Willoughby: Langley's Fastest-Growing Neighbourhood, Honestly Assessed

Written by Rob Visnjak, Personal Real Estate Corporation | Oakwyn Realty Ltd. | Published October 2, 2026

Willoughby, Langley has grown faster than any other part of the Township, and the Township expects that to continue. It’s also only about half built. That means new homes and new schools, plus construction, crowded classrooms and plans that keep changing. Here’s an honest look using the Township’s own planning documents, the school district’s announcements and FVREB price data.

How fast Willoughby, Langley has grown

Willoughby is in the Township of Langley, south of Highway 1, bordering Surrey and Langley City. The Township adopted its first Willoughby Community Plan in 1998.

Sources: Township of Langley, Background Context Report – Willoughby Community Plan Update (September 2025); Township of Langley population estimates by community as of January 1, 2026, published January 31, 2026. The two sources use different boundaries: the second includes Willowbrook. The Township’s estimates use the 2021 Census plus building permits.

What the Township says about it:

• In the past 35 years, Willoughby went from about 3% of the Township’s population to 30%.
• It “is expected to remain the fastest growing area in the Township.”
• 53% of Willoughby’s developable land has been built out.

Put plainly, roughly half the land that can be developed still hasn’t been. If you buy here, expect building around you for years.

Willoughby neighbourhood by neighbourhood

Willoughby was planned as 10 smaller neighbourhoods, each usually centred on an elementary school and a park. They’re at very different stages:

Source: Township of Langley, Background Context Report – Willoughby Community Plan Update, September 2025, “Snapshot of the Ten Neighbourhood Plans.” Figures are as published. Jericho is mainly planned as a sports, cultural and mixed-use hub, which explains its small population.

On June 15, 2026, Council adopted a new Willoughby Community Plan. It folded Carvolth, Jericho, Latimer, Routley and Southwest Gordon Estate into one Willoughby Transit Corridor Plan along 200 Street. It folded Central and Northeast Gordon Estate into a new Gordon Neighbourhood Plan. Applications made before June 15, 2026 can still go ahead under the old plans until June 15, 2028.

What that means for buyers:

• Yorkson, Routley and Southwest Gordon are mostly finished. Expect resale homes.
• Latimer, Carvolth, the Gordon areas, Smith and Williams have the most change ahead. Ask what’s planned for the lots near any home you look at.
• 200 Street is planned for more density. The new plan points higher-density, mixed-use growth at transit stations along a planned 200 Street bus rapid transit line.

Own a home in Willoughby and wondering what it’s worth now? Get my free home value estimate.

Schools: new ones coming, and full ones now

The Langley School District (SD35) is opening two schools in the Smith neighbourhood in September 2027: Emery Dosdall Secondary and stɑtl̓əw̓ Middle. New catchments start the same month. SD35 lists these paths:

Source: Langley School District (SD35), “Willoughby Slope Catchment Boundary Changes,” May 1, 2026. Which path applies depends on the home address. SD35 says the new catchments will be added to its School Locator in fall 2026.

In the same notice, SD35 wrote that “nearly all of the schools on the Willoughby Slope have high enrolment and are currently at capacity.” Cross-boundary requests depend on space and aren’t guaranteed.

So before you buy:

• Check the address against the SD35 School Locator and the 2027 catchment infographic.
• Don’t assume a school down the street is your school.
• If R.E. Mountain’s IB program matters to you, note that SD35 runs IB as a district program open to students outside its catchment.

Transit and getting around

• SkyTrain: the Province’s Surrey Langley SkyTrain line will end at 203 Street in Langley City. The nearest stops for Willoughby are Willowbrook Station (196 Street and Fraser Highway, with a bus exchange) and Langley City Centre Station. Service is expected in late 2029. See SkyTrain and Langley property values.
• 200 Street: TransLink has proposed bus rapid transit here. It’s one of the main reasons the Township rewrote the Willoughby plan.
• Carvolth: the Township calls it Willoughby’s “transit-oriented gateway,” centred on the Carvolth Transit Exchange by Highway 1.

The Township’s background report also says Willoughby’s population “now exceeds the expectations of the original plans” and that more facilities and upgrades will be needed. That’s the Township’s own view of where amenities stand.

What homes cost in Willoughby

There’s no official Willoughby benchmark price. FVREB reports Langley as one area (City and Township together) and doesn’t break out Willoughby in its public release. The figures below are Langley-wide.

Source: Fraser Valley Real Estate Board, MLS® Summary and MLS® Home Price Index, September 2026, and monthly packages from October 2025. Langley area, all of Langley City and Township; not Willoughby alone. Ratios are calculated from FVREB figures. The 12-month range covers October 2025 to September 2026. Benchmarks describe a typical home, not a forecast.

Townhouses were the most contested type in Langley over the year. The ratio never dropped below 18%. That matters in Willoughby, where townhouses and condos are a big share of new building. Compare condo vs townhouse in Langley and townhouse vs detached in Langley.

Buying new or presale? Read new homes vs resale in Langley, buying pre-construction in Langley and assignment sales first.

Honest pros and cons

Sources: Township of Langley WCP Background Report (September 2025) and Community and Neighbourhood Plans page; SD35 (May 1, 2026); Province of B.C., Surrey Langley SkyTrain.

Still deciding? Read Walnut Grove: family streets, schools, and what homes cost for the settled alternative north of Highway 1, or compare all areas in best neighbourhoods in Langley.

Want help narrowing down which part of Willoughby fits? Book a no-pressure chat with Rob.

FAQ

Is Willoughby the same as Willoughby Heights? People use both names. Township documents use “Willoughby.”

How many people live in Willoughby? The Township’s 2025 background report put it at 53,659. Its estimate for Willoughby and Willowbrook combined was 59,376 for 2025.

How much more will Willoughby grow? The Township’s planned build-out is 87,438 to 106,941 people. 53% of developable land was built out at the time of the report.

What new schools are coming to Willoughby? Emery Dosdall Secondary and stɑtl̓əw̓ Middle, in the Smith neighbourhood, opening September 2027.

Is there SkyTrain in Willoughby? Not directly. The nearest planned stations are Willowbrook (196 Street and Fraser Highway) and Langley City Centre, expected late 2029.

Conclusion

Willoughby has grown fast and isn’t done. Some sub-areas are finished; others are barely started. Schools are full now, with two new ones and new catchments coming in 2027. And the Township has just reset the land-use plans along 200 Street. None of that makes it a good or bad choice. It means you should check the exact pocket, catchment and nearby development plans before you buy.

What happens next: When you book a chat, we go over your budget, the parts of Willoughby you’re considering and your timing. Then I pull recent sold and active data for that pocket and home type, and we check what’s planned nearby. There’s no cost and no obligation. Book a no-pressure chat with Rob.

This article is general information based on publicly available data as of October 2026. It isn’t financial, legal, or tax advice, and it isn’t an appraisal. Land-use plans, school catchments and transit timelines are set by the Township of Langley, the Langley School District, TransLink and the Province, and can change; confirm before you buy. For advice on your situation, talk to a licensed professional. Rob Visnjak Personal Real Estate Corporation, Oakwyn Realty Ltd.