About our city

We’re young,ambitious and building something extraordinary.

With a population of just over one million, Edmonton is one of Canada’s youngest and fastest growing cities. We’re building a resilient and diverse economy, attracting the best and the brightest and striving to be a world leader in environmental sustainability. We value quality of life, community safety and a welcoming spirit that embraces new people and new ideas. Edmonton is a city of risk-takers and business owners – and our local municipal government and partners continue to deliver business-friendly and enhanced programs, promote innovation, support businesses of all sizes and stages and work together to identify and reduce red tape, streamline services, and reduce barriers to investment in our city.

Location

Edmonton is the capital city of the province of Alberta, Canada. It’s roughly in the centre of Alberta, located on the North Saskatchewan River.

Longitude: West 113 degrees, 29 minutes, 24 seconds
Latitude: North 53 degrees, 32 minutes, 43 seconds

Population

Edmonton is the fifth largest city in Canada with a population of just over 1 million. We are one of Canada’s youngest major cities, with a median age of 37. Immigrants make up almost a third of our city’s population and speak more than 125 languages.

Friends talking by the mural in Ritchie
History

Prior to the 1795 establishment of Fort Edmonton, known as amiskwaciwâskahikan (ᐊᒥᐢᑲᐧᒋᐋᐧᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ), Indigenous peoples shared an intimate and ongoing relationship with one another and these lands. 

We respectfully acknowledge the traditional land on which we reside is in Treaty Six Territory.

  • 1795 | began as a trading post called Fort Edmonton 
  • 1904 | incorporated as a city
  • 1905 | became the capital of Alberta
  • 1912 | Edmonton amalgamated with the city of Strathcona
Edmonton Firsts
  • 1921 | Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues founded, the first in Canada 
  • 1929 | Edmonton City Centre Airport opened, becoming Canada’s first licensed airfield
  • 1938 | Al-Rashid Mosque opened, the first in Canada
  • 1969 | Edmonton becomes the first Canadian city to join the North American Emergency Telephone 911 plan
  • 1981 | Edmonton’s Food Bank formed, the first in Canada 
  • 1981 | West Edmonton Mall opened as the world’s largest, and is still the largest in North America
  • 1982 | Edmonton Fringe Theatre Festival is held, the first in North America
  • 2003 | hosted the first Heritage Classic, a National Hockey League outdoor game
  • 2022 | Edmonton became the first Canadian city to join the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities
Fast Facts
  • Edmonton’s river valley is the largest urban parkland in North America and is 22 times the size of New York’s Central Park
  • The average cost of a townhouse in Edmonton is $370,000 compared to $990,000 in Toronto and $1.1 million in Vancouver
  • Edmonton was ranked number one in Canada by Canadian Home Builders’ Association when looking at factors impacting housing affordability
  • We have a young, educated talent pool with seven universities, colleges and technical institutions
  • 60 per cent of our workforce has post-secondary training
  • Urban Work Index ranked Edmonton as the third best city in the country for youth work