65 Interesting Facts About Prince Edward Island That You May Not Know (#46 Will SURPRISE You!)

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Facts About Prince Edward Island

Located in Atlantic Canada, Prince Edward Island (PEI for short) is an incredible place to visit. Not only is PEI home to Anne of Green Gables, but you will also find many gorgeous little coastal towns, a plethora of amazing Lighthouses, and an awesome food scene. If you are looking to visit, or just want to learn more about this amazing province, we have put together a list of 65 interesting facts about Prince Edward Island that you may not know.

Fun and Interesting Facts About Prince Edward Island That You May Not Know

This post was a lot of fun to research. After spending a few days on the Island during our Epic East Coast Road Trip, I was pretty stoked to learn even more about this awesome island.

Not only did I load my brain with new and wonderful information about Prince Edward Island, but it made me realize just what an incredible place this island actually is! Just to make it more manageable, we have broken the post down into categories.

Official Fun Facts About Prince Edward Island

From population to the capital city to their official tree, many of these Prince Edward Island facts really surprised us!

1. Prince Edward Island is by far the smallest province and the only one that is an island.

At only 5620 square kilometres, PEI is the smallest province in terms of land size. Just for reference, PEI is actually smaller than Bali, Indonesia!

Prince Edward Island is also the smallest province in terms of population, with only about 167,680 residents (2022).

2. However, PEI has the highest population density of any province in Canada, because of its small size.

Incredibly, this little island boasts a population density of 29 people per km²!

3. Prince Edward Island is located off the eastern coast of Canada.

This incredible little island is one of three provinces that make up the Maritimes – Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. 

4. People from PEI are called Prince Edward Islanders.

Most residents of PEI, however, just refer to themselves as “Islanders”.

5. The Mi’kmaq First Nations (pronounced Micmac) were the first inhabitants of the island.

The island was originally named Epekwitk meaning “cradled on the waves.” Today, however, indigenous people account for less than 2% of PEI’s population.

6. PEI joined Confederation on July 1, 1873, becoming Canada’s 7^th province.

Canada’s Confederation took place in 1867, uniting the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. PEI didn’t join right away, as it was considering becoming its own dominion!

7. The red fox is Prince Edward Island’s provincial animal.

Interestingly enough, the red fox is also the official animal for the state of Mississippi.

8. The official bird of Prince Edward Island is the Blue Jay.

The blue jay was officially voted in as Prince Edward Island’s provincial bird in 1977. The bird can be seen all over the island and is hardy enough to survive the cold PEI winters.

9. The Red Oak is PEI’s provincial tree.

The red oak became Prince Edward Island’s official tree in 1905. The red oak’s fine-grained wood was popular with furniture makers, who almost milled the tree into extinction on the Island during the early years of European settlement.

10. The Lady Slipper is PEI’s provincial flower.

This type of orchid was adopted as the provincial flower in 1947. The Lady Slipper can be found growing in many of PEI’s shady and moist woodlands.

11. PEI’s flag is based on the design of its coat of arms.

The flag of PEI has an English heraldic lion on top. It also depicts an island with 3 small trees which are representative of the 3 counties of PEI, under the protection of a large tree (England).  

12. PEI has an official Tartan.

Designed in 1960 by Mrs. Jean Reid of Covehead, the official Tartan of Prince Edward Island was adopted after a province-wide contest. The colours are all symbolic of the province, with the reddish-brown representing the red soil, the green for the grass and trees, the white for the caps on the waves, and the yellow for the sun.

13. The majority of PEI’s population is English-speaking.

Unlike the other Maritime provinces which have a large Francophone population, there is only one small township in PEI, the Evangeline Region, with a French-speaking majority.

Geographical Facts About Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island really has a rich and varied landscape. From rolling green hills to sand dunes, and everything in between, visitors are often surprised by how incredible PEI’s geography really is.

14. Prince Edward Island is 224 kilometres long and 6 to 64 kilometres wide.

It would only take you about 3 hours (without stopping) to drive from one tip of the Island to the other.

15. Prince Edward Island is Canada’s only province with no land borders.

PEI is Canada’s 23^rd largest island. It is also the world’s 104^th largest island.

16. Prince Edward Island is home to more than 800 kilometres of sandy beaches.

PEI is surrounded by the warm waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. As a result, the island has a relatively mild, but slightly windy, climate, perfect for spending a day at the beach.

17. No point in PEI is more than 16 km from the sea.

With 1100 kilometres of coastline, the beach is only a short 15-minute drive from any point on the island. As someone who absolutely fell in love with PEI’s many beaches, this was a definite perk!

18. The highest point in PEI is located on the island’s southernmost coast.

At only 142 m above sea level, the highest point in PEI can be found at Springton Peak in Queen’s County. It is also the lowest of any provincial high point in Canada.

19. Prince Edward Island is located in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence.

PEI is located where the Saint Lawrence River runs into the Atlantic Ocean.

20. The Confederation Bridge provides the only land access to PEI.

This 12.9-kilometre-long bridge spans the Northumberland Strait from Prince Edward Island to New Brunswick and takes approximately 10 minutes to cross. The bridge is free to cross onto the island but requires a $50.25 toll to return to the mainland.

21. The Confederation Bridge is the longest in Canada.

This incredible structure is also the longest bridge in the world that goes over frozen water (during the winter of course).

22. There are two ferry lines that run between PEI and the mainland.

One of the lines runs to New Brunswick, while the other runs to Nova Scotia.

Historical Facts About Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island has a rich history steeped in culture. From Indigenous beginnings to European settlement, Prince Edward Island’s museums and cultural centres have incredible exhibitions filled with their storied past.

23. Jacques Cartier, the French explorer, is credited as being the first European to arrive on Prince Edward Island in June 1534.

The Island changed hands several times between 1713 and 1763, with France and Britain claiming ownership at different times.

24. Prince Edward Island was named after Prince Edward, Duke of Kent in 1799.

Prince Edward was the fourth son of King George III and the father of Queen Victoria.

25. Charlottetown is referred to as the “Birthplace of Confederation.”

This is because the city hosted the famous Charlottetown Conference in 1864. This is when elected officials gathered to first discuss a proposed Maritime Union. This historic gathering eventually led to the founding of Canada. 

Fun Facts About Prince Edward Island Cities and Towns

Prince Edward Island is filled with incredible small towns that are picturesque and fun to explore. Some of them really stand out for their unique attributes and reputations, while other places have fun, but odd, little attractions.

26. Charlottetown and Summerside are PEI’s only two cities.

The island also has seven incorporated towns. Approximately 46% of people living in PEI reside in a city or town, with the rest of the population living in a rural setting.

27. Charlottetown is the capital of Prince Edward Island.

In 2021, this incredible city had a population of 38,809. Charlottetown is famous for its Victorian-era architecture and lack of skyscrapers!

28. Charlottetown is named after Queen Charlotte.

 Queen Charlotte was the wife of King George III.

29. At its narrowest point, Summerside, PEI is only 5 km across.

I guess this would make the town pretty walkable!

Fun Facts About Prince Edward Island Nature

Prince Edward Island is a gorgeous province filled with a multitude of varied landscapes, vistas, and nature. So we would be remiss if we did not have a section of our fun facts about Prince Edward Island dedicated to nature.

30. Prince Edward Island National Park is the only national park in PEI

Prince Edward Island national park is known for its large sand dunes. Opened in 1937, the park is located along the island’s northern coast and is only a couple hundred meters wide in certain areas.

31. PEI is covered in beautiful wildflowers called Lupins.

These gorgeous pink, white, or purple flowers can be found roadside, in ditches, and in the fields, from early to mid-summer. What most people do not realize, is that Lupins are not native to PEI, and are therefore considered weeds and an invasive species.

32. There are over two dozen provincial parks in PEI.

Many of the provincial parks are home to incredible red sandy beaches.

33. Prince Edward Island is covered in reddish soil.

PEI’s reddish soil gets its colour from high iron content. As a result, the soil turns red when exposed to oxygen.

34. PEI is famous for growing potatoes.

Known as the ‘Idaho of Canada‘, potatoes account for 1/3^rd of PEI’s agricultural earnings. In fact, roughly one-quarter of all potatoes produced in Canada are grown in PEI.

35. Prince Edward Island gets all of its drinking water from wells in the ground.

Prince Edward Island is completely dependent on groundwater for its source of drinking water. Water is continuously replenished by precipitation.

36. Prince Edward Island does not use oil, natural gas, or other fuels to produce electricity.

This means that approximately 99% of the power generated on PEI is from wind farms. 

37. There is a 470 km long cycling trail that spans across PEI.

The Confederation Trail is a network of cycling trails that can be found all across PEI. Many of the trails, which are almost completely flat, actually follow abandoned railway lines.

During the summer, the trails are perfect for cyclists, walkers, and joggers, and are even, for the most part, wheelchair accessible. In the winter, you will find the Confederation Trail used for snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling.

38. The Confederation Trail is PEI’s portion of the Trans Canada Trail

The Trans Canada Trail is actually the longest recreational and multi-use trail in the world.

39. PEI used to have wild moose, bear, caribou, and wolves.

Today, the only larger mammals on the island are foxes and coyotes.

40. PEI is infamous for its seafood.

Oysters, lobster, and especially mussels are a popular staple on the island, for residents and tourists alike. PEI is even home to an International Shellfish Festival!

41. Lobster season happens twice a year in PEI.

It occurs from May until June and then again from mid-August to mid-October.

42. Forest covers roughly half of PEI.

A variety of tree species including maple, pine, hemlock, oak, spruce, and beech can be found all over the island. What is really interesting, however, is that only 1/10th of forested land is owned by the province. The rest of PEI’s incredible foliage can be found on privately owned woodlots. 

43. The highest temperature ever recorded in PEI was 36.7°C.

This temperature was recorded on August 19, 1935, in Charlottetown.

44. The lowest temperature ever recorded in PEI was -37.2°C.

This temperature was recorded on January 26, 1884, in Kilmahumaig.

45. The most snow to ever fall in one day is 48 cm.

This snowfall occurred on February  7, 1956.

More Fun, Interesting or Just Plain Weird Facts About Prince Edward Island

This is one of my favourite categories in our list of fun facts about Prince Edward Island! It’s a mash-up of miscellaneous tidbits of cool and sometimes weird information we gathered while researching Prince Edward Island.

46. In 2019, PEI welcomed 1.6 million tourists.

This is approximately 10 times the island’s total population!

47. PEI has the highest percentage of people attending church, than any other province in Canada.

It is estimated that more than half of PEI’s population attend church service at least once a month.

48. Billboards are banned along highways in PEI.  

The reason behind this seems to be that billboards take away from PEI’s natural beauty and clutter up the roadways.

49. PEI has the highest sales tax in Canada.

At 15%, PEI as well as the rest of the Maritimes, charge the most amount of sales tax in the country.

50. Canada’s only legal moonshine is produced by Myriad View Artisan Distillery in PEI.

The moonshine is a staggering 75% alcohol and is apparently produced to honour the island’s bootlegging past.

51. Agriculture is the top industry in PEI.

Agriculture is followed closely by tourism, and lastly fishing.

52. Prince Edward Island has a higher concentration of roadways than any other province.

At more than 3,800 kilometres, Prince Edward Island has more paved highways per capita than any province in Canada.

53. In 1984 PEI was the only province in Canada to ban all non-refillable drink cans and bottles.

The unusual ban was lifted in 2006.

54. Prince Edward Island is home to two bottle villages.

And speaking of bottles, you can tour not one, but two villages in PEI where the buildings are made entirely from glass bottles.

55. Anne of Green Gables is Canada’s best-selling book.

Over 50 million copies of Anne of Green Gables have been sold.

56. The Charlottetown Festival features an Anne of Green Gables musical.

The Anne of Green Gables Musical has been running since 1965, making it the longest-running musical in Canada! The musical first played at the Confederation Center for the Arts.

57. In 1989, PEI abandoned its CN railway system.

Many of these abandoned lines were later transformed into cycling trails.

Fun Facts About Prince Edward Island Landmarks and Attractions

Prince Edward Island is home to several notable landmarks and attractions. There are a ton of fun facts about Prince Edward Island tied to these sites, so we chose some of the best ones for this post.

58. PEI is home to Canada’s only Potato Museum.

This interesting little museum is where you will find the world’s largest exhibit of potato-related farm machinery, agricultural and community artifacts, as well as the world’s largest potato sculpture!

59. You can find Canada’s smallest library in Cardigan, PEI.

Although the Library covers a mere 12 x 12 space, this incredibly small library holds over 1800 books!

60. PEI is home to Cows Creamery.

Cows Creamery has not only been named Canada’s best ice cream, but the company which began in PEI in 1983, even has branches in Beijing, China!

61. Many of PEI’s key tourism sites can be found within PEI National Park.

Sites like the Anne of Green Gables Museum, Green Gables Heritage Place, and Lucy Maud Montgomery’s birthplace can all be found within the national park’s borders.

62. Anne of Green Gables was written by PEI native, Lucy Maud Montgomery.

The book, which was published in 1908, is set in the province near Cavendish Beach. Today, you can visit the house that inspired the book, as it is now a National Historic Site.

63. There are over 30 golf courses in PEI.

This is quite impressive when you think of just how small the island really is.

64. There are 63 lighthouses on Prince Edward Island.

35 of these lighthouses are still active to this day, with many marked as Heritage Lighthouses.

65. PEI has an entire museum devoted to Stompin Tom Connors.

Stompin’ Tom Connors is a famous Canadian folk musician. He was born in New Brunswick but grew up in PEI.

Final Thoughts on Our List of Facts About Prince Edward Island That You May Not Know

We have learned so much from researching this list of interesting facts about Prince Edward Island. It has definitely added to what we discovered while visiting this incredible island. Our hope is that you have also learned some new things and that maybe, it has put Prince Edward Island on your list of places you would love to visit!

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