Quick facts
Quito overview
Quito (orange) and the other large cities of Ecuador
Quito lies in Pichincha in Ecuador at 0.23°S, 78.53°W, about 2,854 m above sea level. The local time zone is America/Guayaquil (UTC-5); GeoNames classifies it as a national capital.
It is the biggest urban centre of Ecuador: the next largest cities are Guayaquil (2,723,665), Cuenca (636,996), Santo Domingo de los Colorados (458,580). Together, the three largest cities hold 33.2% of the national population.
The nearest large city is Santo Domingo de los Colorados, about 72 km away, followed by Ibarra (78 km).
Ecuador as a whole has a live population of 18,491,304 (+0.8% a year) and ranks #72 of 238 countries — see the Ecuador population page for the full statistics and the Ecuador atlas for provinces, terrain and society maps.
Cities near Quito
| City | Distance | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Santo Domingo de los Colorados Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | 72 km | 458,580 |
| Ibarra Imbabura | 78 km | 221,149 |
| Latacunga Cotopaxi | 79 km | 205,624 |
| Ambato Tungurahua Province | 114 km | 387,309 |
| Rosa Zarate Esmeraldas | 122 km | 42,121 |
| Quevedo Los Ríos | 137 km | 213,842 |
| Tulcán Carchi | 147 km | 86,498 |
| El Empalme Guayas | 153 km | 48,754 |
Largest cities in Ecuador
| # | City | Region | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | QuitoCapital | Pichincha | 2,781,641 |
| 2 | Guayaquil | Guayas | 2,723,665 |
| 3 | Cuenca | Azuay | 636,996 |
| 4 | Santo Domingo de los Colorados | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | 458,580 |
| 5 | Ambato | Tungurahua Province | 387,309 |
| 6 | Portoviejo | Manabí | 321,800 |
| 7 | Eloy Alfaro | Guayas | 315,724 |
| 8 | Machala | El Oro | 289,141 |
| 9 | Loja | Loja | 274,112 |
| 10 | Manta | Manabí | 264,281 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Quito?
Quito has about 2,781,641 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Quito the capital of Ecuador?
Yes — Quito is the national capital of Ecuador.
How big is Quito compared with the rest of Ecuador?
Its 2,781,641 residents are 15% of the 18,491,304 people living in Ecuador today. It is the largest city in the country.
Where is Quito?
In Pichincha, Ecuador, at latitude -0.23 and longitude -78.53, 2,854 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Santo Domingo de los Colorados (72 km), Ibarra (78 km), Latacunga (79 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Quito Population 2026 — Ecuador. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/ecuador/quito/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/ecuador/quito/">Quito Population 2026 — Ecuador</a> — GlostatsFigures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.
City populations are GeoNames figures (CC BY 4.0): the latest official census or estimate for the city proper — the municipality, not the wider metropolitan area — so they can differ from "metro area" numbers you see elsewhere. Country populations are live Glostats estimates from the UN World Population Prospects. Distances are great-circle distances between city centres. Page generated 2026-10-20. More about our data.