Kelso, a developing residential suburb in the former Thuringowa City, is 19 km south-west of central Townsville. It was named in 1968 after an early local farmer, and is the southern-most suburb of three along the western side of the Upper Ross River.
Almost entirely a dormitory suburb, Kelso has the Ross River dam at its south-eastern point. The dam was constructed in the 1970s for domestic and industrial reticulation to both Townsville and Thuringowa. Kelso primary school was opened in 1986.
The main access route to Kelso is Upper Ross River Road, originally a farmlands road but now part of the Riverway project which Thuringowa City carried out for recreational and tourism purposes. One third of Riverway adjoins Kelso.
Kelso's census populations have been:
| Census Date | Population |
|---|---|
| 1981 | 2309 |
| 1991 | 5836 |
| 2001 | 7832 |
| 2006 | 8699 |
| 2011 | 10,202 |
