Nestled along Highway 3 in southern Alberta, Coalhurst sits approximately 15 kilometres northwest of Lethbridge, making it a small but well-connected community within the region. Originally known as Bridgend, the town was historically a coal-mining community, and that industrial heritage remains a defining part of its identity. Around 1930, a significant fire swept through Coalhurst, causing approximately $35,000 in damages – a considerable sum at the time – though fortunately no residents were injured in the blaze.
Coalhurst has experienced steady growth in recent decades. The town recorded a population of 2,869 residents in the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, occupying 1,025 of its 1,055 total private dwellings. This represented a 7.5% increase from the 2,668 residents counted in the 2016 census, which itself reflected a remarkable 34.9% jump from the 2011 population of 1,978. The town covers a land area of 3.08 square kilometres, resulting in a population density of approximately 931.5 residents per square kilometre as of 2021.