Fort MacKay, or Fort McKay, is a hamlet

Hamlet (place)

A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...

 in northern Alberta

Northern Alberta

Northern Alberta is a region located in the Canadian province of Alberta.Its primary industry is oil and gas, with large heavy oil reserves being exploited at the Athabasca Oil Sands and Wabasca Area in the east of the region...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 within the Regional Municipality (R.M.) of Wood Buffalo

Wood Buffalo, Alberta

The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo is a specialized municipality located in northeastern Alberta. Formed as a result of the amalgamation of the City of Fort McMurray and Improvement District No. 143 on April 1, 1995, it is the second largest municipality in Alberta by area...

.

It is located on the western shore of the Athabasca River

Athabasca River

The Athabasca River originates from the Columbia Glacier of the Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada...

. It is 6 km (3.7 mi) from Highway 63, approximately 54 km (33.6 mi) north of Fort McMurray, and has an elevation of 260 m (853 ft).

The hamlet is located in census division

Census division

Census division is an official term in Canada and the United States. The census divisions of Canada are second-level census geographic unit, below provinces and territories, and above "census subdivisions" and "dissemination areas". In provinces where they exist, the census division may correspond...

 No. 16

Division No. 16, Alberta

Division No. 16 is a census division in Alberta, Canada. It is located in the northeast portion of northern Alberta and surrounds the Urban Service Area of Fort McMurray.- Census subdivisions :...

 and in the federal riding

Alberta federal electoral districts

As of 2006, the province of Alberta has 28 electoral districts represented in the Canadian House of Commons.*Calgary Centre*Calgary Centre-North*Calgary East*Calgary Northeast*Calgary Southeast*Calgary Southwest*Calgary West*Calgary—Nose Hill*Crowfoot...

 of Fort McMurray-Athabasca.

Name

The hamlet was named in 1912 after Dr. Williams Morrison McKay, the first president of the Northern Alberta Medical Association. Despite this, the official spelling of the hamlet's name is Fort MacKay according to the R.M. of Wood Buffalo and Alberta Municipal Affairs

Alberta Municipal Affairs

Alberta Municipal Affairs is a ministry of the Executive Council of Alberta. Its major responsibilities include assisting municipalities in the provision of local government, administering a safety system for the construction and maintenance of buildings and equipment, and managing Alberta's...

. The community's name is spelled Fort McKay by the Fort McKay First Nation.

Economy

The economy is centered around the development of the Athabasca oil sands

Athabasca Oil Sands

The Athabasca oil sands are large deposits of bitumen, or extremely heavy crude oil, located in northeastern Alberta, Canada - roughly centred on the boomtown of Fort McMurray...

 to the immediate south and north of Fort MacKay. Motorists traveling north on Highway 63 pass through oil sands developments en route to the hamlet.

Demographics

The population of Fort MacKay according to the R.M. of Wood Buffalo's 2007 municipal census is 737. The subsequent 2008 municipal census recorded a population of 862. However, with the overall 2008 municipal census result for the R.M. of Wood Buffalo not being accepted by Alberta Municipal Affairs due to the use of extrapolation, Fort MacKay's 2008 population may be more of an estimate compared to its 2007 figure.

Statistics Canada has not recently published a population for Fort MacKay.

However, Industry Canada shows that Fort MacKay's greater rural area had a total population of 437 living in 149 dwellings in 2001. With a land area of 8.2 km² (3.2 sq mi), its greater rural area has a population density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 of 16 /km2.

Transportation

Fort MacKay is served by the Fort MacKay/Horizon Airport

Fort MacKay/Horizon Airport

Fort MacKay/Horizon Airport, , is located . north-northwest of Fort MacKay, Alberta, Canada.Fort Mackay/Horizon Aerodrome is an airfield built to service the Horizon Oil Sands project of Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. , and is built and certified for aircraft up to and including B737.-External...

.