Regina to Calgary

Route Overview

The Regina to Calgary section covers the western half of Saskatchewan and the eastern half of Alberta. It is 760 km of gradually changing landscape: flat wheat fields give way to rolling grassland, then coulees and badlands near Medicine Hat, and finally the foothills and first glimpses of the Rocky Mountains approaching Calgary. By the end of this drive, the prairies are behind you.

The highway is divided four-lane for nearly the entire distance with a 110 km/h speed limit. Services are regular. This is an easy drive in good conditions, though crosswinds and summer storms can complicate things.

Regina to Moose Jaw (70 km)

Just 70 km west of Regina, Moose Jaw punches above its weight for attractions. The Tunnels of Moose Jaw tour explores underground passages used during Prohibition and by early Chinese immigrants. Mac the Moose, a 10-metre steel and concrete moose statue, regained his title as world's tallest moose after a head extension in 2019 (yes, they added antler height to beat a Norwegian moose). Fuel and full services.

Moose Jaw to Swift Current (175 km)

Flat, straight prairie. The towns of Chaplin and Morse are small but have fuel. Chaplin is notable for its sodium sulphate lake and the shorebird staging area — during migration, thousands of sandpipers and phalaropes use the alkaline lake. Swift Current (population 17,000) has a hospital, hotels, and is the last city-sized stop before Medicine Hat.

Swift Current to Medicine Hat (290 km)

The longest inter-city gap on this route. Maple Creek, near the Cypress Hills, is the main stop. The landscape becomes more rolling as you approach the Alberta border. You cross from Saskatchewan into Alberta about 50 km east of Medicine Hat — and gain an hour going west (Mountain Time).

Medicine Hat to Calgary (300 km)

The final 300 km crosses the Alberta prairies through Brooks and Strathmore. Brooks is near Dinosaur Provincial Park (45-minute detour south on Highway 873), a UNESCO World Heritage Site with some of the richest dinosaur fossil beds on earth. The badlands terrain around Drumheller and Brooks is a dramatic contrast to the flat Saskatchewan prairie you left behind.

Approaching Calgary, the foothills begin to roll and on clear days the Rocky Mountains appear as a jagged line on the western horizon. The highway enters Calgary from the east on 16th Avenue and connects to the Deerfoot Trail.

From Calgary, continue west to Calgary to Banff for the mountain approach, or see the Alberta corridor for the full provincial overview.