The Cantons of Ecuador are the second-level subdivisions of Ecuador , below the provinces . There are 221 cantons in the country,[ 1] of which three are not in any province[clarification needed ] . The cantons are further sub-divided into parishes , which are classified as either urban or rural. Below is a list of cantons by province.
Cantons of Ecuador
Canton
Pop. (2001)
Area (km2 )
Seat/Capital
Camilo Ponce Enríquez
Camilo Ponce Enríquez
Chordeleg
10,859
105
Chordeleg
Cuenca
417,632
3,086
Cuenca
El Pan
3,075
132
El Pan
Girón
12,583
347
Girón
Guachapala
3,125
41
Guachapala
Gualaceo
38,587
347
Gualaceo
Nabón
15,121
636
Nabón
Oña
3,231
295
Oña
Paute
23,106
267
Paute
Pucará
20,382
848
Pucará
San Fernando
3,961
142
San Fernando
Santa Isabel
18,015
781
Santa Isabel
Sevilla de Oro
5,234
314
Sevilla de Oro
Sígsig
24,635
657
Sígsig
Canton
Pop. (2001)
Area (km2 )
Seat/Capital
Alausí
42,823
1,644
Alausí
Chambo
10,541
163
Chambo
Chunchi
12,474
273
Chunchi
Colta
44,701
829
Cajabamba (also known as Villa la Unión )
Cumandá
9,395
159
Cumandá
Guamote
35,210
1,216
Guamote
Guano
37,888
460
Guano
Pallatanga
10,800
377
Pallatanga
Penipe
6,485
370
Penipe
Riobamba
193,315
980
Riobamba
Canton
Pop. (2001)
Area (km2 )
Seat/Capital
La Maná
32,115
647
La Maná
Latacunga
143,979
1,377
Latacunga
Pangua
19,877
715
El Corazón
Pujilí
60,728
1,289
Pujilí
Salcedo
51,304
484
San Miguel
Saquisilí
20,815
206
Saquisilí
Sigchos
20,722
1,267
Sigchos
Canton
Pop. (2001)
Area (km2 )
Seat/Capital
Arenillas
22,477
803
Arenillas
Atahualpa
5,479
278
Paccha
Balsas
5,348
69
Balsas
Chilla
2,665
328
Chilla
El Guabo
41,078
603
El Guabo
Huaquillas
40,285
72
Huaquillas
Las Lajas
4,781
297
La Victoria
Machala
217,696
338
Machala
Marcabelí
4,930
147
Marcabelí
Pasaje
62,959
452
Pasaje
Piñas
23,246
615
Piñas
Portovelo
11,024
282
Portovelo
Santa Rosa
60,388
889
Santa Rosa
Zaruma
23,407
645
Zaruma
Canton
Pop. (2001)
Area (km2 )
Seat/Capital
Atacames
30,267
511
Atacames
Eloy Alfaro
33,403
4,302
Valdez
Esmeraldas
157,792
1,351
Esmeraldas
Muisne
25,080
1,265
Muisne
Quinindé
88,337
3,855
Rosa Zárate (also known as Quinindé )
Río Verde
22,164
1,506
Rio Verde
San Lorenzo
28,180
3,106
San Lorenzo
Canton
Pop. (2001)
Area (km2 )
Seat/Capital
Alfredo Baquerizo Moreno (Jujan)
19,982
216
Alfredo Baquerizo Moreno (also known as Jujan )
Balao
17,262
465
Balao
Balzar (San Jacinto de Balzar)
48,470
1,173
Balzar
Colimes
21,049
758
Colimes
Coronel Marcelino Maridueña
11,054
255
Coronel Marcelino Maridueña
Daule
85,148
462
Daule
Durán
178,714
339
Durán
El Empalme
64,789
711
El Empalme (also known as Velasco Ibarra)
El Triunfo
34,117
389
El Triunfo
General Antonio Elizalde (Bucay)
8,696
152
General Antonio Elizalde (also known as Bucay)
Guayaquil
2,039,789
5,237
Guayaquil
Isidro Ayora
8,226
492
Isidro Ayora
Lomas de Sargentillo
14,194
67
Lomas de Sargentillo
Milagro
140,103
401
Milagro
Naranjal
53,482
2,015
Naranjal
Naranjito
31,756
226
Naranjito
Nobol
14,753
128
Nobol (also known as Narcisa de Jesús )
Palestina
14,067
194
Palestina
Pedro Carbo
36,711
927
Pedro Carbo
Playas (General Villamil Playas)
30,045
269
Playas (also known as General Villamil Playas )
Salitre (was Urbina Jado )
50,379
390
El Salitre
Samborondón
45,476
388
Samborondón
Santa Lucía
33,868
348
Santa Lucía
Simón Bolívar
20,385
289
Simón Bolívar
Yaguachi
47,630
512
Yaguachi (San Jacinto de Yaguachi)
Canton
Pop. (2001)
Pop. (2010)
Area (km2 )
Seat/Capital
Antonio Ante
36,053
43,518
81
Atuntaqui
Cotacachi
37,215
40,036
1,726
Cotacachi
Ibarra
153,256
181,175
1,093
Ibarra
Otavalo
90,188
104,874
500
Otavalo
Pimampiro
12,951
12,970
437
Pimampiro
San Miguel de Urcuquí
14,381
15,671
779
Urcuquí
Canton
Pop. (2001)
Area (km2 )
Seat/Capital
Calvas
27,604
839
Cariamanga
Catamayo
27,000
646
Catamayo
Celica
13,358
518
Celica
Chaguarpamba
7,898
311
Chaguarpamba
Espíndola
15,750
514
Amaluza (Espíndola)
Gonzanamá
14,987
693
Gonzanamá
Loja
175,077
1,881
Loja
Macará
18,350
575
Macará
Olmedo
5,707
112
Olmedo
Paltas
24,703
1,145
Catacocha
Pindal
7,351
200
Pindal
Puyango
15,505
634
Alamor
Quilanga
4,582
235
Quilanga
Saraguro
28,029
1,075
Saraguro
Sozoranga
7,994
410
Sozoranga
Zapotillo
10,940
1,209
Zapotillo
Canton
Pop. (2001)
Area (km2 )
Seat/Capital
Baba
35,185
516
Baba
Babahoyo
132,824
1,076
Babahoyo
Buena Fe
47,361
569
San Jacinto de Buena Fe
Mocache
33,481
562
Mocache
Montalvo
20,067
362
Montalvo
Palenque
20,658
570
Palenque
Pueblo Viejo
29,420
338
Puebloviejo
Quevedo
139,790
303
Quevedo
Quinsaloma
Quinsaloma
Urdaneta
25,812
377
Catarama
Valencia
32,870
980
Valencia
Ventanas
71,145
806
Ventanas
Vinces
61,565
693
Vinces
Canton
Pop. (2001)
Area (km2 )
Seat/Capital
Bolívar
35,627
537
Calceta
Chone
117,634
3,017
Chone
El Carmen
69,998
1,245
El Carmen
Flavio Alfaro
25,390
1,343
Flavio Alfaro
Jama
20,230
575
Jama
Jaramijó
11,967
97
Jaramijó
Jipijapa
65,796
1,401
Jipijapa
Junín
18,491
246
Junín
Manta
192,322
309
Manta
Montecristi
43,400
734
Montecristi
Olmedo
9,243
253
Olmedo
Paján
35,952
1,079
Paján
Pedernales
46,876
1,932
Pedernales
Pichincha
29,945
1,067
Pichincha
Portoviejo
238,430
955
Portoviejo
Puerto López
16,626
420
Puerto López
Rocafuerte
29,321
280
Rocafuerte
San Vicente
19,116
718
San Vicente
Santa Ana
45,287
1,022
Santa Ana
Sucre
52,158
764
Bahía de Caráquez
Tosagua
33,922
377
Tosagua
Veinticuatro de Mayo
28,294
524
Sucre
Canton
Pop. (2001)
Area (km2 )
Seat/Capital
Gualaquiza
15,288
2,203
Gualaquiza
Huamboya
5,965
653
Huamboya
Limón Indanza
10,192
2,101
General Leonidas Plaza Gutiérrez
Logroño
4,621
1,218
Logroño
Morona
31,379
5,095
Macas
Pablo Sexto
1,188
1,371
Pablo Sexto
Palora
6,317
1,436
Palora
San Juan Bosco
3,131
1,047
San Juan Bosco
Santiago de Méndez (Santiago)
9,841
1,691
Santiago de Méndez (Santiago)
Sucúa
14,412
893
Sucúa
Taisha
13,078
6,090
Taisha
Tiwintza
Santiago
Canton
Pop. (2001)
Area (km2 )
Seat/Capital
Cayambe
69,800
1,189
Cayambe
Mejía
62,888
1,476
Machachi
Pedro Moncayo
25,863
336
Tabacundo
Pedro Vicente Maldonado
9,965
620
Pedro Vicente Maldonado
Puerto Quito
17,100
683
Puerto Quito
Quito
1,839,853
4,183
Quito
Rumiñahui
65,882
139
Sangolquí
San Miguel de Los Bancos
10,717
839
San Miguel de los Bancos
Canton
Pop. (2001)
Area (km2 )
Seat/Capital
Cascales
7,409
1,248
El Dorado de Cascales
Cuyabeno
6,643
3875
Tarapoa
Gonzalo Pizarro
6,964
2,223
Lumbaqui
Lago Agrio
66,788
3,139
Nueva Loja (Lago Agrio)
Putumayo
6,171
3,559
Puerto Carmen
Shushufindi
32,184
2,463
Shushufindi
Sucumbíos
2,836
1,502
La Bonita
Canton
Pop. (2001)
Area (km2 )
Seat/Capital
Ambato
287,282
1,009
Ambato (San Juan de Ambato)
Baños
16,112
1,065
Baños de Agua Santa (Baños de Agua Santa)
Cevallos
6,873
19
Cevallos
Mocha
6,371
86
Mocha
Patate
11,771
315
Patate
Pelileo
48,988
202
Pelileo (San Pedro de Pelileo)
Píllaro
34,925
443
Píllaro (Santiago de Píllaro)
Quero
18,187
173
Quero (Santiago de Quero)
Tisaleo
10,525
59
Tisaleo
Canton
Pop. (2001)
Area (km2 )
Seat/Capital
Centinela del Cóndor
7,230
519
Zumbi
Chinchipe
8,495
1,194
Zumba
El Pangui
7,441
614
El Pangui
Nangaritza
4,797
2,096
Guayzimi (Nangaritza)
Palanda
7,066
1,925
Palanda
Paquisha
Paquisha
Yacuambi
5,229
1,242
Yacuambi
Yantzaza
14,552
990
Yantzaza
Zamora
21,791
1,876
Zamora
There are or were four areas that are non-delimited. These locations are:
Las Golondrinas : In a referendum held on April 3, 2016, 56.9% of voters voted in favor of Las Golondrinas being incorporated into the Imbabura Province.[ 2]
La Manga del Cura : In a referendum held on September 27, 2015, 64.2% of the voters voted in favor of La Manga del Cura being incorporated into the Manabí Province.[ 3]
El Piedrero (surrounded by Guayas and Cañar)
Matilde Esther (surrounded by Los Ríos, Guayas and Bolívar)
In each canton there is a jefe político , chosen by, and representing the interests of, the president . There is also a mayor (alcalde ) and a municipal council (concejo municipal ), chosen by popular vote.