Carstairs is a town in central Alberta, Canada. It is located on Highway 2A, 48 kilometres north of Calgary, the nearest major city, and 241 kilometres south of the provincial capital, Edmonton. The closest neighbouring communities are the towns of Didsbury and Crossfield. Carstairs is located entirely within the rural Mountain View County. Named after Carstairs, Scotland, Carstairs began life as a loading platform on the railway connecting Calgary to Edmonton.