Why go
- Capital city of Canada.
- 1 hand-picked place to stay.
- Served by Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport (YOW).
History
Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southeastern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core of the Ottawa–Gatineau census metropolitan area (CMA) and the National Capital Region (NCR). As of 2021, Ottawa had a city population of 1,017,449 and a metropolitan population of 1,488,307, making it the second-most populous in Ontario as well as the fourth-largest city and fourth-largest metropolitan area in Canada.
Where to stay
Airports
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 13 airlines, 26 direct destinations
- Air Canada AC (Embraer 190, A320, Dash 8-100, 767-300, CRJ, ERJ…) · 19 routes: Boston*, Calgary, Chicago*, Edmonton, Frankfurt, Fredericton*, Halifax, London, London*, Moncton*, Montreal, New York*, Quebec*, St. John's*, Toronto, Vancouver, Washington*, Washington*, Winnipeg*
- WestJet WS (737-700, 736) · 6 routes: Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, St. John's, Toronto, Winnipeg
- United Airlines UA (ERJ, Embraer 170, Dash 8-100, CRJ) · 5 routes: Boston*, Chicago*, New York*, Newark*, Washington*
- Porter Airlines PD (Dash 8-400) · 3 routes: Halifax, Moncton, Toronto
- American Airlines AA (CRJ) · 2 routes: Charlotte*, Philadelphia*
- Lufthansa Cargo LH (A330-300, 767-300) · 2 routes: Frankfurt*, London*
- US Airways US (CRJ) · 2 routes: Charlotte*, Philadelphia*
- Abu Dhabi Amiri Flight MO (73M) · 1 route: Iqaluit*
- Air North Charter - Canada 4N (737) · 1 route: Yellowknife
- Canadian North 5T (73M) · 1 route: Iqaluit
- Delta Air Lines DL (CRJ) · 1 route: Detroit*
- First Air 7F (73M) · 1 route: Iqaluit
- KLM Royal Dutch Airlines KL (737) · 1 route: Toronto*
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
Getting there by ferry
Where things are
Photographs
credit: Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons · See source page
When to go
The warmer, longer-day half of the year is the safest bet for a first visit.
Cooler and quieter, with fewer visitors and better value.
Short days and the coldest weather — check local conditions before travelling.
Getting there & around
Getting there. The nearest airport on record is Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport (YOW). Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below. By air: YOW has direct flights to 26 destinations on 13 airlines (incl. Halifax, Iqaluit, Toronto, Boston, Calgary…). By water: 1 ferry terminal within 20 km (nearest: Watertaxi, 3.1 km).
Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Ottawa, Ontario. Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.
Local transit
Trains & rail
Coaches & shuttles
Private aviation
On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.