Canadian Dollar vs US Dollar: Live Rate, Chart & Forecast

If you’ve ever crossed the border with a fistful of loonies, you know the Canadian dollar doesn’t move in lockstep with its US counterpart. Right now, the gap between the two is wide open — and for anyone watching exchange rates, that’s both a headache and an opportunity. This page tracks where the CAD vs USD rate stands today, how we got here, and what traders and travelers alike need to know before the next move.

Current Mid-Market Rate: 1 CAD = 0.7331 USD · 30-Day High: 0.7330 USD · 30-Day Low: 0.7170 USD · 30-Day Average: 0.7234 USD · Recent Change: +0.34%

The table below consolidates key rate markers from Xe’s live currency data feed.

How much is $100 Canadian in US dollars?

Using the mid-market rate as of late April 2026, $100 CAD converts to roughly $73.31 USD — though the actual amount you receive depends on the spread your bank or remittance service applies. The mid-market rate sits at the midpoint between what buyers and sellers pay globally, and it’s the rate you’ll see on professional tools like Xe and X-Rates before any margin gets added.

According to Xe, the CAD/USD mid-market rate fluctuates by the minute during North American trading hours, with intraday swings of 0.1–0.3% being normal on quiet days. The Wise 30-day data shows the pair traded as high as 0.7330 and as low as 0.7170 over the past month, meaning a $100 CAD conversion could net you anywhere from $71.70 to $73.30 USD depending on timing.

Current conversion rate

For a quick mental shortcut: think of it as roughly 73 cents on the dollar. The OFX CA historical data puts the CAD/USD monthly average for April 2026 at 0.725404, and the March 2026 reading came in at 0.728633 — both clustering tightly around that 0.72–0.73 range that makes mental math workable for everyday transactions.

Calculator usage

To get a live conversion, plug the current rate into any reputable currency converter. Xe’s live chart lets you select CAD to USD and see the real-time midpoint, while OFX’s converter pulls the same underlying data but presents it alongside historical ranges so you can judge whether you’re getting a decent rate on a given day.

How much is $100 US in Canada?

Flip the question around and $100 USD buys you about $137.40 CAD at the April 2026 mid-market rate. That inverse relationship — USD/CAD versus CAD/USD — is simple math: you divide 1 by the conversion rate. If 1 CAD = 0.7331 USD, then 1 USD = 1 / 0.7331 ≈ 1.364 CAD.

The FRED St. Louis Fed’s DEXCAUS series, which tracks Canadian Dollars per One U.S. Dollar spot rate, showed 1.3828 on April 10, 2026. That’s a touch higher than the Xe mid-market figure, reflecting slightly different data collection windows — but the takeaway is the same: your $100 USD is worth roughly 1.36–1.39 CAD on any given day this spring.

Reverse conversion details

For those sending money to Canada — whether snowbirds wiring funds to a Ontario account or businesses settling invoices — the bid-ask spread on USD/CAD pairs at major banks typically runs 0.5–1.5% above the mid-market rate. RBC’s currency calculator breaks down both directions and flags when the offered rate falls meaningfully below the live market.

RBC Bank calculator

RBC’s converter pulls live rates from their treasury operations, but it’s designed for retail customers — meaning the spread is baked in and visible upfront. Yahoo Finance’s converter, by contrast, displays the mid-market rate and lets you subtract an estimated margin to approximate what you’d get from a specialist provider like Wise or OFX.

Is the Canadian dollar going up or down?

Short answer: the CAD has been climbing against the USD since late March 2026, after the pair briefly touched 1.3919 on March 30. By April 20, USD/CAD had dropped to 1.3643 — a meaningful move that translated to a stronger loonie for anyone holding CAD. The 30-day change sits at +0.34% in favor of the Canadian dollar as of the most recent data, with the broader trend showing a modest but consistent tightening of the gap between the two currencies.

Recent performance

Looking back over the past six months, the CAD/USD average from Wise sits at 0.7231. That aligns closely with the OFX data for December 2025 (0.725404) and March 2026 (0.728633), suggesting the Canadian dollar has held relatively steady despite headline volatility. Year-over-year, the CAD is actually up 3.25% against the US dollar over the 12 months leading to April 20, 2026, according to Trading Economics.

Short-term trends

Wise’s week-over-week data captures the near-term churn: the pair hit a high of 0.731984 on April 17, 2026, then dipped to a low of 0.722152 on April 13 before recovering. That 0.01-point swing is typical of a market digesting mixed signals — tariff headlines, commodity price moves, and central bank commentary all feeding into a narrower trading range than traders might prefer.

Why is the CAD so weak?

The Canadian dollar’s persistent discount to the US dollar comes down to a mix of economic fundamentals, monetary policy divergence, and commodity price sensitivity. While the CAD has gained ground year-over-year, it remains well below the near-parity levels last seen in 2011 — when a yearly average of 1.011464 meant one Canadian dollar bought more than one US cent above a dollar’s worth of its neighbor’s currency.

Key factors

The Bank of Canada’s own communications make clear that the Canadian economy is actively adjusting to US tariffs and a new global trade landscape, with growth expected to remain modest as businesses and consumers recalibrate supply chains and spending. That’s a headwind for the loonie: slower growth tends to weaken a currency, all else equal, because it reduces demand for the currency-denominated assets that underpin long-term value.

Market influences

Commodity prices — particularly oil, which Canada exports heavily — play an outsized role in CAD valuation. When crude oil futures rise, the Canadian dollar tends to follow, since oil revenues flow back into the Canadian economy and boost demand for CAD. Conversely, oil softness drags the CAD lower. Ultima Markets analysts track this dynamic closely, noting that oil’s correlation with CAD/USD isn’t perfect but remains one of the most reliable short-term predictors for traders.

Will CAD get stronger against USD in 2026?

Forecasts from Trading Economics suggest the USD/CAD pair could trade around 1.39 by the end of Q2 2026 — which would mean the Canadian dollar weakens slightly from its April 20 reading of 1.3643 back toward the 1.37–1.39 range. However, the 12-month projection points to 1.37, implying modest CAD appreciation from current levels. The consensus is cautious: a stronger CAD isn’t off the table, but it isn’t the base case either.

Forecast outlook

Trading Economics’ global macro models lean toward a softening of the US dollar over the next year as the US economy absorbs the aftereffects of its tariff policies and Federal Reserve rate decisions filter through to broader markets. If that plays out, the CAD stands to gain — though “stands to gain” is analyst-speak for “could move 2–3 cents over twelve months,” which is meaningful for large transfers but modest for everyday purchases.

Expert predictions

Interchange Financial notes that the CAD was holding near the psychologically important 1.4000 level as of November 2025, calling it “a major psychological and technical level” that traders watch for breakouts or breakdowns. Whether the pair can climb back toward parity — or even just back toward 1.30 — depends on whether commodity markets stabilize and Canada’s trade relationship with the US finds firmer footing.

The monthly averages below come from OFX’s historical CAD/USD records.

The OFX CA historical records show a clear pattern: the CAD/USD pair has ranged between roughly 0.72 and 0.73 for most of 2025–2026, with spikes above 0.73 in mid-2025 and troughs below 0.72 during tariff-heavy news cycles. The 12-month average leading to April 2026 sits around 0.7231, per Wise data — right in the middle of that range.

The Canadian Dollar is expected to trade at 1.39 by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations.

— Trading Economics (Financial Data Provider)

The Canadian economy continues to adjust to US tariffs and the new global trade landscape. This adjustment will take time and growth is expected to be modest.

— Bank of Canada (Central Bank)

Canadian Dollar vs US Dollar: Historical Overview

The CAD/USD pair tells a longer story than the past few months. In the early 1990s, the Canadian dollar traded in the 0.77–0.86 range against its US counterpart — stronger than today’s levels. The 2002 record high for USD/CAD at 1.62 marked the weakest period for the loonie in modern history, when a combination of commodity price collapses and economic uncertainty pushed Canadians to accept significantly less purchasing power relative to Americans.

The reversal came during the 2000s commodity boom, and by December 2011, the CAD reached its all-time peak: a yearly average of 1.011464 that nearly put the two currencies at parity. OFX CA’s historical yearly averages trace that arc clearly, with the CAD sliding from 0.740708 in 2023 to 0.729874 in 2024 to 0.715676 in 2025 — a steady erosion that reflects both the strong US dollar cycle and Canada’s economic headwinds.

For anyone converting large amounts, the lesson from history is clear: timing matters more than most people realize. The difference between converting at 0.72 and 0.73 on a $50,000 transfer is roughly $500 — enough to pay for a flight, a appliance upgrade, or a month’s groceries. Building even a rough awareness of where the pair sits within its multi-month range can translate directly into savings.

USD to CAD Conversion Tips

Converting USD to CAD efficiently comes down to three practices: using mid-market rate benchmarks, understanding spread structures, and timing transfers when the pair favors your direction. The mid-market rate is your starting point — it’s the rate banks and fintechs trade at among themselves, and it’s what you see on platforms like Xe’s currency charts and FRED’s daily DEXCAUS series.

Once you know the mid-market rate, add back the provider’s spread to estimate what you’ll actually receive. Banks typically charge 1–2.5% above mid-market; specialist providers like Wise and OFX usually charge 0.3–0.8%. On a $10,000 transfer, that difference can be $200 or more — real money for a family wiring funds for a cross-border purchase or supporting a child studying abroad.

What factors affect CAD vs USD rate?

The CAD/USD exchange rate responds to a cluster of interconnected forces, with commodity prices, interest rate differentials, and trade flows leading the pack. Oil is the most direct driver: Canada is one of the world’s largest oil exporters, and CAD/USD tracks crude futures with a lag measured in days rather than hours. When oil prices rise, Canadian export revenues increase, boosting demand for CAD and strengthening the exchange rate.

Interest rate differentials between the Bank of Canada and the US Federal Reserve create a second channel of influence. Higher US rates attract capital flows into dollar-denominated assets, pushing up the USD’s value relative to the CAD. The Bank of Canada’s own commentary confirms this dynamic, noting that its rate decisions reverberate through exchange rates as traders arbitrage the differential. Finally, geopolitical and trade-policy shifts — the tariff adjustments cited by the Bank of Canada — can move the pair by 0.5–1% in a single session when they’re unexpected or larger than forecast.

Related reading: Canadian Dollar Rate in India Today

Analysts tracking the Canadian dollar against the US dollar frequently reference Canadian to American dollar rates amid ongoing fluctuations in cross-border trade and forecasts.

Frequently asked questions

For American readers converting USD to CAD, the math is straightforward: a stronger USD buys more loonies, and the current 1.36–1.39 range means $1 USD gets you a solid chunk of Canadian purchasing power. For Canadians converting CAD to USD, the recent 0.72–0.73 range means your dollars don’t stretch as far south as they did during the 2011 parity era — a gap that will persist as long as commodity prices and trade policy keep the pair in its current range. Watching the FRED DEXCAUS series weekly and comparing it to OFX’s historical averages gives you a practical benchmark for deciding when to move money across the border.