Kitchener

Kitchener and neighbouring Waterloo and Cambridge form a tightly-integrated metro area within the larger Region of Waterloo in Southwestern Ontario. At the time of the 2021 Canadian census, the population of the city of Kitchener was 256,885 people and the population of the Region of Waterloo area was 587,165.

Understand

Kitchener and Waterloo were pioneered by Mennonites from Pennsylvania, Cambridge by British, principally Scots, in the early 19th century. Once named Berlin, Kitchener was renamed in 1916 due to the anti-German sentiment during World War I, after British military hero Lord Kitchener. Since the 1950s when Waterloo attained city status, Kitchener and Waterloo have been known as the "Twin Cities", "K-W", or "Kitchener-Waterloo". Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge (a 1970s merger of the older City of Galt with the neighbouring Towns of Preston and Hespeler, and the village of Blair) are often collectively referred to as the "Tri-Cities".

Immigration, beginning with Germans and Central Europeans in the 19th century and continuing to the present from Central and South America, the Near East, Far East and Asia have created a broad-based multi-cultural population. Kitchener and Waterloo, in 'North Waterloo' exhibit a strong German heritage, celebrated most notably in their 9-day Oktoberfest, the largest outside of Munich. Cambridge, in 'South Waterloo', has a sizeable Portuguese population, from the Azores, and a large constituency of Newfoundlanders, relocated from Belle Isle, Newfoundland, in the 1960s.

Orientation

The centre of the city, known as downtown, is divided into four neighbourhoods:

  • Warehouse District at the north end of downtown, full of disused factories, many of which are now being converted into loft condominiums or offices.
  • Downtown Core, the centre of downtown, contains city hall and a large number of other sights, as well as many office buildings, shops and restaurants.
  • Civic Centre, contains many public buildings, including the public library, the police station and the Centre in the Square concert hall.
  • East End, contains many small shops and inexpensive restaurants as well as the Kitchener Market.

Get in

By car

Highway 401 runs along Kitchener's southern border. Kitchener is located one hour west of Toronto, one hour east of London, three hours east of Windsor/Detroit. If coming from Toronto, take exit 278A (Highway 8). At the Highway 7 and King Street exit, take the exit King Street to get to downtown Kitchener. If coming from London, take exit 278 (King Street), then take Highway 8 east to the King Street exit as above.

By plane
Air Canada flights can be booked to YKF, with a bus connection from Toronto Pearson Airport.
  • Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) is 74 km from downtown Kitchener and is serviced by most major domestic and international airlines. This is the largest airport that serves the region of Waterloo. There are numerous ground transportation operators between Kitchener and Pearson who operate door-to-door services and scheduled minibus services from several large hotels in Kitchener.

By train
See also: Rail travel in Canada
  • 🌍 Kitchener station (Kitchener GO), 126 Weber St W (just northeast of Downtown Kitchener). Kitchener Railway Station is a stop for trains as well as being a stop for GO Transit buses. It is located about 650 metres east of ION Central Station; GRT bus routes 20 and 34 can save you a little walking. (updated Jun 2019) Train operators:
    • VIA Rail Canada, toll-free: +1-888-842-7245. (updated Apr 2022) Between Sarnia and Toronto including stops in London, St. Marys, Stratford, Kitchener, Guelph, Georgetown, Brampton, and Mississauga. Travel to Kitchener from Toronto is about 1 hour 35 minutes, from Guelph is about 30 minutes, from London is about 2 hours 10 minutes, and from Sarnia is 3 hours 25 minutes. Seating is reserved. As Kitchener Station has limited opening hours, customers should consider booking VIA Rail trains online.
    • GO Transit. GO Transit runs several commuter trains weekdays (excluding holidays) in the morning rush hours to Toronto returning during the evening rush hours. There is also a few extra round trip runs during the day and evening. A GO train trip to Toronto takes about 2 hours, and is cheaper than by VIA Rail. GO trains from Toronto can be crowded; there is no reserved seating. GO fares can be paid by credit, debit or Presto card. GO Transit refers to Kitchener Station as "Kitchener GO" on its online trip planner. (updated Aug 2019)

GO Transit customers are eligible to one free ride on Grand River Transit (GRT) vehicles (buses and ION light rail line) to and from Kitchener Railway Station. To receive the free ride, GO customers must show the GRT bus driver or fare inspector a Presto card, a single-ride GO Transit ticket or a GO Transit day ticket. With this one exception, Presto and GO Transit fare media are otherwise not valid for Grand River Transit.

By bus
  • GO Transit. GO Transit buses provide service from Mississauga Square One (GO bus 25), Bramalea GO station (GO bus 30), Hamilton and Guelph (GO bus 17.) GO fares can be paid by credit, debit or Presto card. (updated May 2022)
    • 🌍 Kitchener Sportsworld, Sportworld Drive, Kitchener (south-west side of Highway 8 interchange). A number of GO Transit buses from Mississauga Square One stop at this location near the city limits between Kitchener and Cambridge before proceeding to the Kitchener GO Station at Victoria and Weber Streets. ION bus 302 running between ION Fairview Station (Kitchener) and the Ainslie Street Transit Terminal (Cambridge) also stops here. (updated Jul 2019)
  • CampusBus. Bus service from Toronto, Sarnia, and London. (updated Oct 2021)
  • FlixBus. Service from Toronto and London. (updated Aug 2023)
  • Intercity Bus. Service from London, Sarnia, Strathroy, Woodstock, and Toronto. (updated Mar 2024)
  • Onex Bus. Bus service from Toronto, Stratford, and London. (updated Jul 2021)

Get around

By car

By car, with a local map: where other cities are laid out more or less on a grid Kitchener streets are not, rather follow their own complex patterns with frequent twists and turns, many continuing into adjoining Waterloo.

Likewise, street directions are designated E, W, N, and S, but only one major cross street, Lancaster Street East/West, is true to the compass (running, oddly enough, straight north/south). King, Weber and Westmount are the principal EW streets in Kitchener (at Union Street, they become King, Weber and Westmount in Waterloo, where they are designated N/S). Queen, Frederick, Ottawa and Victoria, are the principal NS cross-streets.

There is an express route, known locally as the Conestoga Parkway, but not signed as such, which loops traffic on Highways 7&8 through Kitchener South, and Highway 85 traffic through Waterloo North.

Addresses number EW from Queen, NS from King.

By public transportation
Main article: Region of Waterloo (Ontario)#Public transportation

Grand River Transit (GRT), ☏ +1 519-585-7555. Provides all public transit within the Region of Waterloo, which allows access to most centrally-located sights in Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge. (updated Sep 2022)

Downtown Kitchener is fairly compact and walkable; thus, public transportation is mainly useful to go beyond downtown such as Uptown Waterloo. The ION light rail line runs from Fairway Park Mall (ION Fairway station) in south Kitchener, through Downtown Kitchener and Uptown Waterloo to terminate at the Conestoga Mall (ION Conestoga station) in Waterloo. In Downtown Kitchener, between Victoria and Frederick streets, the ION line splits into two branches with northbound going along Frederick and Duke streets, and the southbound trains going along Charles Street; the branches are about 250 metres apart. Because of the branches, four of the 6 ION stations in Downtown Kitchener serve only one direction. Kitchener City Hall is served by ION Kitchener City Hall Station (northbound) and ION Victoria Park Station (southbound). Kitchener Railway Station lies 650 metres east of ION Central Station.

  • 🌍 GRT Customer Service Centre (Grand River Transit), 105 King St E (at Benson St, between Frederick and Queen ION stations). M-F 6:15AM-7:30PM, Sa-Su 8:15AM-6:30PM. Information and sale of fare media for GRT buses and ION light rail. (updated Jul 2019)

By taxi

By ride hailing
  • Uber. (updated Aug 2022)

See

Landmarks
  • 🌍 Waterloo Pioneer Memorial Tower, 300 Lookout Ln (From King St. E., take Deer Ridge Dr. to Lookout Lane). A tower built in 1925 to commemorate the pioneers who first settled in this area in 1800, the first inland settlement in Upper Canada. A national historic site. 
  • 🌍 Victoria Park. Beautiful park in downtown. The park was designed by the firm of Frederick Law Olmstead, the same firm that designed Central Park in New York City. The park contains a large lake, a magnificent clock tower taken from the old city hall when it was demolished, a statue of Queen Victoria and a small restaurant that plays host to many musical acts among other things. The main entrance to the park is at the end of Gaukel St., only two blocks from city hall. (updated Jan 2019)
  • 🌍 Kitchener City Hall, 200 King St. W. An attractive, post-modern building in the centre of downtown. 

Cultural sites
  • 🌍 Centre in the Square, 101 Queen St. N. This is the venue where the K-W Symphony performs, and is also where Broadway touring companies perform. Located in the Civic Centre neighbourhood of downtown, beside the Kitchener Library. The hall was built to be large enough to perform Wagnerian opera, and seats approximately 2000 in a lovely setting with a very nice acoustic. (updated Jan 2019)
  • 🌍 The Registry Theatre, 122 Frederick St, ☏ +1 519-745-6565. A small theatre providing inexpensive performances by small theatre groups. Located in the Civic Centre next to the police station and behind the library. 
  • 🌍 Conrad Centre for the Performing Arts, 36 King St W, ☏ +1 519-745-4711. Concert hall under the stewardship of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra, that houses the Orchestra’s offices, and is used for rehearsals and Youth Orchestra activities. 
  • 🌍 THEMUSEUM, 10 King St. W, ☏ +1 519-749-9387. The museum features rotating & permanent interactive exhibits related to art, science and technology. (updated Jan 2019)
  • 🌍 Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, 101 Queen Street North Kitchener, Ontario, N2H 6P7, ☏ +1 519-579-5860. The gallery premiers and exhibits contemporary art of Canadian and international artists. 
  • 🌍 Glockenspiel, 10 Benton St (at corner of King St). Summer plus Oktoberfest period 9AM, noon, 3PM, 5PM. Chimes sound during animated shows with figurines of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The "stage" is in a cabinet over a building entrance. (updated Jan 2019)

Historical sites
  • 🌍 Woodside National Historic Site, ☏ +1 519-571-5684. Daily 10AM-5PM. Spring Valley Drive, off Wellington Street North. The boyhood home of William Lyon MacKenzie King, Canada's longest serving prime minister. Historic house is only open from early October till just before Christmas, but you can stroll the grounds year-round. 
  • 🌍 The Joseph Schneider Home (Schneider Haus National Historic Site), 466 Queen Street South, ☏ +1 519-742-7752. Built by pioneer founder Joseph Schneider, restored as a Mennonite farm home of the 1890s. Adults: $2.25, seniors/students: $1.50, children: $1.25, family: $5. 
  • 🌍 Waterloo Region Museum & Doon Heritage Village, 10 Huron Rd (at Homer Watson Blvd), ☏ +1 519-748-1914. W-Su 11AM-4PM. There are two museums at this address: Waterloo Region Museum is an indoor museum featuring exhibits on Waterloo's history. The 24-acre Doon Heritage Village is an outdoor museum with a collection of homes and buildings removed from elsewhere in Waterloo Region, restored and reconstructed as a 1914-era village. Adult $11, senior or student $8, child ages 5 to 12 $5, child ages 4 and under free, family (2 adults & dependent children) $25. (updated Dec 2022)
  • 🌍 Public Utilities Commission Building (Starbucks), 191 King St W (opposite Kitchener City Hall). This attractive heritage building was built in the Art Deco style in 1931 using cut granite and sandstone. Today, the ground floor is used as a Starbucks coffee shop. (updated Jul 2019)
  • 🌍 Kitchener Railway Station, 126 Weber St W (at Victoria St N). The brick-and-stone station was built in 1897 for the Grand Trunk Railway. It was repaired after a 1908 fire and had further modifications in the 1960s. It is still an active station used for Via Rail and GO Transit trains. (updated Jan 2019)
  • 🌍 Waterloo County Jail and Governor's House (Waterloo County Gaol), 73 Queen St (2 blocks north of Duke St). The Waterloo County Gaol was built in 1852, and the Governor's House was added in 1878, the latter being built in a rather cute mid-Victorian Italian Villa style. The jail is literally in the backyard of the governor's residence. Today the house contains Waterloo Region Crime Prevention office and the old prison houses the Provincial Offences Offices. There is a small courtyard on the west side of the prison building that contains a small garden that the public can see by looking through a wrought-iron gate. A larger courtyard today contains a parking lot. The building interiors are probably not open to the public. (updated Aug 2019)
  • 🌍 Bingemans, 425 Bingemans Centre Dr, ☏ +1 519-744-1555. An amusement centre, campground and conference/banquet venue. 

Do
  • Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest. Bavarian festival held annually in October; is the largest in the world outside of Munich, Germany. 
  • Walter Bean Trail. A trail for hiking and bicycling that, when complete, will run along the Grand River through Kitchener, as well as Waterloo and part of Cambridge. 
  • 🌍 Kitchener Memorial Auditorium (The Aud), East Ave. The home of the Kitchener Rangers, an OHL (major junior hockey) team, "The Aud" often hosts other special events. 
  • open ears festival of music & sound, Downtown Kitchener, toll-free: +1-888-363-3591. A diverse, week-long, multi-venue music festival that has something for everyone. International musicians converge to treat festival goers to all manner of fascinating sounds and sights. From grand scale orchestral performances at the Centre in the Square to sound installations to intimate late-night experimental performances, the festival provides entertaining and interesting fare for the open-minded music lover. Festival passes, individual performance tickets and free shows are available. $0-220. 
  • Kitchener Blues Festival, Downtown Kitchener. 4 days, 5 stages, more than 60 shows! Free. 

Buy
  • 🌍 Fairview Park Mall, 2960 Kingsway Dr (ION Fairview Station). The largest shopping centre in the region, it is at the southern terminus of the ION light rail line. 
  • 🌍 Belmont Village, Belmont Ave (between Glasgow St and Union Blvd; GRT bus 16 from Uptown Waterloo). This three-block section of Belmont Street is lined with storefronts, giving it a small-town feel. Here you will find a few antique stores, a few flower shops, and several niche stores, as well as other businesses. 
  • 🌍 ABC Military Surplus (at King St), 46 Queen St S, ☏ +1 519-571-8567. Independent army surplus shop to purchase new or used army gear; camouflage pants, boots and supplies. 
  • 🌍 Erika's Bavarian Fashions, 143 King St E, ☏ +1 519-576-0552. This women's clothing store features the dirndl, a traditional costume (Tracht) suitable for Oktoberfest. According to the window display, other Oktoberfest-themed knickknacks are also for sale. (updated Aug 2019)

Eat

Downtown
  • 🌍 Kitchener Market, 46 Queen St S. Tu-Fr 8AM-4PM, Sa 7AM-2PM. Farmer's market held on Saturday mornings in a modern building at the south end of downtown, about a 10-minute walk from City Hall and the bus station. There is also a food court made up of multi-cultural restaurants which is open every weekday. One local radio station, CJDV ("Dave FM") has a studio in the market, though they more often broadcast from their studio in Cambridge. (updated Jul 2019)
  • 🌍 Three Kretans, 151 Frederick St, ☏ +1 519-576-9091. An authentic Greek restaurant. Established in 1995. 
  • 🌍 Taste of the Philly Cheesesteak, 98 King Street West (Quick walk right down King St), ☏ +1 519-743-4400. Sandwich shop with burgers and wraps, made fresh in front of you. Giant burgers from $5.99. 
  • 🌍 Matter of Taste, 119 King St West, ☏ +1 519-579-7059. Great place for specialty coffee, lattes, and desserts. Relaxed atmosphere, a good place to meet up with and enjoy a conversation. 
  • 🌍 Ellison's Bistro, 14 Charles St. W, ☏ +1 519-744-2075. Soul Food with Caribbean, European and urban finesse. 
  • 🌍 Korean BBQ Restaurant, 265 King St E (Hong Kong Plaza), ☏ +1 519-568-7111. Korean cuisine. Affordable prices and a home-cooked feel to this small restaurant. (updated Jan 2019)
  • 🌍 Cameron Chinese Seafood Restaurant, 21 Cameron Street South (at Charles), ☏ +1 519-576-1163. Many foodies agree that Cameron has the best dim sum this side of the Greater Toronto Area. 
  • 🌍 City Cafe Bakery, 175 West Ave, ☏ +1 519-570-3558. Not a full restaurant (and just at the edge of downtown) but a hip, funky place to have lunch. They have really tasty thin crust pizza. 
  • 🌍 Pho Dau Bo, 301 King St E, ☏ +1 519-568-8904. Vietnamese cuisine. Possibly the best Vietnamese restaurant downtown. Try the rare beef pho. (updated Jan 2019)
  • 🌍 TWH Social, 1 King St West, ☏ +1-519-745-8478. Daily 11AM–11PM. A bistro focussed on local and fresh ingredients, under downtown's Walper Hotel, and spilling out on fine summer evenings to sidewalk tables. entreés $20-30. (updated Jul 2018)
  • 🌍 Kinkaku Izakaya, 217 King St W, ☏ +1-519-208-2688. Busy, urban locale with an all-you-can-eat sushi menu, Japanese mains & an extensive sake selection. (updated Jul 2023)
  • 🌍 Crafty Ramen, 276 King St W, ☏ +1-519-340-2721. Laid-back nook for artisanal Japanese ramen, plus take-out, outdoor seating & vegan options. (updated Jul 2023)
  • 🌍 The Rich Uncle Tavern, 45 King St W, ☏ +1 519 208 8555. Cozy tavern with locally sourced and seasonal fare, craft beer, cocktails and live music. (updated Oct 2023)

Suburbs

Cafés
  • 🌍 Balzac's Coffee Roasters, 151 Charles Street West (in the Tannery District). Balzac's serves great coffee and a very nice atmosphere. 
  • 🌍 Matter of Taste, 117 King Street West (downtown). Great espresso bar. 
  • 🌍 Café Pyrus, 305 King St W, Unit 101 (bottom floor of 305 King St W office building), ☏ +1-519-954-7705, . M–F 8:00AM–7:00PM, Sa 9:00AM–6:00PM, Su 10:00AM–5:00PM. Coffee shop and vegetarian/vegan restaurant. Sandwiches $12, starters $6-9. (updated Feb 2023)
  • 🌍 Smile Tiger Coffee Roasters, 100 Ahrens St W. Seasonal, direct-trade coffees are roasted on-site and served hot or cold in a hip cafe space. 
  • 🌍 The Yeti Cafe, 14 Eby St N (downtown). This quirky cafe features coffee & eclectic breakfast & lunch mains with vegan options. 

The German clubs

All the German clubs serve food but not all of them have restaurants. Call before you go.

Drink

See Nightlife, the weekly entertainment supplement published Thursdays by The Record, the area's daily newspaper, for its calendar of what's on in clubs, concerts, movies, stage, art, and kids stuff.

Sleep
  • 🌍 Crowne Plaza Kitchener-Waterloo, 105 King St East (ION Queen station (southbound) or Frederick station (northbound)), ☏ +1 519-744-4141. This is downtown Kitchener's only major chain hotel. It has a heated indoor pool. 
  • 🌍 The Walper Hotel, 20 Queen St S, ☏ +1 519-745-4321. In the middle of downtown Kitchener on a site that has been the site of a hotel since 1820, this historic hotel dates back to 1893. Its guests have included Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, Eleanor Roosevelt, Bob Hope, and Louis Armstrong. All of the hotel's 79 luxury rooms feature modern amenities such as wireless high speed Internet. 

Nearby
  • 🌍 Castle Kilbride, 60 Snyder's Road West, Baden (17 km W of Kitchener on Regional Road 1), ☏ +1 519-634-8444, toll-free: +1-800-469-5576. The 1877 home of "Flax King" James Livingston, the castle has been restored as a museum. Of particular note are the ceiling and wall murals, painted using the trompe-l'oeil technique. 

Go next

Kitchener is one of three cities in Waterloo Region. Visit Waterloo to the north or Cambridge to the south. It is also a great base for exploring the surrounding countryside, the towns of New Hamburg, St. Jacobs and Elora are all within easy driving distance.

Routes through Kitchener
Sarnia ← Stratford ←  W  E  → Guelph → Toronto
London ← Woodstock ←  W  E  → Cambridge → Toronto
Sarnia ← Stratford ←  W  E  → Guelph → Brampton
Goderich ← Stratford ←  W  E  → Cambridge → Hamilton
END ← Waterloo ←  N  S  → END
END ←  W  E  → Guelph → Toronto


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