Airdrie is a city in Alberta, Canada, located just north of Calgary within the Calgary–Edmonton Corridor. The City of Airdrie is part of Calgary's Census Metropolitan Area and a member community of the Calgary Regional Partnership (CRP). Due to its proximity to Calgary, Airdrie's population has been exploding in recent years. The city's boundaries are completely within the rural Rocky View County.The Canada 2006 Census reported Airdrie to have a population of 28,927. As of the 2010 municipal census, Airdrie's population was 39,822.Airdrie was first established as a railway village in 1889 during the construction of the Calgary and Edmonton Railway, named for Airdrie, Scotland. Today, Airdrie is a scenic bedroom community and industrial centre. Its primary body of water is Nose Creek, which is the focal point of a number of city parks and green spaces including Nose Creek Park. The park hosts the annual Airdrie Festival of Lights in the Christmas season. Other annual festivals include the Canada Day Parade and the Airdrie Pro Rodeo. Airdrie's primary cultural venues include the Nose Creek Valley Museum and the Bert Church Live Theatre.Airdrie is situated on the Queen Elizabeth II Highway (Alberta's busiest highway) which connects Calgary and Edmonton, thus making it a small transportation hub. Airdrie is also served by the small Airdrie Airport that does not provide regular scheduled flights. The closest major airport is Calgary International Airport.Airdrie is home to several sporting franchises. Major teams include the Knights of Airdrie, a senior men's lacrosse team that plays in the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League. The Airdrie Thunder, a Jr. B level hockey team that competes in the Heritage Junior B Hockey League. Team Airdrie is a Jr. C level hockey team that competes in the Calgary Jr. C Hockey League.Recent annexation of land by Airdrie to the south, coupled with recent expansion of Calgary's city limits in July 2007, have placed the two cities' boundaries within only a few kilometres of each other.