Convert USD to CAD
🇬🇧English
The US and Canadian dollars are different currencies that share a name and a symbol, so a USD→CAD conversion is never one-for-one. Currency Converter & Exchange makes the gap explicit in both directions.
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The two currencies, side by side
Durable facts about each side of the pair — these change on a scale of years, unlike the rate.
US Dollar (USD)
- ISO 4217 code
- USD
- Symbol
- $
- Minor unit (ISO 4217 exponent)
- 2
- Issued for
- United States
- Issuing central bank
- Federal Reserve System
Canadian Dollar (CAD)
- ISO 4217 code
- CAD
- Symbol
- $
- Minor unit (ISO 4217 exponent)
- 2
- Issued for
- Canada
- Issuing central bank
- Bank of Canada
Who converts US dollars to Canadian dollars
Two currencies sharing a name is a genuine source of error, and this is the pair where it shows. Prices on both sides of the border are written with the same dollar sign, so a Canadian price read as an American one looks like a bargain that is not there.
The corridor is dense: cross-border shopping, Canadian snowbirds wintering in Florida and Arizona on Canadian accounts, Canadians employed by American companies, and freight moving constantly in both directions. For all of them this is a daily-life number, not a trading one.
It also moves with oil. The Canadian dollar has a long-standing relationship with crude prices, which is why the pair sometimes shifts on energy news rather than on anything either central bank announced.
Practical notes for USD/CAD
- Canadian prices exclude GST and provincial sales tax, added at the till and varying by province.
- Some Canadian retailers accept US dollars at a posted "par" rate that is worse than the market one.
- Snowbirds spending several months a year in the US often convert in tranches rather than all at once.
- Currency Converter & Exchange charts the pair up to five years back, which puts an unusual week in perspective.
Both currencies float, so the USD/CAD rate is set by the market rather than fixed — mainly by the interest-rate decisions of Federal Reserve System and Bank of Canada. That is why no static page can print a rate and stay correct.
How to convert USD to CAD in Currency Converter & Exchange
- Enter the USD amount.
- Pick Canadian Dollar (CAD) — search by country, currency name or ISO code.
- Tap the converted CAD figure to copy or share it.
- Pin USD/CAD to your favourites for one-tap access.
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Historical exchange rate chart 
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Questions about USD to CAD
Why do both currencies use the dollar sign?
Both adopted the dollar independently. When a price could be either, look for the CA$ or US$ prefix, or the ISO codes CAD and USD, and convert the figure rather than assuming parity.
Why does the Canadian dollar move when oil prices change?
Energy is a large share of Canadian exports, so demand for crude tends to move demand for the currency alongside it. The effect is a tendency, not a rule, and it can be overridden by interest-rate decisions.
Where does Currency Converter & Exchange get its USD/CAD rate?
From financial data providers, refreshed several times a day whenever the device has a connection. Currency Converter & Exchange timestamps every update, so you can always see how old the figure on screen is.
Does that rate include my bank’s fees?
No. Currency Converter & Exchange shows an interbank reference rate. Banks, card networks and exchange bureaux add their own margin on top, so the CAD you actually receive for your USD will be less.
How often does Currency Converter & Exchange update the USD/CAD rate?
Several times a day, from financial data providers, each time the device has a connection. The app shows when the figure was last refreshed.
Related currency pairs
Other USD and CAD conversions covered on this site:
Published by Julien Millau, independent Android and iOS developer. — Reference information only. Not financial advice, and not a quote for any transaction.