Surrey, a city in British Columbia, Canada, is a member municipality of the Metro Vancouver regional district and metropolitan area. Located south of the Fraser River on the Canada–United States border, Surrey is the province's second-largest city by population after Vancouver and the third-largest by area after Abbotsford and Prince George.
Surrey was incorporated in 1879, and its land was formerly occupied by several Halqemeylem-speaking indigenous groups, including the Semiahmoo, Katzie, and the Kwantlen peoples. The city's name was inspired by the County of Surrey in England, as the landscape reminded Englishman H.J. Brewer of his homeland.
The first settlers arrived in Cloverdale and parts of South Surrey, engaging in farming, fishing, oyster harvesting, and setting up small stores. The erection of the Pattullo Bridge in 1937 paved the way for Surrey's expansion. The city witnessed unprecedented growth in the 1980s and 1990s, with people from different parts of Canada and the world, particularly Asia, making Surrey their home.
According to the 2021 Canadian census, Surrey had a population of 568,322 living in 185,671 of its 195,098 total private dwellings. With a land area of 316.11 km2, it had a population density of 1,797.9/km2 in 2021. Surrey is the 11th largest city in Canada, and the fifth-largest city in Western Canada.
Surrey is home to a diverse population, with large numbers of Europeans and South Asians spread across the city. Immigration to Surrey has drastically increased since the 1980s, creating a more ethnically and linguistically diverse city. Approximately 38 percent of the city's inhabitants are of South Asian heritage.
As of 2010, Surrey had the highest median family income of CA$78,283, while the BC provincial median was $71,660, and the national median was $74,540. The South Surrey area had the highest average household income of all six town centres in Surrey, with an average of $86,824 as of 2010.
Surrey is characterized by low population density urban sprawl, which includes areas of residential housing, light industry, and commercial centres. The city is mostly hills and flatland, with most of the flatland in Tynehead, Hazelmere, the south of Cloverdale, and Colebrook. Surrey has an oceanic climate typical of the inter-coastal Pacific Northwest, with rainy, wet winters and mild, sunny summers.
The Museum of Surrey, Surrey Art Gallery, and the historic Surrey Municipal Hall complex are among the city's main attractions. The Surrey City Centre Public Library is the second largest library in terms of size in Metro Vancouver.
Surrey hosts several events throughout the year, including WinterFest, the annual Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair, the Sikh community's Vaisakhi celebration, and the Surrey International Writers' Conference.
Surrey hosts the Canada Cup International Women's Fastpitch Tournament every summer. The BCHL Surrey Eagles hockey team plays at the South Surrey Arena in Surrey. Surrey is also home to Canada's first kabaddi-specific stadium.
Public transit in Surrey is operated by TransLink, which provides frequent bus service throughout Surrey, and to other Metro Vancouver municipalities. SkyTrain provides Surrey with an Expo Line service to Downtown Vancouver via four stations: Scott Road, Gateway, Surrey Central, and King George.
In 2008, Surrey city council created and adopted the Surrey Sustainability Charter, a comprehensive document to guide the urban development of the city for the next 50 years.
Surrey has two sister cities and six "friendship cities".
