List of specialized municipalities in Alberta

Specialized municipalities of Alberta
Location	Province of Alberta
Number	6
Populations	4,590 (Jasper) – 98,044 (Strathcona)
Areas	371.44 km² (Crowsnest Pass) – 80,458.19 km² (Mackenzie)
Government	Municipal government

A specialized municipality is a unique type of municipal status in the Canadian province of Alberta. These unique local governments are formed without the creation of special legislation,^[1] and typically allow for the coexistence of urban and rural areas within the jurisdiction of a single municipal government.^[2]

Specialized municipalities may be formed under the authority of Section 83 of the Municipal Government Act (MGA) under one of three of the following 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 proposed 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 similarly to the other incorporated statuses within the MGA, including other previously incorporated specialized municipalities;
• for any other circumstances that are deemed appropriate by the Minister of AMA.^[3]

Applications for specialized municipality status are approved via orders in council made by the lieutenant governor in council under recommendation from the Minister of AMA.^[3]

Alberta has six specialized municipalities that had a cumulative population of 178,598 and an average population of 35,720 in the 2011 Census.^[4] Alberta's largest and smallest specialized municipalities are the Strathcona County and the Municipality of Jasper with populations of 92,490 and 4,051 respectively.^[4]

44 elected officials (five mayors, one reeve and 39 councillors) provide specialized municipality governance throughout the province.^[5]