A polarizing electrode for an electric double layer capacitor has good moldability and is capable of achieving higher density of electrode and higher capacity. An electric double layer capacitor employs the same. The polarizing electrode for an electric double layer capacitor is made of an activated carbon obtained by activating a hard-to-graphitize material (for example, phenol resin) with water vapor, and the activated carbon has a median particle size within a range from 4 .mu.m to 8 .mu.m in the particle size distribution as measured by a laser diffraction method and a benzene adsorption ratio of not less than 47.0% and not more than 60% by weight of activated carbon.