Calgary has become one of the fastest growing cities in North America. While Calgary continues to be a major centre for the global energy industry, it’s rapidly expanding economy has diversified far beyond its traditional strength. Technology, manufacturing, financial and business services, transportation and logistics and film and creative industries are examples of the many industries contributing to Calgary’s exponential growth and to its international reputation for innovation. Calgary is home to the largest number of technology "start ups" per capita in Canada.

Among Canadian cities, Calgary had the lowest 10-year average annual unemployment rate of 5.7% from 1995 – 2004. Calgary had the highest concentration of head office employment in Canada (on a per capita basis), head office employment increased by 37% between 2000 and 2004, with an annual average of 9.5%. Calgary had the largest concentration of small businesses among Canadian cities on a per capita basis at 38.2 per 1000 population.

Calgary is situated on the banks of the Bow River and close to Alberta's majestic Rocky Mountains. Calgary is a community rich in arts, culture and entertainment. The Calgary Stampede is undoubtedly Calgary's best-known visitor attraction. This event, featuring a large parade and world-class rodeo, draws more than a million people each year. As Calgary's most popular tourist attraction, 'the greatest outdoor show on earth' features a real rodeo, a midway, concerts, chuckwagon races and more. The city of Calgary is transformed for 10 days into town celebrating the cowboy culture. The host city of the 1988 Winter Olympic Games takes pride in its sporting legacy. Canada Olympic Park is a multi-purpose athletic facility designed for skiing, snowboarding, bobsleigh and luge during the winter and mountain biking during the summer. The Pengrowth Saddledome is the home of the NHL's Calgary Flames, as well as being the venue for countless events and concerts throughout the year.

Streets within the city generally run north and south, avenues run east and west. The entire city is divided into four geographical segments, which are always indicated in addresses and on street signs. Those are N.W. (north-west), N.E. (north-east), S.W. (south-west), and S.E. (south-east). North and south are divided by the Bow River and Memorial Drive; the northern part of the city and downtown is divided by Centre St to East and West; the southern part is divided by Macleod Trail.

A Light RapidTransit (LRT) rail system, known as the C Train and buses provide public transportation throughout the city.

Calgary is a gateway to many destinations throughout North America. It has the third largest International Airport in Canada, with over 10 million passengers annually. The airport is a 20 minute drive from the city centre.

Population
July 1, 2010 Estimate	1,219,747
Male	621,758
Female	597,989
% Canadian Total	3.60

Marital Status (2010 Estimates - Age 15+)
Single (Never married)	286,449
Married (Legal and common-law)	596,501
Separated (Legally Married)	23,625
Widowed	39,465
Divorced	59,582

Home Language (Top 3)
	2010 Estimates	% Total
English	1,024,240	84.87
Chinese	21,503	1.78
Punjabi	18,744	1.55

Income
2010 Total Income Estimate $	58,829,199,490
% Above/Below National Average	+50
% Canadian Total	5.38
2010 Average HH. Income $	122,459
2010 Per Capita $	48,231

Housing (2010 Estimates)
Occupied Private Dwellings	480,401
Owned	359,034
Rented	121,226

Occupations
2010 Estimates	Male	Female
Management	56,566	27,983
Business, Finance & Admin.	45,357	104,213
Natural & Applied Sci. and Rel’d	68,796	17,568
Health	8,354	30,044
Social Sci., Gov’t Serv’s & Relig’n	10,299	20,981
Education	8,274	15,612
Arts, Culture, Recr’n & Sport	9,727	12,300
Sales & Service	75,546	90,518
Trades, Transp. & EquipOps. Etc.	103,168	7,847
Primary Industries	12,795	3,413
Processing, Mfg. & Utilities	16,556	6,636

Retail Sales
2010 Retail Sales Estimate $	18,493,924247
% Above/Below National Average	+20
% Cdn. Total	4.32
2010 per HH $	38,497
2010 per Capita $	15,162

Vehicles
2008 new vehicles registered (Year End)	96,001
Total vehicles on the road (Dec ’08)	997,525