National Capital Region (Canada)

The National Capital Region (French: Région de la capitale nationale) is an official federal name for the Canadian capital of Ottawa, Ontario, and neighbouring Gatineau, Quebec, and the area near them. The National Capital Region has an area of 5,319 square kilometres that straddles the boundary between the provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The National Capital Region covers an area of 6,287.03 square kilometres (2,427.44 square miles). It has a population of 1,235,324. The Ottawa part of the region is part of the eastern subregion of Ontario. The Ottawa-Gatineau CMA is the only CMA in Canada to include parts of two provinces.

Map of the National Capital Region (striped area)

The National Capital Region is not a separate political jurisdiction, although the National Capital Commission is deeply involved in political, cultural, and land use planning matters in the National Capital Region. Proposals have sometimes been made to separate the National Capital Region from its two respective provinces, and transform it into a separate capital district, like the District of Columbia in the United States or the Australian Capital Territory. Such proposals have never come close to passage, and there does not currently appear to be any political will or necessity to pursue this option.