 1, 1961 | 168 | 162 | +3.7% | 0.96 | 175.0 |
| Hines Creek | Village | December 31, 1951 | 335 | 346 | −3.2% | 4.88 | 68.6 |
| Hinton | Town | December 29, 1958 | 9,817 | 9,882 | −0.7% | 33.32 | 294.6 |
| Holden | Village | April 14, 1909 | 338 | 350 | −3.4% | 1.55 | 218.1 |
| Horseshoe Bay | Summer village | January 1, 1985 | 81 | 49 | +65.3% | 0.98 | 82.7 |
| Hughenden | Village | December 27, 1917 | 213 | 243 | −12.3% | 0.78 | 273.1 |
| Hussar | Village | April 20, 1928 | 164 | 190 | −13.7% | 0.70 | 234.3 |
| Innisfail | Town | November 20, 1903 | 7,985 | 7,847 | +1.8% | 19.39 | 411.8 |
| Innisfree | Village | March 11, 1911 | 187 | 193 | −3.1% | 1.00 | 187.0 |
| Irma | Village | May 30, 1912 | 477 | 521 | −8.4% | 1.32 | 361.4 |
| Irricana | Town | June 9, 2005 | 1,179 | 1,216 | −3.0% | 3.23 | 365.0 |
| Island Lake | Summer village | January 1, 1958 | 174 | 228 | −23.7% | 1.55 | 112.3 |
| Island Lake South | Summer village | January 1, 1983 | 81 | 61 | +32.8% | 0.48 | 168.8 |
| Itaska Beach | Summer village | June 30, 1953 | 30 | 23 | +30.4% | 0.26 | 115.4 |
| Jarvis Bay | Summer village | January 1, 1986 | 213 | 213 | 0.0% | 0.55 | 387.3 |
| Kapasiwin | Summer village | September 1, 1993 | 24 | 10 | +140.0% | 0.33 | 72.7 |
| Killam | Town | May 1, 1965 | 918 | 989 | −7.2% | 6.40 | 143.4 |
| Kitscoty | Village | March 22, 1911 | 852 | 925 | −7.9% | 1.51 | 564.2 |
| Lacombe | City | September 5, 2010 | 13,396 | 13,057 | +2.6% | 20.59 | 650.6 |
| Lakeview | Summer village | October 25, 1913 | 29 | 30 | −3.3% | 0.32 | 90.6 |
| Lamont | Town | May 31, 1968 | 1,744 | 1,774 | −1.7% | 9.14 | 190.8 |
| Larkspur | Summer village | January 1, 1985 | 53 | 44 | +20.5% | 0.26 | 203.8 |
| Leduc | City | September 1, 1983 | 34,094 | 29,993 | +13.7% | 42.25 | 807.0 |
| Legal | Town | January 1, 1998 | 1,232 | 1,345 | −8.4% | 3.18 | 387.4 |
| Lethbridge | City | May 9, 1906 | 98,406 | 92,729 | +6.1% | 121.12 | 812.5 |
| Linden | Village | January 1, 1964 | 704 | 828 | −15.0% | 2.55 | 276.1 |
| Lloydminster (part) | City | January 1, 1958 | 19,739 | 19,645 | +0.5% | 23.98 | 823.1 |
| Lomond | Village | February 16, 1916 | 178 | 166 | +7.2% | 1.19 | 149.6 |
| Longview | Village | January 1, 1964 | 297 | 307 | −3.3% | 1.10 | 270.0 |
| Lougheed | Village | November 7, 1911 | 225 | 256 | −12.1% | 2.00 | 112.5 |
| Magrath | Town | July 24, 1907 | 2,481 | 2,374 | +4.5% | 5.88 | 421.9 |
| Ma-Me-O Beach | Summer village | December 31, 1948 | 162 | 110 | +47.3% | 0.56 | 289.3 |
| Manning | Town | January 1, 1957 | 1,126 | 1,183 | −4.8% | 3.71 | 303.5 |
| Mannville | Village | December 29, 1906 | 765 | 828 | −7.6% | 1.64 | 466.5 |
| Marwayne | Village | December 31, 1952 | 543 | 564 | −3.7% | 1.60 | 339.4 |
| Mayerthorpe | Town | March 20, 1961 | 1,259 | 1,320 | −4.6% | 4.39 | 286.8 |
| McLennan | Town | February 11, 1948 | 695 | 701 | −0.9% | 3.58 | 194.1 |
| Medicine Hat | City | May 9, 1906 | 63,271 | 63,260 | 0.0% | 111.97 | 565.1 |
| Mewatha Beach | Summer village | January 1, 1978 | 103 | 90 | +14.4% | 0.79 | 130.4 |
| Milk River | Town | February 7, 1956 | 824 | 827 | −0.4% | 2.42 | 340.5 |
| Millet | Town | September 1, 1983 | 1,890 | 1,955 | −3.3% | 6.62 | 285.5 |
| Milo | Village | May 7, 1931 | 136 | 91 | +49.5% | 0.96 | 141.7 |
| Morinville | Town | April 21, 1911 | 10,385 | 9,848 | +5.5% | 11.15 | 931.4 |
| Morrin | Village | April 16, 1920 | 205 | 240 | −14.6% | 0.67 | 306.0 |
| Mundare | Town | January 4, 1951 | 689 | 852 | −19.1% | 4.12 | 167.2 |
| Munson | Village | May 5, 1911 | 170 | 192 | −11.5% | 2.56 | 66.4 |
| Myrnam | Village | August 22, 1930 | 257 | 339 | −24.2% | 2.75 | 93.5 |
| Nakamun Park | Summer village | January 1, 1966 | 78 | 96 | −18.7% | 0.43 | 181.4 |
| Nampa | Village | January 1, 1958 | 367 | 364 | +0.8% | 1.69 | 217.2 |
| Nanton | Town | August 9, 1907 | 2,167 | 2,181 | −0.6% | 5.11 | 424.1 |
| Nobleford | Town | February 28, 2018 | 1,438 | 1,278 | +12.5% | 1.69 | 850.9 |
| Norglenwold | Summer village | January 1, 1965 | 306 | 273 | +12.1% | 0.62 | 493.5 |
| Norris Beach | Summer village | December 31, 1988 | 71 | 38 | +86.8% | 0.19 | 373.7 |
| Okotoks | Town | June 1, 1904 | 30,405 | 29,016 | +4.8% | 38.55 | 788.7 |
| Olds | Town | July 1, 1905 | 9,209 | 9,184 | +0.3% | 14.92 | 617.2 |
| Onoway | Town | September 1, 2005 | 966 | 1,029 | −6.1% | 3.31 | 291.8 |
| Oyen | Town | September 1, 1965 | 917 | 1,001 | −8.4% | 5.15 | 178.1 |
| Paradise Valley | Village | January 1, 1964 | 153 | 179 | −14.5% | 0.63 | 242.9 |
| Parkland Beach | Summer village | January 1, 1984 | 168 | 153 | +9.8% | 0.94 | 178.7 |
| Peace River | Town | December 1, 1919 | 6,619 | 6,842 | −3.3% | 25.34 | 261.2 |
| Pelican Narrows | Summer village | July 1, 1979 | 158 | 151 | +4.6% | 0.74 | 213.5 |
| Penhold | Town | September 1, 1980 | 3,484 | 3,287 | +6.0% | 11.20 | 311.1 |
| Picture Butte | Town | January 1, 1960 | 1,930 | 1,810 | +6.6% | 3.02 | 639.1 |
| Pincher Creek | Town | May 12, 1906 | 3,622 | 3,642 | −0.5% | 9.87 | 367.0 |
| Point Alison | Summer village | December 31, 1950 | 18 | 10 | +80.0% | 0.19 | 94.7 |
| Ponoka | Town | October 15, 1904 | 7,331 | 7,229 | +1.4% | 17.22 | 425.7 |
| Poplar Bay | Summer village | January 1, 1967 | 113 | 103 | +9.7% | 0.71 | 159.2 |
| Provost | Town | December 29, 1952 | 1,900 | 1,998 | −4.9% | 4.75 | 400.0 |
| Rainbow Lake | Town | September 1, 1995 | 495 | 795 | −37.7% | 10.76 | 46.0 |
| Raymond | Town | July 1, 1903 | 4,199 | 3,713 | +13.1% | 7.63 | 550.3 |
| Red Deer | City | March 25, 1913 | 100,844 | 100,418 | +0.4% | 104.34 | 966.5 |
| Redcliff | Town | August 5, 1912 | 5,581 | 5,600 | −0.3% | 16.15 | 345.6 |
| Redwater | Town | December 31, 1950 | 2,115 | 2,053 | +3.0% | 19.93 | 106.1 |
| Rimbey | Town | December 13, 1948 | 2,470 | 2,567 | −3.8% | 11.38 | 217.0 |
| Rochon Sands | Summer village | May 17, 1929 | 97 | 86 | +12.8% | 2.03 | 47.8 |
| Rocky Mountain House | Town | August 31, 1939 | 6,765 | 6,635 | +2.0% | 13.05 | 518.4 |
| Rockyford | Village | March 28, 1919 | 395 | 316 | +25.0% | 1.04 | 379.8 |
| Rosalind | Village | January 1, 1966 | 162 | 188 | −13.8% | 0.62 | 261.3 |
| Rosemary | Village | December 31, 1951 | 370 | 396 | −6.6% | 0.59 | 627.1 |
| Ross Haven | Summer village | January 1, 1962 | 126 | 160 | −21.3% | 0.70 | 180.0 |
| Rycroft | Village | March 15, 1944 | 550 | 612 | −10.1% | 1.85 | 297.3 |
| Ryley | Village | April 2, 1910 | 484 | 483 | +0.2% | 2.53 | 191.3 |
| Sandy Beach | Summer village | January 1, 1956 | 278 | 278 | 0.0% | 2.41 | 115.4 |
| Seba Beach | Summer village | August 20, 1920 | 229 | 169 | +35.5% | 0.53 | 432.1 |
| Sedgewick | Town | May 1, 1966 | 761 | 811 | −6.2% | 2.71 | 280.8 |
| Sexsmith | Town | October 15, 1979 | 2,427 | 2,620 | −7.4% | 13.01 | 186.5 |
| Silver Beach | Summer village | December 31, 1953 | 55 | 65 | −15.4% | 0.61 | 90.2 |
| Silver Sands | Summer village | January 1, 1969 | 214 | 160 | +33.7% | 2.51 | 85.3 |
| Slave Lake | Town | August 2, 1965 | 6,836 | 6,651 | +2.8% | 14.31 | 477.7 |
| Smoky Lake | Town | February 1, 1962 | 1,127 | 964 | +16.9% | 4.26 | 264.6 |
| South Baptiste | Summer village | January 1, 1983 | 70 | 66 | +6.1% | 0.91 | 76.9 |
| South View | Summer village | January 1, 1970 | 72 | 67 | +7.5% | 0.44 | 163.6 |
| Spirit River | Town | September 18, 1951 | 849 | 995 | −14.7% | 3.11 | 273.0 |
| Spring Lake | Village | January 1, 1999 | 711 | 699 | +1.7% | 2.28 | 311.8 |
| Spruce Grove | City | March 1, 1986 | 37,645 | 34,108 | +10.4% | 37.52 | 1,003.3 |
| St. Albert | City | January 1, 1977 | 68,232 | 65,589 | +4.0% | 47.84 | 1,426.3 |
| St. Paul | Town | December 15, 1936 | 5,863 | 5,827 | +0.6% | 8.64 | 678.6 |
| Standard | Village | April 29, 1922 | 353 | 353 | 0.0% | 2.34 | 150.9 |
| Stavely | Town | May 25, 1912 | 544 | 541 | +0.6% | 1.78 | 305.6 |
| Stettler | Town | November 23, 1906 | 5,695 | 5,952 | −4.3% | 13.19 | 431.8 |
| Stirling | Village | September 3, 1901 | 1,164 | 978 | +19.0% | 2.70 | 431.1 |
| Stony Plain | Town | December 10, 1908 | 17,993 | 17,189 | +4.7% | 35.45 | 507.6 |
| Strathmore | Town | July 6, 1911 | 14,339 | 13,756 | +4.2% | 26.98 | 531.5 |
| Sunbreaker Cove | Summer village | December 31, 1990 | 131 | 81 | +61.7% | 0.47 | 278.7 |
| Sundance Beach | Summer village | January 1, 1970 | 42 | 73 | −42.5% | 0.43 | 97.7 |
| Sundre | Town | January 1, 1956 | 2,672 | 2,729 | −2.1% | 10.84 | 246.5 |
| Sunrise Beach | Summer village | December 31, 1988 | 153 | 135 | +13.3% | 1.66 | 92.2 |
| Sunset Beach | Summer village | May 1, 1977 | 55 | 49 | +12.2% | 0.87 | 63.2 |
| Sunset Point | Summer village | January 1, 1959 | 257 | 169 | +52.1% | 1.17 | 219.7 |
| Swan Hills | Town | January 1, 1967 | 1,201 | 1,301 | −7.7% | 25.87 | 46.4 |
| Sylvan Lake | Town | May 20, 1946 | 15,995 | 14,816 | +8.0% | 23.09 | 692.7 |
| Taber | Town | July 1, 1907 | 8,862 | 8,428 | +5.1% | 19.32 | 458.7 |
| Thorsby | Town | January 1, 2017 | 967 | 985 | −1.8% | 3.80 | 254.5 |
| Three Hills | Town | January 1, 1929 | 3,042 | 3,212 | −5.3% | 6.74 | 451.3 |
| Tofield | Town | September 10, 1909 | 2,045 | 2,081 | −1.7% | 8.21 | 249.1 |
| Trochu | Town | August 1, 1962 | 998 | 1,058 | −5.7% | 2.78 | 359.0 |
| Two Hills | Town | January 1, 1955 | 1,416 | 1,352 | +4.7% | 3.11 | 455.3 |
| Val Quentin | Summer village | January 1, 1966 | 158 | 252 | −37.3% | 0.29 | 544.8 |
| Valleyview | Town | February 5, 1957 | 1,673 | 1,863 | −10.2% | 9.17 | 182.4 |
| Vauxhall | Town | January 1, 1961 | 1,286 | 1,222 | +5.2% | 2.71 | 474.5 |
| Vegreville | Town | August 15, 1906 | 5,689 | 5,708 | −0.3% | 14.08 | 404.0 |
| Vermilion | Town | August 27, 1906 | 3,948 | 4,084 | −3.3% | 12.72 | 310.4 |
| Veteran | Village | June 30, 1914 | 214 | 207 | +3.4% | 0.84 | 254.8 |
| Viking | Town | November 10, 1952 | 986 | 1,083 | −9.0% | 3.45 | 285.8 |
| Vilna | Village | June 23, 1923 | 268 | 290 | −7.6% | 0.96 | 279.2 |
| Vulcan | Town | June 15, 1921 | 1,769 | 1,917 | −7.7% | 6.28 | 281.7 |
| Wainwright | Town | July 14, 1910 | 6,606 | 6,285 | +5.1% | 12.17 | 542.8 |
| Waiparous | Summer village | January 1, 1986 | 57 | 49 | +16.3% | 0.41 | 139.0 |
| Warburg | Village | December 31, 1953 | 676 | 766 | −11.7% | 2.56 | 264.1 |
| Warner | Village | November 12, 1908 | 364 | 373 | −2.4% | 1.16 | 313.8 |
| Waskatenau | Village | May 19, 1932 | 247 | 186 | +32.8% | 0.59 | 418.6 |
| Wembley | Town | August 1, 1980 | 1,432 | 1,516 | −5.5% | 4.74 | 302.1 |
| West Baptiste | Summer village | January 1, 1983 | 46 | 38 | +21.1% | 0.54 | 85.2 |
| West Cove | Summer village | January 1, 1963 | 222 | 149 | +49.0% | 1.30 | 170.8 |
| Westlock | Town | January 7, 1947 | 4,921 | 5,101 | −3.5% | 13.37 | 368.1 |
| Wetaskiwin | City | May 9, 1906 | 12,594 | 12,655 | −0.5% | 18.75 | 671.7 |
| Whispering Hills | Summer village | January 1, 1983 | 128 | 142 | −9.9% | 1.64 | 78.0 |
| White Sands | Summer village | January 1, 1980 | 174 | 120 | +45.0% | 1.61 | 108.1 |
| Whitecourt | Town | December 20, 1971 | 9,927 | 10,209 | −2.8% | 29.51 | 336.4 |
| Yellowstone | Summer village | January 1, 1965 | 117 | 137 | −14.6% | 0.28 | 417.9 |
| Youngstown | Village | December 31, 1936 | 171 | 154 | +11.0% | 1.11 | 154.1 |
| Sub-total cities | Sub-total cities | Sub-total cities | 3,023,641 | 2,838,191 | +6.5% | 2,572.21 | 1,175.5 |
| Sub-total towns | Sub-total towns | Sub-total towns | 471,028 | 455,389 | +3.4% | 1,294.84 | 363.8 |
| Sub-total villages | Sub-total villages | Sub-total villages | 32,191 | 33,176 | −3.0% | 143.71 | 224.0 |
| Sub-total summer villages | Sub-total summer villages | Sub-total summer villages | 5,955 | 5,171 | +15.2% | 38.93 | 153.0 |
| Total urban municipalities | Total urban municipalities | Total urban municipalities | 3,532,815 | 3,331,927 | +6.0% | 4,049.69 | 871.8 |
| Province of Alberta | Province of Alberta | Province of Alberta | 4,262,075 | 4,066,551 | +4.8% | 634,655.62 | 6.7 |

## Specialized municipalities

Specialized municipalities in Alberta are unique local governments. Alberta's Municipal Government Act (MGA), enacted in 2000, provides the authority to form a specialized municipality under the following scenarios:
* where the Minister of Municipal Affairs is satisfied that the other incorporated statuses under the MGA do not meet the needs of the proposed municipality's residents;
* to form a local government that, in the opinion of the Minister of Municipal Affairs, will provide for the orderly development of the municipality in a similar fashion to the other incorporated statuses within the MGA, including other previously incorporated specialized municipalities; or
* for any other circumstances that are deemed appropriate by the Minister of Municipal Affairs.
Alberta has six specialized municipalities, which are recognized as census subdivisions by Statistics Canada. In the 2021 Census of Population, they had a cumulative population of 202,461, a total land area of 155,463.32 km$^2$ (60,024.72 sq mi). These totals represent 5% of Alberta's population yet 24.5% of its land area.
The province's largest and smallest specialized municipalities by population are Strathcona County and the Municipality of Jasper with 99,225 and 4,738 respectively, while its largest and smallest by land area are Mackenzie County and the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass with 79,629.26 km$^2$ (30,745.03 sq mi) and 370.15 km$^2$ (142.92 sq mi) respectively. Lac La Biche County is Alberta's newest specialized municipality, which was formed on January 1, 2018. Alberta's first specialized municipality was the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, which formed on April 1, 1995.
Strathcona County and the Regional Municipality (RM) of Wood Buffalo are home to the unincorporated hamlets of Sherwood Park and Fort McMurray respectively. These communities are designated urban service areas, which are deemed equivalents of cities. Excluding Sherwood Park and Fort McMurray, 18 other unincorporated communities, also recognized as hamlets by Alberta Municipal Affairs, are distributed among Mackenzie County, Strathcona County and the RM of Wood Buffalo.
List of specialized municipalities in Alberta :
| Name | Region | Incorporation date (specialized municipality) | Council size | Municipal census population (year) | 2021 Census of Population | 2021 Census of Population | 2021 Census of Population | 2021 Census of Population | 2021 Census of Population |
| Name | Region | Incorporation date (specialized municipality) | Council size | Municipal census population (year) | Population (2021) | Population (2016) | Change (%) | Land area (km$^2$) | Population density (/km$^2$) |
| Crowsnest Pass, Municipality of | Southern Alberta | January 16, 2008 | 7 | | 5,695 | 5,589 | +1.9% | 370.15 | 15.4 |
| Jasper, Municipality of | Alberta's Rockies | July 20, 2001 | 7 | 4,584 (2011) | 4,738 | 4,590 | +3.2% | 921.90 | 5.1 |
| Lac La Biche County | Northern Alberta | January 1, 2018 | 9 | 8,544 (2016) | 7,673 | 8,330 | −7.9% | 12,527.48 | 0.6 |
| Mackenzie County | Northern Alberta | June 23, 1999 | 10 | 11,750 (2015) | 12,804 | 11,171 | +14.6% | 79,629.26 | 0.2 |
| Strathcona County | Edmonton Metro | January 1, 1996 | 9 | 95,597 (2015) | 99,225 | 98,044 | +1.2% | 1,170.65 | 84.8 |
| Wood Buffalo, Regional Municipality of | Northern Alberta | April 1, 1995 | 11 | 81,948 (2015) | 72,326 | 71,589 | +1.0% | 60,843.88 | 1.2 |
| Total specialized municipalities | Total specialized municipalities | — | 53 | — | 202,461 | 199,298 | +1.6% | 155,463.32 | 1.3 |
| Province of Alberta | Province of Alberta | — | — | —| | 4,262,635 | 4,067,175 | +4.8% | 634,658.27 | 6.7 |

## Rural municipalities

Rural municipalities in Alberta include municipal districts, improvement districts and special areas. For federal census purposes, Statistics Canada recognizes all three rural municipality types as census subdivisions. However, Statistics Canada embeds Alberta's eight Metis settlements, a separate type of municipality, into the census subdivisions for six municipal districts.
Combined, Alberta has 73 rural municipalities comprising 63 municipal districts, 7 improvement districts and 3 special areas. The 73 rural municipalities have a total population of 481,120, a total land area of 468,246.83 km$^2$ (180,791.11 sq mi). These totals represent 11% of Alberta's population yet 73.8% of its land area.

### Municipal districts

In Alberta, a municipal district, typically branded as a county, is a type of rural municipality. 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 m$^2$ (19,900 sq ft).
Alberta has 63 municipal districts that had a cumulative population of 471,182 in the 2021 Census of Population. 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 km$^2$ (12,712.62 sq mi) and 679.86 km$^2$ (262.50 sq mi) respectively. 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.

### Improvement districts

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. Improvement districts are administered by the province of Alberta through its Ministry of Municipal Affairs.
Alberta had eight improvement districts that had a cumulative population of 2,024 in the 2021 Census of Population. 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. Five of Alberta's improvement districts are within national parks while two are within provincial parks. 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 km$^2$ (12,762.14 sq mi). ID No. 13 (Elk Island), ID No. 12 (Jasper National Park) and ID No. 25 (Willmore Wilderness) are unpopulated, while its smallest by land area is ID No. 13 (Elk Island) at 165.00 km$^2$ (63.71 sq mi). 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).

### Special areas

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. 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.
Alberta has three special areas that had a cumulative population of 4,238 in the 2021 Census of Populations. The province's largest by population and land area is Special Area (SA) No. 2 with 1,860 and 9,195.06 km$^2$ (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 km$^2$ (1,660.16 sq mi). 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. 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.

### List of rural municipalities

List of rural municipalities in Alberta :
| Name | Status | Incorporation date (current status) | 2021 Census of Population | 2021 Census of Population | 2021 Census of Population | 2021 Census of Population | 2021 Census of Population |
| Name | Status | Incorporation date (current status) | Population (2021) | Population (2016) | Change (%) | Land area (km$^2$) | Population density (/km$^2$) |
| AcadiaMD of Acadia No. 34 | Municipal district | December 9, 1913 | 494 | 493 | +0.2% | 1,070.92 | 0.5 |
| Athabasca County | Municipal district | January 1, 1947 | 6,959 | 7,869 | −11.6% | 6,111.30 | 1.1 |
| BarrheadCounty of Barrhead No. 11 | Municipal district | January 1, 1955 | 5,877 | 6,288 | −6.5% | 2,385.28 | 2.5 |
| Beaver County | Municipal district | February 1, 1943 | 5,868 | 5,905 | −0.6% | 3,219.74 | 1.8 |
| Big Lakes County | Municipal district | January 1, 1995 | 3,664 | 3,780 | −3.1% | 12,259.29 | 0.3 |
| BighornMD of Bighorn No. 8 | Municipal district | January 1, 1988 | 1,598 | 1,324 | +20.7% | 2,678.80 | 0.6 |
| Birch Hills County | Municipal district | January 1, 1995 | 1,516 | 1,553 | −2.4% | 2,848.75 | 0.5 |
| BonnyvilleMD of Bonnyville No. 87 | Municipal district | January 1, 1955 | 12,912 | 12,745 | +1.3% | 11,631.87 | 1.1 |
| Brazeau County | Municipal district | July 1, 1988 | 7,179 | 7,771 | −7.6% | 3,000.14 | 2.4 |
| Camrose County | Municipal district | January 1, 1944 | 8,504 | 8,660 | −1.8% | 3,291.75 | 2.6 |
| Cardston County | Municipal district | January 1, 1954 | 4,856 | 4,481 | +8.4% | 3,358.39 | 1.4 |
| Clear Hills County | Municipal district | January 1, 1995 | 3,006 | 3,018 | −0.4% | 15,025.54 | 0.2 |
| Clearwater County | Municipal district | January 1, 1985 | 12,335 | 12,459 | −1.0% | 18,607.75 | 0.7 |
| Cypress County | Municipal district | January 1, 1985 | 7,524 | 7,662 | −1.8% | 12,977.99 | 0.6 |
| FairviewMD of Fairview No. 136 | Municipal district | December 9, 1914 | 1,580 | 1,604 | −1.5% | 1,373.66 | 1.2 |
| Flagstaff County | Municipal district | January 1, 1944 | 3,694 | 3,728 | −0.9% | 3,959.78 | 0.9 |
| Foothills County | Municipal district | January 1, 1954 | 23,199 | 22,616 | +2.6% | 3,604.76 | 6.4 |
| Forty MileCounty of Forty Mile No. 8 | Municipal district | January 1, 1954 | 3,471 | 3,581 | −3.1% | 7,163.61 | 0.5 |
| Grande PrairieCounty of Grande Prairie No. 1 | Municipal district | December 21, 1943 | 23,769 | 22,502 | +5.6% | 5,790.59 | 4.1 |
| GreenviewMD of Greenview No. 16 | Municipal district | January 1, 1994 | 8,584 | 9,154 | −6.2% | 32,925.53 | 0.3 |
| ID04Improvement District No. 4 | Improvement district | January 1, 1944 | 158 | 105 | +50.5% | 482.54 | 0.3 |
| ID09Improvement District No. 9 | Improvement district | April 1, 1945 | 1,004 | 1,028 | −2.3% | 6,751.09 | 0.1 |
| ID12Improvement District No. 12 | Improvement district | April 1, 1945 | 0 | 53 | −100.0% | 10,118.55 | 0.0 |
| ID13Improvement District No. 13 | Improvement district | April 1, 1958 | 0 | 0 | NA | 165.00 | 0.0 |
| ID24Improvement District No. 24 | Improvement district | January 1, 1967 | 706 | 648 | +9.0% | 33,053.78 | 0.0 |
| ID25Improvement District No. 25 | Improvement district | January 2, 1994 | 0 | 0 | NA | 4,601.52 | 0.0 |
| Kananaskis Improvement District | Improvement district | January 1, 1983 | 156 | 221 | −29.4% | 4,203.24 | 0.0 |
| Kneehill County | Municipal district | January 1, 1944 | 4,992 | 5,001 | −0.2% | 3,373.40 | 1.5 |
| Lac Ste. Anne County | Municipal district | January 1, 1944 | 10,832 | 10,899 | −0.6% | 2,845.84 | 3.8 |
| Lacombe County | Municipal district | January 1, 1944 | 10,283 | 10,343 | −0.6% | 2,759.12 | 3.7 |
| Lamont County | Municipal district | January 1, 1944 | 3,754 | 3,884 | −3.3% | 2,385.58 | 1.6 |
| Leduc County | Municipal district | January 1, 1944 | 14,416 | 13,177 | +9.4% | 2,502.59 | 5.8 |
| Lesser Slave RiverMD of Lesser Slave River No. 124 | Municipal district | January 1, 1995 | 2,861 | 2,803 | +2.1% | 10,041.79 | 0.3 |
| Lethbridge County | Municipal district | January 1, 1954 | 10,120 | 10,237 | −1.1% | 2,815.66 | 3.6 |
| MinburnCounty of Minburn No. 27 | Municipal district | January 30, 1942 | 3,014 | 3,188 | −5.5% | 2,850.37 | 1.1 |
| Mountain View County | Municipal district | January 1, 1944 | 12,981 | 13,074 | −0.7% | 3,763.42 | 3.4 |
| NewellCounty of Newell | Municipal district | January 1, 1953 | 7,465 | 7,524 | −0.8% | 5,810.15 | 1.3 |
| Northern LightsCounty of Northern Lights | Municipal district | January 1, 1995 | 3,601 | 3,656 | −1.5% | 18,900.57 | 0.2 |
| Northern Sunrise County | Municipal district | April 1, 1994 | 1,711 | 1,921 | −10.9% | 20,914.35 | 0.1 |
| OpportunityMD of Opportunity No. 17 | Municipal district | August 1, 1995 | 3,382 | 3,253 | +4.0% | 28,857.88 | 0.1 |
| PaintearthCounty of Paintearth No. 18 | Municipal district | January 1, 1944 | 2,082 | 2,214 | −6.0% | 3,240.19 | 0.6 |
| Parkland County | Municipal district | January 1, 1969 | 32,205 | 32,737 | −1.6% | 2,375.67 | 13.6 |
| PeaceMD of Peace No. 135 | Municipal district | December 11, 1916 | 1,581 | 1,752 | −9.8% | 847.22 | 1.9 |
| Pincher CreekMD of Pincher Creek No. 9 | Municipal district | January 1, 1944 | 3,240 | 2,965 | +9.3% | 3,455.75 | 0.9 |
| Ponoka County | Municipal district | January 1, 1952 | 9,998 | 9,806 | +2.0% | 2,807.99 | 3.6 |
| ProvostMD of Provost No. 52 | Municipal district | March 1, 1943 | 2,071 | 2,205 | −6.1% | 3,571.12 | 0.6 |
| RanchlandMD of Ranchland No. 66 | Municipal district | January 1, 1995 | 110 | 92 | +19.6% | 2,636.75 | 0.0 |
| Red Deer County | Municipal district | January 1, 1944 | 19,933 | 19,531 | +2.1% | 3,919.25 | 5.1 |
| Rocky View County | Municipal district | January 1, 1955 | 41,028 | 39,407 | +4.1% | 3,828.85 | 10.7 |
| Saddle Hills County | Municipal district | January 1, 1995 | 2,338 | 2,225 | +5.1% | 5,827.70 | 0.4 |
| Smoky Lake County | Municipal district | March 1, 1943 | 2,939 | 3,145 | −6.6% | 2,265.41 | 1.3 |
| Smoky RiverMD of Smoky River No. 130 | Municipal district | January 1, 1952 | 1,684 | 2,006 | −16.1% | 2,834.18 | 0.6 |
| Special Area No. 2 | Special area | April 7, 1959 | 1,860 | 1,905 | −2.4% | 9,195.06 | 0.2 |
| Special Area No. 3 | Special area | April 7, 1959 | 1,142 | 1,153 | −1.0% | 6,469.33 | 0.2 |
| Special Area No. 4 | Special area | January 1, 1969 | 1,236 | 1,237 | −0.1% | 4,299.80 | 0.3 |
| Spirit RiverMD of Spirit River No. 133 | Municipal district | December 11, 1916 | 649 | 700 | −7.3% | 679.86 | 1.0 |
| St. PaulCounty of St. Paul No. 19 | Municipal district | January 30, 1942 | 6,306 | 6,036 | +4.5% | 3,280.40 | 1.9 |
| Starland County | Municipal district | February 1, 1943 | 1,821 | 2,066 | −11.9% | 2,540.85 | 0.7 |
| StettlerCounty of Stettler No. 6 | Municipal district | March 1, 1943 | 5,666 | 5,566 | +1.8% | 3,969.65 | 1.4 |
| Sturgeon County | Municipal district | January 1, 1955 | 20,061 | 20,495 | −2.1% | 2,084.24 | 9.6 |
| TaberMD of Taber | Municipal district | January 1, 1954 | 7,447 | 7,098 | +4.9% | 4,160.47 | 1.8 |
| Thorhild County | Municipal district | January 1, 1955 | 3,042 | 3,254 | −6.5% | 1,997.17 | 1.5 |
| Two HillsCounty of Two Hills No. 21 | Municipal district | January 1, 1944 | 3,412 | 3,641 | −6.3% | 2,600.15 | 1.3 |
| Vermilion RiverCounty of Vermilion River | Municipal district | January 1, 1944 | 7,994 | 8,453 | −5.4% | 5,420.13 | 1.5 |
| Vulcan County | Municipal district | January 1, 1951 | 4,237 | 3,984 | +6.4% | 5,356.65 | 0.8 |
| WainwrightMD of Wainwright No. 61 | Municipal district | January 30, 1942 | 4,276 | 4,464 | −4.2% | 4,095.29 | 1.0 |
| WarnerCounty of Warner No. 5 | Municipal district | January 1, 1954 | 4,290 | 3,942 | +8.8% | 4,462.20 | 1.0 |
| Westlock County | Municipal district | February 1, 1943 | 7,186 | 7,220 | −0.5% | 3,169.66 | 2.3 |
| WetaskiwinCounty of Wetaskiwin No. 10 | Municipal district | February 1, 1943 | 11,212 | 11,176 | +0.3% | 3,121.98 | 3.6 |
| Wheatland County | Municipal district | January 1, 1955 | 8,738 | 8,788 | −0.6% | 4,505.05 | 1.9 |
| Willow CreekMD of Willow Creek No. 26 | Municipal district | January 1, 1954 | 6,081 | 5,575 | +9.1% | 4,485.05 | 1.4 |
| Woodlands County | Municipal district | January 1, 1994 | 4,558 | 4,744 | −3.9% | 7,599.52 | 0.6 |
| Yellowhead County | Municipal district | January 1, 1994 | 10,426 | 10,995 | −5.2% | 22,238.56 | 0.5 |
| Sub-total municipal districts | Sub-total municipal districts | Sub-total municipal districts | 471,182 | 470,928 | +0.1% | 383,880.77 | 1.2 |
| Sub-total improvement districts | Sub-total improvement districts | Sub-total improvement districts | 2,024 | 2,055 | −1.5% | 59,375.72 | 0.0 |
| Sub-total special areas | Sub-total special areas | Sub-total special areas | 4,238 | 4,295 | −1.3% | 19,964.19 | 0.2 |
| Total rural municipalities | Total rural municipalities | Total rural municipalities | 481,682 | 482,136 | −0.1% | 468,249.48 | 1.0 |
| Province of Alberta | Province of Alberta | Province of Alberta | 4,262,635 | 4,067,175 | +4.8% | 634,658.27 | 6.7 |

## Metis settlements

Metis settlements are unique local governments dedicated to Alberta's Metis people. The settlements were originally created in 1938 under the authority of the Metis Population Betterment Act with land and governance being transferred to the settlements in 1989. Metis settlements are presently under the jurisdiction of the Metis Settlements Act, which was enacted in 2000.
Alberta has eight Metis settlements. Unlike the other types of municipalities, Metis settlements are not recognized as census subdivisions by Statistics Canada for federal census purposes. Rather, Statistics Canada recognizes them as designated places embedded within six municipal districts.
Alberta's eight Metis settlements had a cumulative population of 4,238 in the 2021 Census of Population. The province's largest and smallest Metis settlements by population are Kikino and East Prairie with 978 and 310 respectively, while the largest and smallest by land area are Paddle Prairie and Elizabeth at 1,726.45 km$^2$ (666.59 sq mi) and 246.45 km$^2$ (95.15 sq mi) respectively.