List of hamlets in Alberta


in the Canadian province of Alberta are unincorporated communities administered by, and within the boundaries of, specialized municipalities or rural municipalities. They consist of five or more dwellings, have a generally accepted boundary and name, and contain parcels of land used for non-residential purposes.
Section 59 of the Municipal Government Act enables specialized municipalities and municipal districts to designate a hamlet, while Section 590 of the MGA enables the Minister of Alberta Municipal Affairs to designate a hamlet within an improvement district. The Minister may also designate a hamlet within a special area pursuant to Section 10 of the Special Areas Act.
A hamlet can be incorporated as a village when its population reaches 300. However, Alberta has not had a hamlet incorporate as a village since January 1, 1980, when both Barnwell and Wabamun incorporated as villages. Since then, it has been more common for urban municipalities to dissolve from their current municipal status to that of a hamlet under the jurisdiction of its surrounding specialized or rural municipality. As such, the number of hamlets in Alberta has steadily grown over the years.
As of 2025, Alberta has 437 hamlets recognized by Alberta Municipal Affairs, which is up from 403 in 2023.
Alberta's two largest hamlets – Sherwood Park within Strathcona County and Fort McMurray within the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo – have been further designated as urban service areas by Municipal Affairs. If they were to incorporate as cities, Sherwood Park and Fort McMurray would rank sixth and seventh respectively among Alberta's largest cities by population. Lac La Biche within Lac La Biche County is a third hamlet also designated as an urban service area.

List of hamlets



NameSpecialized or rural municipalityLatest populationCensus year
''Notes:''

Former hamlets

Numerous communities in Alberta have been previously recognized as hamlets by the Province of Alberta. The majority were absorbed by urban municipalities through annexation or amalgamation. The following are those hamlets that have had their hamlet designation removed.
NameFormer municipalitySubsequent municipalityRemarks
BankviewBadlandsMD of Badlands No. 7DrumhellerAnnexed in 1964
CambriaBadlandsMD of Badlands No. 7DrumhellerAbsorbed as a result of amalgamation January 1, 1998
College HeightsLacombe CountyLacombeAnnexed January 1, 2000
East CouleeBadlandsMD of Badlands No. 7DrumhellerAbsorbed as a result of amalgamation January 1, 1998
GlenwoodYellowhead CountyEdsonAnnexed January 1, 1984
Grande Prairie TrailYellowhead CountyEdsonAnnexed January 1, 1984
GrantvilleKneehill CountyThree HillsAnnexed January 1, 1983
HardievilleLethbridgeLethbridge CountyLethbridgeAnnexed January 1, 1978
HillcrestImprovement District No. 5CrowsnestMunicipality of Crowsnest PassAbsorbed via amalgamation January 1, 1979
Lake LouiseImprovement District No. 9Improvement District No. 9Held hamlet designation in 2024 but not in 2025
LehighBadlandsMD of Badlands No. 7DrumhellerAbsorbed as a result of amalgamation January 1, 1998
MacKayYellowheadYellowhead CountyYellowhead CountyHamlet status was repealed by Yellowhead County in 2019 after being designated one in 1979
MidlandvaleBadlandsMD of Badlands No. 7DrumhellerAnnexed in 1972
MidnaporeFoothillsMD of Foothills No. 31CalgaryAnnexed in 1961
NacmineBadlandsMD of Badlands No. 7DrumhellerAbsorbed as a result of amalgamation January 1, 1998
NewcastleBadlandsMD of Badlands No. 7DrumhellerAnnexed in 1967
North [Drumheller, Alberta|North Drumheller]BadlandsMD of Badlands No. 7DrumhellerAnnexed in 1967
PinedaleYellwoheadYellowhead CountyYellowhead CountyHamlet status was repealed by Yellowhead County in 2019 after being designated one in 1987
RibstoneWainwrightMD of Wainwright No. 61MD of Wainwright No. 61Hamlet status was repealed on January 21, 2024
RosedaleBadlandsMD of Badlands No. 7DrumhellerAbsorbed as a result of amalgamation January 1, 1998
RuarkvilleKneehill CountyThree HillsAnnexed December 31, 1984
ShepardRocky View CountyCalgaryAnnexed July 31, 2007
WayneBadlandsMD of Badlands No. 7DrumhellerAbsorbed as a result of amalgamation January 1, 1998
Western Monarch Wheatland CountyBadlandsMD of Badlands No. 7Now within the Town of Drumheller following the amalgamation of the City of Drumheller and the MD of Badlands No. 7 on January 1, 1998