The sound is triangular, opening to the southwest into the Strait of Georgia, and extends 42 km (26 mi) northeast to its head at Squamish.

The steep-sided mainland shores funnel the breezes as the daily thermals build the wind to 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) or more at the northern end of the sound on a typical summer day.

Spanish explorer José María Narváez observed the sound in 1791 and named it Boca del Carmelo.

The mine closed in 1974, but part of its historical legacy has been the large amounts of toxic effluent it has deposited into Howe Sound.

[4] In September 2021, Howe Sound was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in recognition of its recovery from industrial pollution and to promote sustainable development.

[11] Multiple groups rallied to the cause of protecting Howe Sound, including My Sea to Sky, Restore the Shore, and Marine Stewardship Initiative.

Gambier has a small resident population, plus hundreds more who enjoy the southwest peninsula community in the summer months.

The northeast quadrant of Gambier also is Crown land, with two more major woodlots proposed by the provincial Ministry of Forests, but not pursued as yet due to the opposition of many local residents, members of the Squamish Nation, whose territory this includes, and concerned supporters of a less-industrial Howe Sound.

North Bay, which looks out to Mount Garibaldi and The Black Tusk, is often exposed to strong overnight and winter outflow northerly winds, often called 'the Squamish' derived from where it comes.

Christie Islet and Pam Rocks just south of Anvil Island are recognized bird breeding sites and a great place to view seals sunning themselves.

[14] Before the improvements the highway was thought to be treacherous and was primary used by residents, commercial traffic and people traveling to ski mountains in the winter.

The Pacific Great Eastern Railway (which became the BCR) between Squamish and Lillooet was constructed 1912–16, and Squamish became a busy place as a rail-port for freight and also burgeoning passenger traffic as lodges up the rail line became popular with weekenders from the city, who reached the railway via the MV Britannia.

Once a thriving forestry town, with recent cutbacks in logging along with the closure and dismantling of a major sawmill in 2004, Squamish has become a tourist destination and a commuter community for workers in nearby Whistler and Vancouver.

In addition, the strong winds and flat waters at the upper end of Howe Sound have made Squamish a mecca for windsurfers, kite boarders and keelboat sailors.

Just south of town along Highway 99 is Shannon Falls, a tourist attraction and provincial park, and Darrell Bay, which is the ferry dock for service to the former pulp mill at Woodfibre, across the sound.

[17] Porteau Cove is a provincial campsite and also a location for scuba diving, as artificial reefs have been sunk in the area.

[18] However, the fact that this route traverses the Lower Mainland's Capilano watershed creates nearly insurmountable political obstacles to its construction.

Near Squamish is Britannia Beach, the former gold and copper mining town and port with some highway-based eateries and stores.

Horseshoe Bay is a residential and commercial district of West Vancouver on the southern edge of the Sea-to-Sky Highway.

The peninsula southwest of Horseshoe Bay terminates at Whytecliffe, an upscale residential area and public park, which is the southern point of Howe Sound's east shore.

Port Mellon, which, unlike Woodfibre, produces paper and pulp (and is serviced by road from Gibsons/Langdale) is one of the oldest operating mills in B.C.

At the southwest "corner" of Howe Sound, just a few kilometres south of the Langdale Ferry terminal is the town of Gibsons.