Fort McKay (/məˈkaɪ/ mə-KY)^[3] or Fort MacKay is a community in northeast Alberta, Canada, located at the confluence of the Athabasca and MacKay rivers. It is approximately 54 km (34 mi) north of Fort McMurray via Highway 63 and Fort McKay Road. The community has an elevation of 260 m (850 ft).

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Fort McKay Fort MacKay
Indian settlement and hamlet
Aerial view of Fort McKay
Fort McKay Location of Fort McKay in Alberta
Coordinates: 57°10′52″N 111°35′59″W
Country	Canada
Province	Alberta
Census division	No. 16
Specialized municipality	RM of Wood Buffalo
Established	1820[1]
Named	1912[1]
Government
• Mayor	Sandy Bowman
• Governing body	Wood Buffalo Municipal Council Ken Ball Funky Banjoko Lance Bussieres M. Shafiq Dogar Allan Grandison Nicholas Keith McGrath Kendrick Cardinal Loretta Waquan Stu Wigle Jane Stroud
Area [2]
• Total	9.53 km2 (3.68 sq mi)
Elevation	260 m (850 ft)
Population  (2016)[2]
• Total	742
• Density	77.9/km2 (202/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC-7 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-6 (MDT)
Postal code span	T0P
Area code(s)	780, 587, 825
Highways	Highway 63
Waterways	Athabasca River
Website	RM of Wood Buffalo

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The majority of the community is an Indian settlement of the Fort McKay First Nation (FMFN). The smaller portion of the community, known as Fort MacKay before 2018, is located adjacent to the FMFN lands to the south within the Regional Municipality (RM) of Wood Buffalo. The portion of the community within the RM of Wood Buffalo is designated as a hamlet.^[4][5][6]

The community was named in 1912 after Dr. Williams Morrison MacKay, the first president of the Northern Alberta Medical Association.^[5][6] The community's name is spelled Fort McKay by the Fort McKay First Nation.^[6] In August 2012, the Fort McKay Métis Community requested the RM of Wood Buffalo to change the name of the hamlet to Fort McKay.^[7][8][9] The change was recognized by the RM on January 22, 2018.^[3]

2016 wildfire

Fort McKay hosted 5000 evacuees from the 2016 Fort McMurray Wildfire but itself was put under an evacuation notice due to the northward advance of the flames toward the community.^[10][11]

Climate

Fort McKay has a subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification Dfc).^[12] and falls into the NRC Plant Hardiness Zone 3a.^[13] Summers are mild and short, and winters can be long and cold.

Settlement

In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Fort McKay settlement recorded a population of 742 living in 250 of its 303 total private dwellings, a 32% change from its 2011 population of 562. With a land area of 9.53 km² (3.68 sq mi), it had a population density of 77.9/km² (201.7/sq mi) in 2016.^[2]

In the 2011 Census, the Fort McKay settlement had a population of 562 living in 201 of its 235 total dwellings, a 7.9% change from its 2006 population of 521. With a land area of 8.17 km² (3.15 sq mi), it had a population density of 68.79/km² (178.16/sq mi) in 2011.^[14]

Hamlet

The population of the hamlet portion of Fort McKay according to the 2018 municipal census conducted by the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo is 59,^[18] an increase from its 2015 municipal census population count of 51.^[19]

The economy is centred on the development of the Athabasca oil sands to the immediate south and north. Motorists travelling north on Highway 63 pass through oil sands developments en route to the community.

The community is located in the federal riding of Fort McMurray—Cold Lake.

The community is located 6 km (3.7 mi) north of Highway 63 via Fort McKay Road, and is served by air at the Fort MacKay/Horizon Airport.

• List of communities in Alberta
• List of hamlets in Alberta