Map of British Columbia
British Columbia is a first-level division of Canada. Its largest mapped city is Vancouver, with about 2.31 million people in the metropolitan area. The interactive map below is centred on British Columbia, and the tables list its 31 mapped cities along with the mountains, lakes, ports, World Heritage Sites nearest to them.
- Cities Mapped
- 31
- Largest City
- Vancouver
- Country
- Canada
- Highest Point Mapped
- 3,519 m
Interactive Map of British Columbia
About British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, forests, lakes, mountains, inland deserts, and grassy plains. British Columbia borders the province of Alberta to the east; the territories of Yukon and Northwest Territories to the north; the US states of Washington, Idaho, and Montana to the south; and Alaska to the northwest. With an estimated population of 5.68 million in 2025, it is Canada's third-most populous province. The capital of British Columbia is Victoria, while the province's largest city is Vancouver. Vancouver and its suburbs together make up the third-largest metropolitan area in Canada, with the 2021 census recording 2.6 million people in Metro Vancouver. British Columbia is Canada's third-largest province by total area, after Quebec and Ontario.
The first known human inhabitants of the area settled in British Columbia at least 10,000 years ago. They include the Coast Salish, Tsilhqotʼin, and Haida peoples, among many others. One of the earliest British settlements in the area was Fort Victoria, established in 1843, which gave rise to the city of Victoria, the capital of the Colony of Vancouver Island. The Colony of British Columbia (1858–1866) was subsequently founded by Richard Clement Moody, and by the Royal Engineers, Columbia Detachment, in response to the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush. Moody selected the site for and founded the mainland colony's capital New Westminster. The colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia were incorporated in 1866, after which Victoria became the united colony's capital. In 1871, British Columbia entered Confederation as the sixth province of Canada, in enactment of the British Columbia Terms of Union.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: British Columbia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
British Columbia in Depth
History
The area now known as British Columbia is home to First Nations groups with several indigenous languages. There are more than 200 First Nations in BC. Prior to contact (with non-Aboriginal people), human history is known from oral histories, archaeological investigations, and from early records from explorers encountering societies early in the period.
The arrival of Paleoindians from Beringia took place between 20,000 and 12,000 years ago. Hunter-gatherer families were the main social structure from 10,000 to 5,000 years ago. The nomadic population lived in non-permanent structures foraging for nuts, berries and edible roots while hunting and trapping larger and small game for food and furs. Around 5,000 years ago individual groups started to focus on resources available to them locally.
Geography
British Columbia is bordered to the west by the Pacific Ocean and the American state of Alaska, to the north by Yukon and the Northwest Territories, to the east by the province of Alberta, and to the south by the American states of Washington, Idaho, and Montana. The southern border of British Columbia was established by the 1846 Oregon Treaty, although its history is tied with lands as far south as California. British Columbia's land area is 944,735 square kilometres (364,764 sq mi). British Columbia's rugged coastline stretches for more than 27,000 kilometres (17,000 mi), and includes deep, mountainous fjords and about 6,000 islands, most of which are uninhabited. It is the only province in Canada that borders the Pacific Ocean.
Economy
BC's economy is diverse, with service-producing industries accounting for the largest portion of the province's GDP. It is the terminus of two transcontinental railways, and the site of 27 major marine cargo and passenger terminals. Though less than 5 percent of its vast 944,735 square kilometres (364,764 sq mi) land is arable, the province is agriculturally rich (particularly in the Fraser and Okanagan valleys), because of milder weather near the coast and in certain sheltered southern valleys.
Its climate encourages outdoor recreation and tourism, though its economic mainstay has long been resource extraction, principally logging, farming, and mining. Vancouver, the province's largest city, serves as the headquarters of many western-based natural resource companies.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: British Columbia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
British Columbia: Key Facts
| Population | 5,000,879 (2021) |
|---|---|
| Area | 944,735 km² |
| Capital | Victoria |
| Head of government | David Eby |
| Highest point | Mount Fairweather |
| Established | 1871 |
Facts from Wikidata Q1973 (CC0).
History of British Columbia: Empires and States
The atlas records 3 polities whose mapped territory included part of British Columbia, from British Colonial Empire in 1846 CE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here |
|---|---|
| British Colonial Empire | 1846–1931 CE |
| The British Empire | 1846–1931 CE |
| Canada | 1932–2024 CE |
Historical Maps of British Columbia
British Columbia on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Visiting British Columbia
British Columbia (BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. BC has great scenery along the coast and inland, and is a rewarding destination for outdoor life, especially downhill snowsports and wilderness backpacking.
British Columbia is truly massive at nearly one million square kilometers (larger than every U.S. state except Alaska and four times the size of the island of Great Britain). Within this landmass, several north-south mountain ranges cross through the province, such as the Rockies, the Selkirks, the Purcells and the Coastal Range. Because of this rough terrain, however, B.C. has only five million inhabitants: less than a tenth of Britain's population or just two thirds as much as next-door Washington state. The majority of British Columbians live in just a few densely-populated valleys sandwiched between the mountain ranges or along the sea.
In each of these valleys a very different climate, lifestyle, and culture can be found.
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: British Columbia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Largest Cities in British Columbia
31 cities mapped. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vancouver | 2.31 million | British Columbia | Populated place |
| 2 | Victoria | 289,625 | British Columbia | Admin-1 capital |
| 3 | Abbotsford | 151,683 | British Columbia | Populated place |
| 4 | Kelowna | 125,109 | British Columbia | Populated place |
| 5 | Nanaimo | 84,905 | British Columbia | Populated place |
| 6 | Kamloops | 68,714 | British Columbia | Populated place |
| 7 | Prince George | 65,558 | British Columbia | Populated place |
| 8 | Chilliwack | 51,942 | British Columbia | Populated place |
| 9 | Penticton | 37,721 | British Columbia | Populated place |
| 10 | Campbell River | 33,430 | British Columbia | Populated place |
| 11 | Courtenay | 32,793 | British Columbia | Populated place |
| 12 | Terrace | 19,443 | British Columbia | Populated place |
| 13 | Fort St. John | 18,776 | British Columbia | Populated place |
| 14 | Cranbrook | 18,610 | British Columbia | Populated place |
| 15 | Prince Rupert | 14,708 | British Columbia | Populated place |
| 16 | Williams Lake | 14,168 | British Columbia | Populated place |
| 17 | Quesnel | 13,788 | British Columbia | Populated place |
| 18 | Powell River | 12,779 | British Columbia | Populated place |
| 19 | Nelson | 11,779 | British Columbia | Populated place |
| 20 | Dawson Creek | 10,802 | British Columbia | Populated place |
| 21 | Revelstoke | 7,668 | British Columbia | Populated place |
| 22 | Fort Nelson | 6,315 | British Columbia | Populated place |
| 23 | Smithers | 6,245 | British Columbia | Populated place |
| 24 | Creston | 4,816 | British Columbia | Populated place |
| 25 | Lillooet | 2,893 | British Columbia | Populated place |
The other 6 (population, region, role)
- Burns Lake · 2,635 · British Columbia · Populated place
- Port Hardy · 2,295 · British Columbia · Populated place
- Tofino · 1,655 · British Columbia · Populated place
- Bella Bella · 1,400 · British Columbia · Populated place
- Sandspit · 538 · British Columbia · Populated place
- Dease Lake · 303 · British Columbia · Populated place
Highest Mountains in British Columbia
4 mountains mapped. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Elevation | Feet | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mount Sir Sandford | 3,519 m | 11,545 ft | North America |
| 2 | Howson Pk | 2,759 m | 9,052 ft | North America |
| 3 | Golden Hinde | 2,195 m | 7,201 ft | North America |
| 4 | Mount Moresby | 1,164 m | 3,819 ft | North America |
Largest Lakes in British Columbia
1 lake mapped. Ranked by mapped surface area. A lake on a border is listed under each country it lies in, with the area of the whole lake. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Surface Area | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lower Arrow Lake | 173 km² | Reservoir |
Ports in British Columbia
49 ports mapped. Ranked by approach channel depth, the figure that limits which ships can call. Harbours link to their write-up on the page of the sea or coast they lie on. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Channel Depth | Class | Sea | Max Vessel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ucluelet | 56.7 m | Very Small | Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea | medium vessels |
| 2 | Porpoise Harbor | 53 m | Very Small | Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea | large vessels |
| 3 | Masset Harbor | 53 m | Very Small | Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea | medium vessels |
| 4 | Clayoquot | 49.4 m | Very Small | Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea | medium vessels |
| 5 | Squamish | 42.1 m | Very Small | Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea | large vessels |
| 6 | Port Moody | 38.4 m | Very Small | Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea | medium vessels |
| 7 | Kitimat | 38.4 m | Small | Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea | large vessels |
| 8 | New Westminster | 38.4 m | Minor | Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea | large vessels |
| 9 | Port Mellon | 38.4 m | Very Small | Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea | medium vessels |
| 10 | Chemainus | 38.4 m | Very Small | Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea | large vessels |
The other 39 (channel depth, class, sea, max vessel)
- Cowichan Bay · 38.4 m · Very Small · Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea · large vessels
- Port San Juan · 38.4 m · Very Small · Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea · medium vessels
- Ganges · 34.7 m · Very Small · Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea · medium vessels
- Port Mcneill · 34.7 m · Very Small · Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea · medium vessels
- Comox Harbor · 31.1 m · Small · Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea · medium vessels
- Alert Bay · 27.4 m · Very Small · Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea · large vessels
- Klemtu · 27.4 m · Very Small · Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea · medium vessels
- Alliford Bay · 27.4 m · Very Small · Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea · large vessels
- Port Simpson · 23.8 m · Very Small · Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea · large vessels
- Victoria Harbor · 20.1 m · Minor · Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea · large vessels
- Coal Harbor · 16.5 m · Very Small · Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea · medium vessels
- Bamberton · 5.5 m · Very Small · Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea · large vessels
- Port Alberni · 5.5 m · Small · Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea · large vessels
- Tahsis · 5.5 m · Very Small · Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea · large vessels
- Bergh Cove · 5.5 m · Very Small · Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea · medium vessels
- Port Alice · 5.5 m · Small · Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea · large vessels
- Sointula · 5.5 m · Very Small · Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea · medium vessels
- Kemano Bay · 5.5 m · Very Small · Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea · medium vessels
- Duncan Bay · 5.5 m · Very Small · Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea · medium vessels
- Prince Rupert · 5.5 m · Minor · Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea · large vessels
- Port Hardy · 5.5 m · Very Small · Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea · medium vessels
- Steveston · Very Small · Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea · medium vessels
- Fraser Mills · Very Small · Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea · medium vessels
- Port Coquitlam · Very Small · Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea · medium vessels
- Mission City · Very Small · Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea · point_of_interest
- Campbell River · Very Small · Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea · large vessels
- Nanoose Harbor · Very Small · Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea · medium vessels
- Crofton · Very Small · Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea · large vessels
- Lyall Harbor · Very Small · Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea · medium vessels
- Hope Bay · Very Small · Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea · medium vessels
- Sidney · Very Small · Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea · large vessels
- Ahousat · Very Small · Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea · point_of_interest
- Gold River · Very Small · Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea · large vessels
- Bella Coola · Very Small · Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea · large vessels
- Butedale · Very Small · Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea · point_of_interest
- Port Clements · Very Small · Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea · medium vessels
- Queen Charlotte · Very Small · Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea · large vessels
- Harmac · Very Small · Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea · large vessels
- Westview · Very Small · Alaska, British Columbia & Bering Sea · medium vessels
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in British Columbia
1 World Heritage Site mapped. Listed by year of inscription, earliest first. Sites shared with another country appear under each. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Inscribed | Type | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ninstints | 1981 | Cultural | (iii) |
British Columbia: Quick Answers
- Where is British Columbia?
- British Columbia is a first-level division of Canada, in North America. Its mapped cities centre on 51.8004° N, 123.3780° W.
- What is the largest city in British Columbia?
- Vancouver is the largest city mapped in British Columbia, with a metropolitan population of about 2.31 million.
- How many cities are in British Columbia?
- YearMaps maps 31 cities and towns in British Columbia, with a combined metropolitan population of about 3.43 million. This counts mapped settlements, not every municipality.
- What is the highest mountain in British Columbia?
- The highest summit mapped in British Columbia is Mount Sir Sandford at 3,519 m.
- What is the largest lake in British Columbia?
- The largest lake mapped in or beside British Columbia is Lower Arrow Lake, at about 173 km².