Lethbridge, named after William Lethbridge the president of North Western Coal and Navigation Company in 1882, is Alberta's fourth-largest city by population after Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer.

Lethbridge is known for its magnificent coulees, a network of large rolling hills that were formed by glacial spill water over ten thousand years ago, the Blackfoot referred to the area as Aksaysim, ("steep banks"). The nearby rockies contribute to the city's cool summers, mild winters, and windy climate.