16 dazzling photos of Calgary from the sky

Following up on BuzzBuzzHome’s pictorial look at Calgary’s ever-evolving skyline, we take a step back and enjoy the Stampede City from the air and space.

For added perspective, each aerial shot is accompanied by a quick fact about Calgary, sourced primarily from the 2011 census and the official city website.

Calgary sits more than one kilometer above sea level, 1,084 metres to be precise. (Source: Environment Canada)

Ca. 2012

Photo: NASA

When Calgary was first incorporated in 1884 — then known as the Town of Calgary — it had a population of only 506 people. (Source: City of Calgary)

Ca. 1951

Photo: ferreth/Flickr

Ten years later the City of Calgary was born. It’s population was 3,900 in 1894. (Source: City of Calgary)

Ca. 19—?

Photo: Calgary Public Library

Today the city proper is home to approximately 1.1 million. (Source: 2011 census)

Ca. 2001

Photo: NASA

Calgary’s population is expected to grow by two per cent per year over the next decade. (Source: City of Calgary)

Ca. 2012

Photo: FederalSpace.ru

The City of Calgary covers an area of 825.29 square kilometres and has a population density of 1,329 persons per square kilometre. (Source: 2011 census)

Ca. 2011

Photo: yurik_ryba/Flickr, KitePix

Alberta as a whole, meanwhile, has a population density of only 5.7 persons per square kilometre. (Source: 2011 census)

Ca. 2013

Photo: NASA

Calgary is named after Calgary Bay on the Isle of Mull, Scotland. It was originally thought to mean “clear running water” but has since been defined as “bay farm.” (Source: City of Calgary)

Ca. 1997

Photo: NASA

Calgary is young. The median age is 36.4 years, over four years younger than the national average of 40.6 years. (Source: 2011 census)

Ca. 19—?

Photo: Striderv/Flickr

In 2011, the Calgary census metropolitan area was home to 313,880 immigrants, representing 26.2 per cent of the total population. (Source: 2011 census)

Ca. 19—?

Photo: Calgary Public Library

28.5% of Calgarians speak a first language other than English. (Source: 2011 census)

Ca. 2013

Photo: Buddy McBride/Flickr

The three most common non-English languages spoken in Calgary are Tagalog (2.6%), Punjabi (2.6%) and Chinese dialects (2.3%) (Source: 2011 census)

Ca. 1996

Photo: NASA

There were 248,755 single-detached houses in Calgary in 2011 (Source: 2011 census)

Ca. 2013

Photo: ISS

While it does get hit with the odd winter storm, Calgary enjoys an average of 333 days of sunshine each year, making it the sunniest major city in Canada. (Source: Current Results)

Ca. 2013

Photo: Chris Hadfield/Twitter

Calgary’s Plus 15 network of elevated pedestrian bridges make it possible to walk 18 kilometres through the downtown core without ever going outside. (Source: Plus15)

Ca. 2013