Pitt Meadows is located in the Lower Fraser Valley, east of Vancouver. It is a primarily agricultural area, situated on the north side of the Fraser River at its junction with the Pitt River. The City is also bisected by the two arms of the Alouette River, along with a number of other sloughs and waterways.
Pitt Lake, on the City's northern boundary, is the largest tidal lake in North America. Along the community's northeast edge lies the Thompson Mountain Range.
Pitt Meadows is considered the "gateway" to the Fraser Valley and is forty minutes by West Coast Express passenger train service and one hour by car from Vancouver's downtown area and Stanley Park.
We acknowledge that Pitt Meadows is located on the traditional territory of Katzie First Nation.
Land Size and Use
Pitt Meadows is comprised of 8,825 hectares of land and water. It is primarily lowlands with some higher elevations in the northern part of the rural and urban areas. Seventy-eight percent of the land mass in Pitt Meadows is in the BC Agricultural Land Reserve and thus, farming is a big industry in Pitt Meadows.
Pitt Meadows farms grow a variety of crops and is probably best known for its greenhouses and small fruit; namely, the delicious blueberries and cranberries we produce.
As Pitt Meadows is primarily lowlands and is bordered on two sides by rivers, it has over 40 km of dykes. These dikes not only protect the community from flooding, but provide a unparalleled multi-use trail system alongside some of Canada's most productive, lush farmland. The trails wind alongside spectacular marshes and wildlife and offer magnificent views of the mountains to the North.
The Pitt Meadows Regional Airport occupies about 303 hectares and has three runways in service and a control tower operated by Nav Canada personnel.
Urban Areas
Most residents of Pitt Meadows live in an urban town centre area that is surrounded by agricultural land; this is a key demonstration of the City's concentrated land use. About 85% of residents live in the 404-hectacre core urban area, resulting in a population density of approximately 33 persons per hectare. The remainder of the residents live in the rural area, which makes up nearly 8,425 hectares. The rural area therefore has a population density of approximately one person for every four hectares.
