Prince George

Prince George sits at the confluence of the Nechako and Fraser rivers, where two of British Columbia's great waterways meet in the heart of the northern interior. It is the largest city in northern BC and the region's service, healthcare, and transportation hub — a role that has earned it the nickname BC's 'Northern Capital.' Spread across roughly 318 square kilometres and home to about 76,708 residents according to the [2021 census](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/), the city is large enough to anchor a vast region yet compact enough that its central valley feels like a single, knowable place. Locals call that central valley 'the Bowl' — the low ground where downtown, the George Street core, and most of the established neighbourhoods sit. From there the city climbs in three directions: the Hart rises on the plateau north across the Nechako, College Heights spreads across the southwest, and the University of Northern British Columbia ([UNBC](https://www.princegeorge.ca/)) crowns Cranbrook Hill to the west. Incorporated in 1915, Prince George grew up around forestry, pulp, and rail, and remains a CN Rail hub and the junction of Highway 97 and Highway 16 — the 'crossroads of the North.' That layered geography produces a genuine range of community character, from the walkable downtown core to the suburban streets near campus and the rural-edged stretches of the Hart Highway. The neighbourhood guides that follow take each of these areas in turn, so you can understand how the Bowl, the Hart, and College Heights each fit into the wider city before exploring any one of them in detail.