Total area: | 29.17 km2 |
Population: | 56,342 |
Density: | 1,931.3/km2 |
Website: |
Port Coquitlam is a city in British Columbia, Canada. Located 27 km east of Vancouver, it sits at the confluence of the Fraser River and the Pitt River. Coquitlam borders it on the north, the Coquitlam River borders it on the west, and the cities of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows lie across the Pitt River. Port Coquitlam is almost entirely bisected by a Canadian Pacific Railway yard with two underpass crossings and one overpass. Port Coquitlam is often referred to as "PoCo." It is Canada's 88th largest city by population.
The second half of the 1990s saw the population grow at a rate of 9.8%, with a large number of immigrants, who by 2001, comprised 25% of the population. English was the first language for 76% of the inhabitants. Religions practiced were Catholic 36%, Protestant 32%, Other 14%, and No Religion 18%.
Because of its primarily suburban nature, Port Coquitlam relies heavily on its vehicular roads to move people and goods. For example, two of its major arterial roads, Shaughnessy Street and Lougheed Highway bisect Port Coquitlam east to west and north to south, respectively.
The Lougheed Highway passes through Port Coquitlam, running from Coquitlam in the west to the Pitt River Bridge in the east. Although this highway has made much of Port Coquitlam a very congested area, it is one of the few major arterial highways in the area.
In October 2009 the new Pitt River Bridge, a new seven-lane cable stayed bridge, opened to the public replacing the existing crossing. The previous crossing was made up of 2 swing bridges which were removed upon completion of the new cable stayed bridge. The Pitt River Bridge crosses the Pitt River connecting Port Coquitlam to neighbouring Pitt Meadows.