Canada >>  Provinces >> Cities

Ontario Cities
Jeff Hitchcock from Seattle, WA, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Top Cities in Ontario 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 about the Population of Ontario

List of Top 100 Cities

More than 28 Cities in Ontario have populations above 100,000. Only 2 cities have a million plus population. Toronto with 2.8 million inhabitants, is the most populated city followed by Ottawa and Mississauga.

Let’s have a look at the List of the Top 100 cities/ towns in Ontario

#City/TownTypePopulation 2021
1Toronto City2,761,285
2Ottawa City1,000,940
3Mississauga City – LT712,825
4Brampton City – LT650,160
5Hamilton City560,920
6London City – LT416,265
7Markham City – LT337,250
8Vaughan City – LT321,315
9Kitchener City – LT254,145
10Windsor City – LT226,465
11Oakville Town212,055
12Richmond Hill Town200,930
13Burlington City – LT183,960
14Oshawa City – LT174,010
15Greater Sudbury / Grand Sudbury CV163,030
16Barrie City – LT145,390
17Guelph City – LT141,830
18Cambridge City – LT137,120
19Whitby Town136,665
20St. Catharines City – LT134,335
21Milton Town131,430
22Kingston City – LT129,110
23Ajax Town126,250
24Waterloo City – LT118,390
25Thunder Bay City – LT106,645
26Brantford City – LT103,205
27Chatham-Kent Municipality101,765
28Clarington Municipality100,730
29Pickering City – LT98,580
30Niagara Falls City – LT92,665
31Newmarket Town86,615
32Peterborough City – LT81,600
33Kawartha Lakes City – LT77230
34Caledon Town76090
35Sarnia City – LT70930
36Sault Ste. Marie City – LT70735
37Norfolk County City – LT66225
38Halton Hills Town62325
39Aurora Town61395
40Welland City – LT54980
41Belleville City – LT53795
42North Bay City – LT51460
43Whitchurch-Stouffville Town49425
44Haldimand County City – LT48565
45Georgina Town47130
46Cornwall City – LT46340
47Quinte West City – LT45975
48Woodstock City – LT45950
49New Tecumseth Town43460
50Innisfil Town43200
51Bradford West Gwillimbury Town42335
52St. Thomas City – LT42110
53Timmins City – LT40310
54Lakeshore Town40225
55Brant City – LT38695
56East Gwillimbury Town34125
57Fort Erie Town32500
58Stratford City – LT32485
59LaSalle Town32475
60Orillia City – LT32270
61Centre Wellington Township30645
62Orangeville Town29690
63Grimsby Town28570
64Leamington Municipality28175
65King Township27205
66Woolwich Township26605
67Clarence-Rockland City25950
68Prince Edward County City – LT25190
69Lincoln Town24940
70Wasaga Beach Town24585
71Collingwood Town24275
72Strathroy-Caradoc Municipality23545
73Thorold City – LT23530
74Amherstburg Town23305
75Tecumseh Town23010
76Oro-Medonte Township22955
77Essa Township22790
78Springwater Township21560
79Brockville City – LT21520
80Uxbridge Township21405
81Scugog Township21280
82Wilmot Township21245
83Kingsville Town21190
84Owen Sound City – LT20825
85Huntsville Town20730
86Essex Town20660
87South Frontenac Township20140
88Cobourg Town19780
89Russell Township19435
90Port Colborne City – LT19405
91Middlesex Centre Municipality18730
92Niagara-on-the-Lake Town18465
93Selwyn Township18455
94Tillsonburg Town18295
95Pelham Town17810
96North Grenville Municipality17805
97Midland Town17390
98Petawawa Town17295
99Loyalist Township16895
100Port Hope Municipality16890

Source: Canada Census 2020

read about Race and Ethnicity in Canada

Top Metropolitan Areas in Ontario

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). 

Let’s have a look at the List of Metropolitan Areas

# Census metropolitan areasPop. 2021
1Toronto 6,142,885
2Ottawa – Gatineau1,464,495
3Hamilton 773,440
4Kitchener – Cambridge – Waterloo 568,065
5London 535,780
6St. Catharines – Niagara 425,480
7Windsor 415,505
8Oshawa 411,405
9Barrie 210,150
10Kingston 168,075
11Greater Sudbury 167,615
12Guelph 163,485
13Brantford 141,905
14Peterborough 125,995
15Thunder Bay 120,960
16Belleville – Quinte West 109,245

Source: Canada Census 2021

read about Race and Ethnicity in Canada

Top Cities in Ontario by Population 2024 | List of Metro Areas