Prince George

Prince George, locally known as PG, is a city in the North Coast-Nechako region and a major service centre in Northern British Columbia, Canada. It is the largest city north of Kamloops in BC, and known as BC's Northern Capital. Prince George is at the crossroads of Highway 16 (East-West) and Highway 97 (North-South), in a large valley at the confluence of the Fraser River and the Nechako River, both significant, high flow rivers.

Understand
From the very beginning, Prince George was built around the forest industry. Today, the forest industry is still the largest employer in town. Prince George has a significant industrial areas North and South of town, along the Fraser River. This includes 3 pulp & paper mills, several chemical factories, several saw mills and an oil refinery. Since its beginnings, Prince George has diversified significantly. Today, Prince George has a large government presence, an important court house, a large provincial jail and the University of Northern British Columbia, one of five British Columbia universities.

Prince George is commonly divided into three regions: the Bowl, the center of town west of the Fraser River; the Hart Highlands, the community around Highway 97 north of the Nechako River; and College Heights, the area south of the Bowl.

Prince George has several interesting and exciting natural features, and a few notable museums, the superb Coldsnap music and entertainment festival in January, a fabulous art gallery, a fantastic seasonal farmer's market, and much more; however, for many, Prince George remains a service center for transiting tourists, and not a destination on most travelers' itineraries.

Destinations

 * Direct flights to Prince George from Calgary (1.5 hours), Edmonton (1.75 hours), Terrace (1.25 hours), and Vancouver (1.25 hours).

Airlines
Canadian airlines operating to Prince George:

By car
Prince George has two highways servicing the city, which intersect in the middle of the city. Those highways are:


 * Highway 16 (Yellowhead Highway). Prince George can be reached traveling east from Prince Rupert or traveling west from Edmonton (about 8 hours)
 * Highway 97. Prince George can be reached by traveling south from Dawson Creek or by traveling north from Kamloops. It's an 8-10 hour drive north from Vancouver, involving traveling on Highway 1 and then transferring to Highway 97 at Cache Creek.  Prince George is a frequent stop for people en route to travel the Alaska Highway, which starts in Dawson Creek.

By bus

 * Between Prince George and Fort St. John with stops in Mackenzie, Chetwynd, Dawson Creek, and Taylor. Travel time to Prince George from Dawson Creek is 6.75 hours and from Fort St. John is 8 hours. Fare is $48. There is also a weekly trip between Dawson Creek and Fort Nelson, allowing passengers to travel between Prince George and Fort Nelson over two consecutive days.
 * Between Prince George and Prince Rupert with stops in Vanderhoof, Fraser Lake, Burns Lake, Houston, Smithers, New Hazelton, Kitwanga, and Terrace, and Port Edward. Travel time to Prince George from Prince Rupert is 11.5 hours, from Terrace is 9.25 hours, from Smithers is 6 hours, from Burns Lake is 3.5 hours, and from Vanderhoof is 1.5 hours. Fare is $40 to $65, depending on distance.
 * Between Prince George and Valemount with a stops in McBride and Tete Jaune Cache. Travel time to Prince George from Valemount is 3.5 hours. Fare is $35.
 * Note: You are required to book 24 hours in advance, though exceptions may be made (you can try just walking up). Payment by card only, on the bus. Don't expect the bus to closely follow the stop schedule online, or even to stop in the smaller towns if the driver isn't aware someone wants to get on or off there.
 * Between Prince George and Valemount with a stops in McBride and Tete Jaune Cache. Travel time to Prince George from Valemount is 3.5 hours. Fare is $35.
 * Note: You are required to book 24 hours in advance, though exceptions may be made (you can try just walking up). Payment by card only, on the bus. Don't expect the bus to closely follow the stop schedule online, or even to stop in the smaller towns if the driver isn't aware someone wants to get on or off there.

By taxi
Prince George has two taxi companies:



Cab rates in Prince George are comparable to rates in other medium-sized cities in North America.

By car
Personal car is the easiest way to get around PG. Most major rental outlets in North America have offices in town, as well as at the airport.

See

 * Mr PG - Prince George - British Columbia.jpg
 * - a beautiful natural meadow surrounded by forest in a deep hidden valley right next to one of the town's suburban areas.
 * - a beautiful natural meadow surrounded by forest in a deep hidden valley right next to one of the town's suburban areas.
 * - a beautiful natural meadow surrounded by forest in a deep hidden valley right next to one of the town's suburban areas.
 * - a beautiful natural meadow surrounded by forest in a deep hidden valley right next to one of the town's suburban areas.

Do


Activities
 * Skiing and snowboarding: There are several ski areas around town. Hart Highlands is a small hill in town. Located half an hour west is Tabor ski area, another 1/2 hour west is . These hills feature fairly long runs and interesting terrain.
 * Fishing: is 15 km north of Prince George featuring a 50-ft dock, an old homestead site, canoe launch and interpretive trails. This is a great place to fish with the kids from the dock.

Learn

 * UNBC.jpg

Buy
The major shopping areas are:



There are also several 'big box' style retailers, including a Walmart, Costco and Superstore which are on the west side of town along highway 16.

Downtown
Prince George also has a small downtown area, which has several local stores. 4th Avenue has been emerging as a revitalized downtown area. There are several unique shops including:



Drink
Prince George has many fine pubs and bars around town, some favourites include:



Sleep
There are numerous hotels & motels in Prince George, along Highway 97/Central, along Highway 16 West, and downtown. For those seeking hostel level accommodations Prince George is not particularly well equipped to suit that style of travel. Camping is available in the outskirts of the city.



Stay safe
From 2010 to 2012, Maclean's magazine listed Prince George as one of the most dangerous cities in Canada. Expect gang wars and drug abuse, even though this has been declined over the years; travel with caution. Violence is however largely restricted to the drug gangs. People not involved in the drug trade are at little risk.