Athabasca, Historic provincial town in northern Alberta, Canada.
Athabasca is a town situated along the Athabasca River in northern Alberta surrounded by boreal forest. The settlement lies at an elevation of about 515 meters and is crossed by Highway 2 and Highway 55.
The Hudson's Bay Company established a warehouse in 1876 that grew into a trading post, becoming the northern transport hub by 1889. This early commerce shaped the town's founding and growth.
The downtown core serves as a gathering place where locals shop and socialize in restored buildings from the early 1900s. These brick structures reflect the community's connection to its rebuilt past and remain central to daily life.
The town is easy to reach from Edmonton via Highway 2 and offers services along the main road corridor. Hotels and shops cluster in the downtown area where you can walk around.
A major fire in 1913 destroyed most of the businesses and forced the town to rebuild. This disaster led to the construction of a new business district designed with the standards of that era.
Location: Athabasca County
Inception: 1877
Elevation above the sea: 515 m
Shares border with: Wabasca-Desmarais
Website: http://athabasca.ca
GPS coordinates: 54.71972,-113.28556
Latest update: December 20, 2025 12:07
Abee meteorite
56.2 kmLong Lake Provincial Park
45.3 kmCross Lake Provincial Park
33.5 kmNewbrook Observatory
48.9 kmCalling Lake Provincial Park
51.2 kmMeanook National Wildlife Area
13.1 kmUkrainian Greek Orthodox Congregation of Egremont
72.7 km
Athabasca United Church
164 mSt. John's the Baptist Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Egremont
72.8 kmHoly Cross Ukrainian Catholic Church Egremont
71.7 kmSt. Alban's Anglican Church
7.2 kmOld St. Mary's Church
76.5 kmLa Biche River Wildland Provincial Park
51.8 kmChahor Church and Bell Tower
73.7 kmOtter-Orloff Lakes Wildland Provincial Park
74.3 kmHubert Lake Wildland Provincial Park
64.2 kmObadiah Place
23 kmGrand Union Hotel
148 mSpruce Island Lake Natural Area
41.1 kmHighland Hall at Barich
73.7 kmWhite Earth Valley Natural Area
51.2 kmWest Athabasca School
400 mAthabasca Public School
309 mRiverbank Golf & RV Park
72.9 kmNorth Buck Lake Provincial Recreation Area
49.5 kmScenic viewpoint
21.5 kmScenic viewpoint
34.6 kmScenic viewpoint
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