Vancouver

By sea land and air we prosper | City motto

Why visit

Vancouver is for mountains, water, neighborhoods, Asian food, parks, ferries, and easy movement between city days and outdoor days. It works when the trip wants nature close enough to change plans quickly.

When to avoid

Do not visit Vancouver expecting every worthwhile stop to be close together or easy to improvise. In Vancouver, a good plan starts with the constraints, not with the number of sights. Keep Vancouver practical: fewer cross-town moves, confirmed hours, and paid transport when it saves time or saves time. If the main interest is one nearby site, it may be better to treat Vancouver as a base rather than the whole destination.

Plan Vancouver

Current conditions and the practical reference material that helps turn the saved places into a trip.

The next week in Vancouver

7-day forecast from Open-Meteo. UV badges flag days when sun protection matters (3 and above is moderate; 8 and above is risk territory for unprotected fair skin within 30 minutes).

Today

Clear

26° / 15°

UV High

Wed

Clear

27° / 16°

UV High

Thu

Overcast

24° / 16°

UV High

Fri

Overcast

23° / 16°

UV High

Sat

Overcast

22° / 15°

UV High

Sun

Partly cloudy

21° / 15°

UV High

Mon

Overcast

22° / 15°

UV High

Climate

Cool and wet season (Oct-Jan)

About 55% of the year's rain falls in these months. Typical highs around 4°C, lows around 0°C.

Warmer dry season (Apr-Sep)

Typical highs around 16°C, lows around 9°C. About 93mm of rain a month.

In August 4

Drag to scrub across the year.

JFMAMJJASOND

Weather

20° / 13°

Typical high / low

2 mm rainfall this month

Daylight

14.5h

06:02 – 20:31local

Holidays coming up

Public holidays from Nager.Date.

Airports

closest YVR · 9 km

Getting around Vancouver

Public-transit operators within 8 km of the city center. Click through to each operator’s site for routes, fares, and tickets.

Local transit operators

Amtrak TransLink BC Ferries VIA Rail Flixbus Train de Charlevoix

About Vancouver

Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. The Metro Vancouver area had a population of 2.6 million in 2021, making it the third-largest metropolitan area in Canada. Greater Vancouver, along with the Fraser Valley, comprises the Lower Mainland with a regional population of over 3 million. Vancouver has the highest population density in Canada, with over 5,700 inhabitants per square kilometre (15,000/sq mi), and the fourth highest in North America.

Area: 115 km²
Demonym: Vancouverite
Mayor: Ken Sim
Airport codes: YVR

Canada basics →Country context, advisories, and entry links for the practicalities shown above.

References5

The links below support the changing or licensed reference material on this page. Personal notes and ordinary geographic facts are not footnoted individually.

City background