Nestled within the striking badlands of east-central Alberta, Drumheller sits along the banks of the Red Deer River, roughly 110 kilometres northeast of Calgary and about 97 kilometres south of Stettler. The stretch of river valley running through and around the town – commonly known as Dinosaur Valley – spans approximately 28 kilometres in length and 2 kilometres in width, carving a dramatic landscape through the surrounding plains.
A History Rooted in Coal and Rapid Growth
The town takes its name from Samuel Drumheller, who purchased the homestead of Thomas Patrick Greentree, had the land surveyed into an original townsite, and began selling lots in 1911. That same year, Samuel Drumheller launched coal mining operations near the new settlement. A railway station arrived in 1912, and the community advanced quickly through a series of status changes: incorporated as a village on May 15, 1913, elevated to town on March 2, 1916, and granted city status on April 3, 1930. The coal industry drove remarkable population growth during this era, with the number of residents rising 857% over 15 years – from 312 people in 1916 to 2,987 by 1931. That boom slowed considerably after the Second World War, when demand for coal declined sharply. On January 1, 1998, the City of Drumheller amalgamated with the Municipal District of Badlands No. 7, forming the current Town of Drumheller. The two municipalities shared planning challenges tied to their location within the Red Deer River valley, and had more in common with each other than with surrounding rural areas. The amalgamated community chose town status rather than city status specifically so that provincial highways within its boundaries would remain the responsibility of the Province of Alberta.
A Town Shaped by Amalgamation and Expansion
The 1998 amalgamation brought six former hamlets under Drumheller’s jurisdiction: Cambria, East Coulee, Lehigh, Nacmine, Rosedale, and Wayne. Earlier annexations during the city years had already absorbed Bankview and Midland in 1964 and 1972 respectively, and both Newcastle and North Drumheller in 1967. Additional localities including Aerial, Eladesor, Kneehill, Rosedale Station, Western Monarch, and Willow Creek also became part of the municipality through these various boundary changes. In total, Drumheller has absorbed at least 13 separate communities throughout its history, many of which now exist as recognised neighbourhoods or districts within the town. As a result of the 1998 amalgamation, Drumheller became Alberta’s largest town by land area, covering 107.93 square kilometres. The town experiences a semi-arid climate with hot summers and very cold winters. The highest temperature ever recorded locally reached 40.6 degrees Celsius on July 18, 1941, while the coldest on record was -43.9 degrees Celsius on January 29, 1996.