Medicine Hat is a city in southeast Alberta, Canada. It is located along the South Saskatchewan River, west of the Saskatchewan border. It is approximately 169Â km (105Â mi) east of Lethbridge, and 295Â km (183Â mi) southeast of Calgary. The city and the adjacent Town of Redcliff to the northwest are within Cypress County. Medicine Hat was the eighth-largest city in Alberta in 2021 with a population of 63,271. It is also the sunniest place in Canada according to Environment and Climate Change Canada, averaging 2,544 hours of sunshine a year.
Started as a railway town, today, Medicine Hat is served by the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1) and the eastern terminus of the Crowsnest Highway (Highway 3). Nearby communities considered part of the Medicine Hat area include the Town of Redcliff (abutting the city's northwest boundary) and the hamlets of Desert Blume, Dunmore, Irvine, Seven Persons, and Veinerville. The Cypress Hills (including Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park) are a relatively short distance (by car) to the southeast of the city.