Moving to Maple Ridge: A Guide to Its Neighbourhoods

Maple Ridge sits on the north bank of the Fraser River, east of Pitt Meadows, with a downtown planned for more homes around its transit hubs, two West Coast Express stations and Golden Ears Provincial Park to the north. Here is a guide to its neighbourhoods, how to get around, how the City plans to grow, and what to check before you buy.

The short version

Maple Ridge at a glance

Maple Ridge has Pitt Meadows and the Katzie First Nation to the west and the Fraser River to the south, on the traditional territories of the Katzie and Kwantlen First Nations. In the 2021 Census, the City had 90,990 people on 267.82 km² of land, up 10.6% from 82,256 in 2016. Just over half of its occupied homes (52.6%) were single-detached houses, 13.3% were row houses and 17.4% were in apartment buildings.

The City says it will need 27,778 new homes by 2041, based on its interim Housing Needs Report. If you are deciding between Maple Ridge and its smaller neighbour, I compare the two in Maple Ridge or Pitt Meadows?

The Town Centre and Port Haney

The Town Centre is the city's downtown, with shops, services, festivals and The ACT Arts Centre. The City puts its 2021 population at about 12,430, up from just over 8,000 when the area plan was first adopted in 2008. The plan was updated in November 2025: it now takes in River Bend, and a new Town Centre Core designation supports higher densities in a walkable downtown anchored by the Haney Place exchange and Port Haney Station.

Port Haney, by the river, was the area's steamboat landing and CPR station, and heritage buildings from around the city have been moved there. Its West Coast Express station, on River Road, has no parking.

Neighbourhoods beyond downtown

• Hammond. The southwest corner, along the Fraser River, with heritage character: early 1900s houses, a historic commercial area, a baseball park and a golf course, and jobs in the Maple Meadows Business Park. Its 2017 area plan was updated in November 2025 to focus growth near Maple Meadows Station.
• Albion and Kanaka. First called East Haney, Albion was renamed when its post office opened in 1907. It has the Albion Fairgrounds, used for events all year, and its early farms became part of the land known today as Albion Flats. Its area plan, updated in October 2025, strengthens walking and cycling links and adds buffers between new development and farmland.
• Silver Valley. On the north side of the Alouette River, with views, trails and access to recreation areas. Its 2002 area plan was updated in November 2025 with more density and a new River Village Mixed-Use designation.
• Thornhill. A heavily forested, mainly residential area with farms, nurseries and a large mountain biking and hiking trail network on 256 Street. The OCP names it as an area to reserve for later growth, after careful analysis.
• Webster's Corners and Yennadon. Webster's Corners has mountain bike trails and is a hub for film production, and Yennadon is an active farming area.
• Whonnock and Ruskin. Whonnock has a lake park with a small sandy beach, a swimming area and trails. Ruskin has a long history of lumber and sawmills, and several shake and sawmills still operate along the Stave River.

Local bus routes from Haney Place carry neighbourhood names too, such as the 745 Cottonwood, 746 Albion, 748 Thornhill and 749 Ruskin.

Getting around

• West Coast Express. Five weekday trains leave Port Haney between 5:44 and 7:44 a.m., and Maple Meadows six minutes later, reaching Waterfront Station in downtown Vancouver in about 50 to 56 minutes. Five return from Waterfront between 3:50 and 6:20 p.m., and there is no service on statutory holidays.
• Buses. The R3 RapidBus runs along the Lougheed Highway between Haney Place and Coquitlam Central Station. Route 701 runs from Coquitlam Central Station through Haney Place to Mission City Station, and route 595 links Maple Meadows Station with Langley Centre.
• Roads. The Lougheed Highway, Highway 7, runs through Maple Ridge, and the Haney Bypass directs its traffic away from the city's urban core.
• The Golden Ears Bridge. Near Hammond, it crosses the Fraser River to the Township of Langley and has been toll-free since September 1, 2017.
• Bus rapid transit. TransLink is planning a line from Langley to Haney Place, with stations proposed on the Lougheed Highway at 203 Street, 207 Street, Laity Street and 216 Street. In January 2026, it said the project needed more funding and could open within three years of being fully funded.

Parks, schools and health care

• Golden Ears Provincial Park. One of BC's largest parks, in the Coast Mountains 11 km north of Maple Ridge, with Alouette Lake, three large campgrounds and an extensive network of hiking and horseback riding trails. In peak season you may need a day-use vehicle pass.
• Kanaka Creek Regional Park. A Metro Vancouver park in the Albion and Kanaka area, with a 1.2 km Canyon Trail past falls in a sandstone canyon, a 3 km Riverfront Trail with Fraser River views, and the Bell-Irving Hatchery for salmon and trout.
• Schools. School District 42 (Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows) offers early and late French Immersion, Montessori at Hammond Elementary, the International Baccalaureate at Garibaldi Secondary and trades programs that students can join without living near the school. Check the district's School Locator, and confirm the catchment school with the district before you remove subjects.
• Health care. Ridge Meadows Hospital, a Fraser Health community hospital at 11666 Laity Street, is open 24/7, with an emergency department, an intensive care unit, maternity care, surgery, and CT and MRI scanning.

How Maple Ridge is growing

• The plan. The Official Community Plan keeps most growth inside the Urban Area Boundary, with the highest densities in the Town Centre. Council updated it and four area plans in October and November 2025 to meet the Province's December 31, 2025 deadline, and the City says it now has room for 20 years of housing needs. A full review is planned after the 2026 Census.
• The Lougheed Transit Corridor. In January 2026, Council adopted an area plan for the corridor from the western city boundary to the Town Centre, along the Lougheed Highway and Dewdney Trunk Road. It plans for transit-oriented development near future stations, gentle density in existing neighbourhoods, and new parks and greenways.
• Around transit. In June 2024, the City designated transit-oriented areas around Port Haney Station, Maple Meadows Station and the Haney Place exchange. Under provincial rules, the City has to permit housing that meets minimum allowable heights of 12 storeys within 200 m and 8 storeys from 200 to 400 m (a rezoning is generally still needed), and it can't require residential parking, apart from accessible and bicycle parking.
• More homes per lot. On single-family and duplex lots inside the urban area with City water and sewer, the rules generally allow three units on lots under 281 m², four on lots of 281 m² to 4,050 m², and six on lots of at least 281 m² within 400 m of a frequent bus stop. Lots subject to a natural hazard aren't eligible. I explain the rules in More Homes per Lot.

Before you buy

• Floodplain. The City names the Fraser River and the North and South Alouette rivers as flood risks, from spring snowmelt and heavy fall and winter rain. It says the Alouette rivers are unconfined, without dikes; along the Fraser, the City patrols and maintains dikes and pump stations. Check the City's floodplain maps for the address. At a June 2026 open house, the City presented a proposed Floodplain Management Bylaw that would add minimum building elevations, so ask what applies if you plan to build. I cover insurance in Floodplains and Flood Insurance.
• Farmland. The City says 3,782 hectares, about 15% of Maple Ridge, is in the Agricultural Land Reserve. If you are looking at ALR land, read Buying an Acreage in the Fraser Valley first.
• Rural lots. Outside the Urban Area Boundary, the OCP's rural residential areas have homes on acreage where municipal services don't exist. Ask how the home gets its water and treats its sewage, and have the well and septic system checked before you remove subjects.

Questions buyers often ask me

How many people live in Maple Ridge?

The 2021 Census counted 90,990 people, up 10.6% from 2016, on about 268 km² of land.

Does the West Coast Express stop in Maple Ridge?

Yes, at Port Haney and Maple Meadows, with regular service on weekdays only. Morning trains reach Waterfront Station in about 50 to 56 minutes, and Port Haney Station has no parking.

Is bus rapid transit coming to Maple Ridge?

TransLink is planning a line from Langley to Haney Place, with stations proposed on the Lougheed Highway. In January 2026, it said the project needed more funding and could open within three years of being fully funded.

Is Maple Ridge in a floodplain?

Parts of it are. The City names the Fraser River and the North and South Alouette rivers as flood risks, and the Alouette rivers have no dikes, so check the City's floodplain maps for any address.

How do I find my catchment school in Maple Ridge?

Use the School Locator on the School District 42 website, and confirm the catchment with the district before you remove subjects.

Browse homes for sale in Maple Ridge, or read about the next stop east on the West Coast Express in Moving to Mission.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Population and housing figures are from the 2021 Census and the City of Maple Ridge, and other details are from the City, TransLink, the Province, BC Parks, Metro Vancouver, Fraser Health and School District 42 at the time of writing. For the City's plans, see the Official Community Plan and area plans.