MERRITT a town in south-central British Columbia, Canada. Located at the confluence of the Nicola and Caldewater Rivers, it is the first major settlement encountered after the passage of the first phase of the Coquihalla Highway, and serves as a gateway to all other major highways to the interior of British Columbia.

The town came into being in 1893, for many years the Merritt area was a gathering place for local European colonists and indigenous peoples, as the area was the hub of transportation routes used by the first pioneers. The meadows eventually attracted settlers interested in cattle ranching, and the first ranches were established in the mid-19th century.

Merritt has dozens of bronze handprints of country music stars who came to town for the annual Merritt Mountain Music Festival on display around town. Merritt is also home to a local radio station, a weekly newspaper and the campus of the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology. There are four provincial parks, numerous lakes and several recreational trails nearby. Merritt is known as the "Country Music Capital of Canada" for its many country music attractions, events and activities.