Everything you need to know about living, working or studying in Calgary

This guide covers everything you need to know before immigrating to Calgary. One of the largest cities in Canada and a gateway to the Rockies, Calgary is increasing in popularity with travellers.

Calgary is the third largest city in Canada and one of the two largest cities in the province of Alberta (the other being Edmonton, the administrative capital). Alberta is considered the “Texas” of Canada and Calgary is known as “Cowtown”, in reference to its cattle production and agricultural fair during the famous Stampede.

Calgary is best known for the Prairies and for its proximity to the Rocky Mountains (100 km away). This makes it a great place to live or visit if you want to head out on road trips to the Rockies or elsewhere in the West of Canada.

Facts about Calgary

• There are nearly 1.7 million inhabitants in Calgary and the surrounding area (as of 2024)
• It has a surface area of 852 km² and an altitude plateau of around 1,000 m
• The majority of people (around 70%) speak English as their first language
• It ranked as the fifth most liveable city in the world (2024 ranking)
• It’s one of the sunniest cities in Canada and has more than 300 sunny days a year, plus hot summers!
• Winters are cold and the temperature can drop down to -39°C
• Calgary was the first Canadian city to host the Winter Olympics in 1988.

The people and the atmosphere

Calgary is a medium-sized city and the fastest growing in Canada in recent years. Its population increases by around 3% each year. It has become a cosmopolitan city, after starting life as an agricultural village.

The majority of Calgarians speak English, with only 1.5% speaking French as their first language. Calgary is a city with great cultural diversity: Filipino, Pakistani, Indian, Chinese and Spanish communities have also made Calgary their home. Calgarians are generally respectful, polite and happy to help newcomers.

Calgary is great for nature lovers, as the city has many parks and green spaces, like Prince’s Island Park and Fish Creek Provincial Park. In summer, many Calgarians like to get out onto the Bow and Elbow Rivers for rafting and floating. The province as a whole has five national parks. In Alberta, you can also find prehistoric fossils and dinosaur remains.

Alberta is the leading oil and gas producing province in Canada, so Calgary’s economy is centralised around oil and gas transportation. The railway line that runs through Calgary is another prominent point in the city’s topography.

Is Calgary safe?

Crime was slightly up in recent years due to drug-related problems, but Calgary remains a safe city to live in overall. Violent crimes in Calgary are 22% lower than the national average for Canada.

Calgary’s climate

As noted in our facts about Calgary, it’s one of the sunniest cities in Canada! The city offers lots of light and beautiful sunsets, even in winter. The climate is mainly dry, with low humidity. You will experience large temperature differences between the winter and summer seasons. Weather can be changeable from one day to the next.

In summer, the weather is generally pleasant. As the climate is dry, it gets hot quickly. In June and July, there are sometimes thunderstorms.

In winter, although it gets cold, the temperatures are softened slightly by the presence of the Chinook, a warm wind coming in from the Pacific. You may experience 10°C days followed by a cold snap bringing lows of -30°C, for example. Some years are milder in winter, while others will be more intense.