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Home > BC's Trans-Canada Highway > Victoria to Nanaimo Itinerary

British Columbia Trans-Canada Highway Route: the #1 highway between Victoria and Nanaimo

Here is the itinerary for the 142 km along the #1 highway between Victoria and Nanaimo (heading eastbound on the Trans-Canada):

This stretch of the highway is the western-most segment of the Trans-Canada, though some will argue the highway ends in Tofino (as was the original intent back in 1912) on the Pacific Coast, rather than British Columbia's capital city of Victoria as highway planners in the 1950s had decided.

From Victoria, the highway rises winds its way though a city founded for its strategic command of the mouth of the Fraser River. The road rises and falls gently and travels through several municipalities that form "Greater Victoria". You will see magnificent oak trees that thrive in this moist temperate climate.

Once you leave the urban/suburban areas the highway climbs over the rugged Malahat highlands, made up of volcanic rock covered by 400 year old Douglas fir trees that in colonial days were common all around Victoria. The rivers in this area have gravel beds, left behind from early glaciers and subsequent erosion, most noticeably the Goldstream River, are home to thousands of salmon. The Malahat Summit provides a number of stunning vantage points for viewing the Saanich Inlet, which is a backwards fjord, facing into the direction of the glacial flow. Along powerline cuts, you will spot colourful Scotch broom flowering shrubs that show their full glory in early summer.


The Coast Lowlands between Mill Bay (with a ferry to/from Brentwood Bay) north to Nanaimo, via Duncan and Ladysmith, are in the "rain shadow" of the mountainous spine of Vancouver Island. Because most of the moisture that clouds have absorbed over the Pacific ocean falls as rain when they climb the west slope of the mountains, the east slopes are mostly sunny in summer. The valleys have lush farmlands (many with two crops a year), tree farms and orchards, and the rivers are home to Steelhead trout of up to a metre in length. Forests in this area tend to be "second growth", having grown since the original forests were harvested.

Nanaimo is a small city, the gateway to the north end of the Island. This city is a popular retirement capital for those who have lived their lives in the harsher Canadian winters on the prairies.

Use mouse to drag/move map. Click on "+" or "-" to zoom in or out. "Satellite" shows photo, "Hybrid" combines map & photo.

Next West: none

Next East: West Vancouver to Hope

BC Highways road condition s report for this segment.

KM from Start		Highway Point Description	Municipality	GPS and Map Zoom
EB	WB
0	142	Mile Zero at Dallas Rd	Victoria	Map Zoom
0	142	park entrance Simcoe st /Circle Drive	Victoria	Map Zoom
1	141	Superior St, north end of park	Victoria	Map Zoom
1	141	road divides northbound on Blanshard st	Victoria	Map Zoom
1	141	Belleville St & Douglas St	Victoria	Map Zoom
2	140	Johnson St & Douglas St	Victoria	Map Zoom
2	140	Pandora St & Douglas St	Victoria	Map Zoom
3	139	Bay St & Douglas St	Victoria	Map Zoom
3	139	Gorge Rd/Hillside Rd & Douglas St	Victoria	Map Zoom
5	137	Tolmie Ave & Douglas St, Mayfair Shopping Centre	Victoria	Map Zoom
5	137	Bridge under railway		Map Zoom
6	136	Carrey Rd, Saanich Plaza	Victoria	Map Zoom
6	136	Tillicum Rd & Battleford Ave, Tillicum Mall. Divided Highway to west	Victoria	Map Zoom
6	136	Burnside/Interurban Rd & Battleford	Victoria	Map Zoom
7	135	Admirals Rd, Cuthbert Homes Park	Victoria	Map Zoom
10	132	Helmcken Rd, Victoria General Hospital	View Royal	Map Zoom
12	130	Burnside Rd/Old Island Highway(!a)	View Royal	Map Zoom
13	129	6 Mile Rd. Thetis Lake	Langford	Map Zoom
16	126	Millstream Rd	Langford	Map Zoom
6	136	Spencer Rd, Florence Lake	Langford	Map Zoom
19	123	Goldstream Ave exit		Map Zoom
19	123	Roadside Turnout on south site. Viewpoint		Map Zoom
20	123	Sooke Lake Rd		Map Zoom
22	120	Finlayson Arm Rd		Map Zoom
23	119	View of Finlayson Arm or Strait of Georgia		Map Zoom
31	111	Malahat, view and shopping		Map Zoom
33	109	Shawinigan Lake Rd Exit		Map Zoom
34	108	Whitaker Rd, Ebadora Lane (to west)		Map Zoom
37	105	Roadside viewpoint, east side		Map Zoom
38	104	Roadside viewpoint, east side		Map Zoom
39	103	Malahat Lookout, east side		Map Zoom
40	102	Trowsse Dr		Map Zoom
40	102	Mill Bay Rd Exits, access to Brentwood ferry	Mill Bay	Map Zoom
45	97	Fryne Rd	Mill Bay	Map Zoom
45	97	Delourne Rd exit, East Side	Mill Bay	Map Zoom
46	96	Mill Bay Rd		Map Zoom
48	95	Shawinigan-Mill Bay Rd		Map Zoom
48	94	Cobble Hill Rd/Kilmalu Rd		Map Zoom
49	93	Sheppard Rd		Map Zoom
50	92	exit, with shopping		Map Zoom
50	92	Beehive Campground		Map Zoom
50	92	Hutchinson Rd		Map Zoom
51	91	Fisher Rd		Map Zoom
52	90	Mother Well Rd		Map Zoom
53	89	Cowichan Bay Rd		Map Zoom
55	87	Wilmot Bay Rd, on east side	Cowichan Valley	Map Zoom
56	86	Koksilah Rd	Cowichan Valley	Map Zoom
56	86	Hillbank Rd (no access)	Cowichan Valley	Map Zoom
58	84	Phipps Rd to west, retail strip on east side		Map Zoom
59	83	Bench Rd		Map Zoom
77	65	Cowichan Bay Rd, Kelly Rd	North Cowichan	Map Zoom
77	65	Miller Rd	North Cowichan	Map Zoom
77	65	Christopher Rd	North Cowichan	Map Zoom
78	64	Roberts Rd, to west	North Cowichan	Map Zoom
78	64	Allenby Rd (west) Chaster Rd (east)	North Cowichan	Map Zoom
79	63	Boys Rd	North Cowichan	Map Zoom
80	62	Cowichan River crossing		Map Zoom
81	61	Trunk Rd (Hwy 1A)	Duncan	Map Zoom
81	61	Coronation Ave	Duncan	Map Zoom
81	61	Alexander St	Duncan	Map Zoom
81	61	James St	Duncan	Map Zoom
83	59	Beverly St	Duncan	Map Zoom
85	57	Exit to Canada Ave (West side)	Duncan	Map Zoom
86	56	Somenos Lake to E		Map Zoom
87	55	Drinkwater Rd, Bell McKinnon Rd		Map Zoom
88	54	Norcross Rd		Map Zoom
89	53	Herd Rd / Cowichan Valley Hwy (#18)		Map Zoom
50	93	Sprott Rd		Map Zoom
90	52	Utility Station to east of Hwy		Map Zoom
91	52	Exit EB for Highway Tire		Map Zoom
91	51	Mays Rd		Map Zoom
94	48	White House B&B, east side		Map Zoom
96	46	Mt Sicker Rd, farmer market on W est side		Map Zoom
97	45	Chemainus River crossing		Map Zoom
97	45	Hudson Rd Exit, EB		Map Zoom
99	43	Country Maples R V Resort , west side of hwy		Map Zoom
100	42	Fullers Lake Rd		Map Zoom
101	41	Henry Rd	Chemainus	Map Zoom
101	41	Macmillan Bloedel forestry service road		Map Zoom
102	40	River Rd		Map Zoom
109	33	Thicke Rd, Edgelow Rd, Westdowne Rd		Map Zoom
111	31	Davis Rd		Map Zoom
112	30	N Davis Rd (W), Tyrrell Rd (E)	Ladysmith	Map Zoom
114	28	Roberts Rd, to west, Transfer Beach Blvd (to east)	Ladysmith	Map Zoom
115	27	1st Ave exit (WB)	Ladysmith	Map Zoom
116	26	Strathcona Rd WB	Ladysmith	Map Zoom
116	26	Grouhel Rd		Map Zoom
118	24	Oyster Bay Indian Reserve 12		Map Zoom
119	23	Takala Rd (W)		Map Zoom
120	22	Brenton-Page Rd (E)		Map Zoom
121	21	Cedar Rd (E)		Map Zoom
122	20	Timberlands Rd (W)		Map Zoom
123	19	Spitfire Rd (Nanaimo Airport)		Map Zoom
124	18	Haslam Creek crossing		Map Zoom
124	18	Spruston Rd (W) Haslam Rd(E)		Map Zoom
125	17	Nanaimo River crossing		Map Zoom
126	16	Nanaimo River Rd		Map Zoom
128	14	Morden Rd		Map Zoom
129	13	Minetown Rd (W)		Map Zoom
130	12	Triple E Tent & Trailer Park		Map Zoom
131	12	Kipp Rd (W), Fielding Rd (E)	Nanaimo	Map Zoom
131	11	EB Exit ramp	Nanaimo	Map Zoom
131	11	Duke Point Hwy Interchange (#19)	Nanaimo	Map Zoom
131	11	WB exit ramp	Nanaimo	Map Zoom
133	9	EB Exit Ramp to Hwy 19 N	Nanaimo	Map Zoom
134	8	Nanaimo Parkway Intersection	Nanaimo	Map Zoom
134	8	Carberry Ave (W)	Nanaimo	Map Zoom
135	7	12th St (W)	Nanaimo	Map Zoom
135	7	10th St (W), Southgate Shopping Centre, Maki Rd(E)	Nanaimo	Map Zoom
135	7	Railway underpass	Nanaimo	Map Zoom
136	6	Haliburton St	Nanaimo	Map Zoom
137	6	Petyroglyph Provinicial Park (E), no access	Nanaimo	Map Zoom
137	5	Highview Terrace(E)	Nanaimo	Map Zoom
138	4	Needham St (Nanaimo Town Indian Reserve 1)	Nanaimo	Map Zoom
138	4	Farquhar St	Nanaimo	Map Zoom
139	4	Milton St	Nanaimo	Map Zoom
139	3	Crace St	Nanaimo	Map Zoom
139	3	Esplanade St (E) to Front St (to Gabriola Island Ferry)	Nanaimo	Map Zoom
139	3	Commercial St (access to Protection Island Ferry, Georgia Park)	Nanaimo	Map Zoom
140	2	FitzWilliam St (W) -Bastion St (E) overpass (no access)	Nanaimo	Map Zoom
140	2	Wentworth St(W) Cliff St (E)	Nanaimo	Map Zoom
140	2	Campbell St	Nanaimo	Map Zoom
140	2	Comox Rd to Front St (to Maffeo Sutton Park, Newcastle Island Ferry)	Nanaimo	Map Zoom
140	2	Intersection Island Hwy *#19A), Stewart Ave (#1) and Newcastle Ave	Nanaimo	Map Zoom
141	2	Mt Benson St at Stewart Ave	Nanaimo	Map Zoom
141	1	Townsite Rd at Stewart Ave	Nanaimo	Map Zoom
141	1	Cypress St at Stewart Ave	Nanaimo	Map Zoom
141	1	St George St at Stewart Ave	Nanaimo	Map Zoom
142	1	Marinas on E side	Nanaimo	Map Zoom
142	0	Poplar St (W) to Teminal Park Shopping Centre)	Nanaimo	Map Zoom
141	1	Maple St (W)	Nanaimo	Map Zoom
141	1	Drake St & Stewart Ave (divided road to N)	Nanaimo	Map Zoom
141	1	Brechlin Rd & Stewart Ave (divided road to S)	Nanaimo	Map Zoom
141	1	Departure Bay entrance	Nanaimo	Map Zoom
142	0	Departure Bay Ferry Dock	Nanaimo	Map Zoom
KM from Start		Highway Point Description	Municipality	GPS and Map Zoom
EB	WB