Quick answerVancouver is a city in Canada, with 662,248 people inside the city limits in 2021. The wider metropolitan area had about 2.6 million people in 2021. It is best known for the Mountains and ocean setting, the Stanley Park and the Mild, rainy climate. Its official language is English and French, and its currency is the Canadian dollar.
Vancouver is a port city in British Columbia, on Canada's Pacific coast, with 662,248 residents in the 2021 census. Its metropolitan area had 2,642,825 people that year. The city is known for its setting between the mountains and the sea, and for its mild, rainy climate.
Key facts
| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Population (city) | 662,248 (2021) |
| Population (metro) | 2,642,825 (2021) · Statistics Canada Census Metropolitan Area (CMA), 2021 census |
| Time zone | America/Vancouver |
| Language | English, French |
| Currency | Canadian dollar (CAD, $) |
| Coordinates | 49.2608° N, 123.1139° W |
Overview
Vancouver is a port city in British Columbia, on Canada's Pacific coast at the mouth of the Fraser River. It stands between the Coast Mountains and the sea, in a setting that is often called one of the most beautiful of any city in the world. Vancouver began as a sawmill town in the 19th century and grew when the railway arrived in 1887, making it the Pacific terminus of Canada's transcontinental railway.
About 662,000 people lived in Vancouver in 2021, and about 2.64 million in its metropolitan area. The city is one of the most ethnically diverse in Canada, with large Chinese, South Asian and Filipino communities, and it is known for its mild, rainy winters and its outdoor life: skiing on Grouse Mountain is half an hour from downtown, and the seawall around Stanley Park is one of the world's great waterfront walks.
Vancouver is also a centre of film and television, nicknamed Hollywood North, and its port is the largest in Canada. Its food scene, from sushi to dim sum, is one of the best in North America, and the city hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics.
What Vancouver is known for
- Mountains and ocean setting
- Stanley Park
- Mild, rainy climate
- Film industry (Hollywood North)
- Diverse food scene
Landmarks
- Stanley Park
- Granville Island
- Capilano Suspension Bridge
- Grouse Mountain
- Vancouver Art Gallery
- Canada Place
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Vancouver?
Vancouver had 662,248 residents in the 2021 census, according to Statistics Canada, making it the eighth-largest city in Canada. Its metropolitan area, known as Metro Vancouver, had 2,642,825 people that year, about four times the city itself. The city is much smaller in area than Toronto or Montreal, at about 115 square kilometres.
Where is Vancouver and what is it known for?
Vancouver is in south-western British Columbia, on the Pacific coast at the mouth of the Fraser River. It is about 230 kilometres north of Seattle and about 40 kilometres north of the United States border. The city is known for Stanley Park, its mountains and its mild, rainy winters, and its coordinates are 49.26° N, 123.11° W.
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- Canada — the country Vancouver is in
- Toronto — another city in Canada
- Montreal — another city in Canada
- Ottawa — another city in Canada
- All cities in Canada
- All countries — the full list
Sources & last updated
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.