{{Short description|County in Prince Edward Island, Canada}} {{About|Prince Edward Island county|the Canadian federal political riding|Prince County (electoral district)}} {{Use Canadian English|date=December 2025}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2025}} {{Infobox settlement | name = Prince County<br /><small>Comté de Prince (French)</small> | settlement_type = County | image_map = Prince Edward Island Prince County.svg | map_caption = Location of Prince County in Prince Edward Island | subdivision_type = Incorporated Towns & Municipalities | subdivision_name = Summerside (city) Alberton (town)<br>Borden-Carleton (town) Kensington (town) O'Leary (town)<br>Tignish (town) | subdivision_type1 = Parishes | subdivision_name1 = North Parish<br>Egmont Parish<br>Halifax Parish<br>Richmond Parish<br>St. David's Parish | parts_type = Townships and royalties<!-- defaults to: Boroughs --> | parts_style = coll<!-- list, coll (collapsed list), para (paragraph format) --> | parts = <!-- parts text, or header for parts list --> | p1 = Prince Royalty, Lot 1, Lot 2, Lot 3, Lot 4, Lot 5, Lot 6, Lot 7, Lot 8, Lot 9, Lot 10, Lot 11, Lot 12, Lot 13, Lot 14, Lot 15, Lot 16, Lot 17, Lot 18, Lot 19, Lot 25, Lot 26, Lot 27, Lot 28 | p2 = | area_total_km2 = 1979.21 | area_footnotes = <ref name="census2016"/> | population_footnotes = <ref name="census2016">{{cite web |title=Census Profile, 2016 Census: Prince, County [Census division], Prince Edward Island | date=8 February 2017 |url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CD&Code1=1103&Geo2=PR&Code2=11&SearchText=Prince&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&TABID=1&type=0 |publisher=Statistics Canada |access-date=October 10, 2019}}</ref> | population_total = 46,234 | population_as_of = 2021 | population_density_km2 = auto | blank_name_sec1 = Median income/capita | blank_info_sec1 = $30,609 }} '''Prince County''' is located in western Prince Edward Island, Canada. The county's defining geographic feature is Malpeque Bay, a sub-basin of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, which creates the narrowest portion of Prince Edward Island's landmass, an isthmus upon which the city of Summerside is located.
The geographic division created by Malpeque Bay is informally augmented by a socio-economic division between the more urban '''East Prince''' and rural '''West Prince''', although the line of division generally varies. Much of Prince Edward Island's industrial base is concentrated in the eastern part of the county, with three large frozen French fry manufacturing plants, a potato chip manufacturing plant, and an aerospace industry located at a former air force base. Industrial farming for root crops such as potatoes accounts for the majority of rural economic activity, followed by fishing for shellfish such as lobster and crab.
The county was named by Capt. Samuel Holland in 1765 for George, Prince of Wales, who would later become King George IV (1762–1830). As such, Prince County's shire town was designated as Princetown, but the inferior harbour for Prince Royalty saw the settlement pattern change to give this honour to Summerside.
== History == The area today known as Prince County was first inhabited by the Mi’kmaq of Epikwik. The French would later colonise the area and between 1728 and 1758 many settled in the area between Malpeque Bay and Bedeque Bay. In 1758 the British captured Prince Edward Island and began to expel most of the Acadians; however British control over Prince County was tenuous and many of the Acadians were able to escape.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ROUSSEAU DE VILLEJOUIN (Villejoin, Villejoint), GABRIEL |url=http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio.php?id_nbr=2153 |access-date=2025-12-20 |website=Dictionary of Canadian Biography}}</ref>
When the British were formally given control of Prince Edward Island in 1763 they began to establish feudal land divisions. Prince County was established in 1764 in honour of George, Prince of Wales, by Surveyor-General of North America Samuel Holland who would later in the 1767 Land Lottery be awarded Lot 28 in Prince County. According to the survey the Shire Town of Prince County was Originally intended to be ‘Princetown’ however due the poor status of its harbour the status was instead awarded to Summerside.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Samuel Holland, Canada's first Surveyor-General |url=https://www.lowensteyn.com/Samuel_Holland/index.html |access-date=2025-12-20 |website=www.lowensteyn.com}}</ref>
During the Second World War Prince County became a hub of military activity, several military bases were established during this time, Canadian Armed Forces Base Summerside, an airport and bombing-gunnery school at Mount Pleasant, an emergency landing strip and hangar at Wellington and a RADAR base in Tignish. Other locations like search and rescue stations at Alberton South and Tignish Run, and target areas at Higgins Wharf and on Hog Island.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Prince Countys forgotten military past {{!}} Island Archives |url=https://islandarchives.ca/islandora/object/vre:islemag-batch2-8 |access-date=2025-12-20 |website=islandarchives.ca}}</ref>
== Demographics == {{stack|{{Historical populations |title = Historical populations |type = Canada |align = right |width = |state = Prince Edward Island |shading = |percentages = |footnote = <ref name="2011 census">{{cite web|title=Census Profile - Prince, CTY, Prince Edward Island (Census division)|url=http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2011/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CD&Code1=1103&Geo2=PR&Code2=11&Data=Count&SearchText=prince&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=&TABID=1|publisher=Canada 2011 Census. Statistics Canada|access-date=24 June 2014|year=2011}}</ref><ref name="2006 census">{{cite web|title=Census Profile - Prince County, Prince Edward Island (Census Division)|url=http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/prof/92-591/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CD&Code1=1103&Geo2=PR&Code2=11&Data=Count&SearchText=Prince&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=|publisher=Canada 2006 Census. Statistics Canada|access-date=24 June 2014|year=2006}}</ref><ref name="2001 census">{{cite web|title=Community profile - Prince County, Prince Edward Island (County)|url=http://www12.statcan.ca/english/profil01/CP01/Details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CD&Code1=1103&Geo2=PR&Code2=11&Data=Count&SearchText=kings&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All|publisher=Canada 2001 Census. Statistics Canada|access-date=24 June 2014|year=2001}}</ref><ref name="1996 census">{{cite web|title=Electronic Area Profiles - Prince County Prince Edward Island|url=http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census96/data/profiles/Index-eng.cfm|publisher=Canada 1996 Census. Statistics Canada|access-date=24 June 2014|year=1996}}</ref><ref name="census2016"/><ref name="1941census">{{Cite report |author=Dominion Bureau of Statistics |editor-last=Cudmore |editor-first=S. A. |title=Eighth Census of Canada 1941 |year=1944 |publisher=Edmond Cloutier, Printer to the King's Most Excellent Majesty |volume=II: Population by Local Subdivisions |page=55}}</ref> |1871|28302 |1881|34347 |1891|36470 |1901|35400 |1911|32779 |1921|31520 |1931|31500 |1941|34490 |1991|43241 |1996|44566 |2001|44495 |2006|44499 |2011|44348 |2016|43730 }}}}
As a census division in the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Prince County had a population of {{val|46234|fmt=commas}} living in {{val|19660|fmt=commas}} of its {{val|22776|fmt=commas}} total private dwellings, a change of {{percentage|{{#expr:46234-43910}}|43910|1}} from its 2016 population of {{val|43910|fmt=commas}}. With a land area of {{convert|2006.27|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}, it had a population density of {{Pop density|46234|2006.27|km2|sqmi|prec=1}} in 2021.<ref name=2021census>{{cite web | url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810000701 | title=Population and dwelling counts: Canada and census divisions | publisher=Statistics Canada | date=February 9, 2022 | accessdate=April 2, 2022}}</ref>
==Transportation==
===Major highways=== *{{jct|province=PE|TCH|1}} *{{jct|province=PE|PE|1A}} *{{jct|province=PE|PE|2}} *{{jct|province=PE|PE|6}} *{{jct|province=PE|PE|8}} *{{jct|province=PE|PE|10}}
===Airports=== Summerside-Slemon Park Airport
==Places== ;Cities *Summerside
;Towns *Alberton *Borden-Carleton *Kensington *O'Leary *Tignish
;Municipalities *Abrams Village *Bedeque and Area *Central Prince *Elmsdale *Greenmount-Montrose *Kinkora *Linkletter *Lot 11 and Area *Malpeque Bay *Miminegash *Miscouche *Sherbrooke *St. Felix *St. Louis *Tignish Shore *Tyne Valley *Wellington
;Unincorporated communities *Albany *Augustine Cove *Belmont *Port Hill *Days Corner *Richmond *Union Corner
;Indian reserves *Lennox Island 1
==See also== * Lady Slipper Drive * Royal eponyms in Canada
==References== {{reflist}}
* [http://www12.statcan.ca/english/Profil01/CP01/Details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CD&Code1=1103&Geo2=PR&Code2=11&Data=Count&SearchText=Prince&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=11&B1=All&Custom= Community Profile: Prince County, Prince Edward Island; Statistics Canada]
{{coord|46|45|N|64|5|W|region:CA_type:city|display=title}}
{{Geographic Location (8-way) | Centre = Prince County | North = ''Gulf of Saint Lawrence'' | Northeast = | East = Queens County | Southeast = | South = ''Gulf of Saint Lawrence''<br>(Westmoreland County, New Brunswick {{flagicon|NB}} / Cumberland County & Colchester County, Nova Scotia {{flagicon|Nova Scotia}}) | Southwest = | West = | Northwest = }} {{Subdivisions of Prince Edward Island|counties=yes}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Prince County, Prince Edward Island Category:Counties of Prince Edward Island Category:1765 establishments in the British Empire