Largest city in Hauts-de-France: the 2026 ranking
The largest cities in Hauts-de-France and its 5 departments compared by population, area and density, based on the official INSEE population figures in force in 2026.
The largest city in Hauts-de-France is Lille (Nord), with 240,109 inhabitants, ranked 10th in France by population, ahead of Amiens (139,183) and Tourcoing (99,346).
Hauts-de-France has 3,782 communes and 6,081,819 inhabitants over 31,802 km², or 8.8% of the French population, with a density of 191 inhabitants per km² (national average: 110). The region was created in 2016 by merging the former regions of Picardie and Nord-Pas-de-Calais. Its most populous department is Nord (2,645,946 inhabitants), and its least populous is Aisne (534,380).
Departments of Hauts-de-France
| Department | Towns | Population | km² | per km² | Largest city |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nord (59) | 647 | 2,645,946 | 5,743 | 461 | Lille (240,109) |
| Pas-de-Calais (62) | 887 | 1,479,365 | 6,671 | 222 | Calais (68,246) |
| Oise (60) | 680 | 846,757 | 5,861 | 144 | Beauvais (56,934) |
| Somme (80) | 771 | 575,371 | 6,170 | 93 | Amiens (139,183) |
| Aisne (02) | 797 | 534,380 | 7,358 | 73 | Saint-Quentin (53,963) |
The 20 largest cities in Hauts-de-France by population
| # | Town | Department | Population | km² | per km² | France rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lille | Nord (59) | 240,109 | 35 | 6,894 | 10th |
| 2 | Amiens | Somme (80) | 139,183 | 49 | 2,814 | 28th |
| 3 | Tourcoing | Nord (59) | 99,346 | 15 | 6,540 | 43rd |
| 4 | Roubaix | Nord (59) | 98,701 | 13 | 7,460 | 44th |
| 5 | Dunkerque | Nord (59) | 87,442 | 44 | 1,992 | 54th |
| 6 | Calais | Pas-de-Calais (62) | 68,246 | 34 | 2,037 | 77th |
| 7 | Villeneuve-d'Ascq | Nord (59) | 63,462 | 27 | 2,311 | 90th |
| 8 | Beauvais | Oise (60) | 56,934 | 33 | 1,709 | 110th |
| 9 | Saint-Quentin | Aisne (02) | 53,963 | 23 | 2,392 | 119th |
| 10 | Valenciennes | Nord (59) | 43,966 | 14 | 3,181 | 173rd |
| 11 | Arras | Pas-de-Calais (62) | 43,765 | 12 | 3,763 | 177th |
| 12 | Compiègne | Oise (60) | 41,774 | 53 | 787 | 188th |
| 13 | Douai | Nord (59) | 41,108 | 17 | 2,435 | 195th |
| 14 | Wattrelos | Nord (59) | 41,013 | 13 | 3,052 | 196th |
| 15 | Marcq-en-Barœul | Nord (59) | 40,930 | 14 | 2,915 | 197th |
| 16 | Boulogne-sur-Mer | Pas-de-Calais (62) | 40,924 | 8.4 | 4,860 | 198th |
| 17 | Creil | Oise (60) | 36,533 | 11 | 3,294 | 231st |
| 18 | Lens | Pas-de-Calais (62) | 33,122 | 12 | 2,831 | 254th |
| 19 | Cambrai | Nord (59) | 31,738 | 18 | 1,746 | 267th |
| 20 | Liévin | Pas-de-Calais (62) | 30,398 | 13 | 2,369 | 286th |
Largest towns by area in Hauts-de-France
| # | Town | Department | Population | km² | per km² | France rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Locquignol | Nord (59) | 306 | 98 | 3 | 246th |
| 2 | Crécy-en-Ponthieu | Somme (80) | 1,397 | 57 | 25 | 886th |
| 3 | Sissonne | Aisne (02) | 2,147 | 54 | 40 | 996th |
| 4 | Compiègne | Oise (60) | 41,774 | 53 | 787 | 1,016th |
| 5 | Hornoy-le-Bourg | Somme (80) | 1,646 | 51 | 32 | 1,104th |
| 6 | Amiens | Somme (80) | 139,183 | 49 | 2,814 | 1,211th |
| 7 | Le Nouvion-en-Thiérache | Aisne (02) | 2,495 | 48 | 52 | 1,276th |
| 8 | Morbecque | Nord (59) | 2,629 | 44 | 59 | 1,605th |
| 9 | Dunkerque | Nord (59) | 87,442 | 44 | 1,992 | 1,645th |
| 10 | Bailleul | Nord (59) | 14,960 | 43 | 345 | 1,692nd |
Most densely populated towns in Hauts-de-France
| # | Town | Department | Population | km² | per km² | France rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lannoy | Nord (59) | 1,820 | 0.2 | 10,111 | 43rd |
| 2 | La Madeleine | Nord (59) | 22,006 | 2.8 | 7,749 | 69th |
| 3 | Roubaix | Nord (59) | 98,701 | 13 | 7,460 | 76th |
| 4 | Mons-en-Barœul | Nord (59) | 21,244 | 2.9 | 7,376 | 79th |
| 5 | Lille | Nord (59) | 240,109 | 35 | 6,894 | 85th |
| 6 | Tourcoing | Nord (59) | 99,346 | 15 | 6,540 | 91st |
| 7 | Boulogne-sur-Mer | Pas-de-Calais (62) | 40,924 | 8.4 | 4,860 | 148th |
| 8 | Croix | Nord (59) | 20,790 | 4.4 | 4,682 | 157th |
| 9 | Lambersart | Nord (59) | 27,572 | 6.2 | 4,476 | 167th |
| 10 | Armentières | Nord (59) | 27,382 | 6.3 | 4,360 | 172nd |
Other regions of France
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Brittany Centre-Val de Loire Corsica Grand Est Guadeloupe French Guiana Île-de-France Réunion Martinique Normandy Nouvelle-Aquitaine Occitanie Pays de la Loire Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Sources: INSEE, official population figures in force on January 1, 2026 (total population); land area: IGN / Observatoire des territoires. Rankings computed across the 34,858 communes in the database.