The Northwest Territories of Canada contains 33 official communities.[1]
The following are communities recognised by the Government of the Northwest Territories. All of them are also recognized as census subdivisions by Statistics Canada.
| Name[2] | Former name/date of change | Translation | Governance | Municipality[3] | Administrative region | Census division | Population 2016[4] | % change from 2011 | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aklavik | barren-ground grizzly place | Hamlet | Yes | Inuvik | Region 1 | 590 | −6.8% | 68.2189°N -135.0086°W | |
| Behchokǫ̀ | Rae Edzo, August 4, 2005 | Mbehcho's place | Self government, Community Government of Behchokö (Tlicho) | Yes | North Slave | Region 3 | 1,874 | −2.7% | 62.8025°N -116.0464°W |
| Colville Lake | K'áhbamñtúé; ptarmigan net place | Designated Authority, Behdzi Ahda First Nation, settlement | No | Sahtu | Region 2 | 129 | −13.4% | 67.0383°N -126.0922°W | |
| Délı̨nę | Fort Franklin, June 1, 1993 | where the waters flow | Self government, Deline Got’ine Government, Charter Community | Yes | Sahtu | Region 2 | 533 | 12.9% | 65.1867°N -123.4217°W |
| Dettah | burnt point | Designated Authority, Yellowknives Dene First Nation (Dettah), settlement | No | North Slave | Region 6 | 219 | 4.3% | 62.4114°N -114.3075°W | |
| Enterprise | Hamlet | Yes | South Slave | Region 5 | 106 | 7.1% | 60.5567°N -116.1428°W | ||
| Fort Good Hope | Fort Hope, unknown | Rádeyı̨lı̨kóé; rapids place | Charter Community. K'asho Got'ine Charter Community | Yes | Sahtu | Region 2 | 516 | 0.2% | 66.2586°N -128.6286°W |
| Fort Liard | Echaot'l Koe; people from the land of the giants | Hamlet | Yes | Dehcho | Region 4 | 500 | −6.7% | 60.2408°N -123.4697°W | |
| Fort McPherson | Teet'lit Zhen; at the head of the waters place | Hamlet | Yes | Inuvik | Region 1 | 700 | −11.6% | 67.4353°N -134.8819°W | |
| Fort Providence | Zhahti Koe; mission house | Hamlet | Yes | South Slave | Region 4 | 695 | −5.3% | 61.3547°N -117.66°W | |
| Fort Resolution | Deninoo Kue; moose island | Hamlet | Yes | South Slave | Region 5 | 470 | −0.8% | 61.1717°N -113.6717°W | |
| Fort Simpson | Liidlii Kue; place where rivers come together | Village | Yes | Dehcho | Region 4 | 1,202 | 0.9% | 61.8631°N -121.355°W | |
| Fort Smith | Thebacha; beside the rapids | Town | Yes | South Slave | Region 5 | 2,542 | 1.8% | 60.0053°N -111.8906°W | |
| Gamèti | Rae Lakes, August 4, 2005 | rabbit net place | Self government, Community Government of Gametì, (Tlicho) | Yes | North Slave | Region 3 | 278 | 9.9% | 64.1122°N -117.3536°W |
| Hay River | Xátå'odehchee; Hay River | Town | Yes | South Slave | Region 5 | 3,528 | −2.2% | 60.8331°N -115.7778°W | |
| Inuvik | place of man | Town | Yes | Inuvik | Region 1 | 3,243 | −6.4% | 68.3617°N -133.7306°W | |
| Jean Marie River | Tthedzehk'edeli; water flowing over clay | Designated Authority, TthedzehKʼedeli First Nation, settlement | No | Dehcho | Region 4 | 77 | 20.3% | 61.5258°N -120.6272°W | |
| Kakisa | K’agee; between the willows | Designated Authority, Ka'a'gee Tu First Nation, settlement | No | South Slave | Region 4 | 36 | −20.0% | 60.94°N -117.4142°W | |
| Kátł’odeeche (Hay River Reserve, Hay River Dene 1) | Xátå'odehchee; Hay River | Designated Authority, K'atlodeeche First Nation, Indian reserve | No | South Slave | Region 4 | 309 | 5.8% | 60.8336°N -115.7658°W | |
| Łutselk'e | Snowdrift, July 1, 1992 | place of the Łutsel, a type of small fish | Designated Authority, Łutsel K’e Dene First Nation, settlement | No | North Slave | Region 5 | 303 | 2.7% | 62.4053°N -110.7394°W |
| Nahanni Butte | Tthenáágó; strong rock | Designated Authority, Nahanni Butte Dene Band, settlement | No | Dehcho | Region 4 | 87 | −14.7% | 61.0339°N -123.3806°W | |
| Norman Wells | Tåegõhtî; where there is oil | Town | Yes | Sahtu | Region 2 | 778 | 7.0% | 65.2831°N -126.8494°W | |
| Paulatuk | Paulatuuq; place of coal | Hamlet | Yes | Inuvik | Region 1 | 313 | 6.5% | 69.3514°N -124.0694°W | |
| Sachs Harbour | Ikahuak; place to which you cross | Hamlet | Yes | Inuvik | Region 1 | 103 | −8.0% | 71.9856°N -125.2481°W | |
| Sambaa Kʼe | Trout Lake, June 21, 2016 | Place of trout | Designated Authority, Sambaa Kʼe Dene Band, settlement | No | Dehcho | Region 4 | 88 | −4.3% | 60.4425°N -121.2453°W |
| Tsiigehtchic | Arctic Red River, April 1, 1994 | mouth of the iron river | Charter Community | Yes | Inuvik | Region 1 | 172 | 20.3% | 67.4406°N -133.7453°W |
| Tuktoyaktuk | Port Brabant, 1950[5] | looks like a caribou | Hamlet | Yes | Inuvik | Region 1 | 898 | 4.2% | 69.4428°N -133.0311°W |
| Tulita | Fort Norman, January 1, 1996 | where the waters meet | Hamlet | Yes | Sahtu | Region 2 | 477 | −0.2% | 64.9003°N -125.5775°W |
| Ulukhaktok | Holman, April 1, 2006 | where there is material for ulus | Hamlet | Yes | Inuvik | Region 1 | 396 | −1.5% | 70.7364°N -117.7681°W |
| Wekweètì | Snare Lakes, November 1, 1998 | rock lake | Self government, Community Government of Wekweètì (Tlicho) | Yes | North Slave | Region 3 | 129 | −8.5% | 64.1903°N -114.1828°W |
| Whatì | Lac La Martre, January 1, 1996 | marten lake | Self government, Community Government of Whatì (Tlicho) | Yes | North Slave | Region 3 | 470 | −4.5% | 63.1444°N -117.2728°W |
| Wrigley | Pedzéh Kñ; clay place | Designated Authority, Pehdzeh Ki First Nation, settlement | No | Dehcho | Region 4 | 119 | −10.5% | 63.2281°N -123.47°W | |
| Yellowknife | Sömbak'è; money place | City | Yes | North Slave | Region 6 | 19,569 | 1.7% | 62.4422°N -114.3975°W | |
Ndilǫ, (formerly Rainbow Valley, until 1991) part of the Akaitcho Territory Government, and represented by the Yellowknives Dene First Nation. It is located at 62.4778°N -114.3342°W on Latham Island, Yellowknife.[6]
| Community name | Translation | Governance | Administrative region | Census division | Population 2016 | % change from 2006 | Location |
| Reliance | Settlement | South Slave | Region 5 | 0 | −100.0% | ||
| Salt Plains 195 | Indian reserve | South Slave | Region 5 | 0 | unchanged | 60.1047°N -112.2397°W | |
See main article: List of ghost towns in the Northwest Territories.
| Regional populations (Census division) | |||||
| Region 1 | 8 communities | 6,372 | Region 1, Unorganized | 5 | |
| Region 2 | 5 communities | 2,433 | Region 2, Unorganized | 0 | |
| Region 3 | 4 communities | 2,751 | Region 3, Unorganized | 0 | |
| Region 4 | 9 communities | 3,160 | Region 4, Unorganized | 47 | |
| Region 5 | 7 communities | 6,980 | Region 5, Unorganized | 31 | |
| Region 6 | 2 communities | 20,090 | Region 6, Unorganized | 302 |
| Regional populations (administrative divisions) | |||
| Dehcho Region | 6 communities | 2,203 | |
| Inuvik Region | 8 communities | 6,698 | |
| North Slave Region | 8 communities | 22,239 | |
| Sahtu Region | 5 communities | 2,474 | |
| South Slave Region | 7 communities | 7,681 |