Port Coquitlam, often referred to as "PoCo", is a vibrant city in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of the 21 municipalities that make up Metro Vancouver and is located 27 km east of Vancouver. The city is nestled on the north bank of the confluence of the Fraser River and the Pitt River, with Coquitlam bordering it to the north and west, and Pitt Meadows lying across the Pitt River. Port Coquitlam is Canada's 93rd-largest municipality by population and is bisected by Lougheed Highway and the Canadian Pacific Kansas City.
The area of Port Coquitlam has a rich history, with its lands being inhabited by indigenous peoples, most recently by the Coast Salish people, including the Kwikwetl'em. The first European settlers began farming beside the Pitt River in 1859. The city was incorporated as a municipality on March 7, 1913, following the Canadian Pacific Railway's decision to move its freight terminus from Vancouver to "Westminster Junction" and build a spur line to the Fraser River port of New Westminster in 1911.
Originally developed mostly as farmland, Port Coquitlam has evolved into a suburban housing hub due to the expansion and increasing density of Vancouver. The city's economy is diversified, with a variety of industrial and commercial developments, including metal fabrication, high technology industries, and transportation.
Being primarily suburban, Port Coquitlam relies heavily on its vehicular roads to move people and goods. Major arterial roads, Shaughnessy Street and Lougheed Highway, bisect the city north to south and east to west, respectively.
TransLink provides a number of bus routes throughout the city, with the most used being the 159, which connects southern Port Coquitlam to SkyTrain at Braid station. Other bus routes include the 160, linking Port Coquitlam with Vancouver via Coquitlam Central Station and Moody Centre station, and the 173/174, which runs a loop through the northern half of the city.
Port Coquitlam is the only one of the Tri-Cities without a SkyTrain. However, this may change in the future with a Millennium Line extension into the downtown area. A feasibility study was conducted in early 2020, and both Mayor Brad West, the Port Coquitlam City Council, and the Coquitlam City Council have voiced support for the extension.
According to the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Port Coquitlam had a population of 61,498 living in 22,884 of its 23,671 total private dwellings. This represented a change of 4.9% from its 2016 population of 58,612. The city has a land area of 29.16 km2, resulting in a population density of 2,109.0/km2 in 2021.
The 2021 census found that English was spoken as the mother tongue by 62.4% of the population. Chinese languages were the next largest first language category, with 8.2% of residents speaking Cantonese or Mandarin. Other common first languages were Persian (3.0%), Korean (2.6%), and Tagalog (2.4%). As a single response, French was the first language of 0.9% of the population.
Whether you're interested in history, outdoor activities, or exploring a new city, Port Coquitlam has something for everyone. The city is home to the Traboulay PoCo Trail, a 25.3 km hiking and biking trail that completely surrounds the city. In August 2018, U-bicycle launched a dockless bicycle sharing system in the city, making it even easier to explore. Come and discover the charm of Port Coquitlam, British Columbia.
