Newfoundland and Labrador is the ninth-most populous province in Canada, with 510,550 residents recorded in the 2021 Canadian Census, and is the seventh-largest in land area, with 358,170 km² (138,290 sq mi).^[1] Newfoundland and Labrador has 278 municipalities, including 3 cities, 270 towns, and 5 Inuit community governments, which cover only 2.3% of the province's land mass but are home to 90% of its population.^[2]

The towns were created by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador in accordance with the Municipalities Act, 1999, whereas the three cities were each incorporated under their own provincial statutes.^[3] Inuit community governments were created in accordance with the 2005 Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement Act.^[4] These acts grant the power to enact local bylaws and the responsibility to provide local government services.^[3]

St. John's is Newfoundland and Labrador's capital and largest municipality by population and land area.^[2] Little Bay Islands is its smallest municipality by population, and Brent's Cove is the smallest municipality by land area.^[2]

Newfoundland and Labrador has three cities that had a total population of 152,335 in the 2021 Canadian Census.^[2] The provincial capital of St. John's is the largest city by population and land area, with 110,525 residents and 446.02 km² (172.21 sq mi).^[2] Corner Brook is the smallest city by population in the province, with 19,333 residents. Mount Pearl is the smallest by land area, with 15.65 km² (6.04 sq mi).^[2]

The three cities are governed under their own provincial legislation – the City of St. John's Act, the City of Mount Pearl Act, and the City of Corner Brook Act. These acts give them the power to enact local bylaws and the responsibility to provide local government services.^[5][6][7]

The Municipalities Act, 1999 is the legislation enabling the Lieutenant-Governor in Council to incorporate, amalgamate, and disorganize towns in Newfoundland and Labrador upon recommendation by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Environment.^[3] It also provides opportunities for towns to annex areas, and establish or alter their boundaries.^[3] The prerequisite to undertake these actions is the preparation of a feasibility report, which includes a requirement for a public hearing.^[3]

Newfoundland and Labrador has 270 towns that had a total population of 304,895 in the 2021 Canadian Census.^[2] Fifteen of those towns are in Labrador.^[8] Newfoundland and Labrador's largest town by population is Conception Bay South with 27,168 residents and the largest by land area is Baie Verte with 371.37 km² (143.39 sq mi). Little Bay Islands is its smallest town by population with zero residents, and Brent's Cove is the smallest town by land area with 1.02 km² (0.39 sq mi).^[2] The province's newest town is George's Brook-Milton, which incorporated on May 8, 2018.^[9]

Newfoundland and Labrador has five Inuit community governments that had a total population of 2,323 in the 2021 Canadian Census.^[2] The largest Inuit community government in the province by population and land area is Nain with 847 residents and 93.50 km² (36.10 sq mi).^[2] Postville is the smallest Inuit community government by population in the province with 188 residents, while Hopedale is the smallest by land area with 2.18 km² (0.84 sq mi).^[2]

All five Inuit community governments are within Nunatsiavut, the Inuit Land Claims Area of Labrador.^[4] The five Inuit community governments were formed in 2005 with the signing of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement. The agreement granted them powers similar to other types of municipal governments in the province such as the establishment of a local government, municipal parks and recreation, public libraries, and public advertising. Each community elects at-large a council comprising an angajukkak (mayor) and Inuit community councillors.^[4]

• St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador's capital and largest city
• Corner Brook, the province's smallest city
• Paradise, a suburb of St. John's

• List of census agglomerations in Atlantic Canada
• List of communities in Newfoundland and Labrador
• List of designated places in Newfoundland and Labrador
• List of population centres in Newfoundland and Labrador