Dawson Creek

Dawson Creek
City
The Corporation of the City of Dawson Creek
Looking south into downtown Dawson Creek, with the Mile "0" post.
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Coordinates (City Hall): 55°45′38″N 120°14′08″W / 55.76056°N 120.23556°W / 55.76056; -120.23556
Country	Canada
Province	British Columbia
Regional district	Peace River
Incorporated	May 26, 1936 (village) January 6, 1958 (city)
Government [1]
• Type	City
• Mayor	Darcy Dober
• MP	Bob Zimmer (Conservative)
• MLA	Mike Bernier (BCU)
Area
• City	24.37 km2 (9.41 sq mi)
Elevation	665 m (2,182 ft)
Population  (2016)
• City	12,978
• Density	475.4/km2 (1,231/sq mi)
• Urban	12,178
• Urban density	475.4/km2 (1,231/sq mi)
• Metro	12,178
• Metro density	475.4/km2 (1,231/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC−07:00 (MST[2])
Forward sortation area	V1G
Area code(s)	250, 778, 236, 672
Highways	Highway 2 Highway 49 Highway 97
Website	www.dawsoncreek.ca

Dawson Creek is a city in northeastern British Columbia, Canada. The municipality of 24.37 square kilometres (9.41 sq mi) had a population of 12,978 in 2016. Dawson Creek derives its name from the creek of the same name that runs through the community. The creek was named after George Mercer Dawson by a member of his land survey team when they passed through the area in August 1879. Once a small farming community, Dawson Creek became a regional centre after the western terminus of the Northern Alberta Railways was extended there in 1932. The community grew rapidly in 1942 as the US Army used the rail terminus as a transshipment point during construction of the Alaska Highway. In the 1950s, the city was connected to the interior of British Columbia via a highway and a railway through the Rocky Mountains. Since the 1960s, growth has slowed, but the area population has increased.

Dawson Creek is located in the dry and windy prairie land of the Peace River Country. As the seat of the Peace River Regional District and a service centre for the rural areas south of the Peace River, the city has been called the "Capital of the Peace". It is also known as the "Mile 0 City", referring to its location at the southern end of the Alaska Highway. It also has a heritage interpretation village, an art gallery, and a museum. Annual events include a fall fair and rodeo.