City North America
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It sits beside a big river. In winter, its canal freezes into a long skating rink!
Ottawa is the capital of Canada. It stands where three rivers meet, beside the Ottawa River, which divides the provinces of Ontario and Quebec. It began as a lumber town called Bytown, became the capital in 1857, and had 1,017,449 people at the 2021 census.
Ottawa, capital of Canada, lies on the south bank of the Ottawa River at its meeting with the Gatineau and Rideau rivers, facing Gatineau, Quebec. Founded as Bytown beside the Rideau Canal (1826–32) and chosen as capital by Queen Victoria in 1857, it counted 1,017,449 people in 2021, with 1,488,307 in the Ottawa–Gatineau metropolitan area.
Photo: Y Anderson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Discover Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital city of Canada.
It is beside a wide river called the Ottawa River. On a hill above the river stand Canada's Parliament Buildings. Many people in Ottawa speak English, and many speak French.
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, in the southeast of the province of Ontario. It stands where three rivers meet: the Ottawa, the Gatineau and the Rideau. Across the Ottawa River is the city of Gatineau, in the province of Quebec.
Ottawa had 1,017,449 people at the 2021 census, and about 1.5 million lived in the Ottawa–Gatineau metropolitan area. Because it sits on the border between mostly English-speaking Ontario and mostly French-speaking Quebec, Ottawa is one of the most bilingual cities in Canada, where many people speak both languages.
Ottawa occupies the south bank of the Ottawa River in the far east of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa (Outaouais), Gatineau and Rideau rivers, opposite Gatineau, Quebec. The Ottawa River, about 1,270 km long and the main tributary of the St. Lawrence, carried furs, timber and minerals from a watershed of more than 148,000 km²; its Chaudière Falls, first a hazard to canoes and log rafts, later powered the city's industry with hydroelectricity.
The city covers about 2,790 km², and the 2021 census counted 1,017,449 residents, with 1,488,307 in the Ottawa–Gatineau metropolitan area. Its position on the boundary between English-speaking Ontario and French-speaking Quebec, and its role as national capital, make Ottawa one of Canada's most bilingual cities; English and French are Canada's official languages.
- Country
- Canada (capital)
- People in the city (2021 census)
- 1,017,449
- Ottawa–Gatineau metropolitan area (2021)
- 1,488,307
- Area of the city
- about 2,790 km²
Famous places
On a hill by the river stand Canada's Parliament Buildings.
They have pointy towers made of stone. The tallest is the Peace Tower. Nearby, boats climb up and down a canal through big gates.
Parliament Hill overlooks the Ottawa River. Its three Parliament Buildings are turreted, Gothic Revival buildings of granite. The tallest is the 90-meter Peace Tower on the Centre Block, which was rebuilt after a fire in 1916.
Right beside the hill, the Rideau Canal steps down to the river through a flight of locks, like giant water stairs for boats. Across the canal stands the Château Laurier, a hotel built in 1912 in the French Renaissance style. A short walk away is the ByWard Market, the oldest open-air market in Canada.
Parliament Hill, in the Upper Town laid out by John By in 1827, holds the Parliament Buildings: three blocks of turreted Gothic Revival granite overlooking the river and the canal. The Centre Block, with its 90 m Peace Tower, was rebuilt after a fire consumed most of the buildings in 1916 and was completed in 1922; the East and West blocks house offices.
The Rideau Canal, built under Lieutenant Colonel John By of the Royal Engineers, runs 202 km from Ottawa south to Kingston Harbour on Lake Ontario. UNESCO, which inscribed it in 2007, calls it the best-preserved example of a slackwater canal in North America. Across the canal from Parliament stands the Château Laurier (1912), in French Renaissance style, and in the Lower Town east of the canal lies the ByWard Market, the site of Canada's oldest open-air market. The National Gallery of Canada and several national museums are also in the city.
- Peace Tower
- about 90 m tall
- Rideau Canal
- 202 km, built 1826–32; UNESCO site 2007
- Château Laurier hotel
- 1912
- ByWard Market
- Canada's oldest open-air market
From Bytown to capital
Long ago, Algonquin people lived by the rivers here.
Later, lumber workers cut trees and floated logs down the river. Soldiers and workers dug a long canal. A town grew up beside it, and it became Canada's capital.
The first people of the Ottawa area were Algonquin First Nations, who lived in the river valley. The city's name comes from the Ottawa people, who were known as traders; the name is believed to come from an Algonquian word meaning "to trade".
In the early 1800s, lumber workers came to cut the forests. Between 1826 and 1832, Lieutenant Colonel John By built the Rideau Canal, and the village where his workers lived was called Bytown. It became the city of Ottawa in 1855. In 1857 Queen Victoria chose Ottawa as the capital, and it stayed the capital when Canada was formed in 1867.
The Algonquin First Nation were the region's earliest known inhabitants; the Ottawa (Outaouais), traders whose name is believed to come from an Algonquian word meaning "to trade", lived here only briefly in the mid-1600s. Samuel de Champlain described the site in 1613. In 1800 Philemon Wright's settlers from Massachusetts founded Wrightsville on the north bank, and the timber trade began in 1806.
After the War of 1812 showed the St. Lawrence route to be vulnerable, the British built the Rideau Canal (1826–32) as an alternative; John By's workers' village, Bytown, became a town in 1850 and the city of Ottawa in 1855. Rival cities could not agree on a capital for the Province of Canada, so Queen Victoria chose Ottawa in late 1857, a choice that surprised many because the town was small and known for lumber. It remained the capital of the Dominion of Canada from 1867. Jacques Gréber's plan, begun in 1937 and completed in 1950, called for parklands, a greenbelt and the removal of rail lines from the center; the National Capital Commission, created in 1958, carried it out.
Getting around Ottawa
People in Ottawa get around in many ways.
They ride buses and a train called the O-Train. They bike along long paths. In winter, some people even skate along the frozen canal!
Ottawa's buses run on special roads of their own, and a light-rail line called the O-Train carries passengers too. The Capital Pathway, more than 220 kilometers of paths, lets people walk and cycle across the city and along the rivers.
In summer, pleasure boats travel the Rideau Canal. In winter the canal freezes, and the National Capital Commission turns 7.8 kilometers of it into the Rideau Canal Skateway, which is free and open day and night when the ice is good.
Regional transit centers on dedicated bus rapid-transit lines, which run on their own roadways, and the O-Train light rail. Passenger railroads, expressways, an international airport and two regional airports link the capital to the rest of the country; Toronto is about 400 km to the southwest and Montreal about 200 km to the east. The Capital Pathway's more than 220 km of recreational paths serve cyclists and walkers.
The Rideau Canal still works, mainly for pleasure craft. Each winter the National Capital Commission maintains 7.8 km of it as the Rideau Canal Skateway, free and open 24 hours a day when conditions allow; the NCC calls it the world's largest skating rink, and the season typically runs from January to early March.
- Light rail
- the O-Train
- Capital Pathway
- more than 220 km of paths for walking and cycling
- Rideau Canal Skateway
- 7.8 km of ice in winter
Snowy winters, warm summers
Winters in Ottawa are very cold and snowy.
It is a great place for skating and sledding. Summers are warm and sunny. In May, a festival celebrates bright tulips.
Ottawa has a continental climate, with cold, usually snowy winters and warm, humid summers. At the World Meteorological Organization's station at Ottawa's airport, January days averaged about −6 °C and nights about −15 °C between 1971 and 2000.
In July, days averaged about 27 °C and nights about 15 °C. Rain or snow falls all year: the monthly averages add up to about 940 millimeters.
Britannica describes Ottawa's climate as continental, with warm, humid summers and cold, usually snowy winters. WMO normals for Ottawa International Airport (1971–2000) give average daily highs and lows of about −6 °C and −15 °C in January and about 27 °C and 15 °C in July, a swing of more than 40 °C between a January night and a July afternoon.
Precipitation is spread evenly: every month averages between about 59 mm (February) and about 91 mm (July), adding up to about 940 mm a year, and January averaged about 17 days with precipitation. The long freeze sets the city's rhythm: the canal skateway usually opens in January, and Winterlude fills February with ice and snow events.
- January, average daily high and low (WMO Ottawa International Airport station, 1971–2000)
- about −6 °C and −15 °C
- July, average daily high and low (same station and period)
- about 27 °C and 15 °C
- Rain and snow in a year (sum of the monthly averages)
- about 940 mm
Living in Ottawa
Many grown-ups in Ottawa work for Canada's government.
Every February there is a big winter party called Winterlude, with snow sculptures and skating. In May, a festival celebrates bright tulips.
Canada's government is Ottawa's biggest employer, and many people also work for technology companies. The city has universities, museums, the National Gallery of Canada and the Bank of Canada.
Ottawa loves its festivals. Winterlude, held every February since 1979, brings skating, music and snow sculpting. Each May the Canadian Tulip Festival celebrates a gift: after World War II, the Dutch royal family, who had sheltered in Ottawa during the war, gave the city 100,000 tulip bulbs. Canada Day, on July 1, is another popular festival.
The federal government is Ottawa's main employer, and the technology sector also provides many jobs. National institutions include the Bank of Canada, the Royal Canadian Mint and the Supreme Court of Canada. The University of Ottawa (1848) teaches in both English and French, and Carleton University (1942) teaches in English; the National Gallery of Canada, the Canada Science and Technology Museum and Library and Archives Canada are all here.
Winterlude, held each February since 1979, draws hundreds of thousands of visitors for skating, winter sports, music and snow sculpting. The Canadian Tulip Festival in May began with a gift of 100,000 tulip bulbs from the Dutch royal family, who took refuge in Ottawa during World War II. Gatineau Park, across the river in Quebec, and the greenbelt planned by Jacques Gréber give the region large green spaces.
- Biggest employer
- the federal government
- Winterlude
- every February since 1979
- Canadian Tulip Festival
- every May
Ottawa on the map
Find Ottawa on the globe.
It is in Canada, in North America. Look for a long river between two big provinces. Ottawa sits on its south side.
Ottawa is in the southeast of Ontario, right on the Ottawa River, which forms the border with Quebec. Toronto is about 400 kilometers to the southwest, and Montreal about 200 kilometers to the east.
The Rideau Canal runs south from Ottawa all the way to Lake Ontario, 202 kilometers away.
Ottawa lies at about 45.4° N and 75.7° W, at the eastern extreme of Ontario, on the Ottawa River, the principal tributary of the St. Lawrence. Toronto is about 400 km southwest and Montreal about 200 km east. The Rideau Canal links Ottawa with Kingston Harbour on Lake Ontario, 202 km to the south, by way of the Rideau and Cataraqui rivers.
The National Capital Region, created around 1958, spans both banks of the river; the federal government acquired some 4,700 km² of land on the Ontario and Quebec sides, and federal offices now stand in both Ottawa and Gatineau.
- Latitude
- about 45.4° north
- Longitude
- about 75.7° west
- Distance to Toronto
- about 400 km
- Distance to Montreal
- about 200 km
Amazing facts
-
In winter, part of Ottawa's canal becomes a giant skating rink.
Each winter, 7.8 kilometers of the frozen Rideau Canal becomes the Rideau Canal Skateway, free for everyone.
The National Capital Commission, which runs the 7.8 km Rideau Canal Skateway, calls it the world's largest skating rink; when open it is free 24 hours a day.
-
Ottawa got 100,000 tulip bulbs as a thank-you gift.
After World War II, the Dutch royal family, who had sheltered in Ottawa, gave the city 100,000 tulip bulbs. Now a tulip festival is held every May.
The Canadian Tulip Festival grew from 100,000 tulip bulbs given to Ottawa after World War II by the Dutch royal family, who had taken refuge in the city during the war.
-
Ottawa used to be called Bytown.
Ottawa began as Bytown, the village of John By, who built the Rideau Canal. It became the city of Ottawa in 1855.
Bytown, laid out by Lieutenant Colonel John By for himself and his canal workers, was incorporated as a town in 1850 and as the city of Ottawa in 1855.
-
A queen picked Ottawa to be Canada's capital.
Cities argued about which should be the capital, so Queen Victoria chose Ottawa in 1857. Many people were surprised, because it was a small lumber town.
Quarrels between Quebec City and Toronto and between Montreal and Kingston led leaders to ask Queen Victoria to choose; her choice of Ottawa in late 1857 surprised many.
Words to know
- capital
- the city where a country's government meets
- parliament
- the group of elected people who make a country's laws, and the building where they meet
- canal
- a waterway dug by people for boats to travel along
- lock
- a chamber with gates on a canal that raises or lowers boats
- bilingual
- able to speak two languages
- lumber
- wood cut from trees, used for building
- confluence
- the place where two or more rivers meet
Discovery challenge
-
Ottawa is the capital of which country?
Ottawa is the capital city of which country?
Queen Victoria chose Ottawa in 1857 as the capital of which present-day country?
- Canada
- Australia
- Ireland
Show the answer
Canada
Canada! Ottawa is its capital city.
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, chosen in 1857.
Ottawa became capital of the Province of Canada in 1857 and stayed capital of the Dominion of Canada from 1867.
-
What happens to the Rideau Canal in winter?
What does the Rideau Canal become in winter?
What does the National Capital Commission make from 7.8 km of the frozen Rideau Canal each winter?
- A skating rink
- A swimming pool
- A road for cars
Show the answer
A skating rink
A skating rink! People skate along the ice.
It becomes the Rideau Canal Skateway, 7.8 kilometers of ice, free for everyone.
The Rideau Canal Skateway, which the NCC calls the world's largest skating rink.
-
What was Ottawa called long ago?
What was Ottawa called before it became a city in 1855?
Under what name was John By's canal-builders' village incorporated as a town in 1850?
- Bytown
- Lakeville
- New London
Show the answer
Bytown
Bytown! It was named after John By.
Bytown, named after John By, who built the Rideau Canal.
Bytown, incorporated as a town in 1850 and as the city of Ottawa in 1855.
-
Which two languages do many people in Ottawa speak?
Ottawa is one of Canada's most bilingual cities. Which two languages?
Ottawa's position between Ontario and Quebec makes it one of Canada's most bilingual cities. In which two official languages?
- English and Spanish
- English and French
- French and German
Show the answer
English and French
English and French! Many people speak both.
English and French, Canada's two official languages.
English and French: Ottawa sits between mostly English-speaking Ontario and mostly French-speaking Quebec.
-
Which month is colder in Ottawa?
In which month is Ottawa colder, on average?
In which month do nights at Ottawa's airport station average about −15 °C?
- January
- July
Show the answer
January
January! It is freezing cold.
January days average about −6 °C, while July days average about 27 °C.
WMO normals (1971–2000) give about −15 °C for January nights and about 15 °C for July nights.
Nearby places
-
Watch
Landmark
CN Tower
The CN Tower in Toronto is 553 meters tall. It was built between 1973 and 1975 so that radio and TV signals could reach over the city's new tall buildings. For more than 30 years it was the tallest freestanding structure in the world, and today more than two million people visit it every year.
-
Watch
Natural wonder
Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls is a set of three waterfalls on the Niagara River, which flows from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario across the border between Canada and the United States. About 500 waterfalls in the world are taller, but Niagara is famous for its height together with the enormous amount of water that pours over it.
-
Watch
Landmark
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, or the Met, stands on Fifth Avenue at the edge of Central Park in New York City. Founded in 1870, it is the largest art museum in the city, with art from ancient Egypt to today. Its grand front, with three arches and pairs of columns, was finished in 1902.
-
Watch
City
New York City
New York City sits where the Hudson River meets a great harbor on the Atlantic coast. It has been the largest city in the United States since 1790. About 8.8 million people lived in its five boroughs in 2020, among skyscrapers, bridges and parks.
-
Watch
Landmark
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building rises 1,454 feet (443 meters) over Fifth Avenue in New York City. Its steel frame went up at about four and a half floors a week, and the whole building was finished in one year and 45 days, opening on May 1, 1931.
-
Watch
Landmark
Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge crosses the East River between Brooklyn and Manhattan in New York City. Built from 1869 to 1883, it was the first bridge to use steel wire for its cables, and its main span was the longest in the world until 1890. Every day, cars, walkers and cyclists still cross it.
-
Watch
Landmark
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty stands on Liberty Island in New York Harbor. France gave her to the United States as a sign of friendship. The sculptor Auguste Bartholdi shaped her copper skin, Gustave Eiffel designed the iron frame inside, and she was dedicated in 1886.
-
Watch
City
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., is the capital of the United States, on the Potomac River. It was planned from scratch in the 1790s, with wide avenues, the U.S. Capitol, the White House and a long green park called the National Mall. About 690,000 people lived there in 2020.
Explore next
-
Watch
Country
Canada
Canada is the second-largest country in the world, stretching across the north of North America from the Atlantic to the Pacific and up into the Arctic. It has the Rocky Mountains, thousands of islands and about 42 million people, who speak English, French and many other languages.
-
Watch
Life around the world
Maple syrup season in Quebec, Canada
Each spring in Quebec, nights below freezing and days above it make sap flow in maple trees. Producers collect the watery, slightly sweet sap and boil it in evaporators until it becomes syrup; early in the season about 20 liters of sap make 1 liter. In 2025, Quebec made 90 percent of Canada's maple syrup.
-
Watch
City
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., is the capital of the United States, on the Potomac River. It was planned from scratch in the 1790s, with wide avenues, the U.S. Capitol, the White House and a long green park called the National Mall. About 690,000 people lived there in 2020.
- Watch Geography Capital cities A capital is the city where a country's government is based. Many capitals grew up over hundreds of years beside rivers and trade routes. A few, like Brasília and Canberra, were built from scratch, and some countries share out their capital's jobs among two or three cities.
-
Watch
City
Chicago
Chicago, in the state of Illinois, is the third-biggest city in the United States, with about 2.7 million people (2025). It grew fast beside Lake Michigan, rebuilt itself after the Great Fire of 1871 and became famous for its skyscrapers, railways, museums and music.
-
Watch
City
Los Angeles
Los Angeles is the second-biggest city in the United States, spread across a wide plain between the mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Founded in 1781 as a small farming village, it grew into a world center of movies and music. About 3.9 million people lived there in 2020.
-
Watch
City
Mexico City
Mexico City, the capital of Mexico, sits 2,240 meters high in the Valley of Mexico. It was founded in 1521 on the ruins of Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital that stood on an island in a lake. About 9.2 million people lived there in 2020, and more than 23 million in the wider metropolitan area.
-
Watch
City
New York City
New York City sits where the Hudson River meets a great harbor on the Atlantic coast. It has been the largest city in the United States since 1790. About 8.8 million people lived in its five boroughs in 2020, among skyscrapers, bridges and parks.
For parents & teachers
What children will learn
- Locate Ottawa where three rivers meet, between Ontario and Quebec.
- Explain how a canal and the lumber trade helped a small town grow into a capital.
- Describe how a lock lifts and lowers boats.
- Read temperature averages to describe a climate with cold winters and warm summers.
Recommended ages: 3 to 17 · About 15 minutes
Talk about it
- Cities argued about which should be Canada's capital, so a queen chose. How would you choose a capital fairly?
- Ottawa sits between an English-speaking and a French-speaking province. What is it like to live where two languages are spoken?
- The frozen canal becomes a skating path. What does your town do with winter or summer weather?
Try at home or in class
- Make a model lock: cut the bottom off two plastic bottles, set them side by side at different heights, and use a cork boat and a cup of water to raise the boat from the low chamber to the high one.
- Draw the three rivers meeting at Ottawa and add the canal, Parliament Hill and Gatineau across the river.
Key vocabulary: capital, parliament, canal, lock, bilingual, lumber, confluence
Where these facts come from
- Wikidata , Wikimedia Foundation (CC0 1.0)
- Natural Earth vector data , Natural Earth (NACIS) (Public domain)
- UNESCO World Heritage List , UNESCO World Heritage Centre (Linked as a reference; site facts come from Wikidata)
- Ottawa , Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Ottawa: The contemporary city , Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Rideau Canal , UNESCO World Heritage Centre
- Rideau Canal Skateway , National Capital Commission
- Ottawa, Ontario: climatological information , World Meteorological Organization, World Weather Information Service
- Wikimedia Commons , Wikimedia Foundation (Per file (public domain, CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA); see each media record)
Checked, not yet human-reviewed. Last updated October 27, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.