# Strathcona County

Strathcona County is a specialized municipality in the Edmonton Metropolitan Region within Alberta, Canada between Edmonton and Elk Island National Park. It forms part of Census Division No. 11.
Strathcona County is both urban and rural in nature. Approximately 73% of its population lives in Sherwood Park, which is an urban service area east of Edmonton, remains an unincorporated hamlet. The balance lives beyond Sherwood Park within a rural service area.

## History

In Treaty 6, the First Nations ceded their title to the land that would become Strathcona County. Local governance began in 1893 when the North-West Territorial Legislature established an area east of Edmonton as Statute Labour District No. 2. It then grew in size over the following decade and was renamed Local Improvement District (LID) No. 517 in 1913. In 1918, LID No. 517 became a municipal district under the name of the Municipal District (MD) of Clover Bar No. 517. At the same time, the neighbouring LID No. 518 to the south became the MD of Strathcona No. 518.
* Boundaries of the M.D. of Clover Bar No. 517
* Boundaries of the M.D. of Strathcona No. 518
The MD of Clover Bar No. 517 and the MD of Strathcona No. 518 amalgamated on March 1, 1943, into a larger municipal district under the name of the MD of Strathcona No. 517. It was subsequently renumbered as the MD of Strathcona No. 83 in 1945. Upon further amalgamating with the Clover Bar School Division No. 13, the MD of Strathcona No. 83 incorporated as a county under the name of the County of Strathcona No. 20 on January 1, 1962. Its county status reverted to municipal district status in 1995 when the County Act was repealed by the provincial legislature though its name remained County of Strathcona No. 20. Its name was officially changed to Strathcona County on April 26, 1995. Shortly thereafter, Strathcona County's status was changed from municipal district to specialized municipality on January 1, 1996.
The purpose of Strathcona County's change to specialized municipality status was to provide "for the unique needs of a municipality that includes both a large urban centre and a significant rural territory and population." The status change specifically designated Strathcona County's large urban centre, Sherwood Park, as an urban service area deemed equivalent to a city. Its remaining rural territory was specifically designated a rural service area deemed equivalent to a municipal district.

## Geography

Strathcona County is in the central portion of the province of Alberta and forms the eastern portion of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region. It borders Lamont County to the northeast, Improvement District No. 13 (Elk Island National Park) to the east, Beaver County to the southeast, Leduc County to the south, the City of Edmonton to the west, the City of Fort Saskatchewan to the northeast, and Sturgeon County to the north. The North Saskatchewan River forms its municipal boundary with Sturgeon County. Some of its water bodies include Cooking Lake, Half Moon, and Hastings Lake.

### Communities and localities

The following localities are located within Strathcona County.

#### Localities

* Adam Lily Acres
* Akenside
* Akenside Estates
* Arddmoor-Rosswood
* Ardmoor
* Artesian Estates
* Aspen Heights
* Aspen View
* Aurora Place
* Avery Park
* Ball Meadows
* Baronwood
* Beaver Brook Estates
* Beaver Valley Estates
* Beck Estates
* Belvedere Heights
* Belvedere Heights East
* Belvedere Heights West
* Berry Hill
* Best Estates
* Beverly Hills
* Birch Park
* Birchwood Village
* Brecken Woods
* Bremner
* Bretona
* Bretville Junction
* Bristol Estates
* Brookville Estates
* Busenius Estates
* Calebo Estates
* Camelot Square
* Campbelltown
* Campbelltown Heights
* Carriage Lane
* Caswellem
* Century Estates
* Century Meadows
* Chrenek Acres
* Chrenek Estates
* Claireridge Estates
* Clarkdale Meadows
* Clover Bar
* Cloverlea
* Colonel Younger Estates
* Colonial Estates
* Cooking Lake
* Country Club Estates
* Craigavon
* Cranston Place
* Croftland
* Dasmarinas Estates
* Deer Horn Estates
* Deville
* Dixon Crescent
* Dixon Place
* Donaldson Park
* Dowling Estates
* Dunbar
* East Edmonton
* East Whitecroft
* Easton Acres
* Eastwood Estates
* Elk Island
* Elkland Estates
* Executive Estates
* Farrell Estates
* Farrell Properties
* Forest Hills Country Estates
* Fulham Park
* Galloway Park Subdivision
* Garden Estates
* Garden Heights
* Glenwood Park Estates
* Good Hope
* Graham Heights
* Gray Drive Estates
* Greenbrae
* Greenhaven
* Greenhaven Estates
* Greenwood Estates
* Griesbach
* Gunnmanor
* Half Moon Estates
* Hanson Estates
* Hercules
* Heritage Hills
* High Ridge Place
* Highroad Estates
* Hillsdale
* Hillside Park
* Holland Subdivision
* Horton Place
* Hulbert Crescent
* Hunter Heights
* Hunter Hill Estates
* Hyland Hills
* Ireland Subdivision
* Ithacan Drive
* Jidaro Valley Subdivision
* Keding Estates
* Lakeland Village
* Lakeland Village Trailer Park
* Lakeview
* Lakeview Estates
* Lakewood Acres
* Lark Hill Farms
* Las Villas
* Laurina Estates
* Levder's Ridge Subdivision
* Lina Country Estates
* Lincoln Green
* Lindale
* Lindale Park
* Lindberg
* Lueder Ridge
* Lynley Ridge
* Mark Iv Estates
* Marler Subdivision
* Marvin Gardens
* McConnell Estates
* Meadow Court
* Meadow Land Estates
* Meadowbrook Heights
* Meyers Lakeshore Estates
* Midway Estates
* Military Point
* Miniskic Estates
* Newton Estates
* North Queensdale Place
* Ordze Park and Wye Road Garden
* Parker Ridge
* Parklane Estates
* Parkside Estates
* Parkview Ridge
* Parkwood Place
* Partridge Hill
* Paso Valley Subdivision
* Patricia Estates
* Pebble Court
* Penridge Estates
* Pine Grove Acres
* Pleasant View
* Pleasantview Acreages
* Pointe Aux Pins Estates
* Poplar Lake Estates
* Portas Gardens
* Queensdale Place
* Quesnel Country Estates
* Regency Park Estates
* Reno-Ville
* Richlyn Estates
* Rolling Forest Estates
* Roman Estates
* Rose Burn Estate
* Rossbrooke Estates
* Royal Estates
* Royal Gardens
* Ryedale Estates
* Sconadale
* Sconaglen Estates
* Scot Haven
* Scotford
* Shady Lanes
* Sherwood Place
* Sierra Grand Estates
* Silver Birch Hills
* Simmons
* Simpson Grange
* Smithson Acres
* South Bailey
* South Queensdale Place
* Springhill Estate
* Spruce Bend Estate
* Summerwood
* Sun Hill Estates
* Tanglewood Estates
* Tidan Heights
* Trans Oak Estates
* Trevithick
* Trevithick Subdivision
* Twin Island Air Park
* Uncas
* Valley Point
* Verden Place
* Voyageur Estates
* Wellington Estates
* West Whitecroft
* Westpark Estates
* Whitecroft
* Wildwood Village
* Williams Park
* Willow Lake Estates
* Willowdale Estates
* Winfield Heights
* Woodland Downs
* Woodland Park
* Woodville Estates
* Wye Haven
* Wye Knott Village
* Wyeclif
* Wyeknot Village

## Demographics

The population of Strathcona County according to its 2024 municipal census is 103,829, a change of 3.5% from its 2022 municipal census population of 100,362. Its 2024 population includes 75,575 or 72.8% living in the Sherwood Park urban service area and 28,253 or 27.2% in the rural service area.
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Strathcona County had a population of 99,225 living in 37,128 of its 38,203 total private dwellings, a change of 1.2% from its 2016 population of 98,024. With a land area of 1,170.65 km$^2$ (451.99 sq mi), it had a population density of 84.8/km$^2$ (219.5/sq mi) in 2021.
Strathcona County municipal census population breakdown :
| Component | 2024 population | 2022 population | 2018 population |
| Sherwood Park urban service area | 75,575 | 73,000 | 71,332 |
| Rural service area | 28,253 | 27,362 | 27,049 |
| – Hamlet of Antler Lake | | 428 | 435 |
| – Hamlet of Ardrossan | | 919 | 532 |
| – Hamlet of Collingwood Cove | | 375 | 376 |
| – Hamlet of Half Moon Lake | | 187 | 214 |
| – Hamlet of Hastings Lake | | 102 | 104 |
| – Hamlet of Josephburg | | 117 | 118 |
| – Hamlet of North Cooking Lake | | 48 | 57 |
| – Hamlet of South Cooking Lake | | 277 | 270 |
| Total Strathcona County | 103,829 | 100,362 | 98,381 |
In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Strathcona County had a population of 98,044 living in 35,567 of its 36,354 total private dwellings, a change of 6% from its 2011 population of 92,490. With a land area of 1,182.78 km$^2$ (456.67 sq mi), it had a population density of 82.9/km$^2$ (214.7/sq mi) in 2016.

### Ethnicity

Panethnic groups in the Municipality of Strathcona County (2001−2021) :
| Panethnic group | 2021 | 2021 | 2016 | 2016 | 2011 | 2011 | 2006 | 2006 | 2001 | 2001 |
| Panethnic group | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % |
| European | 83,940 | 85.89% | 85,990 | 88.63% | 82,960 | 90.67% | 75,970 | 92.82% | 67,930 | 95.11% |
| Indigenous | 4,600 | 4.71% | 3,880 | 4% | 3,480 | 3.8% | 2,270 | 2.77% | 1,510 | 2.11% |
| Southeast Asian | 2,820 | 2.89% | 2,110 | 2.17% | 1,150 | 1.26% | 860 | 1.05% | 365 | 0.51% |
| South Asian | 2,650 | 2.71% | 1,820 | 1.88% | 1,425 | 1.56% | 805 | 0.98% | 485 | 0.68% |
| East Asian | 1,315 | 1.35% | 1,280 | 1.32% | 1,015 | 1.11% | 980 | 1.2% | 545 | 0.76% |
| African | 985 | 1.01% | 775 | 0.8% | 455 | 0.5% | 450 | 0.55% | 360 | 0.5% |
| Latin American | 570 | 0.58% | 455 | 0.47% | 525 | 0.57% | 160 | 0.2% | 85 | 0.12% |
| Middle Eastern | 370 | 0.38% | 325 | 0.33% | 175 | 0.19% | 160 | 0.2% | 50 | 0.07% |
| Other/multiracial | 480 | 0.49% | 380 | 0.39% | 315 | 0.34% | 180 | 0.22% | 95 | 0.13% |
| Total responses | 97,730 | 98.49% | 97,020 | 98.96% | 91,495 | 98.92% | 81,845 | 99.19% | 71,420 | 99.21% |
| Total population | 99,225 | 100% | 98,044 | 100% | 92,490 | 100% | 82,511 | 100% | 71,986 | 100% |
| Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses |||||||||||

## Economy
### Industrial

Strathcona County has over $12.0 billion worth of industrial projects completed, announced, or under construction. This is aided in part by the concentration of oil refineries on the west side of Sherwood Park. This district, known as Refinery Row, includes some of the largest industrial facilities in Western Canada, such as Imperial's Strathcona Refinery. Originally built in the 1940s, a new refinery was constructed in 1976 and is one of the largest refining facilities in Canada. As well, the Suncor's Edmonton Refinery produces 142,000 barrels per day (22,600 m$^3$/d) of gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and aviation gasoline. This refinery sits on 247 hectares of land and has been operating for over 65 years. A founding member of Alberta's Industrial Heartland, Strathcona County is home to Canada's largest hydrocarbon refining cluster.
In 2002, when reporting on the industrial growth of Strathcona County, Alberta, the National Post focused specifically on the companies Lockerbie & Hole Contracting and Jireh Industries. Regarding Jireh Industries, the National Post stated that the company "does aerospace quality machining and makes robots that inspect on-surface and underwater pipelines for cracks and corrosion." As of 2020, the leading industries in Strathcona County are extraction, manufacturing, scientific, construction, trucking and engineering.

### Commercial

Strathcona County is home to more than 11,000 businesses, with 3,500 of those businesses comprising employees. A market area population of 1.4 million has resulted in household spending power of $5.6 billion. Strathcona County has over 15,800 highly-skilled graduates available with 94% of residents holding a diploma, certificate, or degree. Within the active business community, there are several resources available to local entrepreneurs to help support their businesses:
* Small Business Week and Conference
* Business Visitation Program
* Business Startup Seminars and Support
* Business Planning and Site Selection Resources

## Arts and culture

Strathcona County Library is a publicly funded library with its main branch in Sherwood Park. Its bookmobile provides service to rural residents through 14 regular weekly stops.

## Attractions

Elk Island National Park is adjacent to Strathcona County to the east.

## Government

Unlike most Albertan municipal districts, where council appoints a reeve, Strathcona County elects a mayor. Rod Frank was elected in 2017, replacing Roxanne Carr who was elected in 2013.

## Infrastructure
### Airports

Strathcona County is home to two public airports. Cooking Lake Airport, which operates as a condo board, accommodates 87 per cent of Strathcona County's public aeronautical transportation needs. It is also the oldest operating public airport in Canada and approved for international flights under the Canada Border Services Agency CANPASS program.
The Warren Thomas Aerodrome, better known as the Josephburg Airport, serves the remaining 13 per cent of Strathcona County's public aeronautical transportation needs.

### Roads

The following provincial highways service Strathcona County.
* Highway 14 (Poundmaker Highway)
* Highway 15
* Highway 16 (TCH) (Yellowhead Highway route of Trans-Canada Highway)
* Highway 21
* Highway 38
* SPF (Sherwood Park Freeway)
* Highway 216 (Anthony Henday Drive)
* Highway 628
* Highway 629
* Highway 630 (Wye Road)
* Highway 824
* Highway 830

### Sports

Strathcona Druids RFC