South Surrey: A Guide to Grandview Heights, Morgan Creek and Crescent Beach

South Surrey runs from Boundary Bay east to the Township of Langley, with seaside neighbourhoods such as Crescent Beach in the west and newer ones in Grandview Heights farther east. Here is a guide to its neighbourhoods, transit, parks and schools, and what to check before you buy near the water or the farmland.

The short version

Where South Surrey is

South Surrey is one of the communities of the City of Surrey, which I cover in Moving to Surrey. The City calls it the largest of its town centres by land area, bounded by the ocean, White Rock and the US border, the Township of Langley and 48 Avenue. White Rock is a separate city, as I explain in Moving to White Rock, so check the property tax notice to see which city a home is in.

Crescent Beach, Ocean Park and the west side

• Crescent Beach. The City calls it a historic resort community, and the Great Northern Railway's 1909 sea-line route helped establish it. It covers about 91 hectares below the Crescent Heights bluff, with water on three sides, and its 1999 land use plan set out to keep its semi-rural seaside village character. It is mostly residential, with some shops on Beecher Street.
• Ocean Park. BC Geographical Names lists it as a community on the east side of Boundary Bay. It has a library branch on 17 Avenue and buses to White Rock, Peace Arch Hospital and Bridgeport Station.
• Sunnyside. Sunnyside Acres Urban Forest, on 144 Street, is a 140-hectare second-growth forest that Surrey residents voted to protect in 1988, with about 4 km of trails.
• Elgin. Elgin Heritage Park, in the historic community of Elgin on Crescent Road, has the Historic Stewart Farm, whose farmhouse dates from 1894, a marina and more than 3 km of trails beside the tidal Nicomekl River.

Semiahmoo, Grandview Heights and Morgan Creek

Away from the water, most of these neighbourhoods were planned from the 1990s on:

• Semiahmoo Town Centre. The City calls it the commercial and cultural heart of South Surrey. Its plan, approved in January 2022 and updated in July 2026, covers a study area of 136 hectares from 16 Avenue (North Bluff Road) to 24 Avenue and aims for a compact, transit-supportive centre over 30 years.
• Rosemary Heights. South of the Nicomekl River and east of Highway 99, planned through a 1994 local area plan and neighbourhood concept plans approved from 1996 to 2000. The City notes its river, fish-bearing creeks and rare wetland habitat.
• Morgan Creek. East of Rosemary Heights, built in phases around a golf course after the City approved it in 1993, according to local news reporting. Morgan Creek Park, on 156A Street, has a playground and tennis, pickleball and basketball courts.
• Grandview Heights. About 1,050 hectares from 16 Avenue to 28 Avenue, with the Agricultural Land Reserve on its eastern edge. Council approved its general land use plan in 2005, and neighbourhood concept plans followed for areas such as Darts Hill, Orchard Grove and Redwood Heights. Grandview Heights Secondary, the Grandview Heights Aquatic Centre and Ta'talu Elementary are here.
• Morgan Heights. The first neighbourhood planned in Grandview Heights, under a 2005 plan for about 80 hectares between 24 and 28 Avenue, west of 164 Street, with a mix of housing types and three neighbourhood parks.

Getting around

• Highway 99. It starts at the Peace Arch border crossing and runs north through Delta and the George Massey Tunnel to Richmond.
• King George Boulevard and Highway 15. King George Boulevard runs north to Newton and Surrey City Centre, and 176 Street (Highway 15) leads to the Pacific Highway crossing, which is open 24 hours and also handles commercial traffic.
• Buses to the Canada Line. Route 351 runs daily from White Rock Centre to Bridgeport Station in Richmond by Highway 99, stopping at the South Surrey Park and Ride, and routes 352, through Ocean Park, and 354 make the same trip at weekday peak times.
• Local buses. Route 350 links White Rock Centre and Crescent Beach, routes 360 and 361 serve Ocean Park, and route 321 runs to Newton and Surrey Central.
• Bus rapid transit. TransLink is planning bus rapid transit on King George Boulevard between Surrey City Centre and Semiahmoo Town Centre. It sought public feedback on the design in early 2026 and says a line can open within three years of full funding.

Beaches, parks and recreation

• Blackie Spit. In Crescent Beach, the spit reaches into Mud Bay at the mouth of the Nicomekl River. It is part of Boundary Bay, on the Pacific Flyway, where hundreds of bird species are recorded each year, and harbour seals rest on the sandbars.
• Kwomais Point Park. On the bluffs above Semiahmoo Bay at 128 Street, with views to Tsawwassen, Vancouver Island and the San Juan Islands, forest trails and two heritage buildings.
• Peace Arch Park. A provincial park at the Douglas border crossing, with lawns, gardens and picnic areas around the Peace Arch, dedicated in 1921. Border officers may ask visitors for identification.
• Recreation. The City lists the South Surrey Recreation & Arts Centre, the South Surrey Indoor Pool and Softball City here, and Surrey Libraries has branches in Ocean Park and Semiahmoo.

Schools and health care

Surrey Schools, School District 36, serves Surrey and White Rock. Its School Locator and School Boundaries map show an address's catchment schools, and it also offers programs of choice. In 2024, the district said enrolment growth in Grandview Heights had outpaced school construction, and it has been adding space:

• New schools. Douglas Elementary opened in November 2020, Edgewood Elementary in January 2021 and Ta'talu Elementary, with room for up to 655 students, in October 2024.
• Additions. Sunnyside and Morgan elementary schools opened additions in 2022 and 2023, and in April 2026 the Province announced a 500-seat addition to Grandview Heights Secondary, expected to open in fall 2029.

Peace Arch Hospital, run by Fraser Health in White Rock, is open 24 hours with emergency, surgery and maternity care, and the South Surrey Urgent and Primary Care Centre is at 1711 152 Street.

How South Surrey is growing

• The last part of Grandview Heights. Area 5, about 292 hectares between 20 and 28 Avenue west of 176 Street, is the final area to be planned. After a 2022 survey of owners, then environmental and market studies, Council started neighbourhood concept planning in July 2026.
• A new community plan. In June 2026, Council adopted Surrey 2050, the new Official Community Plan, which rescinded the Rosemary Heights and Morgan Heights neighbourhood concept plans, so ask the City which plans apply to a lot.
• Transit-oriented areas. None of Surrey's 15 is in South Surrey; they are around SkyTrain stations and the Guildford, Newton and Scottsdale bus exchanges.
• More homes per lot. Since July 8, 2024, most single-family lots inside the urban containment boundary can have three or four units, or six near frequent bus service. Lots without community water and sewer can be exempt, and an existing section 219 covenant restricting housing still applies. I explain the rules in More Homes per Lot.

Before you buy

• Floodplain. Crescent Beach sits 0 to 3 metres above sea level inside a dyke system, and a 1982 storm surge heavily damaged its waterfront properties. Around Mud Bay, dyking districts maintain sea dykes along the Serpentine and Nicomekl rivers. Land in the 200-year floodplain generally needs a development permit before building, so check the "Flood Prone Areas" layer on the City's COSMOS map and ask your insurer about overland flood coverage.
• Farmland edges. Development that abuts the Agricultural Land Reserve or is within 50 metres of it generally needs a farm protection development permit, and land in the reserve has its own limits on homes. Ask about farm activity next door.
• Creeks and bluffs. A sensitive ecosystem development permit can apply within 50 metres of the top of bank of a fish-bearing stream, as in Rosemary Heights, and a steep slope permit on or near land steeper than 20%, so check before you build on the bluffs.
• Title and construction. Read any covenant or building scheme on title before you plan a suite or a rebuild, and in Grandview Heights, check the plan maps for what is coming nearby.

Questions buyers often ask me

Is South Surrey part of White Rock?

No. South Surrey is part of the City of Surrey, and White Rock, on its southern edge, is a separate city with its own council and zoning. Both are served by the Surrey School District.

Is Crescent Beach in a floodplain?

Yes. It sits 0 to 3 metres above sea level inside a dyke system and is one of the coastal areas in the City's flood adaptation strategy. Check the "Flood Prone Areas" layer on COSMOS for any address.

How do I get to Vancouver by transit from South Surrey?

Take route 351, which runs daily, or route 352 or 354 at weekday peak times, to Bridgeport Station by Highway 99, then the Canada Line. All three stop at the South Surrey Park and Ride.

How do I find my catchment school in South Surrey?

Use the Surrey School District's School Locator or School Boundaries map. Grandview Heights has grown quickly, so confirm the catchment with the district before you remove subjects.

Is Grandview Heights finished?

Not yet. Area 5, between 20 and 28 Avenue, is the last part to be planned, and Council started neighbourhood concept planning in July 2026.

Ready to start looking? Browse homes for sale in Surrey, read Floodplains and Flood Insurance before you buy near the water, or see what the Agricultural Land Reserve allows.

This article is general information, not legal advice. The details come from the City of Surrey, TransLink, Surrey Schools, the Province, Fraser Health, BC Parks, the Canada Border Services Agency, BC Geographical Names and local news reporting, and were current at the time of writing. For the City's overview, see South Surrey.