Claim: The capital of British Columbia is a metropolitan region in Canada.

Victoria -LSB- vɪkˈtɔriə -RSB- is the capital city of the Canadian province of British Columbia , and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada 's Pacific coast . The city has a population of about 85,792 , while the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria , has a population of 367,770 , making it the 15th most populous Canadian urban region . The city of Victoria is the 7th most densely populated city in Canada with 4,405.8 people per square kilometre , which is a greater population density than Toronto .   Victoria is the southernmost major city in Western Canada , and is located about 100 km from BC 's largest city of Vancouver on the mainland . The city is about 100 km from Seattle by airplane , ferry , or the Victoria Clipper passenger-only ferry which operates daily , year round between Seattle and Victoria and 40 km from Port Angeles , Washington , by ferry Coho across the Strait of Juan de Fuca .   Named after Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and , at the time , British North America , Victoria is one of the oldest cities in the Pacific Northwest , with British settlement beginning in 1843 . The city has retained a large number of its historic buildings , in particular its two most famous landmarks , Legislative buildings -LRB- finished in 1897 and home of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia -RRB- and the Empress hotel -LRB- opened in 1908 -RRB- . The city 's Chinatown is the second oldest in North America after San Francisco 's . The region 's Coast Salish First Nations peoples established communities in the area long before non-native settlement , possibly several thousand years earlier , which had large populations at the time of European exploration .   Known as `` The Garden City '' , Victoria is an attractive city and a popular tourism destination with a thriving technology sector that has risen to be its largest revenue-generating private industry . Victoria is in the top twenty of world cities for quality-of-life , according to Numbeo . The city has a large non-local student population , who come to attend the University of Victoria , Camosun College , Royal Roads University , the Victoria College of Art , the Sooke Schools International Programme and the Canadian College of Performing Arts . Victoria is very popular with boaters with its beautiful and rugged shorelines and beaches . Victoria is also popular with retirees , who come to enjoy the temperate and usually snow-free climate of the area as well as the usually relaxed pace of the city .