Airdrie, Alberta facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Airdrie
City
City of Airdrie
Aerial view of Airdrie
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City boundaries
Airdrie Location in Alberta Show map of Alberta Airdrie Location in Canada Show map of Canada Airdrie Location in Rocky View County Show map of Rocky View County
Country	Canada
Province	Alberta
Region	Calgary Metropolitan Region
Municipal district	Rocky View County
Founded	1899
Incorporated
• Village	September 10, 1909
• Town	May 1, 1974
• City	January 1, 1985
Area  (2021)
• Total	86.03 km2 (33.22 sq mi)
• Land	84.39 km2 (32.58 sq mi)
Elevation	1,098 m (3,602 ft)
Population  (2021)
• Total	74,100
• Density	878.1/km2 (2,274/sq mi)
• Municipal census (2024)	85,805
Demonyms	Airdronian
Time zone	UTC−7 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−6 (MDT)
Forward sortation areas	T4A - T4B
Area codes	403, 587, 825, 368
Highways	2

Airdrie (pronounced AIR-dree) is a city in Alberta, Canada. It is part of the Calgary Region and the Calgary Metropolitan Area. Airdrie is located north of Calgary along the Queen Elizabeth II Highway (Highway 2).

Airdrie is surrounded by Rocky View County. It is also a member of the Calgary Metropolitan Region Board.

With about 86,000 people, Airdrie is the 5th largest city in Alberta. It is smaller than Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge, and Red Deer. In 2023, the average age of people living in Airdrie was 35 years old.

History of Airdrie

Airdrie started in 1889 as a small stop for trains. This was during the building of the Calgary and Edmonton Railway. It was named after a town in Scotland.

At first, only railway buildings were there. In 1901, the first farmhouse, barn, post office, and store were built. Airdrie officially became a village in 1909. You can learn more about Airdrie's past at the Nose Creek Valley Museum.

Geography of Airdrie

In 2012, Airdrie added a large area of land from Rocky View County. This was done to help the city grow until 2062. Airdrie's southern edge is only a few kilometers from Calgary's northern edge.

Neighbourhoods in Airdrie

Airdrie is divided into four main areas for addresses. As of 2023, the city has many recognized neighbourhoods. These do not include rural or newly added lands.

Population and People

In 2023, a special count by the City of Airdrie showed a population of 80,649 people. Between 2019 and 2023, over 2,500 new homes were built in Airdrie. This was a 9.67% increase in homes.

The city's population grew by 14% since the last count in 2019. There were no counts between 2020 and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Diversity in Airdrie

Airdrie is home to people from many different backgrounds. In 2021, about 74.7% of residents were of European background. About 20.4% were from visible minority groups. Also, 4.9% were Indigenous peoples.

Religions in Airdrie

Many different religions are practiced in Airdrie. In 2021, about 46.8% of people were Christians. This includes Catholics and Protestants. About 45.9% of people said they had no religion. Other religions like Islam (3.0%), Sikhism (2.1%), and Hinduism (1.0%) are also present.

Arts and Culture in Airdrie

Airdrie has many fun events and places to visit. The Nose Creek Regional Park hosts the Airdrie Festival of Lights every December. This is a popular Christmas event.

Other yearly events include the Canada Day Parade and the Airdrie Pro Rodeo. For cultural experiences, you can visit the Nose Creek Valley Museum. The Bert Church Live Theatre also hosts shows and the Annual Airdrie Mayor's Night of the Arts.

Attractions in Airdrie

• Nose Creek Regional Park: This park has a beautiful bronze sculpture called "Iethka Grandmother's Teachings." It shows a Stoney grandmother teaching her grandchildren. The sculpture was given to the city in 2023. It helps remember the history of Indigenous peoples in the area.
• José Rizal Monument: The first monument in Alberta to Philippine National Hero, José Rizal, is in Nose Creek Park. It was opened in 2021.
• Battle of Gapyeong Victory, Korean War monument
• Nose Creek Valley Museum: Learn about the history of Airdrie here.
• Bert Church Live Theatre: Enjoy plays and performances.
• Iron Horse Park: A fun place with miniature trains.
• Airdrie Festival of Lights: A popular Christmas light display.
• Airdrie Pro Rodeo: A yearly rodeo event.
• Airdrie Family Fall Fair: A fair for families in the autumn.

Sports in Airdrie

Airdrie is home to many sports teams.

• Lacrosse: The Knights of Airdrie are a senior men's lacrosse team. They play in the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League.
• Hockey:
  • The Airdrie Thunder is a Jr. B level hockey team. They play in the Heritage Junior B Hockey League.
  • Team Airdrie is a Jr. C level hockey team. They play in the Calgary Jr. C Hockey League.
  • The CFR Chemical Bisons are a AAA Midget hockey team. They play in the Alberta AAA Midget Hockey League (AMHL).
• Swimming: Airdrie has two competitive swim clubs: Airdrie Phoenix Swim Club and Nose Creek Swim Association. Many swimmers from these clubs compete at provincial and national levels. Both clubs use Genesis Place for training.
• Football: The Airdrie Irish are a semi-pro men's football team. They play in the Alberta Football League. They were formed in 2015 and play home games at Genesis Place.
• Soccer: The Airdrie District Soccer Association (ADSA) has over 2000 children playing soccer. Airdrie also has eight competitive adult soccer teams.

City Services and Transportation

Transportation in Airdrie

Airdrie is located on the Queen Elizabeth II Highway (Highway 2). This highway connects Calgary and Edmonton. Highway 567 also connects Airdrie to Cochrane in the west and Irricana in the east.

Airdrie has its own small airport, the Airdrie Airport. The closest major airport is the Calgary International Airport.

In 2010, Airdrie started the InterCity Express (ICE). This is a bus service that connects Airdrie and Calgary. Airdrie Transit provides local bus service within the city.

Education in Airdrie

Airdrie has many schools for students.

• Public Schools: Rocky View Schools runs 18 public schools in Airdrie. These include elementary, middle, and high schools.
  • A.E. Bowers Elementary School
  • Bert Church High School
  • C.W. Perry School
  • Cooper's Crossing School
  • Ecole Airdrie Middle School
  • Ecole Edwards Elementary School
  • George McDougall High School
  • Heloise Lorimer School
  • Heron's Crossing School
  • Meadowbrook School
  • Muriel Clayton Middle School
  • Northcott Prairie School
  • Nose Creek School
  • R.J. Hawkey Elementary School
  • Ralph McCall School
  • RVS Community Learning Centre
  • W.H. Croxford High School
  • Windsong Heights School

• Catholic Schools: The Calgary Catholic School District operates four schools in Airdrie.
  • St. Martin de Porres High School (Grades 8-12)
  • Good Shepherd School (Kindergarten-Grade 7)
  • Our Lady Queen of Peace (Kindergarten-Grade 9)
  • St Veronica School (Kindergarten-Grade 7)

• Private Schools: Some private schools in Airdrie are Airdrie Koinonia Christian School, Footprints for Learning Academy, and Atlas Academy.

• French School: École Francophone d’Airdrie is a school for French-speaking students from Kindergarten to Grade 12. It was renamed L’École des Hautes-Plaines in September 2023.

Media in Airdrie

Because Airdrie is close to Calgary, it gets radio and TV signals from Calgary. Airdrie has its own local radio station, Air 106.1 FM. It also has a community website called DiscoverAirdrie.com.

The city has a local newspaper called the Airdrie City View. There is also a quarterly magazine called AirdrieLIFE.

Sister Cities

Airdrie Park in Gwacheon

Airdrie has two sister cities:

• Gwacheon, South Korea (since 1997)
• Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland

Notable people

• Kyle McKearney, a singer-songwriter
• Grant McLean, a former mayor of Airdrie
• Jake Neighbours, a player in the National Hockey League
• Katie Rox, a singer-songwriter

See also

In Spanish: Airdrie (Alberta) para niños