Surrey (city, British Columbia)

Surrey (city, British Columbia), city in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. Located southeast of Vancouver, Surrey is bounded by the Fraser River to the north and the United States to the south. Surrey is the largest city in area in the Greater Vancouver region and second only to Vancouver in population. It is one of the fastest-growing major cities in Canada.

Surrey consists of six different town centers, each of which is a self-contained residential and business community: City Centre (Whalley), Fleetwood, Guildford, Cloverdale, Newton, and South Surrey. Residential development is primarily concentrated in the north of Surrey and on a major ridge to the south. The city’s central region, consisting of the Serpentine and Nicomekl river flats, is mainly agricultural. Much of the land lies within the Agricultural Land Reserve—land designated for agricultural use under British Columbia’s Agricultural Land Commission Act.

Surrey has a varied economic base that includes manufacturing, agriculture, high technology, retail, and services. The city is served by Vancouver International Airport, Boundary Bay Airport, Abbotsford Airport, and Langley Municipal Airport. Surrey is also linked to Vancouver by SkyTrain, Greater Vancouver’s advanced light-rail transit line. The Douglas/Blaine and Peace Arch border crossings are among the busiest in British Columbia, providing the principal highway access to the United States.

Surrey is known as the City of Parks. The city has more than 400 parks within its boundaries, including ocean parks, urban forests, and gardens. Peace Arch Provincial Park is notable for the Peace Arch that dominates it. Situated on the boundary between the United States and Canada, the monument is dedicated to lasting peace between the two nations. Surrey is also home to the Cloverdale Rodeo, which is one of Canada’s largest rodeos; the Surrey Arts Center, which houses a major art gallery and a theater; and the Surrey Museum, where visitors can learn about the city’s culture and history. Educational institutions include the main campus of Kwantlen University College and a branch campus of Simon Fraser University, which opened in 2002.

The Coast Salish were the first inhabitants of the Surrey area. The earliest explorers arrived in the 1820s, but significant settlement did not begin until the 1870s. Surrey incorporated as a district municipality in 1879. In 1957 its southernmost ward seceded and became the municipality of White Rock. Surrey achieved city status in 1993.

Surrey covers a land area of 301.8 sq km (116.5 sq mi). Population 245,173 (1991); 347,825 (2001).