Situated at the junction of Highway 1 and Highway 547 in southeast Alberta, Gleichen lies within Wheatland County and sits directly adjacent to the Siksika Nation. The community is positioned roughly 40 kilometres southeast of Strathmore, at an elevation of 903 metres above sea level. Its location along the railway historically made it a practical hub for farmers and ranchers throughout the surrounding region, and that rail access shaped much of its early development.
Gleichen carries a long and eventful history. It was named after Lord Edward Gleichen in 1884, incorporated as a village on January 24, 1899, and later elevated to town status on May 6, 1910. At its peak, the community reached a population of 668 according to the 1921 Census, and it was once large enough to hold its own seat in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. A pair of devastating fires, including one in 1912, prompted many residents to relocate, with most heading to Calgary. After nearly a century as an independent municipality, Gleichen dissolved into hamlet status under Wheatland County on March 31, 1998. Today, the hamlet covers a land area of 1.42 square kilometres and recorded a population of 314 in the 2021 Census, reflecting a modest decline from 324 in 2016 and 336 in 2011. Its population density stands at approximately 221 people per square kilometre. Gleichen also holds a curious meteorological footnote: a temperature of 46.1 degrees Celsius was once claimed for July 28, 1903, but official records show the actual reading that day was only 21.3 degrees Celsius, and the hamlet has never officially surpassed 37.8 degrees. The local climate is semi-arid, with cold winters, warm summers, and an average annual precipitation of just 336 millimetres.