The Queen's name earned the city its nickname "Royal City" and made it the first city in Western Canada. After New Westminster accomplished this feat in 1860, it became one of two cities in the province of B.C. to have an elected city government, and in 1871, with the establishment of the first municipal council, it became the second city in British Columbia and the first in North America to have its own city council. In 1881, New Westminster and Moriguchi, Japan, became twinned in recognition of their mutual friendship.

When British Columbia became the sixth Canadian province to join the Confederacy in 1871, New Westminster faltered when it was handed over to Vancouver to receive a new terminal for the Canadian Pacific Railway. In 1886 it secured a position as a harbour on the Vancouver and Fraser River, the first of its kind in Canada, but the completion of the main line in Vancouver in 1887 relegated it to second place. Trade moved from Vancouver, where the port was easily accessible via the Fraser River, to New London, where it froze in the winter of 1887 / 88. After securing the Canadian Western Railway line to its new terminal in 1886 and securing its own port in New York City in 1890, trade shifted again. Since the 1950s, New Westminster has connected Vancouver with other communities through the Trans-Canada Highway and the Port of Vancouver Railway, as well as a number of other routes.

Burnaby's road system connects New Westminster to Vancouver via its northern and western edges. Vancouver is Canada's second largest city with a population of over 2.5 million, and Surrey is home to more people than any other city on the west coast of Canada.

Queensborough Bridge, part of Highway 91A, connects mainland New Westminster with mainland Vancouver via the Alex Fraser Bridge in the delta and the Fraser River Bridge in the south. The additional bike system, which runs along the Skytrain route, connects Burnaby and Vancouver at the same time. The Sky Train connects Vancouver with New London, Surrey and New York City via SkyTrain. Three train stations connect the city, including one just one block from Westminster Quay, but the most central station is in Newminster, Columbia.

Kingsway connects New Westminster with Burnaby and then leads over the Trans-Canada Highway and the Fraser River Bridge into downtown Vancouver. The Interpretation Centre organises excursions to highlight the history of the city and its surroundings, as well as its cultural heritage. Discover award-winning Westminster Quay, one of Canada's most popular tourist attractions and a popular destination for tourists and locals.