Covering 2.92 square kilometers,[4] it has a population of about 4,500 within town limits, and offers services to nearly 10,000 people in nearby rural communities.

[5][6][7] The municipality's population rapidly expanded until World War II, when many of the town's men left to fight overseas.

Today Vanderhoof is a service centre in the eastern Bulkley-Nechako for surrounding communities, and the second-largest municipality in the regional district.

Many Canada geese, swans, and other migratory birds pass through Vanderhoof during their annual migrations.

Vanderhoof has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) with mild summers and cold winters.