Top Cities in Ontario by Population (2026)

Overview of Ontario's Largest Cities by Population

Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, is home to a diverse array of vibrant and culturally rich cities. It’s the most populous province in Canada with 14,223,942 residents as of 2021 and is third-largest in land area. Almost 40% percent of the country’s population lives in Ontario. Toronto, the Capital and most populated city is a bustling metropolis with a population of over 2.8 million, renowned for its cultural vibrancy and economic significance.

Ottawa, the nation’s capital, accommodates around 1 million residents and serves as a political and administrative hub. Along the Great Lakes, cities like Hamilton, with over 560,920 residents, have transformed from industrial centers to more diversified economies. The multicultural enclave of Mississauga boasts a population of over 712,000, and other cities like Thunder Bay and London contribute to the province’s dynamic urban landscape.

👉 Also read: Population of Ontario

Key Highlights of Ontario’s Largest Cities

More than 28 Cities in Ontario have populations above 100,000. Only two cities have populations of one million or more in the 2021 Census: Toronto and Ottawa. Mississauga, while large, has less than 800,000 residents.

Population Rankings of Ontario Cities and Towns

Ontario municipalities include various types such as cities, towns, and regional municipalities. These distinctions are based on local governance, not population size.

#	City/Town	Type	Population 2021
1	Toronto	City	2,761,285
2	Ottawa	City	1,000,940
3	Mississauga	City – LT	712,825
4	Brampton	City – LT	650,160
5	Hamilton	City	560,920
6	London	City – LT	416,265
7	Markham	City – LT	337,250
8	Vaughan	City – LT	321,315
9	Kitchener	City – LT	254,145
10	Windsor	City – LT	226,465
11	Oakville	Town	212,055
12	Richmond Hill	Town	200,930
13	Burlington	City – LT	183,960
14	Oshawa	City – LT	174,010
15	Greater Sudbury / Grand Sudbury	CV	163,030
16	Barrie	City – LT	145,390
17	Guelph	City – LT	141,830
18	Cambridge	City – LT	137,120
19	Whitby	Town	136,665
20	St. Catharines	City – LT	134,335
21	Milton	Town	131,430
22	Kingston	City – LT	129,110
23	Ajax	Town	126,250
24	Waterloo	City – LT	118,390
25	Thunder Bay	City – LT	106,645
26	Brantford	City – LT	103,205
27	Chatham-Kent	Municipality	101,765
28	Clarington	Municipality	100,730
29	Pickering	City – LT	98,580
30	Niagara Falls	City – LT	92,665
31	Newmarket	Town	86,615
32	Peterborough	City – LT	81,600
33	Kawartha Lakes	City – LT	77230
34	Caledon	Town	76090
35	Sarnia	City – LT	70930
36	Sault Ste. Marie	City – LT	70735
37	Norfolk County	City – LT	66225
38	Halton Hills	Town	62325
39	Aurora	Town	61395
40	Welland	City – LT	54980
41	Belleville	City – LT	53795
42	North Bay	City – LT	51460
43	Whitchurch-Stouffville	Town	49425
44	Haldimand County	City – LT	48565
45	Georgina	Town	47130
46	Cornwall	City – LT	46340
47	Quinte West	City – LT	45975
48	Woodstock	City – LT	45950
49	New Tecumseth	Town	43460
50	Innisfil	Town	43200
51	Bradford West Gwillimbury	Town	42335
52	St. Thomas	City – LT	42110
53	Timmins	City – LT	40310
54	Lakeshore	Town	40225
55	Brant	City – LT	38695
56	East Gwillimbury	Town	34125
57	Fort Erie	Town	32500
58	Stratford	City – LT	32485
59	LaSalle	Town	32475
60	Orillia	City – LT	32270
61	Centre Wellington	Township	30645
62	Orangeville	Town	29690
63	Grimsby	Town	28570
64	Leamington	Municipality	28175
65	King	Township	27205
66	Woolwich	Township	26605
67	Clarence-Rockland	City	25950
68	Prince Edward County	City – LT	25190
69	Lincoln	Town	24940
70	Wasaga Beach	Town	24585
71	Collingwood	Town	24275
72	Strathroy-Caradoc	Municipality	23545
73	Thorold	City – LT	23530
74	Amherstburg	Town	23305
75	Tecumseh	Town	23010
76	Oro-Medonte	Township	22955
77	Essa	Township	22790
78	Springwater	Township	21560
79	Brockville	City – LT	21520
80	Uxbridge	Township	21405
81	Scugog	Township	21280
82	Wilmot	Township	21245
83	Kingsville	Town	21190
84	Owen Sound	City – LT	20825
85	Huntsville	Town	20730
86	Essex	Town	20660
87	South Frontenac	Township	20140
88	Cobourg	Town	19780
89	Russell	Township	19435
90	Port Colborne	City – LT	19405
91	Middlesex Centre	Municipality	18730
92	Niagara-on-the-Lake	Town	18465
93	Selwyn	Township	18455
94	Tillsonburg	Town	18295
95	Pelham	Town	17810
96	North Grenville	Municipality	17805
97	Midland	Town	17390
98	Petawawa	Town	17295
99	Loyalist	Township	16895
100	Port Hope	Municipality	16890

Data Source: Statistics Canada — Census 2021

Also read: Race and Ethnicity in Canada

Largest Metropolitan Areas in Ontario by Population (2026)

What Is a Census Metropolitan Area (CMA)?

A Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) in Canada is a large urban region consisting of a core city and its surrounding municipalities that are closely linked by commuting and economic activity. A CMA must have a total population of at least 100,000, with 50,000 or more in the core city, as defined by Statistics Canada.

In the 2021 Census, there are a total of 16 designated Census Metropolitan Area. Toronto holds the highest population with 6.1 million inhabitants, followed by Ottawa (1.4 million) and Hamilton (0.8 million).

Population of Ontario’s Metropolitan Areas

#	Census metropolitan areas	Pop. 2021
1	Toronto	6,142,885
2	Ottawa – Gatineau	1,464,495
3	Hamilton	773,440
4	Kitchener – Cambridge – Waterloo	568,065
5	London	535,780
6	St. Catharines – Niagara	425,480
7	Windsor	415,505
8	Oshawa	411,405
9	Barrie	210,150
10	Kingston	168,075
11	Greater Sudbury	167,615
12	Guelph	163,485
13	Brantford	141,905
14	Peterborough	125,995
15	Thunder Bay	120,960
16	Belleville – Quinte West	109,245

Source: Canada Census 2021

Also read: Top Cities in Canada

Sources

All population data is sourced from official Canadian and international statistical agencies:

Top Cities in Ontario by Population (2026) | Largest Cities & Metro Areas

America Demografia

Top Cities in Ontario by Population (2026) | Largest Cities & Metro Areas

Overview of Ontario's Largest Cities by Population