Area Overview

Rural Municipality

Rich in diversity, the Municipal District of Bighorn is located on the eastern slopes of the Alberta Rocky Mountains. The Municipal District's eastern boundary is approximately 31 kilometres west of Calgary.

Borders

Borders of the Municipal District of Bighorn:
  • East by the Municipal District of Rocky View and Mountain View County
  • North by Clearwater County.
  • South by Kananaskis Improvement District
  • West by the Town of Canmore and Banff National Park
The Municipal District is a large rural municipality covering approximately 2,664 square kilometers (1029 square miles).

Natural Resources

The Municipal District encompasses residential, recreational, agricultural and natural lands within its boundaries. Natural resource extraction and processing industries, hydropower generation and urban development areas are characteristic of the southwestern mountain areas.

Agricultural activities, forestry, oil and gas developments and recreational ranches are characteristic of the foothills portion of the municipality. For general planning purposes, the municipality is divided into two parts, the Bow Corridor and the Ranchland areas.