D&D (2024) Sword Coast population data from 2024 D&D Pocket Expert

[Selas]

Waterdeep is not the capital of anything. There’s no empire nor is it even really master of any territory.

"The City of Splendors laid claim to the surrounding lands for approximately 100 miles (160 kilometers) beyond its walls." (p.299, FR campaign guide, 3E).

Waterdeep is an Oligarchical City-state; it rules itself and the territory it controls (100 miles beyond its walls). It controls a massive seaport that also doubles as a Spelljammer port, making it both a sea and space trading hub.

 

[Zardnaar]

"The City of Splendors laid claim to the surrounding lands for approximately 100 miles (160 kilometers) beyond its walls." (p.299, FR campaign guide, 3E).

Waterdeep is an Oligarchical City-state; it rules itself and the territory it controls (100 miles beyond its walls). It controls a massive seaport that also doubles as a Spelljammer port, making it both a sea and space trading hub.

I don't think a 2 million population is unreasonable in that scenario. It's roughly double the average of 17th century France. I'm sure part of France had that number or close to it.

2 million in the city itself is absurd

 

[Demetrios1453]

Sure, once you have refrigeration and steam engines, you can do that.

With Renaissance level technology? Not a chance. Never minding the question of where did these people come from, the next question would be why? Why would Waterdeep be ten times the size of Baldurs Gate? There is just no logic there.

Because, as mentioned up thread, it uniquely has a huge (as in several hundred square miles) magical farm up the road that basically gives modern agricultural yields in a medieval setting, with transportation to get it to the city before spoilage. And that's above and beyond the thousands of square miles it has in just normal farms between the city and the Dessarin. As for the why people would move there, it's a huge nexus of trade between the resource-rich Savage Frontier and the resource-hungry southern lands. All that ore, lumber, and so on head right down the Dessarin to Waterdeep before being shipped out.

 

[Selas]

Because, as mentioned up thread, it uniquely has a huge (as in several hundred square miles) magical farm up the road that basically gives modern agricultural yields in a medieval setting, with transportation to get it to the city before spoilage. And that's above and beyond the thousands of square miles it has in just normal farms between the city and the Dessarin.

Yep. 40 miles of farmland outside the city walls, plus 60 miles beyond that of smaller settlements for a total of 100 miles.

Lets also not forget that one of Waterdeep's main exports is fish since they're a coastal city

 

[Zardnaar]

Because, as mentioned up thread, it uniquely has a huge (as in several hundred square miles) magical farm up the road that basically gives modern agricultural yields in a medieval setting, with transportation to get it to the city before spoilage. And that's above and beyond the thousands of square miles it has in just normal farms between the city and the Dessarin. As for the why people would move there, it's a huge nexus of trade between the resource-rich Savage Frontier and the resource-hungry southern lands. All that ore, lumber, and so on head right down the Dessarin to Waterdeep before being shipped out.

No ones really disputing that. The numbers make sense even without magic.

It's not clear if the 2 million includes that area or is Waterdeep itself.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Waterdeep is an Oligarchical City-state

Significantly, not a monarchy. Is is at the heart of an empire, but it takes the form of a zone of economic control, there is no Queen Victoria to stamp onto the face of the planet.

 

[Hussar]

"The City of Splendors laid claim to the surrounding lands for approximately 100 miles (160 kilometers) beyond its walls." (p.299, FR campaign guide, 3E).

Waterdeep is an Oligarchical City-state; it rules itself and the territory it controls (100 miles beyond its walls). It controls a massive seaport that also doubles as a Spelljammer port, making it both a sea and space trading hub.

A whole hundred miles? Wow. That’s an empire right there. And massive seaport? Why?? Port for who? Waterdeep has no navy to speak of and no one to trade with even if it did.

Look its up to tables to decide how this works. Fine. But as written Waterdeep makes zero sense and makes far far less sense if you posit a population of 2 million.

 

[Hussar]

Yep. 40 miles of farmland outside the city walls, plus 60 miles beyond that of smaller settlements for a total of 100 miles.

Lets also not forget that one of Waterdeep's main exports is fish since they're a coastal city

Who are they selling fish to?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Who are they selling fish to?

The Rock of Bral.

 

[Selas]

A whole hundred miles? Wow. That’s an empire right there. And massive seaport? Why?? Port for who? Waterdeep has no navy to speak of and no one to trade with even if it did.

Look its up to tables to decide how this works. Fine. But as written Waterdeep makes zero sense and makes far far less sense if you posit a population of 2 million.

Who are they selling fish to?

The fact that you're asking all these questions means you haven't read neither the 1E nor the 3E campaign books. That's fine...BUT, the FR wiki is out there and it sources from the campaign books. All this information is sourced there.

Btw, here is what it says about trading:

"The city was the hub of trading from the mineral-rich lands to the north, the merchant kingdoms of Amn and Calimshan to the south, the kingdoms of the Inner Sea to the east, and the sea kingdoms and traders to the west. The city was also the largest spelljamming port of Faerûn. Although welcoming to most spacefaring races, Waterdeep's laws required that all ships landed on the ocean several miles from the city and made their final approach by sea. Sages and traders from Waterdeep were eager to listen to stories from wildspace and traded on all the products the city had to offer."

Also, Waterdeep does have a Naval Fleet with it's own harbor, and that's sourced from the City of Splendor's Book published in 2005.