Background This study aimed to investigate the relationships between serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)‐A or VEGF‐C levels and lymph node metastasis (LNM) status in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Methods The study enrolled 150 patients with pathologically proven PTC who underwent surgery: PTC without LNM, PTC with central neck metastasis, and PTC with lateral neck metastasis. Results Preoperative serum VEGF‐A levels were 300.12 ± 80.80 pg/mL overall and were not correlated with the presence of LNM. Preoperative serum VEGF‐C levels were 132.41 ± 48.48 pg/mL overall and were significantly correlated with the presence of LNM. Serum VEGF‐C levels were further increased in patients with lateral neck metastasis and positively correlated with the number of metastatic LNs (rho = 0.252, P = 0.002). Serum VEGF‐C, but not VEGF‐A, was identified as a significant predictor of lateral neck metastasis. Conclusion Serum VEGF‐C might be a clinically relevant biomarker of lateral neck metastasis in patients with PTC.