Where Was Supergirl Filmed?

The Short Answer

Supergirl was mainly filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia for seasons 2 through 6, after production moved from Los Angeles to cut costs. Season 1 was shot in and around Los Angeles, including Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank. The show is set in the fictional National City, California, but most exterior scenes fans recognize were actually filmed on Vancouver streets.

Supergirl ran from 2015 to 2021 and spent most of its life as a Vancouver production. After the first season was shot in and around Los Angeles, including substantial work at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, the series relocated north. Canadian tax incentives and lower production costs drove the move, a pattern common to many CW and DC shows of that era.

The result is a split geography. Season 1 locations sit in and around Los Angeles, while seasons 2 through 6 were filmed across Vancouver and at a studio facility in Langley, just outside the city. Many of the Vancouver locations are public buildings and streets that visitors can walk to in a single afternoon, since several sit within a few blocks of each other downtown.

Every Location At A Glance

Location	Where	What was filmed	Access
Vancouver Central Library	Vancouver, Canada	Lena Luthor's gala in season 2 episode 5; crime scene investigation	Free to see
4 Homer Street	Vancouver, Canada	Superman saves family from drones in season 2 premiere	Free to see
Bloedel Conservatory	Vancouver, Canada	President's press conference in season 2 episode 3	Ticketed
Citigroup Center	Los Angeles, United States	CatCo Worldwide Media building exterior in season 1	Outside only
Middleton Ranch	Acton, United States	Diner and gas station scenes in pilot episode	Private property

Filming Locations Map

5 locations. The map loads when it scrolls into view.

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Location By Location

The library stood in for the venue of Lena Luthor's gala in season 2 episode 5, and was also used for a crime scene investigation sequence. Today it remains a working public library, open to visitors, and both the exterior and some interiors appeared on screen. Its striking postmodern Colosseum-style facade makes it easy to match to the broadcast scenes. It sits downtown and admission is free, so fans can simply walk in during opening hours.

This public street near the Central Library hosted the season 2 premiere moment when Superman saves a family from drones. Because it is an ordinary downtown block, there is nothing to buy and no gate to pass: visitors can stand on the same pavement and compare the buildings to the episode. Pair it with the library visit, since the two locations sit a short walk apart and were used for scenes within the same season.

The domed botanical conservatory in Queen Elizabeth Park played host to the President's press conference in season 2 episode 3. It is open to the public with admission, so fans can enter the glass dome and walk the space where the scene played out, surrounded by tropical plants and free-flying birds. It is one of the few Supergirl locations where the interior seen on screen is the interior visitors actually experience.

This downtown Los Angeles office building served as the exterior of CatCo Worldwide Media, Kara Danvers's workplace, in season 1. Views are exterior only, as it is a functioning office tower, so the visit amounts to photographing the facade from the street. Still, it is the most recognizable season 1 landmark in Los Angeles and an easy stop for fans mapping the show's first-year geography in the city.

This private movie ranch in Acton, north of Los Angeles, provided the diner and gas station seen in the pilot episode. It is not open to the public, so there is no way to visit the actual set structures. Ranches like this one exist precisely to give productions ready-built small-town facades, and Middleton Ranch has served many film and television projects. Fans can view it only from public roads at a distance.

Where It Is Set Versus Where It Was Filmed

Supergirl is set in the fictional National City, California, a stand-in for the San Francisco Bay Area in DC comics lore. That setting never matched the filming reality. Season 1 was shot in and around Los Angeles, which at least stayed within California, but seasons 2 through 6 were filmed in and around Vancouver, British Columbia, with studio work at a facility in Langley. Vancouver's downtown, libraries, and parks doubled as an American city throughout the show's run.

The Studio Side

Season 1 was heavily based at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, the long-standing home of DC television production in Los Angeles. Neither that facility nor the Langley studio used for seasons 2 through 6 offers a public tour connected to Supergirl, and the Langley site is not visitable. Fans hoping to see where interior scenes were staged are limited to the practical locations listed above, several of which are fully accessible public spaces.

Tours That Visit These Locations

One bookable tour covers Vancouver's screen production history and passes through the same downtown streets where Supergirl shot many of its exterior scenes.

Guided Vancouver Filming Walk

Vancouver: The Hollywood North Experience Film & TV Tour

This guided film and TV walk explores Vancouver's Hollywood North credentials for $38.58, rated 4.7 from 94 reviews, and suits Supergirl fans who want context on how the city doubles for American locations, including the library area used in season 2.

4.7 out of 5 · 94 reviews

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Supergirl move filming from Los Angeles to Vancouver?

Production relocated after season 1 to reduce costs, taking advantage of Canadian tax incentives. The move was financial rather than creative, and the show remained in Vancouver through its final season.

Is National City a real place?

No. National City is a fictional California city in DC comics and the show's setting. The real filming locations are in Los Angeles for season 1 and Vancouver for seasons 2 through 6.

Can you visit the Supergirl filming locations for free?

Several. Vancouver Central Library is free to enter, and 4 Homer Street is a public street. The Bloedel Conservatory charges admission, the Citigroup Center in Los Angeles is exterior viewing only, and Middleton Ranch is private and closed to the public.

Which Supergirl location is closest to other Vancouver attractions?

Vancouver Central Library and 4 Homer Street sit near each other downtown, making them an easy pairing. The Bloedel Conservatory is in Queen Elizabeth Park, a bit farther from the core but a destination in its own right.

Was any of Supergirl filmed in the United States after season 1?

No. All filming from season 2 onward took place in British Columbia, Canada, split between Vancouver area locations and a studio facility in Langley.

Is a tour needed to see the Supergirl locations?

Not strictly. The key Vancouver sites are public and reachable on foot or by transit. A guided film tour adds production context and covers a broader range of shows shot in the city, which appeals to fans of Hollywood North generally.

Supergirl's filming footprint splits neatly into two trips: a Los Angeles visit for season 1 landmarks like the CatCo building exterior, and a Vancouver visit for everything from season 2 onward. The Vancouver side rewards walkers, since the library and Homer Street locations sit blocks apart and the conservatory adds a ticketed interior that matches what appeared on screen. Fans with limited time should prioritize downtown Vancouver, where the densest cluster of recognizable Supergirl locations can be covered in a single afternoon.