Penticton, situated in the heart of British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, is a city renowned for its stunning natural landscapes, vibrant community, and year-round recreational opportunities. Flanked by two pristine freshwater lakes—Okanagan Lake to the north and Skaha Lake to the south—Penticton offers a unique blend of outdoor adventure, culinary delights, and cultural experiences.

Penticton is in the middle of the Okanagan wine region, home to over 80 wineries within a 20-minute drive of the city. Visitors can indulge in wine tours, tastings, and vineyard dining experiences that showcase the region’s world-class wines and local culinary creations. Craft breweries, cideries, and distilleries also thrive here, catering to a diverse range of tastes.

The city’s vibrant cultural scene includes art galleries, live performances, and events like the Penticton Farmers’ Market, where locals and visitors alike can enjoy fresh produce, artisan goods, and live music. Signature festivals such as the Penticton Peach Festival and Fest of Ale celebrate the city’s rich community spirit and culinary excellence.

The city offers a balanced lifestyle with excellent schools, healthcare facilities, and year-round activities for all ages. You can stroll along the scenic waterfront, dine on a lakeside patio, or even explore local shops and markets.

• The name “Penticton” is derived from the Okanagan language word snpintktn, commonly translated as “a place to stay forever.”
• Penticton is one of only two cities in the world situated between two lakes—Okanagan Lake to the north and Skaha Lake to the south.
• The city enjoys a semi-arid climate with over 2,000 hours of sunshine annually, making it one of the sunniest places in Canada.
• Penticton is a hub of wine tourism in the Okanagan Valley, with over 80 wineries within a 20-minute drive and more than 40 wineries within city limits.
• The city is known for its early involvement in the craft brewing movement and is featured in the BC Ale Trail, boasting several craft breweries, cideries, and distilleries.
• Penticton offers numerous recreational activities, including skiing at Apex Mountain Resort, boating and fishing on Skaha and Okanagan Lakes, golfing, hiking and biking the Kettle Valley Rail Trail, and rock climbing at Skaha Bluffs.
• Operating for over 30 years, Penticton's Farmers' Market features a wide assortment of vendors selling locally grown fruits and vegetables, preserves, crafts, and homemade baking.
• The city hosts several annual events, including the Penticton Peach Festival and Fest of Ale, celebrating local culture and culinary excellence.
• A popular summer activity involves floating down the Penticton Channel, which connects Okanagan Lake to Skaha Lake.
• Penticton Vees: The city is home to the Penticton Vees, a junior “A” ice hockey team named in honor of the senior team that won the 1955 Ice Hockey World Championships against Russia.
• Penticton has a sister city relationship with Ikeda, Japan, established in 1977 to foster cultural and educational exchanges.
• The Penticton Regional Airport was developed during World War II due to wartime military air transportation concerns and now serves as a vital transportation hub for the region.
• Much of the original route of the Kettle Valley Railway has been converted into a multi-use recreational trail, which carries the Trans Canada Trail through this part of British Columbia.
• The city is home to the Penticton Art Gallery, a registered not-for-profit charitable organization that showcases local and international artists.
• Penticton Aquatic Club: Established in 1913, the Penticton Aquatic Club was a boathouse, social center, and clubhouse for aquatic activities, playing a significant role in the city’s summer life until its demolition in 1952.

Penticton features a semi-arid climate characterized by low precipitation, hot summer days with cool nights, and moderately cool, mostly cloudy winters. Annual precipitation totals 346 mm (13.62 inches), making it the fourth driest city in Canada. The city receives an average of 58.7 cm (23.1 inches) of snowfall per year and boasts the mildest winter of any non-coastal city in Canada.

Summers in Penticton are notable for high daytime temperatures, with the city recording the second-highest number of days annually above 30°C (86°F) in Canada, after Kamloops. It also has the lowest incidence of fog in the country. Annually, Penticton experiences 1,923 hours of sunshine. However, during winter, temperature inversions often create cloud cover in the valley, making December and January some of the cloudiest months in Canada. In contrast, summer months are among the sunniest in the country, with sunshine reaching 62.6% of daylight hours in August. Overall, sunshine accounts for 39% of daylight hours, ranging from 13% in winter to 62.6% in late summer.

Morning relative humidity remains between 63–77% year-round, while afternoon humidity varies significantly, from 36% in July to 69% in December and January. Penticton’s weather is monitored at the Penticton Regional Airport by Environment and Climate Change Canada.

The highest recorded temperature in Penticton was 44.2°C (111.6°F) on June 30, 2021, while the lowest was −27.6°C (−17.7°F) on January 13, 2024. The city experiences four distinct seasons, with hot summers, mild winters, and minimal snowfall.

Spring

The South Okanagan enjoys above-seasonal weather in spring, marked by longer days and sunny skies. Vineyards and orchards bloom, making it an ideal time for outdoor activities. Temperatures range from 8°C to highs of 22°C, with warmer weather emerging in May and June. Rainfall is rare, averaging just 2-4 days of precipitation per month.

Summer

Summer in Penticton is warm and vibrant, with temperatures often exceeding 35°C, occasional rain showers, and low humidity. This season attracts visitors seeking sunshine, clear skies, and refreshing lakes. Popular activities include relaxing on shaded patios or enjoying ice cream treats. Sunscreen and sunglasses are essential for enjoying the long, sunny days.

Fall

Autumn offers an extension of summer, with daytime highs of 24°C in September, cooling to 5–15°C in later months. It’s a perfect time for outdoor activities like hiking, biking, and exploring. Fall is also harvest season, with lush vineyards and orchards providing a backdrop of fresh fruit and sagebrush aromas.

Winter

Penticton’s mild winters attract snowbirds from colder parts of Canada. Daytime highs can reach 5°C, with lows averaging -4°C from December to February. While the region experiences an average of 40 days of snowfall annually, outdoor winter adventures abound, including skiing, snowshoeing, fat biking, and skating.

Penticton was originally settled by the Syilx (Okanagan) people, part of the Interior Salish language group. They named the area Phthauntac, meaning “the ideal meeting place,” later renamed Penticton, meaning “a place to stay forever” or “a place where people live year-round” in the Okanagan language. The Syilx community settled near Skaha Lake and Okanagan Lake, with Skaha originally referred to as Dog Lake. Today, their descendants form the Penticton Indian Band, a First Nations government within the Okanagan Nation Alliance located near Penticton.

In 1866, Thomas Ellis, an Irish settler, became the area’s first non-Indigenous settler, establishing a cattle business and planting fruit orchards. Ellis developed the Penticton Hotel in 1892 near Front Street, the community’s first road, which featured wooden sidewalks and coal oil lamps. Upon retiring in 1892, Ellis sold portions of his land to developers, paving the way for further settlement.

In 1892, the introduction of the SS Aberdeen, a sternwheeler operating on Okanagan Lake, significantly improved transportation and shipping to the area. By 1907, residents established a local public government board called the Board of Trade, aimed at promoting the community’s growth in arts, commerce, education, and recreation. That year, another sternwheeler, the SS Okanagan, began service on Okanagan Lake, while other vessels connected Penticton to nearby communities on Skaha Lake. Around the same time, European fur traders traded and passed through Penticton and the nearby areas.

Penticton became a district municipality on December 31, 1908. Shortly afterward, Ellis’s fruit orchards, primarily apple trees, began flourishing. Residents packed fruit for distribution worldwide, marking the beginning of Penticton’s reputation as a hub for fruit production. In 1912, the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) built the Incola Hotel, which operated for 70 years.

During World War I, the SS Sicamous joined Penticton’s fleet of sternwheelers, and the Kettle Valley Railway began operations, initially transporting passengers. In 1949, the city purchased the Sicamous from the CPR. Penticton Regional Airport, developed during World War II for military air transportation, became fully operational after the completion of its tarmac. The airport’s land was expropriated from the Penticton Indian Band in 1949 under the War Measures Act.

The opening of a provincial highway between Hope and Princeton in 1948 improved road access to Penticton, increasing competition for the Kettle Valley Railway. The railway’s headquarters were established in Penticton in 1910 but were destroyed by fire in 1964. Today, much of the railway’s original route forms the Kettle Valley Rail Trail, part of the Trans Canada Trail. Penticton officially became a city on May 10, 1948, with Robert Lyon serving as its first mayor.

In recent history, the Sacred Heart Mission Church in Penticton was destroyed by fire on June 21, 2021, during a wave of church burnings following the discovery of unmarked graves at former Canadian Indian residential schools. Another Catholic church in the area was similarly burned on the same day, about 40 minutes away on Osoyoos land.

• Population: 36,885, 0.6% of BC's Total Population, 2.4% Aboriginal Identity
• Median Age: 52 years
• Households: 17,360
• Couples with Children: 2,885
• Homes Owned: 17,360
• Post-secondary Education: 16,080
• Average Income: 41,600
• Labour Force Participation: 31,335
• Unemployment Rate: 8.4%