List of cities in Portugal

This is a list of cities in Portugal. In Portugal, a city (Portuguese: cidade) is an honorific term given to locations that meet several criteria, such as having a minimum number of inhabitants, good infrastructure (schools, medical care, cultural and sports facilities), or have a major historical importance. The country's demographic expansion of the 1980s prompted the elevation of several towns to city status and, as of 2006, 151 locations in Portugal are considered a city.

Overview

In Portugal, the city is not an administrative division, therefore a city generally does not necessarily correspond to a municipality, with the exception of the entirely urban municipalities, such as Lisbon, Porto, Funchal, Amadora, Entroncamento, and São João da Madeira.

The municipality with the most cities is Paredes Municipality, which contains four cities.

Until 1910, a location was proclaimed city by royal charter, which happened 25 times to current Portuguese cities (royal charters were also granted to cities of the Portuguese Empire; for example, São Paulo in 1711). During the Portuguese First Republic, the process was transferred to the parliament, which elevated three towns to the category of city. The dictatorial Estado Novo regime proclaimed seven cities on the Portuguese mainland (as well as some more in the colonies), this time by government decree. After the 1974 Carnation Revolution, proclamation of cities returned to parliament and now, Portugal has 156 cities, one of the consequences being that the title no longer holds the prestige it once had.

Eight locations have been always considered cities since Portugal became an independent kingdom (de facto 1128): Braga, Coimbra, Lamego, Porto and Viseu, as well as Évora, Lisbon and Silves, which were annexed at a later date. Guarda was the first city proclaimed as part of the independent kingdom, in 1199.

The most recent cities were proclaimed on 12 June 2009: Valença, Senhora da Hora, São Pedro do Sul, Samora Correia, and Borba.

The most populous cities are: Lisbon (Lisboa), Oporto (Porto), Braga, Amadora, Gaia, Queluz, Funchal, Coimbra, Setubal, Agualva-Cacem and Almada.

List

Coat of Arms	City	Municipality	District or autonomous region	Population	A city since
	Abrantes	Abrantes	Santarém	18,600	1916-06-14
	Agualva-Cacém	Sintra	Lisbon	121,000	2001-07-12
	Águeda	Águeda	Aveiro	11,357	1985-08-14
	Albufeira	Albufeira	Faro	16,237	1986-08-20
	Alcácer do Sal	Alcácer do Sal	Setúbal	9,118	1997-07-12
	Alcobaça	Alcobaça	Leiria	15,800	1995-08-30
	Almada	Almada	Setúbal	101,500	1973-06-16
	Almeirim	Almeirim	Santarém	11,607	1991-08-16
	Amadora	Amadora	Lisbon	175,135	1979-09-17
	Amarante	Amarante	Porto	11,000	1985-08-14
	Amora	Seixal	Setúbal	48,629	1993-07-02
	Anadia	Anadia	Aveiro	3,533	2004-12-09
	Angra do Heroísmo	Angra do Heroísmo	Azores	21,200	1534-08-21
	Aveiro	Aveiro	Aveiro	67,003	1759-04-11
	Barcelos	Barcelos	Braga	20,000	1928-09-06
	Barreiro	Barreiro	Setúbal	78,764	1984-06-28
	Beja	Beja	Beja	23,475	1521-04-10
	Braga	Braga	Braga	143,532	20 BCE
	Bragança	Bragança	Bragança	19,998	1464-02-23
	Caldas da Rainha	Caldas da Rainha	Leiria	30,006	1927-08-26
	Câmara de Lobos	Câmara de Lobos	Madeira	16,842	1996-08-02
	Caniço	Santa Cruz	Madeira	11,586	2005-06-09
	Cantanhede	Cantanhede	Coimbra	7,066	1991-08-16
	Cartaxo	Cartaxo	Santarém	10,115	1995-08-30
	Castelo Branco	Castelo Branco	Castelo Branco	34,525	1771-03-20
	Chaves	Chaves	Vila Real	19,307	1929-03-18
	Coimbra	Coimbra	Coimbra	143,396	c. 200 BCE
	Costa da Caparica	Almada	Setúbal	14,100	2004-12-09
	Covilhã	Covilhã	Castelo Branco	36,147	1870-10-20
	Elvas	Elvas	Portalegre	28,106	1513-04-03
	Entroncamento	Entroncamento	Santarém	20,065	1991-08-16
	Ermesinde	Valongo	Porto	40,139	1990-08-10
	Esmoriz	Ovar	Aveiro	11,200	1993-07-02
	Espinho	Espinho	Aveiro	10,500	1973-06-16
	Esposende	Esposende	Braga	9,148	1993-07-02
	Estarreja	Estarreja	Aveiro	7,000	2004-12-09
	Estremoz	Estremoz	Évora	9,011	1926-08-31
	Évora	Évora	Évora	46,417	c. 600 BCE
	Fafe	Fafe	Braga	15,323	1986-08-23
	Faro	Faro	Faro	43,757	1540-09-07
	Fátima	Ourém	Santarém	10,302	1997-07-12
	Felgueiras	Felgueiras	Porto	15,100	1990-08-10
	Figueira da Foz	Figueira da Foz	Coimbra	36,500	1882-09-20
	Fiães	Santa Maria da Feira	Aveiro	13,100	2001-07-12
	Freamunde	Paços de Ferreira	Porto	7,452	2001-07-12
	Funchal	Funchal	Madeira	111,892	1508-08-21
	Fundão	Fundão	Castelo Branco	8,957	1988-04-19
	Gafanha da Nazaré	Ílhavo	Aveiro	14,021	2001-07-21
	Gandra	Paredes	Porto	5,200	2003-08-26
	Gondomar	Gondomar	Porto	25,000	1991-08-16
	Gouveia	Gouveia	Guarda	3,500	1988-02-01
	Guarda	Guarda	Guarda	32,274	1199-11-27
	Guimarães	Guimarães	Braga	66,912	1853-06-23
	Horta	Horta	Azores	9,000	1833-07-04
	Ílhavo	Ílhavo	Aveiro	17,200	1990-08-09
	Lagoa	Lagoa	Faro	5,000	2001-07-12
	Lagos	Lagos	Faro	20,000	1573-01-27
	Lamego	Lamego	Viseu	12,000	c. 200 CE
	Leiria	Leiria	Leiria	50,264	1545-06-13
	Lisbon	Lisbon	Lisbon	547,631	c. 800 BCE
	Lixa	Felgueiras	Porto	5,500	1995-08-30
	Loulé	Loulé	Faro	24,000	1988-02-01
	Loures	Loures	Lisbon	26,000	1990-08-09
	Lourosa	Santa Maria da Feira	Aveiro	11,300	2001-07-12
	Macedo de Cavaleiros	Macedo de Cavaleiros	Bragança	7,800	1999-06-24
	Machico	Machico	Madeira	13,700	1996-08-02
	Maia	Maia	Porto	40,000	1986-08-23
	Mangualde	Mangualde	Viseu	8,107	2001-07-12
	Marco de Canaveses	Marco de Canaveses	Porto	9,000	1993-07-02
	Marinha Grande	Marinha Grande	Leiria	29,100	1988-04-19
	Matosinhos	Matosinhos	Porto	49,486	1984-06-28
	Mealhada	Mealhada	Aveiro	5,500	2003-08-26
	Mêda	Mêda	Guarda	2,004	2004-12-09
	Miranda do Douro	Miranda do Douro	Bragança	2,000	1545-07-10
	Mirandela	Mirandela	Bragança	11,000	1984-06-28
	Montemor-o-Novo	Montemor-o-Novo	Évora	14,000	1988-04-18
	Montijo	Montijo	Setúbal	30,486	1985-08-14
	Moura	Moura	Beja	10,000	1988-02-01
	Odivelas	Odivelas	Lisbon	59,559	1990-08-10
	Olhão da Restauração	Olhão	Faro	31,100	1985-08-14
	Oliveira de Azeméis	Oliveira de Azeméis	Aveiro	15,000	1984-05-16
	Oliveira do Bairro	Oliveira do Bairro	Aveiro	5,005	2003-08-26
	Oliveira do Hospital	Oliveira do Hospital	Coimbra	4,400	1993-07-02
	Ourém	Ourém	Santarém	11,100	1991-08-16
	Ovar	Ovar	Aveiro	18,900	1984-06-28
	Paços de Ferreira	Paços de Ferreira	Porto	9,000	1993-07-02
	Paredes	Paredes	Porto	12,500	1991-08-16
	Penafiel	Penafiel	Porto	10,000	1770-03-03
	Peniche	Peniche	Leiria	17,500	1988-02-01
	Peso da Régua	Peso da Régua	Vila Real	10,000	1985-08-14
	Pinhel	Pinhel	Guarda	3,500	1770-08-25
	Pombal	Pombal	Leiria	18,500	1991-08-16
	Ponta Delgada	Ponta Delgada	Azores	46,102	1546-04-02
	Ponte de Sor	Ponte de Sor	Portalegre	11,000	1985-08-14
	Portalegre	Portalegre	Portalegre	15,700	1550-05-23
	Portimão	Portimão	Faro	45,431	1924-12-11
	Porto	Porto	Porto	237,559	c. 275 BCE
	Vila Baleira (a.k.a. Porto Santo)	Porto Santo	Madeira	4,475	1996-08-02
	Póvoa de Santa Iria	Vila Franca de Xira	Lisbon	28,000	1999-06-24
	Póvoa de Varzim	Póvoa de Varzim	Porto	38,257	1973-06-16
	Praia da Vitória	Praia da Vitória	Azores	6,500	1981-06-20
	Quarteira	Loulé	Faro	21,000	1999-06-24
	Queluz	Sintra	Lisbon	75,179	1997-07-24
	Rebordosa	Paredes	Porto	12,100	2003-08-26
	Reguengos de Monsaraz	Reguengos de Monsaraz	Évora	7,900	2004-12-09
	Ribeira Grande	Ribeira Grande	Azores	6,350	1981-06-29
	Rio Maior	Rio Maior	Santarém	11,102	1985-08-14
	Rio Tinto	Gondomar	Gondomar	64,815	1995-08-30
	Sabugal	Sabugal	Guarda	2,300	2004-12-09
	Sacavém	Loures	Lisbon	17,000	1997-06-04
	Santa Comba Dão	Santa Comba Dão	Viseu	3,200	1999-06-24
	Santa Cruz	Santa Cruz	Madeira	6,500	1996-08-02
	Santa Maria da Feira	Santa Maria da Feira	Aveiro	16,900	1985-08-14
	Santana	Santana	Madeira	3,300	2001-01-01
	Santarém	Santarém	Santarém	30,100	1868-12-24
	Santiago do Cacém	Santiago do Cacém	Setúbal	7,753	1991-08-16
	Santo Tirso	Santo Tirso	Porto	14,100	1985-08-14
	São João da Madeira	São João da Madeira	Aveiro	21,102	1984-06-28
	São Mamede de Infesta	Matosinhos	Porto	27,000	2001-07-12
	São Salvador de Lordelo	Paredes	Porto	11,000	2003-08-26
	Seia	Seia	Guarda	7,000	1986-08-23
	Seixal	Seixal	Setúbal	31,101	1993-07-02
	Serpa	Serpa	Beja	9,990	2003-08-26
	Setúbal	Setúbal	Setúbal	90,640	1860-04-19
	Silves	Silves	Faro	11,000	c. 0 CE
	Sines	Sines	Setúbal	15,555	1997-07-12
	Tarouca	Tarouca	Viseu	3,200	2004-12-09
	Tavira	Tavira	Faro	13,300	1520-03-16
	Tomar	Tomar	Santarém	20,000	1844-02-12
	Tondela	Tondela	Viseu	10,120	1988-02-01
	Torres Novas	Torres Novas	Santarém	14,900	1985-08-14
	Torres Vedras	Torres Vedras	Lisbon	27,200	1979-02-03
	Trancoso	Trancoso	Guarda	3,350	2004-12-09
	Trofa	Trofa	Porto District	22,000	1993-07-02
	Valbom	Gondomar	Porto	14,100	2004-12-09
	Vale de Cambra	Vale de Cambra	Aveiro	4,200	1993-07-02
	Valongo	Valongo	Porto	27,900	1990-08-10
	Valpaços	Valpaços	Vila Real	4,102	1999-06-24
	Vendas Novas	Vendas Novas	Évora	10,103	1993-07-02
	Viana do Castelo	Viana do Castelo	Viana do Castelo	36,750	1848-01-20
	Vila do Conde	Vila do Conde	Porto	32,257	1988-02-01
	Vila Franca de Xira	Vila Franca de Xira	Lisbon	19,000	1984-06-28
	Vila Nova de Famalicão	Vila Nova de Famalicão	Braga	30,100	1985-08-14
	Vila Nova de Foz Côa	Vila Nova de Foz Côa	Guarda	3,303	1997-07-12
	Vila Nova de Gaia	Vila Nova de Gaia	Porto	186,503	1984-06-28
	Vila Nova de Santo André	Santiago do Cacém	Setúbal	12,123	2003-08-26
	Vila Real	Vila Real	Vila Real	27,250	1925-07-20
	Vila Real de Santo António	Vila Real de Santo António	Faro	11,000	1988-04-19
	Viseu	Viseu	Viseu	66,143	c. 0 CE
	Vizela	Vizela	Braga	10,100	1998-09-01

Notes

• Except the city of Figueira da Foz

See also

• List of Portuguese cities by population
• Subdivisions of Portugal
• List of towns in Portugal
• List of municipalities of Portugal
• List of parishes of Portugal
• List of cities in Europe

References

1. "Cidades Portuguesas". Instituto Nacional de Estatística. Retrieved 2006-07-08. 
2. "Municípios Portugueses". Associação Nacional de Municípios Portugueses. Retrieved 2006-03-27. 

External links

• National Association of Portuguese Municipalities