Vanderhoof sits on Highway 16, the Yellowhead, roughly 100 km west of Prince George and the same distance east of Burns Lake. The drive from Prince George takes a little over an hour on a straight, well-maintained two-lane.
VIA Rail's Jasper–Prince Rupert train stops in Vanderhoof three times a week in each direction. The station is on the north side of the highway, near the river. The journey is more for the scenery than for efficiency — Prince George to Vanderhoof is about two hours by train, against an hour by car.
Vanderhoof Airport, 4 km north of town, handles general aviation and the airshow but no scheduled passenger flights. The nearest commercial airport is Prince George (YXS).