Nestled in the heart of Alberta's Rockies, Banff, Alberta, is a picturesque town located within the Banff National Park. This resort town, situated 126 km west of Calgary and 58 km east of Lake Louise, is a popular tourist destination renowned for its mountainous surroundings, hot springs, and outdoor sports.
The area was christened Banff in 1884 by George Stephen, the president of the Canadian Pacific Railway, in honor of his birthplace near Banff, Scotland. The Canadian Pacific Railway constructed a series of grand hotels along the rail line, promoting the Banff Springs Hotel as an international tourist resort.
Banff was first settled in the 1880s following the construction of the transcontinental railway through the Bow Valley. In 1883, three Canadian Pacific Railway workers discovered a series of natural hot springs on the side of Sulphur Mountain. This led to the establishment of a federal reserve around the Cave and Basin hot springs in 1885, marking the inception of Canada's National Park system.
The Banff townsite was developed near the railway station as a service center for tourists visiting the park. It was administered by the Government of Canada's national parks system until 1990 when Banff became the only incorporated municipality within a Canadian national park.
In 1985, the United Nations declared Banff National Park, as part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks, a World Heritage Site. Banff continues to be one of the most popular tourist destinations in Canada.
One of the most prominent figures of Banff was Norman Luxton, known as "Mr. Banff". He contributed significantly to the town's development, publishing the Crag and Canyon newspaper, building the King Edward Hotel and the Lux Theatre, and founding the Sign of the Goat Curio Shop.
In 1976, the International Astronomical Union's Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature officially adopted the name Banff for a crater on Mars. In 1991, Banff hosted the 1991 Winter Deaflympics, the first Deaflympics hosted in Canada.
Banff is surrounded by mountains, notably Mount Rundle, Sulphur Mountain, Mount Norquay, and Cascade Mountain. The town is situated above Bow Falls near the confluence of the Bow River and Spray River.
Banff experiences a subarctic climate that borders on a humid continental climate. Winter temperatures range from an average low of −13.3 °C to an average high of −0.2 °C. Summer temperatures in the warmest month average high of 21.6 °C and an average low of 7.3 °C.
In the 2021 Canadian census, the Town of Banff had a population of 8,305 living in 2,930 of its 3,287 total private dwellings, a change of 5.8% from its 2016 population of 7,851.
Banff is home to several mountains, including Mount Rundle, Cascade Mountain, and Mount Norquay. The Banff Gondola offers a chance to ascend Sulphur Mountain, where a boardwalk connects to Sanson Peak. Lake Minnewanka, located six minutes north of the townsite, offers a variety of activities, including mountain biking, hiking, and fishing.
In June 2008, the Banff council launched a local bus system called Roam, connecting the town, Tunnel Mountain, the Banff Springs Hotel, and the Banff Gondola. The nearest airport to Banff with major service is the Calgary International Airport in Calgary.
