Lethbridge

Lethbridge
City
Downtown Lethbridge on 4th Avenue South
Nicknames: 
Motto: 
Ad occasionis januam "Gateway to Opportunity"
City boundaries
Lethbridge
Location in Alberta
Lethbridge
Location in Canada
Lethbridge
Location in Lethbridge County
Coordinates: 49°41′37″N 112°50′31″W / 49.69361°N 112.84194°W / 49.69361; -112.84194
CountryCanada
ProvinceAlberta
Planning regionSouth Saskatchewan
Municipal districtLethbridge County
Settled1874
Incorporated 
 • TownNovember 29, 1890
 • CityMay 9, 1906
Named afterWilliam Lethbridge
Government
 • MayorBlaine Hyggen
(Past mayors)
 • Governing body
  • Al Beeber
  • Mark Campbell
  • Belinda Crowson
  • Rajko Dodic
  • Rufa Doria
  • Ryan Parker
  • Jenn Schmidt-Rempel
  • Ryan Wolfe
 • MPRachael Thomas (CPC)
 • MLAsNathan Neudorf (UCP)
Rob Miyashiro (NDP)
 • City ManagerLloyd Brierley
Area
 (2021)
 • Land121.12 km2 (46.76 sq mi)
 • Urban
64.00 km2 (24.71 sq mi)
 • Metro
2,958.96 km2 (1,142.46 sq mi)
Elevation
910 m (2,990 ft)
Population
 (2021)
 • City
98,406
 • Density812.5/km2 (2,104/sq mi)
 • Urban
92,563
 • Metro
123,847
 • Metro density41.9/km2 (109/sq mi)
 • Municipal census (2023)
106,550
 1446.2
DemonymLethbridgian or Lethbian
Time zoneUTC−07:00 (MST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−06:00 (MDT)
Forward sortation areas
Area codes403 587, 825, 368
Highways Highway 3
Highway 4
Highway 5
Highway 25
WaterwaysOldman River
GDP (Lethbridge CMA)CA$6.1 billion (2016)
GDP per capita (Lethbridge CMA)CA$52,243 (2016)
Websitewww.lethbridge.ca

Lethbridge (/ˈlɛθbrɪ/ LETH-brij) is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada. With a population of 106,550 in the 2023 municipal census, Lethbridge became the fourth Alberta city to surpass 100,000 people. The nearby Canadian Rocky Mountains contribute to the city's warm summers, mild winters, and windy climate. Lethbridge lies approximately 215 km (134 mi) southeast of Calgary on the Oldman River, 169 km (105 mi) west of Medicine Hat, and 105 km (65 mi) northwest of the Canada–United States border at the Sweetgrass–Coutts Border Crossing.

Lethbridge is the commercial, educational, financial, industrial and transportation centre of southern Alberta. The city's economy developed from drift mining for coal in the late 19th century and agriculture in the early 20th century. Half of the workforce is employed in the health, education, retail and hospitality sectors, and the top five employers are government-based. Post-secondary institutes in the city include the University of Lethbridge, the only university in Alberta south of Calgary, as well as Lethbridge Polytechnic and Red Crow College. Cultural venues in the city include performing art theatres, galleries, museums, gardens, and sports centres.