Vascular applications of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging are reviewed, with emphasis on algorithms that use nonpictorial information contained in the MR data set. Current clinical vascular practice generally limits use of MR angiography and three-dimensional vessel images to qualitative pictorial rendering without routinely using the available quantitative information contained within the MR data. This review is dedicated to recent advances that include characterization of vessel histology, assessment of carotid plaque vulnerability, characterization of blood flow dynamics, quantitative analysis of disease severity, and prediction of vascular intervention outcome. Examples from histologic preparation, in vitro and in vivo experiments, are discussed, with an emphasis on potential clinical applications and advances in acquisition technology.