Kamloops

Kamloops ( KAM-loops) is a city in south-central British Columbia, Canada, at the confluence of the North and South Thompson Rivers, which join to become the Thompson River in Kamloops, and east of Kamloops Lake. The city is a commercial centre for, and largest city within, Thompson Country, a region of the British Columbia Interior. The city was incorporated in 1893 with about 500 residents. The Canadian Pacific Railway was completed through downtown in 1886, and the Canadian National arrived in 1912, making Kamloops an important transportation hub. Kamloops North station is the first stop on VIA Rail's eastbound transcontinental service, The Canadian, while the Rocky Mountaineer and the Kamloops Heritage Railway both use Kamloops station. With a 2025 population of 109,633, it is the twelfth largest municipality in the province. The Kamloops census agglomeration is ranked 36th among census metropolitan areas and agglomerations in Canada with a 2025 population of 127,198. Kamloops is home to Thompson Rivers University as well as the Royal Inland Hospital and the British Columbia Lottery Corporation, all of which significantly shape the city's economy. The city is promoted as the Tournament Capital of Canada. It hosts more than 100 sporting tournaments each year at facilities such as the Tournament Capital Centre, Sandman Centre, and Tournament Capital Ranch. More recently, Kamloops has become a mountain biking destination; home to Canada's largest municipal bike park, the 26-hectare Kamloops Bike Ranch, the city is often described as the birthplace of freeride mountain biking.