All About Kitchener
The City of Kitchener is the Region’s largest city, offering big-city excitement without losing its small-town charm. Kitchener has deep Germanic roots and was called Berlin until 1916. The city hosts an annual Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest which is the largest Bavarian celebration outside of Germany.
The population of Kitchener is 575,847 (2021 census).
Transportation
Bus
Grand River Transit (GRT) is the public transit system within the Region of Waterloo. It operates daily bus services, primarily in the cities of Cambridge, Kitchener, and Waterloo.
By Air
The Region of Waterloo International Airport (YKF) is located in Breslau just minutes from Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo. Toronto’s Pearson International Airport (YYZ) is located approximately 45 minutes from the Region.
ION Light Rail Transit
Waterloo Region’s ION light rail transit (LRT) system runs between Kitchener’s Fairview Park Mall and Waterloo’s Conestoga Mall with 19 stops in between. There are plans for an expansion into Cambridge. The ION trains connect passengers to the existing bus system Grand River Transit (GRT) making it easy to travel across the region.
Rail Access
VIA Rail and Go Transit provide access to the Waterloo Region. VIA Rail runs between Kitchener and Toronto, Guelph, London and Sarnia. VIA runs three trains a day in each direction.
Go Transit connects Kitchener to the Greater Toronto Area.
Geography and Climate
Kitchener is located in Southwestern Ontario, in the Saint Lawrence Lowlands. Located in the Grand River Valley, Kitchener's area is mostly above 300m in elevation. Kitchener is the largest city located within the Grand River Watershed. Kitchener/Waterloo is right in the middle of three great lakes. Those lakes being Lake Ontario, Lake Erie and Lake Huron. Kitchener is about 107.2 km away from Toronto and about 139.9 km away from Niagara Falls. Kitchener's climate is mainly cold and temperate. In Kitchener, there is a lot of precipitation, with rainfall even in the driest month. The average annual temperature in Kitchener is 6.6 °C and the rainfall averages 929 mm. Precipitation is lowest in February at 58 mm and reaches it's peak in August at 93 mm. July is the hottest month annually with an average temperature of 19.7 °C and January is the coldest with a temperature of -7.0 °C on average. Kitchener has a humid continental climate. Since most vegetable production is concentrated in Southern Ontario, Kitchener has quite a long growing season.
Government
Kitchener is governed by a Mayor and 10 Councillors.
Emergency Services
Call 911 if you require fire, police, or an ambulance!
Health 811
Phone: 811 or 1-866-797-0000 or visit: Website
Health 811 is a free, confidential telephone service you can call to get health advice or general health information from a Registered Nurse 24 hours a day 7 days per week. This is a qualified health professional, who can assess your symptoms and help you decide your best first step. They can help you decide whether to care for yourself, make an appointment with your doctor, go to a clinic, contact a community service or go to a hospital emergency room. They have also introduced an online chat.
Where to Stay
Things to See
and DO
City
Council
Hospitals
and Clinics
History of Kitchener
Transportation
Religion
Childcare
Recreation
The City of Kitchener offers a variety of programs and activities for its residents. For more information on their programs, please visit Recreation and Sports for more details. An example of some important Kitchener Trails
A list of trails in the city of Kitchener can be found by clicking this link.
Shopping
Fairview Park Mall - 2960 Kingsway Drive
Kitchener, ON
Phone: 519-894-2450
Fairview Park Mall is the largest mall in the Waterloo Region.
Attractions
African Lion Safari
1386 Cooper Road
Hamilton, ON
Phone: 519-623-2620
African Lion Safari is a Canadian-owned family business that opened in 1969. Their approach to animal exhibits is different than traditional methods – The visitor is caged in their vehicle and the animals roam free in 5 to 50-acre reserves. With seven large Game Reserves, totaling 750 acres, animals such as lions, giraffes, rhinos, zebras, and many more are free to roam in a more spacious environment.
Centre in the Square
101 Queen Street North
Kitchener, ON N2H6P7
Phone: 519-578-1570
For more than 30 years Centre In The Square has played a leading role in showcasing the best local and international performing arts. It is the region’s largest and busiest performing arts centre, staging more than 158 events to more than 150,000 people in 2016. From classical music to rock, Broadway shows to comedy, visitors are sure to find performances that thrill and excite!
Chicopee Ski & Summer Resort
396 Morrison Road
Kitchener, ON N2A2Z6
Phone: 519-894-5610
From skiing and snowboarding in the winter, to bike trails and beach volleyball in the summer,
Chicopee Ski & Summer Resort provides year-round outdoor fun for the entire family!
RIM Park Manulife Financial Sportsplex
2001 University Avenue
Waterloo, ON N2K 4K4 Phone: 519-884-5363
RIM Park is the City of Waterloo's premier 500-acre park and recreation facility located in the Northeast corner of the City. With 18 outdoor sports fields, a multi-purpose recreation building, trails, park land, golf course, heritage and art, RIM Park provides endless opportunities for the community's recreation needs.
The Aud
Kitchener Memorial Auditorium Complex
400 East Avenue
Kitchener, ON
Phone: 519-741-2699
The Kitchener Memorial Auditorium Complex is Central Ontario’s premier location for major trade shows, exhibitions, meetings, conventions, concert productions, ice events, indoor and outdoor sports events and championship tournaments. The Aud is a multi-use facility which includes a 5800-seat auditorium, adjoining twin ice pads, a 3200-seat stadium and 1200 seat ballpark.
Kitchener Waterloo Symphony
101 Queen Street North
Kitchener, ON N2H6P7
Phone: 519-745-4711
The KW Symphony is one of the finest professional symphony orchestras in North America. The orchestra performs a wide range of concert series music to suit every age and taste.
Greater Toronto Area Attractions
For information on the attractions within the Greater Toronto Area, please visit: GTA Attractions
A list of trails in the city of Kitchener can be found by clicking this link.
Shopping
Fairview Park Mall - 2960 Kingsway Drive
Kitchener, ON
Phone: 519-894-2450
Fairview Park Mall is the largest mall in the Waterloo Region.
Attractions
African Lion Safari
1386 Cooper Road
Hamilton, ON
Phone: 519-623-2620
African Lion Safari is a Canadian-owned family business that opened in 1969. Their approach to animal exhibits is different than traditional methods – The visitor is caged in their vehicle and the animals roam free in 5 to 50-acre reserves. With seven large Game Reserves, totaling 750 acres, animals such as lions, giraffes, rhinos, zebras, and many more are free to roam in a more spacious environment.
Centre in the Square
101 Queen Street North
Kitchener, ON N2H6P7
Phone: 519-578-1570
For more than 30 years Centre In The Square has played a leading role in showcasing the best local and international performing arts. It is the region’s largest and busiest performing arts centre, staging more than 158 events to more than 150,000 people in 2016. From classical music to rock, Broadway shows to comedy, visitors are sure to find performances that thrill and excite!
Chicopee Ski & Summer Resort
396 Morrison Road
Kitchener, ON N2A2Z6
Phone: 519-894-5610
From skiing and snowboarding in the winter, to bike trails and beach volleyball in the summer,
Chicopee Ski & Summer Resort provides year-round outdoor fun for the entire family!
RIM Park Manulife Financial Sportsplex
2001 University Avenue
Waterloo, ON N2K 4K4 Phone: 519-884-5363
RIM Park is the City of Waterloo's premier 500-acre park and recreation facility located in the Northeast corner of the City. With 18 outdoor sports fields, a multi-purpose recreation building, trails, park land, golf course, heritage and art, RIM Park provides endless opportunities for the community's recreation needs.
The Aud
Kitchener Memorial Auditorium Complex
400 East Avenue
Kitchener, ON
Phone: 519-741-2699
The Kitchener Memorial Auditorium Complex is Central Ontario’s premier location for major trade shows, exhibitions, meetings, conventions, concert productions, ice events, indoor and outdoor sports events and championship tournaments. The Aud is a multi-use facility which includes a 5800-seat auditorium, adjoining twin ice pads, a 3200-seat stadium and 1200 seat ballpark.
Kitchener Waterloo Symphony
101 Queen Street North
Kitchener, ON N2H6P7
Phone: 519-745-4711
The KW Symphony is one of the finest professional symphony orchestras in North America. The orchestra performs a wide range of concert series music to suit every age and taste.
Greater Toronto Area Attractions
For information on the attractions within the Greater Toronto Area, please visit: GTA Attractions
