Prince County Comté de Prince (French) | |
|---|---|
 Location of Prince County in Prince Edward Island. | |
| Incorporated Towns & Municipalities | Summerside (city), Alberton (town), Borden-Carleton (town), Kensington (town), O'Leary (town) |
| Parishes | North Parish, Egmont Parish, Halifax Parish, Richmond Parish, St. David's Parish |
| Townships and royalties | |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,979.21 km2 (764.18 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[1] | |
| • Total | 46,234 |
| • Density | 23/km2 (61/sq mi) |
| Median income/capita | $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.
