Transportation in Waterloo: For Businesses on the Move

With a modern light rail system, access to Canada’s largest consumer market, multiple nearby border crossings and flights around the world, Waterloo is an ideal hub for international business.

Here’s what transportation looks like in Waterloo and beyond:

Connect your products and people with the world

Waterloo is at the centre of southern Ontario, one of North America’s largest markets.

Businesses in the region have access to five Canada-US border crossings, four airports and a market of 187M consumers. Major US business hubs – including New York, Boston, Detroit, Chicago, Pittsburgh and Columbus – are within a day’s drive.

Waterloo’s international transit connections allow for the efficient movement of goods and people. If you’re shipping products overseas, Canada’s extensive trade agreements – spanning more than 50 countries – provide access to 1.5B consumers worldwide and 61% of the global economy.

Waterloo is also well connected for business travel. The region’s airport network – including facilities in Waterloo Region, London, Hamilton and Toronto – offers convenient access. Toronto Pearson International Airport, with 160 global destinations and 44.8M passengers annually, is a major hub for business travel.

Reach new markets and see new sights

Waterloo’s regional transportation network makes travel and logistics simple.

The region sits along Canada’s 401 superhighway, connecting it to Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal and Windsor, along with border crossings into Buffalo and Detroit. Goods can flow across regions with ease, and freight rail links to Class I US railroads and major Atlantic and Pacific ports further strengthen supply chains for Waterloo businesses.

Toronto, Canada’s largest consumer market, is just over an hour from Waterloo. The 105km/65mi trip is also accessible by GO Transit buses, VIA Rail and GO Transit trains, which run 11 times daily. These rail connections link directly to Toronto’s TTC transit system, recently recognized as the top transit network in Canada. Business travellers can even get to Toronto in just 18 minutes via regional flights.

Culture, connection and city living

Getting around the region is just as efficient as travelling out of it.

The region’s 19km/11.8-mile ION Light Rail Transit (LRT) line connects key innovation hubs, including the University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University, Kitchener’s Innovation District, the Accelerator Centre, Waterloo’s Research + Technology Park, Communitech and Velocity. Shopping centres, as well as corporate offices for Google, SAP, Shopify and OpenText, are all located along the LRT route.

Beyond the LRT, Grand River Transit (GRT) operates bus routes across Waterloo, Kitchener and Cambridge. Local transit connects seamlessly to GO Transit and VIA Rail, providing smooth outbound travel. The planned GO Station in Breslau, part of Woolwich Township, will add even more commuting options.

Thanks to effective local transit and a smaller population, commutes in Waterloo aren’t your average big-city traffic jam. The average commute time is only 22.8 minutes – compared to 28.8 minutes in San Francisco and 34.2 minutes in New York – saving you and your employees valuable time during the work week.

Move smarter

People and products travel easily in and out of Waterloo. Our location connects businesses to major Canadian and US markets through efficient road, rail and flight networks.

By leveraging Waterloo’s transportation network, you can build strong supply chains, streamline business travel and move easily within the region. Whether it’s commuting, shipping goods or cycling around the city, getting where you need to go is simple and efficient.