Melfort was formerly called the "City of Northern Lights" due to the frequency with which the aurora borealis appears.

A few kilometres southeast of current location of Melfort settlers established themselves on the banks of Stoney Creek before relocation due to the surveying of the Canadian Northern Railway.

[5] Melfort was named to honour Mrs. Reginald Beatty (née Mary Campbell, 1856–1916), wife of one of the early settlers (1884).

[6] Melfort's first post office was established August 1, 1892, in the provisional district of the North West Territories with Benjamin Rothwell as the first postmaster.

(Pleasantdale post office was previously named Windgap and was located at Township 41, Range 18 west of the 2nd Meridian).

[10][11] The drainage region for Melfort is the Lower Saskatchewan - Nelson and the area is characterized by a prairie ecozone.

[14][15] The Melfort branch of the Canadian Legion has assembled a photographic display of the geographic memorials designated to honour the war dead.

[29] The Melfort & District Museum next door showcases pioneering equipment, tools, farm machinery, archival documents as well as early settler's buildings[30][31] Neighbouring points of interest are Fort Carleton, Duck Lake, and Seager Wheeler's Maple Grove Farm.

[35] Melfort offers countless recreational opportunities for families and friends including swimming, camping, skiing, fishing, and golfing,[36] among other things.

[37] Other notable Mustang alumni include Willie Mitchell of the Los Angeles Kings and Ruslan Fedetenko formerly of the Philadelphia Flyers.

429 office is located on McDonald Avenue West in Melfort and provides municipal rural affairs to the small unincorporated areas of Claggett, Ethelton, Ethelton Airport, Flett Springs, Lipsett, McMichael, Melfort Airport, Minto Park, Pathlow, and Taylorside.

Melfort is currently a CNR interchange point and railway station on the Tisdale, St. Brieux and Brooksby Subdivisions.

[46] The government's Canada-Saskatchewan Career and Employment Services office was to be combined with Melfort's Comprehensive High School and the Cumberland Regional College.

The Melfort and Unit Comprehensive Collegiate provides education to grades 7 to 12 and is a part of the North East School Division No.