Around 1720, the French established a fort and settlement known as Port la Joie across Hillborough Bay in the south of Prince Edward Island. The British laid out Charlottetown on the same location in 1768 and named it for Queen Charlotte, consort of George III. The city's growth was slow until the middle of the 19th century, when it became noted for the sailing vessels that were built there and used for fishing and lumber transport. The Charlottetown Conference of the Maritime Provinces was held there in 1864. It was the first step toward Canadian confederation.

Nowadays, Charlottetown is the capital and chief port of Prince Edward Island. The pace of life in Charlottetown is relaxed and the city has a colonial atmosphere. The city's tree-lined Victorian streets are very easy on the eye. The oldest part of town is concentrated on the waterfront area, but the beginning of the 21st century also saw development there.

Charlottetown is made up of several neighborhoods. They used to be separate towns, but with the growth of the city they became part of it.

• Brighton.
• Downtown Charlottetown features numerous Victorian buildings.
• East Royalty includes Hillsborough Park.
• Parkdale.
• Sherwood includes Falconwood.
• Spring Park.
• West Royalty includes Lewis Point.
• Winsloe.

• The Agriculture Canada research station farm is all that remains of the Queens Royalty common pasture lands. It creates a large greenspace north of downtown Charlottetown.
• Apothecaries Hall is a brick building that housed a pharmacy from 1810 to 1986.
• The Ardgowan Estate contains the country cottage of William Henry Pope, who was one of the Fathers of Canadian Confederation. The building and grounds have been restored and have an 1860s appearance.
• The Romanesque Revival City Hall was built in 1887-1888. It is located at 199 Queen Street at the intersection with Kent Street.
• The Confederation Centre of the Arts (Centre des arts de la Confédération) is a cultural center of visual and performing arts. Construction of the center commenced in 1960 and it opened in 1964. The Charlottetown Festival is held there every summer.
• Dundas Terrace is a wooden apartment building that was constructed in the Queen Anne Revival style.
• Fairholm is a picturesque brick villa.
• Government House is also known as Fanningbank. It was built between 1832 and 1834 to be the official residence of the lieutenant governor of Prince Edward Island. It is located at 1 Terry Fox Drive.
• The Great George Street Historic District is a wide street that stretches for 6 blocks between the waterfront and the Province House.
• Province House is the location where the Prince Edward Island Legislature, which is also knowns as the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island, has met since 1847. It is located at the corner of Richmond and Great George streets and it is the second-oldest seat of government in Canada. There are several statues and memorials on the grounds of the building.
• The township of Queens Royalty features large estates that were surveyed during the 18th and 19th centuries. The estates were laid out along a north-south axis that forced early road networks into a grid.
• The Gothic Revival St. Dunstan's Basilica was constructed from 1913 to 1919 on the site of the previous cathedral, which was destroyed by fire in 1913, only 6 years after its completion. It was named after St. Dunstan, the Anglo Saxon saint from Glastonbury. The building is located at 45 Great George Street.
• St. Peter's Cathedral was inaugurated in 1869. The All Souls' Chapel was added in 1888.
  • All Souls' Chapel is a historic chapel that is attached to St. Peter's Cathedral. It was built in 1888 to commemorate Father George Hodgson, who was the first 'priest-incumbent' of St. Peter's Cathedral. The sandstone chapel was constructed in the Victorian Gothic style.
• The waterfront faces the harbour and the Hillsborough River.

The city's main industries are food processing, tourism, fishing and farming. Charlottetown is home to the University of Prince Edward Island.

There are many hotels and restaurants in Charlottetown. The city is in eastern Canada, on the southern coast of Prince Edward Island and 980 km northeast from Ottawa.

Charlottetown ©Martin Cathrae

Charlottetown ©Usman Qureshi

Cathedral ©Alexis Mette

Cathedral ©Maevekroy

Queen Street ©William Matheson