The cantons of Ecuador are the second-level subdivisions of Ecuador, below the provinces. The cantons are further subdivided into parishes, which are classified as either urban or rural.

As of 2025, there are 222 cantons in the country. The most recently created cantons are Sevilla Don Bosco in Morona Santiago Province in 2024; and La Concordia in Esmeraldas Province in 2007, although in 2013 La Concordia was transferred to Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas Province.

Below is a list of cantons by province. All populations are as of the 2022 census, with the exception of the canton of Sevilla Don Bosco, as it did not exist at the time.

Azuay Province (15 cantons) Canton Pop. (2022) Area (km2) Seat/Capital Camilo Ponce Enríquez 22,810 214 Camilo Ponce Enríquez Chordeleg 12,197 104 Chordeleg Cuenca 596,101 3,195 Cuenca El Pan 2,776 139 El Pan Girón 12,182 343 Girón Guachapala 3,586 41 Guachapala Gualaceo 43,188 346 Gualaceo Nabón 14,776 632 Nabón Oña 3,422 290 Oña Paute 26,782 268 Paute Pucará 9,693 639 Pucará San Fernando 3,738 143 San Fernando Santa Isabel 20,753 827 Santa Isabel Sevilla de Oro 4,613 315 Sevilla de Oro Sígsig 24,992 677 Sígsig

Bolívar Province (7 cantons) Canton Pop. (2022) Area (km2) Seat/Capital Caluma 15,607 176 Caluma Chillanes 19,802 670 Chillanes Chimbo 15,524 270 Chimbo Echeandía 14,654 245 Echeandía Guaranda 98,130 1,860 Guaranda Las Naves 7,012 150 Las Naves San Miguel 28,349 586 San Miguel

Cañar Province (7 cantons) Canton Pop. (2022) Area (km2) Seat/Capital Azogues 74,515 954 Azogues Biblián 18,852 182 Biblián Cañar 52,150 1,954 Cañar Déleg 6,046 74 Déleg El Tambo 9,285 63 El Tambo La Troncal 62,103 367 La Troncal Suscal 4,627 53 Suscal

Carchi Province (6 cantons) Canton Pop. (2022) Area (km2) Seat/Capital Bolívar 15,677 360 Bolívar Espejo 14,522 568 El Ángel Mira 12,727 584 Mira Montúfar 29,590 381 San Gabriel San Pedro de Huaca 7,937 76 Huaca Tulcán 92,375 1,815 Tulcán

Chimborazo Province (10 cantons) Canton Pop. (2022) Area (km2) Seat/Capital Alausí 37,275 1,289 Alausí Chambo 13,431 166 Chambo Chunchi 10,635 273 Chunchi Colta 30,468 820 Cajabamba (also known as Villa la Unión) Cumandá 16,602 159 Cumandá Guamote 35,769 1,194 Guamote Guano 48,327 465 Guano Pallatanga 11,796 380 Pallatanga Penipe 6,748 371 Penipe Riobamba 260,882 999 Riobamba

Cotopaxi Province (7 cantons) Canton Pop. (2022) Area (km2) Seat/Capital La Maná 53,793 661 La Maná Latacunga 217,261 1,496 Latacunga Pangua 21,867 720 El Corazón Pujilí 66,980 1,329 Pujilí Salcedo 67,493 469 San Miguel Saquisilí 24,356 156 Saquisilí Sigchos 18,460 1,358 Sigchos

El Oro Province (14 cantons) Canton Pop. (2022) Area (km2) Seat/Capital Arenillas 32,366 787 Arenillas Atahualpa 6,112 282 Paccha Balsas 7,875 69 Balsas Chilla 2,251 332 Chilla El Guabo 59,536 580 El Guabo Huaquillas 56,303 99 Huaquillas Las Lajas 5,738 299 La Victoria Machala 306,309 372 Machala Marcabelí 6,870 148 Marcabelí Pasaje 83,597 456 Pasaje Piñas 29,406 614 Piñas Portovelo 13,556 284 Portovelo Santa Rosa 80,299 896 Santa Rosa Zaruma 24,374 652 Zaruma

Esmeraldas Province (7 cantons) Canton Pop. (2022) Area (km2) Seat/Capital Atacames 51,204 510 Atacames Eloy Alfaro 46,305 4,480 Valdez Esmeraldas 211,848 1,346 Esmeraldas Muisne 36,426 1,266 Muisne Quinindé 126,841 3,621 Rosa Zárate (also known as Quinindé) Río Verde 32,885 1,513 Rio Verde San Lorenzo 48,391 3,099 San Lorenzo

Galápagos Province (3 cantons) Canton Pop. (2022) Area (km2) Seat/Capital Isabela 3,050 5,528 Puerto Villamil San Cristóbal 8,300 850 Puerto Baquerizo Moreno Santa Cruz 17,233 1,855 Puerto Ayora

Guayas Province (25 cantons) Canton Pop. (2022) Area (km2) Seat/Capital Alfredo Baquerizo Moreno (Jujan) 25,526 228 Alfredo Baquerizo Moreno (also known as Jujan) Balao 25,655 439 Balao Balzar 57,829 1,176 Balzar Colimes 26,251 757 Colimes Coronel Marcelino Maridueña 13,183 254 Coronel Marcelino Maridueña Daule 222,446 511 Daule Durán 303,910 342 Durán El Empalme 79,767 649 El Empalme El Triunfo 60,541 560 El Triunfo General Antonio Elizalde 11,810 141 General Antonio Elizalde Guayaquil 2,746,403 4,491 Guayaquil Isidro Ayora 14,305 492 Isidro Ayora Lomas de Sargentillo 22,254 72 Lomas de Sargentillo Milagro 195,943 399 Milagro Naranjal 83,691 1,702 Naranjal Naranjito 44,169 231 Naranjito Nobol 23,850 135 Nobol (also known as Narcisa de Jesús) Palestina 18,019 186 Palestina Pedro Carbo 52,177 941 Pedro Carbo Playas (General Villamil Playas) 58,768 270 Playas (also known as General Villamil Playas) Salitre 61,060 393 El Salitre Samborondón 98,540 344 Samborondón Santa Lucía 43,700 365 Santa Lucía Simón Bolívar 29,427 290 Simón Bolívar Yaguachi 72,699 531 Yaguachi (San Jacinto de Yaguachi)

Imbabura Province (6 cantons) Canton Pop. (2022) Area (km2) Seat/Capital Antonio Ante 53,771 80 Atuntaqui Cotacachi 53,001 1,865 Cotacachi Ibarra 217,469 1,139 Ibarra Otavalo 114,303 531 Otavalo Pimampiro 13,366 440 Pimampiro San Miguel de Urcuquí 17,969 736 Urcuquí

Loja Province (16 cantons) Canton Pop. (2022) Area (km2) Seat/Capital Calvas 26,042 851 Cariamanga Catamayo 35,240 652 Catamayo Celica 14,379 522 Celica Chaguarpamba 6,857 313 Chaguarpamba Espíndola 14,119 516 Amaluza (Espíndola) Gonzanamá 12,247 682 Gonzanamá Loja 250,028 1,891 Loja Macará 18,215 573 Macará Olmedo 4,164 114 Olmedo Paltas 22,841 1,156 Catacocha Pindal 10,409 202 Pindal Puyango 16,257 637 Alamor Quilanga 3,971 237 Quilanga Saraguro 29,111 1,085 Saraguro Sozoranga 6,970 422 Sozoranga Zapotillo 14,571 1,212 Zapotillo

Los Ríos Province (13 cantons) Canton Pop. (2022) Area (km2) Seat/Capital Baba 45,296 515 Baba Babahoyo 178,509 1,071 Babahoyo Buena Fe 74,410 581 San Jacinto de Buena Fe Mocache 42,026 566 Mocache Montalvo 28,354 355 Montalvo Palenque 24,838 569 Palenque Pueblo Viejo 40,961 334 Puebloviejo Quevedo 206,008 379 Quevedo Quinsaloma 19,470 289 Quinsaloma Urdaneta 33,151 385 Catarama Valencia 51,509 970 Valencia Ventanas 73,211 513 Ventanas Vinces 80,909 711 Vinces

Manabí Province (22 cantons) Canton Pop. (2022) Area (km2) Seat/Capital Bolívar 41,827 524 Calceta Chone 128,166 3,062 Chone El Carmen 120,936 1,741 El Carmen Flavio Alfaro 26,415 1,347 Flavio Alfaro Jama 16,588 568 Jama Jaramijó 29,759 97 Jaramijó Jipijapa 78,117 1,476 Jipijapa Junín 22,324 267 Junín Manta 271,145 290 Manta Montecristi 99,937 705 Montecristi Olmedo 10,090 257 Olmedo Paján 41,879 1,100 Paján Pedernales 70,408 1,969 Pedernales Pichincha 30,380 1,075 Pichincha Portoviejo 322,925 957 Portoviejo Puerto López 25,630 429 Puerto López Rocafuerte 42,688 279 Rocafuerte San Vicente 24,997 737 San Vicente Santa Ana 51,462 1,019 Santa Ana Sucre 62,841 693 Bahía de Caráquez Tosagua 42,853 381 Tosagua Veinticuatro de Mayo 31,473 546 Sucre

Morona-Santiago Province (13 cantons) Canton Pop. (2022) Area (km2) Seat/Capital Gualaquiza 21,892 2,160 Gualaquiza Huamboya 10,830 656 Huamboya Limón Indanza 9,602 1,831 General Leonidas Plaza Gutiérrez Logroño 7,484 1,179 Logroño Morona 54,935 4,368 Macas Pablo Sexto 2,267 1,389 Pablo Sexto Palora 11,882 1,451 Palora San Juan Bosco 4,372 1,090 San Juan Bosco Santiago de Méndez 9,755 1,368 Santiago de Méndez Sevilla Don Bosco - - Sevilla Don Bosco Sucúa 23,504 1,196 Sucúa Taisha 26,700 6,135 Taisha Tiwintza 9,285 1,181 Santiago

Napo Province (5 cantons) Canton Pop. (2022) Area (km2) Seat/Capital Archidona 30,488 3,057 Archidona Carlos Julio Arosemena Tola 4,647 501 Carlos Julio Arosemena Tola El Chaco 9,252 3,485 El Chaco Quijos 6,472 1,591 Baeza Tena 80,816 3,908 Tena

Orellana Province (4 cantons) Canton Pop. (2022) Area (km2) Seat/Capital Aguarico 6,872 11,294 Nueva Rocafuerte Francisco de Orellana 95,130 7,083 Puerto Francisco de Orellana (also known as Coca) Joya de los Sachas 52,444 1,202 La Joya de los Sachas Loreto 27,720 2,151 Loreto

Pastaza Province (4 cantons) Canton Pop. (2022) Area (km2) Seat/Capital Arajuno 9,553 8,859 Arajuno Mera 15,087 531 Mera Pastaza 82,754 19,944 Puyo Santa Clara 4,521 313 Santa Clara

Pichincha Province (8 cantons) Canton Pop. (2022) Area (km2) Seat/Capital Cayambe 105,267 1,201 Cayambe Mejía 101,894 1,411 Machachi Pedro Moncayo 40,483 335 Tabacundo Pedro Vicente Maldonado 15,475 619 Pedro Vicente Maldonado Puerto Quito 25,067 696 Puerto Quito Quito 2,679,722 4,201 Quito Rumiñahui 107,904 135 Sangolquí San Miguel de Los Bancos 13,661 855 San Miguel de los Bancos

Santa Elena Province (3 cantons) Canton Pop. (2022) Area (km2) Seat/Capital La Libertad 112,247 25 La Libertad Salinas 86,801 68 Salinas Santa Elena 186,687 3,595 Santa Elena

Santo Domingo de Los Tsáchilas Province (2 cantons) Canton Pop. (2022) Area (km2) Seat/Capital La Concordia 51,386 324 La Concordia Santo Domingo de los Colorados 441,583 3,455 Santo Domingo de los Colorados

Sucumbíos Province (7 cantons) Canton Pop. (2022) Area (km2) Seat/Capital Cascales 11,744 1,262 El Dorado de Cascales Cuyabeno 8,852 3,865 Tarapoa Gonzalo Pizarro 10,356 2,245 Lumbaqui Lago Agrio 105,044 3,151 Nueva Loja (Lago Agrio) Putumayo 9,018 3,551 Puerto Carmen Shushufindi 50,826 2,506 Shushufindi Sucumbíos 3,174 1,517 La Bonita

Tungurahua Province (9 cantons) Canton Pop. (2022) Area (km2) Seat/Capital Ambato 370,664 1,022 Ambato Baños 21,908 1,068 Baños de Agua Santa Cevallos 10,433 19 Cevallos Mocha 7,260 85 Mocha Patate 13,879 293 Patate Pelileo 63,897 200 Pelileo (San Pedro de Pelileo) Píllaro 42,497 470 Píllaro (Santiago de Píllaro) Quero 19,084 169 Quero Tisaleo 13,910 60 Tisaleo

Zamora-Chinchipe Province (9 cantons) Canton Pop. (2022) Area (km2) Seat/Capital Centinela del Cóndor 7,882 260 Zumbi Chinchipe 10,337 1,102 Zumba El Pangui 12,768 632 El Pangui Nangaritza 6,429 2,021 Guayzimi (Nangaritza) Palanda 8,873 2,042 Palanda Paquisha 4,737 339 Paquisha Yacuambi 6,391 1,253 Yacuambi Yantzaza 23,370 1,014 Yantzaza Zamora 30,186 1,901 Zamora

Non-delimited areas Four areas in Ecuador previously did not belong to any province. These were: 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. 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. El Piedrero and Matilde Esther: incorporated into Guayas Province by presidential decree in 2017.

Authorities 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.

See also Provinces of Ecuador

References