A citizen’s guide to getting in and out of the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site for Vancouver’s Fireworks Spectacular
VANCOUVER — Over the course of July 4th, several roads in downtown Vancouver and exits on I-5 will be closed to move traffic efficiently in and out of Fort Vancouver National Historic Site before and after Vancouver’s Fireworks Spectacular presented by Columbia Credit Union.
Vehicle access to Fort Vancouver National Historic Site will be restricted the day of the event and entry gates will be in place. Bags and permitted vehicles will be checked all day for prohibited items. Community members are encouraged to arrive in the late afternoon in anticipation of the spectacular fireworks show beginning at 10:05 p.m. Here are some options to get to and from Vancouver’s Fireworks Spectacular safely:
Parking
- Parking in downtown Vancouver is free on the holiday.
- ADA parking is free onsite along 5th Street for those with a valid ADA permit. A reserved ADA viewing area will be available nearby.
- Public Parking is available at Providence Academy and the grass lot on 5th St between S Street and U Street for $10, cash only. No re-entry.
Free C-TRAN shuttle
C-Tran will run two free shuttles starting at 6pm, one from Fisher’s Landing Transit Center and the other from the 99th Street Transit Center, with return service after the firework show.
- Shuttles depart from these locations about every 15 minutes between 6-8:30 p.m.: 99th Street Transit Center; Fisher’s Landing Transit Center
- Shuttles return passengers immediately after the show
- No shuttle service provided from Vancouver Mall this year.
C-TRAN will run Sunday/Holiday service all day on July 4th. See https://www.c-tran.com/fireworks for details.
Road closures
Closed all day
- Fort Vancouver Way south of Mill Plain
- East Reserve south of Mill Plain
Closed starting 10 a.m.
- Evergreen Blvd. from West Reserve St. to U Street
- Mill Plain Blvd. at Fort Vancouver Way
- E 9th Street at East Reserve St.
- E 8th Street at T Street
- E 6th Street at U Street
- E 5th Street at U Street
Closed starting 6 p.m.
- I-5 northbound Mill Plain exit
- I-5 southbound Mill Plain exit will be west only (right turn) except for C-Tran
- Mill Plain Blvd. between Fort Vancouver Way and East Reserve St.
Closed starting 8 p.m.
- Grand Blvd. between Evergreen Blvd. and E 5th Street
Closed starting at 9 p.m.
- Fort Vancouver Way: all three lanes will be northbound
- Hwy 14 Grove Street/Columbia House Drive exit
- Hwy 14 Columbia House Drive/Columbia Way exit
- No east/west travel on McLoughlin Blvd. at Fort Vancouver Way
Entry to Vancouver’s Fireworks Spectacular is free. Donations will be collected at the gates from those who wish to contribute to the event, with a portion of all proceeds supporting the Lower Columbia Veterans Coalition, a collective made up of the Community Military Appreciation Coalition (CMAC), Vancouver Barracks Military Association (VBMA), Combat Veterans International Chapter 9 (CVI), Buffalo Soldiers – Moses Williams Pacific Northwest Chapter (Buffalo Soldiers), and Special Forces Association (SFA).
For more information please visit https://thehistorictrust.org/calendar/vancouvers-fireworks-spectacular/
