Newer hillside areas like Albion and Silver Valley climb the slopes of Maple Ridge, which sits on the eastern edge of Metro Vancouver, about 45 km from downtown, with the Golden Ears mountains standing behind it. Winters are wet. About 91,000 people live here, spread across historic Haney, those hillside neighbourhoods, and rural pockets like Whonnock. It got city status only in 2014, and it still feels like a suburb with farms at its edges.
The draw is the outdoors and the room to spread out. Golden Ears Provincial Park and Alouette Lake are about 12 km north, and Kanaka Creek and the dyke trails along the Pitt River are good for easy walks and rides. Port Haney has a small waterfront and a farmers market runs in season. It costs more than most of Canada, mainly for housing, though less than Vancouver proper. Commuting west is the real price you pay. Crime is close to the national average, but car break-ins at trailheads are common.
Trip planning at a glance
Peak season
June to September
Quieter season
Winter
Nearest airport
Vancouver International (YVR), 55 km west (about 1 hour by car
Highlights
Golden Ears Provincial Park (Alouette Lake, hiking, camping, Gold Creek Falls, about 12 km north)
Out of 10. Open any score to see how it’s worked out. “Data-based” scores come from published figures; “Hey! En Route estimate” scores are worked out from what we know about the city; “Hey! En Route rating” scores were set by our editors.
5.9/10Good
Connector Score7.3
15 worthwhile cities within three hours; reachable by road and local transit; lodging and sights for an overnight stop. Hey! En Route estimate
Safety6.3
Crime Severity Index around 95; the Canadian figure is about 80. Data-based
Affordability5.0
Cost of living index about 115, where the national average is 100. Data-based
Transportation4.5
Reachable by: road and local transit. Hey! En Route estimate
Car-free friendliness3.5
No intercity train or bus noted, so a car helps. Hey! En Route estimate
Walkability4.9
Estimated from city size and transit; no walkable downtown noted. Hey! En Route estimate
Things to do6.3
Known for 7 kinds of attraction, with 8 annual events listed. Hey! En Route estimate
Food & dining4.3
Estimated from city size and dining listings. Hey! En Route estimate
Places to stay6.1
Estimated from city size and lodging listings. Hey! En Route estimate
Nature & outdoors8.0
Known for mountains & hiking, national & state parks, lakes & rivers. Hey! En Route estimate
Scenic value8.5
From its landscape: coast, mountains, lakes and parks. Hey! En Route estimate
Family friendliness5.3
Zoos, aquariums, theme parks and museums, weighted by safety. Hey! En Route estimate
Solo-traveler friendliness5.1
Safety, getting around without a car, hostels, and things to do. Hey! En Route estimate
Nightlife4.1
Estimated from city size and live music. Hey! En Route estimate
Remote-work friendliness4.9
City size, affordability, cafés and connections. Hey! En Route estimate
Road-trip convenience7.3
15 worthwhile cities within three hours’ drive, plus parking, EV charging and RV options. Hey! En Route estimate
Train-trip convenience1.0
No intercity train service noted. Hey! En Route estimate
Bus-trip convenience1.5
No intercity bus service noted. Hey! En Route estimate
Maple Ridge; The Ridge; Fraser Valley gateway on Metro Vancouver's eastern edge; Golden Ears Mountains backdrop; Haney and Whonnock historic communities
Founded
1874 municipality incorporated (September 12, 1874); 1960s to 1990s suburban growth; 2014 granted city status (September 12, 2014) on its 140th anniversary; Ka…
Languages
English (dominant; French rarely needed); small communities speaking Punjabi, Korean, Mandarin, Tagalog, German and Spanish; Katzie First Nation heritage
Airports
Vancouver International (YVR), about 55 km west (about 1 hour by car); Abbotsford International (YXX), about 30 km east; Pitt Meadows Regional Airport (CYPK), general aviation adjacent to the city; Bellingham International (BLI) WA about 90 km
Tipping
Restaurants 15-20% of the pre-tax bill (GST 5% is added to listed prices, and PST 7% applies to many goods but not most restaurant food; alcohol carries 10% liquor PST); bars $1-2 per drink or 15-20% of tab; taxis and rideshare 10-15%; hotel housekeeping $3-5 CAD per night; bellhops $2-5 CAD per bag; tour guides 10-15%; counter service optional (all amounts CAD)
Community signals
Not enough responses yet to show a trend.
Maple Ridge City Circle
For people considering Maple Ridge, visiting soon, living there for a while, or comparing it with somewhere else.
Web fetch was used only for Wikipedia (population, area, elevation, coordinates, incorporation date); StatCan pages were not retried. Population 90,990 (City of Maple Ridge, 2021 Census), area 267.82 sq km (large because it includes rural and mountain land), elevation 80 m, coordinates and incorporation dates from Wikipedia. population_metro 2,642,825 is the Vancouver CMA 2021 Census figure as specified by the assignment (Maple Ridge is part of the Vancouver CMA). visitor_website mapleridge.ca/tourism and event_calendar mapleridge.ca/events are the city site pages as recalled and were not opened or confirmed; check them, and Tourism Maple Ridge or the Ridge Meadows Chamber may be the actual visitor site. Event names and months, hotel ranges, cost of living, crime index, rent, home prices, tax details and distances are approximate or from general knowledge and not verified. All money in CAD.
Last verified September 25, 2026 · Source: Research spreadsheet · Editorial ·
Neighborhoods
8 areas to know, and who each one suits.
Haney
Historic core and Port Haney
Downtown Maple Ridge
Albion
Growing residential
Silver Valley
New development
Websters Corners
Whonnock
Ruskin
Hammond
No neighborhood matches that.
Where to base yourself
Hotels and motels along Lougheed Highway and near Haney
Downtown Maple Ridge for walkability
Golden Ears Provincial Park and nearby campgrounds for outdoor stays
Vancouver and Coquitlam for wider selection. Tiers: budget motels
mid-range chains near Lougheed Highway
very limited luxury (vacation rentals and lodges in the valley)
Suburbs and neighboring towns
Pitt Meadows (8 km; West Coast Express commuter rail); Coquitlam (20 km; bus or West Coast Express); Mission (15 km; West Coast Express or bus); Langley (20 km; car, across Fraser); Port Coquitlam (15 km; commuter rail or bus); Surrey (30 km; car)
What a visit costs
Per person per day, with a room shared by two. Change anything below to fit your trip.
Budget
$111/day
Lodging about CA$135 a night
Mid-range
$157/day
Lodging about CA$195 a night
Luxury
$147/day
Budget calculator
Vehicle
mpg
These are estimates from typical prices, not quotes. Real costs vary with season, events, booking time and your own habits; taxes and fees are approximate.
Cost of living
For longer stays and relocation.
Cost of living index
115 (national average = 100)
Typical 1-bedroom rent
CA$2,000a month
Median home price
CA$1,300,000
Research notes
Roughly 10-20% above the Canadian average, mainly housing, and slightly below Vancouver proper (approximate); typical 1BR rent about $1,800-2,200 CAD per month on listing sites (approximate)
Real estate
Buying or renting long-term: prices, trends and the rules.
Median home
CA$1,300,000
Mortgage calculator
Average detached home about $1.2-1.4 million CAD; condos about $450,000-600,000 CAD; townhomes about $750,000-900,000 CAD; average 1BR rent about $1,800-2,200 CAD; market trend: large growth to 2022, softer since (approximate, not verified)
Research notes on prices and seasons
Hotels per night (CAD, before 5% GST, 8% PST and about 3% Municipal and Regional District Tax): budget $110-160; mid-range $160-230; luxury very limited. Peak season is June to September; winter is cheapest. Golden Ears camping about $20-40 CAD per night. Rough daily visitor budget excluding lodging: $90-160 CAD
Where to stay
Which part of town suits which kind of trip.
Hotels and motels along Lougheed Highway and near Haney
Downtown Maple Ridge for walkability
Golden Ears Provincial Park and nearby campgrounds for outdoor stays
Vancouver and Coquitlam for wider selection. Tiers: budget motels
mid-range chains near Lougheed Highway
very limited luxury (vacation rentals and lodges in the valley)
No places to stay are listed yet.
Top sights
Golden Ears Provincial Park (Alouette Lake, hiking, camping, Gold Creek Falls, about 12 km north)
Alouette Lake and Gold Creek trails
Maple Ridge Museum and Haney House
Fraser River and Kanaka Creek Regional Park
Pitt River and Pitt Meadows dyke trails
Historic Haney and Port Haney waterfront
Whonnock Lake
Ruskin Dam viewpoints
Maple Ridge Farmers Market
Known for:Mountains & hikingNational & state parksLakes & riversMuseums & galleriesHistoric sitesLive musicShopping
Things to do
2 listings in Maple Ridge, ranked by traveller reviews. Featured listings are marked.
Safety information is a guide from public data and our research, not a guarantee. Conditions change; check local news and official advice before you go.
6.3
Good · Data-based
Crime Severity Index around 95; the Canadian figure is about 80.
Safety overview
Ridge Meadows RCMP; Crime Severity Index around or a little above the BC average and near the national average (roughly 80-110, approximate); visitor risk mainly car break-ins at trailheads and parking lots. Health care: BC MSP does not cover visitors, so travel health insurance is advisable. Hospitals: Ridge Meadows Hospital (Fraser Health) with an emergency department. Hazards: wet winters, landslides and flooding on rivers, black bears and cougars on trails, drowning in Alouette and Fraser waters, wildfire smoke in summer, and earthquake risk in the region. Emergency 911
Local notes
Specific places where extra care is worthwhile, especially at night. Most visits are trouble-free.
No areas to avoid for visitors; use ordinary urban caution late at night around parts of Lougheed Highway motels, downtown Haney and some transit areas where street disorder and property crime occur; use care on trails and near Alouette Lake and Fraser River (cold, fast water) and backcountry near Golden Ears
Times marked “est.” are estimates: drives use typical road distances at highway speeds, and train or bus times assume both cities have service. Always check a route planner and timetables before you travel.
Route ideas
Suggested by Hey! En Route from the best-connected next stops. Save one to your routes and make it your own.
2-day trip
Maple Ridge (1 night)
3-day trip
Maple Ridge (1 night) → Vancouver (1 night)
About 27 mi, 50 min of travel
5-day trip
Maple Ridge (2 nights) → Vancouver (1 night) → Seattle (1 night)
About 170 mi, 3 h 54 min of travel
7-day trip
Maple Ridge (2 nights) → Vancouver (1 night) → Seattle (1 night) → Surrey (1 night)
About 296 mi, 6 h 36 min of travel
10-day trip
Maple Ridge (2 nights) → Vancouver (2 nights) → Seattle (1 night) → Surrey (1 night) → Bellingham (1 night)
