Short answer: Parkdale is a small community on the Bow River, and the Foothills Medical Centre is about 0.7 km from its middle, the closest of the 11 communities in these guides. Houses from before the First World War stand alongside new infills.
Why live in Parkdale?
Parkdale is small. About 2,300 people lived here in 2021, the fewest of the 11 communities in these guides, and 92% of its low-density lots are zoned R-C2, which allows a single home, a semi-detached pair or a duplex.
Families have two schools and the Parkdale Community Centre close at hand.
What is there to do outdoors in Parkdale?
The river is the backyard. The Bow River pathway follows Parkdale's riverfront, and across the water lies Edworthy Park, a 169-hectare river valley park with playgrounds, picnic sites and off-leash areas.
Edworthy's Douglas Fir Trail runs 2.5 km along a wooded escarpment above the river, among large Douglas-fir trees. Nearer home, the St. Andrews Heights escarpment park begins right beside Parkdale.
What schools are in or near Parkdale?
Westmount Elementary School and Foothills Academy are in Parkdale. University School is about 670 metres outside it and Westmount Mid/High School about 790 metres.
- Westmount Elementary School: charter, elementary, inside Parkdale
- Foothills Academy: independent, elementary, junior high and senior high, inside Parkdale
- University School: public, elementary, about 670 metres past the edge
- Westmount Mid/High School: charter, elementary, junior high and senior high, about 790 metres past the edge
How far is Parkdale from downtown?
Parkdale is about 5.8 km from downtown (City Hall) in a straight line.
| Straight-line distance to | km |
|---|---|
| Downtown (City Hall) | 5.8 km |
| University of Calgary | 1.7 km |
| Foothills Medical Centre | 0.7 km |
| SAIT | 3.4 km |
| Mount Royal University | 5.6 km |
| Alberta Children's Hospital | 1.7 km |
What are the homes like in Parkdale?
239 of Parkdale's 432 detached houses were built before 1970 and 165 since 2000. The older houses carry a median 2026 assessment of $867,000 on a median lot of 5,996 sq ft, and the newer ones $1,560,000.
An assessment isn't a sale price. To see what a builder might pay for an older home's lot, read What Is My Calgary Lot Worth to a Builder?
What is Parkdale zoned?
Parkdale is mostly R-C2: 92% of the 766 low-density residential lots in Parkdale are R-C2 on the City's land use map, after the repeal of citywide R-CG zoning took effect on 4 August 2026.
| Zoning | Lots | Share |
|---|---|---|
| R-C2 | 702 | 92% |
| DC | 29 | 4% |
| Other | 35 | 5% |
- R-C2 (Residential, Contextual One/Two Dwelling): Single-detached, semi-detached and duplex homes, with suites allowed.
- DC (Direct Control): The site has its own rules, set by bylaw.
To check a single address, use the zoning lookup, and for what reverted and why, see what the repeal changed.
How much infill is being built in Parkdale?
From 1 March 2025 to 25 October 2026, Parkdale had 23 infill development permit applications, and building permit applications for 54 new infill homes naming 13 different builders. 24 demolition permits were filed over the same period.
Most of the new homes are semi-detached and rowhouse units: 20 and 26 of the 54.
| New infill homes on permits | Units |
|---|---|
| Detached houses | 8 |
| Semi-detached | 20 |
| Rowhouse and townhouse | 26 |
| Total | 54 |
Questions about living in Parkdale
Is Parkdale a good place to live?
Parkdale is a good fit if you want a small community by the river: about 2,300 people lived here in 2021, the fewest of the 11 communities in these guides, and the Foothills Medical Centre is 0.7 km away.
Does Parkdale have historic homes?
Parkdale has 11 historic resources on the City's list, all from the years before the First World War, among them the 1911 George Clift King and Tregillus residences, both Queen Anne Revival.
Sources: City of Calgary open data, pulled 25 October 2026: building permits, development permits, 2026 assessments, land use districts, community boundaries, parcel addresses, schools, parks, pathways, off-leash areas, CTrain stations, libraries, recreation facilities, community services, business licences, business improvement areas, historic resources, public trees, 2021 federal census by community and annexation history. Park details from calgary.ca: Edworthy Park and Douglas Fir Trail. District descriptions from Land Use Bylaw 1P2007, Part 5. The repeal date is from the City of Calgary. Business counts include licences that are current or up for renewal. Low-density residential lots are detached, semi-detached, rowhouse and vacant parcels in the residential class of the 2026 assessment roll, each counted in the district covering most of it; some sit in multi-residential districts. Distances are straight-line from the middle of the community. Infill development permit applications are those for semi-detached, rowhouse, townhouse and multi-residential homes and for contextual single-detached homes; other new single-detached houses are not counted. They are counted as filed, whatever their later status; building and demolition permits leave out cancelled, refused and expired ones.
Infill is where I specialize. If you own an older home on a good lot, or you build, I'd like to hear from you.
Ask What a Builder Would Pay Find a Home in Parkdale