Strathcona County is a specialized municipality in the Edmonton Metropolitan Region within Alberta, Canada between Edmonton and Elk Island National Park. It forms part of Census Division No. 11. Strathcona County is both urban and rural in nature. Approximately of its population lives in Sherwood Park, which is an urban service area east of Edmonton remains an unincorporated hamlet. The balance lives beyond Sherwood Park within a rural service area. History In Treaty 6, the First Nations ceded their title to the land that would become Strathcona County. Local governance began in 1893 when the North-West Territorial Legislature established an area east of Edmonton as Statute Labour District No. 2. It then grew in size over the following decade and was renamed Local Improvement District (LID) No. 517 in 1913. In 1918, LID No. 517 became a municipal district under the name of the Municipal District (MD) of Clover Bar No. 517. At the same time, the neighbouring LID No. 518 to the south became the MD of Strathcona No. 518. The MD of Clover Bar No. 517 and the MD of Strathcona No. 518 amalgamated on March 1, 1943, into a larger municipal district under the name of the MD of Strathcona No. 517. It was subsequently renumbered as the MD of Strathcona No. 83 in 1945. Upon further amalgamating with the Clover Bar School Division No. 13, the MD of Strathcona No. 83 incorporated as a county under the name of the County of Strathcona No. 20 on January 1, 1962. Its county status reverted to municipal district status in 1995 when the County Act was repealed by the provincial legislature though its name remained County of Strathcona No. 20. Its name was officially changed to Strathcona County on April 26, 1995. Shortly thereafter, Strathcona County's status was changed from municipal district to specialized municipality on January 1, 1996. The purpose of Strathcona County's change to specialized municipality status was to provide "for the unique needs of a municipality that includes both a large urban centre and a significant rural territory and population." The status change specifically designated Strathcona County's large urban centre, Sherwood Park, as an urban service area deemed equivalent to a city. Its remaining rural territory was specifically designated a rural service area deemed equivalent to a municipal district. Geography Strathcona County is in the central portion of the province of Alberta and forms the