Vancouver: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Vancouver is a city of 196,442 people in United States (Washington), 57 m (187 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Portland International Airport (PDX), 7 km (4 mi) from the centre. It has 1 railway station on record, including Vancouver station.
Key facts
Daylight in Vancouver runs from about 8 h 45 min a day in late December to 15 h 46 min in late June (computed for 45.64° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Vancouver is served by 2 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Portland International Airport (PDX), 7 km (4 mi) from the centre, whose 11,000-ft runway is long enough for long-haul wide-body aircraft. The alternatives are Salem-Willamette Valley Airport/McNary Field (SLE, 85 km).
Flights to Vancouver: every airport, routes and times
By rail: stations on record include Vancouver station. Trains to Vancouver
Buses to Vancouver · Driving and car hire
What people come for
| Sight | Visitors a year | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Vancouver Regional Libraries | 1,923,135 | 2017 |
| Fort Vancouver National Historic Site | 786,989 | 2010 |
The busiest is Fort Vancouver Regional Libraries at 1,923,135 visitors in 2017. Figures are the latest each site has published, so they are not all for the same year.
Tours, tickets and day trips from Vancouver
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Seattle, 220 km — flights · trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Portland, 13 km
- Surrey, 386 km (Canada) — flights · trains · buses
- Victoria, 315 km (Canada) — flights · trains · buses · car rental
- Tri-Cities, 276 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Tacoma, 180 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Richmond, 394 km (Canada) — flights
- Eugene, 180 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Salem, 83 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Abbotsford, 381 km (Canada) — flights · trains · buses
Twin towns and sister cities: Jōyō-shi.
Common questions
Which airport serves Vancouver?
Portland International Airport (PDX), 7 km (4 mi) from the centre, plus 1 other airport with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Vancouver?
About 196,442 people live in Vancouver, across 131 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Vancouver in?
America/Los_Angeles, currently UTC-7.
What currency is used in Vancouver?
The Dollar (USD). Traffic drives on the right.
Which cities are near Vancouver?
Seattle (220 km), Portland (13 km), Surrey (386 km), Victoria (315 km), Tri-Cities (276 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.