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Data source: OurAirports (2026-09-01 Snapshot) · Methodology & Verification →

Vancouver International Airport

Compiled by Bill Gao

Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada)

IATA: YVR ICAO: CYVR

Longest Active Runway

11,500 ft

3,505 meters

Field Elevation

14 ft

4 m MSL

Runway Inventory

3 active

1 closed, Lighted / Paved

Coordinates & Class

49.1939°, -123.1840°

LARGE AIRPORT

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Multi-Universe Rankings & Statistical Standing

How ranks work →

RunwayFacts Published Dataset

tied #260 of 650

In curated primary commercial index

Global Commercial Universe

#432 of 7558

Top 5.7% percentile worldwide

For airports with equal runway length, the worldwide order does not indicate a length difference.

National Standing (Canada)

#2 of 8 in CA

#4 of 411 in full national registry

vs Large Airport Median

+15%

Compared to 10,000 ft baseline

💡 YVR in numbers: 11,500 ft longest runway · tied #260 of 650 published · #432 of 7,558 worldwide (top 5.7%) · #2 in Canada.

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Editorial Aerodrome Deep Dive: Vancouver International Airport (YVR)

Curated Aerodrome Profile

Vancouver International Airport provides Canada's principal gateway to Asia-Pacific. The airport's South Runway (08R/26L) at 11,500 ft easily handles maximum takeoff weight departures for Boeing 777-300ER and Airbus A350 airliners flying direct to Hong Kong, Sydney, and Tokyo. YVR operates advanced noise mitigation procedures over the Strait of Georgia to minimize suburban overflights across Richmond and Vancouver.

Runway Layout & Magnetic Alignments

Dual parallel east-west runways 08L/26R (9,940 ft / 3,030 m) and 08R/26L (11,500 ft / 3,505 m), plus crosswind Runway 13/31 (7,300 ft / 2,225 m).

Expansion Milestones & Predecessor Facilities

Opened on Sea Island in 1931. Built the North Runway (08L/26R) in 1996 to accommodate Pacific Rim traffic growth following Expo 86, accompanied by award-winning terminal expansions incorporating Pacific Northwest Indigenous architecture.

Regional Differentiation & Cluster Role

Primary Canadian Pacific hub, positioned 24 NM north of Abbotsford (YXX) and offering direct polar and transpacific routing options for Air Canada.

Data Nuances & Operational Quirks

Sits at 14 ft elevation on a river delta; runway operations are tightly integrated with salmon habitat environmental monitoring and Fraser River tidal flood controls.

📚 Official Aerodrome Sourcing: Transport Canada & NAV CANADA · Canada Flight Supplement (CFS) & NAV CANADA AIP

Verification Methodology →

🔬 Operational & Aerodrome Engineering Comparative Analysis

Longest runway ≥10,500 ft

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Elevation & National Context

Lowland Aerodrome (<2,000 ft)

YVR lies at 4 m (14 ft), #606 of 650 published airports by elevation and 6.5 percentile among 7,558 worldwide. It is 509 ft below the Canada median (523 ft, 8 airports); YYC is highest at 3,557 ft, 3,543 ft higher than YVR.

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Regional Density & Alternates (100 NM)

0 Qualifying Aerodromes in Vicinity

No published neighbour with a paved runway of 5,000 ft or more within 100 NM of YVR. Nearest published airport: Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA), 110 NM, 11,901 ft (401 ft longer than YVR); 3 within 250 NM.

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Runway Inventory & National Standing

Primary Runway: 11,500 ft (3,505 m)

YVR runways: 08R/26L 11,500 × 200 ft asphalt (asp); 08L/26R 9,940 × 200 ft concrete (con); 13/31 7,300 × 200 ft concrete (con). National standing: #2 of 8 in Canada; YYC leads by 2,500 ft (14,000 ft). +15% vs the 10,000 ft baseline.

🛫 Physical Runway Inventory & Surface Engineering

Runway Designator	Length (ft / m)	Width (ft / m)	Surface Material	Lighting	Status
08R/26L	11,500 ft (3505 m / 3.505 km)	200 ft (61m)	`Asphalt (ASP)`	✅ Lighted	✅ Active
08L/26R	9,940 ft (3030 m / 3.030 km)	200 ft (61m)	`Concrete (CON)`	✅ Lighted	✅ Active
13/31	7,300 ft (2225 m / 2.225 km)	200 ft (61m)	`Concrete (CON)`	✅ Lighted	✅ Active
XX/26A	3,500 ft (1067 m / 1.067 km)	75 ft (23m)	`Concrete (CON)`	❌ Unlighted	⛔ Closed

🛡️ Source: OurAirports Open Aviation Database, snapshot 2026-09-01 · Provenance →