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| Abbotsford is a Canadian city in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia, adjacent to Greater Vancouver. It is the 5th largest municipality in British Columbia and the 37th largest in Canada, home to 128,940 people (2006). Its Census Metropolitan Area numbers 159,020 people (23rd largest in Canada in 2006).
Abbotsford is the third most ethnically diverse city in Canada, after Toronto and Vancouver. It is also home to Abbotsford International Airport, which serves as a reliever airport to Vancouver International Airport.
The municipality shares its southern boundary with the Canada-US border, across from Sumas, Washington. In Canada, it is bordered by Langley to the west, Mission to the north, and Chilliwack to the east. Most of Abbotsford has dramatic views of Mount Baker, which is less than 100km from the city.
The first stage in Abbotsford's colonial development occurred when the Royal Engineers surveyed the area in response to the Gold Rush along the Fraser River in 1858. This led to the building of Old Yale Road, the first transportation route to link the Fraser Valley. Settlement continued and tobacco, milk and butter was produced by the late 1860s. In 1891 the Canadian Pacific Railway built a line through the area that connected Mission with Sumas. BC Electric Railway arrived soon after in 1910, ensuring a rapid rate of growth that has continued to this day.
The most notable natural disaster to ever hit Abbotsford was a major flood in 1948.
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