Nestled in the Smoky River valley of northern Alberta’s Peace Country, DeBolt sits along Highway 43 at an elevation of 640 metres above sea level. The hamlet lies roughly 58 kilometres east of Grande Prairie and about 54 kilometres west of Valleyview, placing it squarely between two regional centres within the Municipal District of Greenview No. 16. The community takes its name from Henry DeBolt, one of its earliest postmasters. DeBolt also lends its name to the Debolt Formation, a stratigraphical unit first identified in a well drilled approximately 10 kilometres north of the settlement.
According to the 2021 Census conducted by Statistics Canada, DeBolt had a population of 132 residents living in 66 of its 73 private dwellings, reflecting a growth of 9.1% from the 121 people recorded in 2016. The hamlet covers a land area of 2.79 square kilometres, giving it a population density of roughly 47.3 people per square kilometre. The local economy draws on agriculture, ranching, oil and gas production, forestry, logging, and plywood manufacturing, with employers such as Star Industries, Star Fabrication, DeBolt Contracting, P&G Kitchens, and Moore Seed operating in the area. Visitors to the community can explore the Hubert Memorial Park, which preserves a collection of early buildings and historical artefacts, as well as the Legion Hall, which forms part of the DeBolt and District Pioneer Museum. The hamlet is served by the DeBolt Aerodrome located approximately 1.9 kilometres to the north, and maintains a volunteer fire hall. Notable residents connected to DeBolt include poet Ken Belford, fossil hunter and local historian Roy Bickell, and actress Georgie Collins.