Camrose ( ) is a city in central Alberta, Canada that is surrounded by Camrose County. Located along Highway 13 it had its beginnings as a railroad hub.
History
The area around Camrose was first settled by Europeans around 1900. At that time the nearby settlement of Wetaskiwin was a major centre for pioneers; typically, it was the last stopping-off point before they set out in search of nearby land. The site that was to be Camrose was about a day's journey from Wetaskiwin along the railroad, which made it a popular place on the route of pioneers. Soon businessmen and other settlers arrived to stay. The settlers came primarily from Scandinavian countries, such as Norway and Sweden, and many settlers also came from the United States. At that time the settlement was known as the hamlet of Stoney Creek. In 1904, Stoney Creek began receiving mail service, its first businesses began to open, and its first Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer (Constable "Blue" Smith) arrived.
On May 4, 1905, the community was incorporated as the Village of Camrose. There is no factual evidence about the reason for the choice of the name Camrose, but it is generally thought that it was named after the Village of Camrose in Pembrokeshire, South Wales. On December 11, 1906, Camrose was incorporated as a town. which was published until 2018. In March 1907 the town erected a building for town administration, which also held its first police and fire station. In May 1907, it spent $10,000 on its schoolhouse. In October 1907 men from Alberta Government Telephones set up Camrose's first telephone exchange, and by 1908 about fifty residents had telephone access. 1911 saw the construction of Camrose's first power plant.
From 1905 to 1914, there was a great deal of railway construction in the Camrose area. Camrose became a bit of a railroad hub, sitting on railways that connected to Edmonton and Calgary, as well as many of the smaller towns in central Alberta, such as Vegreville, Stettler, Drumheller, and Wetaskiwin. By 1914, twelve passenger trains came through Camrose daily. In those days the growth of Camrose was strongly linked with the railway.
On June 26, 1912, the first building of the Camrose Lutheran College (known as Augustana University College from 1991 to 2004) was opened. Today the campus continues as the Augustana Faculty of the University of Alberta.
During World War II, the Camrose Fairgrounds were converted to an army training grounds. About ten H-Shaped huts were built, as were mess quarters, a medical building and a storehouse. Thousands of Canadian boys came to Camrose to receive their basic training. The city's name was also used for , a Flower-class corvette that served with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War.
Camrose became a city on January 1, 1955. in Camrose it has become even more oriented towards tourism and hospitality.
On October 26, 2005, a single lottery ticket worth $54,000,000 (the second largest in Canadian history) was sold in Camrose. The ticket belonged to 17 oil industry workers.
In August 2006, Camrose held a Founders Day when four men were inducted as founding fathers of Camrose.
Since the mid-2000s, Camrose has continued to develop as a regional service centre for east-central Alberta. The city's population grew from 18,742 in the 2016 Census to 18,772 in the 2021 Census, according to Statistics Canada. The 2025 municipal census recorded a population of 19,984, while Alberta's regional dashboard estimated Camrose's 2025 population at 20,801.
Recreation infrastructure expanded in 2007 with the opening of new arena facilities at the Camrose Recreation Centre. The spectator events arena, known as Encana Arena, was built in 2007 and has seating for more than 2,500 spectators, while a second regulation ice surface, the Border Paving Arena, was also built that year. The facility has been used by teams including the Camrose Kodiaks and the Augustana Vikings. The same year, the Camrose Casino and Resort opened in June 2007.
On August 1, 2009, severe weather caused the main stage at the Big Valley Jamboree to collapse, killing one person and injuring others. A fatality inquiry later found that the collapse occurred during high winds and recommended improved standards for temporary stages in Alberta. The festival later continued and remained one of Camrose's major annual tourism events.
The city's arts sector expanded in 2014 with the opening of the Jeanne and Peter Lougheed Performing Arts Centre on the University of Alberta Augustana Campus. The facility was officially named at its opening in November 2014 and added a major modern performance venue to the city.
During the 2010s and 2020s, Camrose continued to market itself as a regional hub for work, services, recreation and entertainment. The City of Camrose described the community as having a trading area of about 150,000 people, supported by rail transport, air and highway transportation corridors.
Geography
Camrose is situated about from Edmonton, the capital of Alberta. Highway 13 runs through its centre. Camrose is located in a transitory region of Alberta, between prairie and boreal forest, known as aspen parkland. It is a major economic centre for many small farming communities in the surrounding area. The Stoney Creek runs through the city and flows into the Battle River south of the city.
Climate
Camrose has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb) and falls into the NRC Plant Hardiness Zone 3b. Summers are warm with moderate rainfall while winters can be long and cold.