Nestled along Highway 2 in the Peace Country region of northern Alberta, Clairmont sits on the western shore of Clairmont Lake at an elevation of 685 metres (2,247 feet). The community falls within the County of Grande Prairie No. 1 and occupies a convenient position roughly 10 kilometres north of Grande Prairie and about 9 kilometres south of Sexsmith. Before it was known by its current name, the surrounding area was commonly referred to as Twin Lakes. The name “Clairmont” was first applied in 1907 by surveyor JB Saint Cyr, who was among the earliest to map out the township boundaries in the region.
The community’s growth took off following the arrival of the Edmonton, Dunvegan and British Columbia Railway in 1916, which quickly brought with it a railway station, grain elevators, the Clairmont Hotel, a Union Bank, a butcher shop, a Baptist church, and a handful of local stores. A post office opened that same year, and the Clairmont Lake School District had already been established on September 10, 1915. Clairmont was incorporated as a village in 1917, though a fire in 1922 destroyed much of the business district, and a new train station was constructed in 1923. The economic strain of the Great Depression ultimately led residents to dissolve village status on January 1, 1946, at which point Clairmont became part of the Municipal District of Bear Lake No. 740. The community later became home to the County of Grande Prairie No. 1’s municipal office. A new school funded through municipal resources opened in 2008, reflecting continued investment in the area. According to the 2021 Census of Population, Clairmont had a population of 5,135 residents.