Rich in Resources, Both Below and Above Ground

From our young and growing population, to our booming energy, agriculture and cultural industries, to our outstanding learning, research and innovation ecosystems, the Edmonton Metro Region is setting the pace for the development of a connected economic and social sphere, with an increasingly prominent place on the global stage.

Transformative change

Since the discovery of oil in Leduc in 1947, the Region has grown nearly 800% and we’re far from done. We’re on track to welcoming another million people and adding more than 500,000 jobs and 400,000 dwellings in the next 20 years.

With urban and rural communities, life, work and play happens without a thought to municipal borders. We hold a common vision for prosperity and quality of life for every resident.

Diverse economy

As one of Canada’s largest metro regions, ideally located to the North, we’re perfectly positioned in one of the most business friendly places in North America.

Learn more about how we are building a prosperous Region
People Laughing at Dinner Table

$109B in GDP

13 communities generating one-third of the province’s economic activity

17 major employment areas

including larger scale urban and rural industrial parks, Alberta’s Industrial Heartland, and lands around Edmonton International Airport

8 post-secondary institutions, with more than 130,000 students

young and diverse talent pool

Foreign Trade Zone

an inland port with favorable regulations and incentives where air, rail, pipelines, and roadways converge

Agriculture

Our Region’s largest land use

Home to some of the most fertile soils in the country, and the second largest economic driver in the province, the agricultural sector is well positioned to contribute to jobs and economic investment in the Region, with world-leading institutions and special-purpose facilities.

Learn more about our agriculture plan
Farmer and his son are examining their growing corn field. They are happy because of successful sowing.

30%

of Alberta’s prime agricultural lands

1.7 M

acres of agricultural land

25%

of Alberta’s food and beverage processing industry

4,655+

farm operators

40%

more revenue generated per acre than elsewhere in the province

Communities & housing

A place to call home

Our Region seeks to create communities where all residents and visitors enjoy a sense of belonging and where diversity adds to the social and economic vibrancy of the community, improving the quality of life for all. This translates into a rich offering of festivals, events, and celebrations throughout the year, including the world-famous Edmonton Folk Music Festival.

Learn more about our communities and housing
The local farmers market in downtown Edmonton, Alberta, Canada is busy with locals and tourists looking to buy fresh local food and designed clothes.

Most affordable

major housing market in Canada

47,100 international newcomers

record population growth in 2023

2nd youngest

metro region in Canada

By 2044

  • 2.4M people
  • 1.2M jobs
  • 950K dwellings

Transportation systems

Connecting a Region on the go

Across our region, whether in the heart of a city, hamlet or town, or in a rural setting, having to get from A to B is a daily fact of life for people of all ages. Whether that’s going into the office or work site, going to school, getting to a medical appointment, traveling for a cultural or sporting event, or just meeting up with friends. For others, driving is just part of the job – hauling cargo, or delivering goods and services.

See our work in this area Learn more about our transportation plan
12778 South LRT Belgravia to South Campus

1 minute faster

average daily commute time of residents in the Region is 25.9 minutes, one minute faster than the national average

1 ring road

78 km of freeway

Regional Arc card

to access buses and LRT on participating regional transit systems

150 km of trails

for walking, cycling, and other modes of active transportation

Major entry point for air cargo

at the Edmonton International Airport (YEG), which continues to see year-over-year growth

16 rail intermodal and storage facilities

providing capacity to move commodities across Canada and throughout North America

Natural assets

Spanning 9,500km2, our Region is the gateway to the North, home to rich soils, a forested river valley and ravine slopes, deciduous woodlands, rivers and lakes, wetlands, and grasslands.

See how EMRB is stewarding the Region’s natural assets
A view of the tops of trees and sky looking up

North Saskatchewan River

headwaters in the Columbia icefields

88 km ribbon of green

River Valley winds along the North Saskatchewan River

Over 150 km of trails from Devon to Fort Saskatchewan

largest urban park in North America and 22 times larger than New York’s Central Park

Beaver Hills Biosphere

1 of only 2 UNESCO-designated biospheres in Alberta

World’s largest solar farm at an airport

627-acre solar farm at YEG to power equivalent of more than 27,000 homes

Close up of a pow wow drum as a background

Territorial Acknowledgement

We recognize the long history and contributions of Indigenous Peoples who have cared for this land from time immemorial to the present. In the spirit of truth and reconciliation we work collaboratively to steward the land we share as we plan for a future for all citizens, and we acknowledge that we are all Treaty People, bound to one another by the spirit and intent of Treaty “as long as the sun shines, the grass grows and the river flows”.

Visit our Territorial Acknowledgement