Dawson Creek

Dawson Creek is a small town (11,000 in town, 60,000 in the area) in the Peace Country and Northern Rockies region of British Columbia, best known for being mile zero on the Alaska Highway, which is the southeastern terminus of that highway.

Understand
Dawson Creek is in the dry and windy prairie land of the Peace River Country. As the seat of the Peace River Regional District and a service centre for the rural areas south of the Peace River, the city has been called the "Capital of the Peace". It is also known as the "Mile 0 City", referring to its location at the southern end of the Alaska Highway.

Unlike most of the province, the city and its region use Mountain Standard Time (UTC−07:00) all year round, since the area already has long daylight hours in the summer and short daylight hours in the winter. In other words, residents of the region never change their clocks – Pacific Daylight Time is used during the spring, summer and early fall, and Mountain Standard Time during the late fall and winter.

History
Dawson Creek derives its name from the creek of the same name that runs through the community. The creek was named after George Mercer Dawson by a member of his land survey team when they passed through the area in August 1879. Once a small farming community, Dawson Creek became a regional centre after the western terminus of the Northern Alberta Railways was extended there in 1932. The community grew rapidly in 1942 as the US Army used the rail terminus as a transshipment point during construction of the Alaska Highway. In the 1950s, the city was connected to the interior of British Columbia via a highway and railway through the Rocky Mountains. Since the 1960s, growth has slowed.

Climate
In the summer, the city is often dusty and arid; temperatures during the day are warm, but cool at night, typically falling below 10 °C (50 °F). Highs reaching 30 °C (86 °F) occur only twice per year on average. Heavy rain showers are sporadic, lasting only a few minutes. In the winter, the city can get bitterly cold and dry, with 17 to 18 days of −30 °C (−22 °F) lows per year. It is subject to very strong winds year round.

By bus

 * Between Prince George and Fort St. John twice per week with stops in Mackenzie, Chetwynd, Dawson Creek, and Taylor. Travel time to Dawson Creek from Fort St. John is 1 hours and from Prince George is 6.5 hours. Fare is $48.
 * Between Dawson Creek and Fort Nelson once per week with stops in Taylor and Fort St. John. Travel time to Dawson Creek from Fort St. John is 1 hours and from Prince George is 6.75 hours. Fare is $49.
 * Between Dawson Creek and Fort Nelson once per week with stops in Taylor and Fort St. John. Travel time to Dawson Creek from Fort St. John is 1 hours and from Prince George is 6.75 hours. Fare is $49.

By plane
There are larger airports in Fort St. John and Grande Prairie that have more comprehensive flight schedules.

By car
Available highways:
 * Highway 2 - Heading northwest from Edmonton and Grand Prairie. In Alberta, this highway is named Alberta Highway 43.
 * Highway 49 - Heading west from Rycroft, Alberta
 * Highway 52 - Heading north from Tumbler Ridge
 * Highway 97
 * Alaska Highway - Heading southeast through Fort Nelson and Fort St. John on its way to Dawson Creek. Before entering British Columbia.  The Alaska Highway travels southeast from Alaska via the Yukon (where it is numbered Highway 1).
 * John Hart Highway - Heading northeast from Prince George and Chetwynd on its way to Dawson Creek.

By car
Dawson Creek's road network generally follows a grid pattern around large blocks of land. Because the grid contains many internal intersections with stop signs, traffic is forced onto two arterial roads: 8 Street going north–south and Alaska Avenue going southeast–northwest. These two roads meet at a traffic circle where a metal statue marks the beginning of the Alaska Highway.

Buy
Dawson Mall has some local stores but offers limited goods. Local tourist office where you can buy souvenirs of Alaska Highway and Dawson Creek is located in downtown Dawson Creek, across the Bank of Montreal.

Drink
The drinking age in BC is 19.

Sleep
There are plenty of hotels, lodges, and RV parks in Dawson Creek. Late spring to summer is peak season where many people visit the city as the beginning of their trip to the Alaska Highway.

Go next
Fort St. John and Grande Prairie are bigger cities around, where travel time to go to each city takes about 90 min by car.