Communities include the oil-and-gas exploration centre of Fort St. John; Fort Nelson, with the province's biggest wood products plant; Dawson Creek; Large Coal Mining operations in Tumbler Ridge and the part of Prince George north of the Nechako River and east of the Fraser River.

This electoral district was originally created in 1966 from parts of Cariboo and Kamloops ridings.

[2] The redefined riding regains the community of Valemount and area that had been transferred to Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo in the previous redistribution.

Although not directly related to this boundary adjustment, the riding was renamed as Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies to acknowledge the Northern Rockies Regional District, whose status in the riding is unchanged.

These new boundaries and the new name were legally defined in the 2013 representation order, which came into effect upon the call of the 42nd Canadian federal election.