Transportation

The O-Train, Ottawa's light rail train system

Ottawa is served by VIA Rail passenger service, a number of airlines that fly into Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport, and inter-city bus companies such as Greyhound through the Ottawa Bus Central Station.

The capital city of Canada is also served by a network of freeways, the main one being provincial Highway 417 (called The Queensway), Ottawa-Carleton Regional Road 174 (Formerly Provincial Highway 17), and the newly constructed Highway 416 (Veterans' Memorial Highway), connecting Ottawa to the rest of the 400-Series Highway network in Ontario. Highway 417 is also the Ottawa portion of the Trans-Canada Highway. The city also has a few Scenic Parkways (Promenades), such as the Ottawa River Parkway, and has a freeway connection to Quebec Autoroute 5, in Hull. For a complete listing of the parkways and roads in Ottawa, see the List of Ottawa roads.

Ottawa's main mass transit service is OC Transpo (provided by the City of Ottawa). The Ottawa rapid transit system includes the Transitway (a network of mostly grade-separated, extremely high-frequency, reserved bus rapid transit lanes with full stations instead of stops) and a light rail system called the O-Train (A new light rail system is being considered for connecting the north-south and the east-west sections of the city). Both OC Transpo and the Quebec-based Société de transport de l'Outaouais (STO) operate bus services between Ottawa and Gatineau. A transfer or bus pass of one is accepted on the other without having to pay a top-up fare on regular routes.

The Rideau Canal, which starts in Kingston, Ontario, winds its way through the city. The final flight of locks on the canal are between Parliament Hill and the Château Laurier. Also, during the winter season the canal is usually open and is a form of transportation downtown for about 7.8 kilometres (4.8 mi) for ice skaters (from a point near Carleton University to the Rideau Centre) and forms the world's longest skating rink.

There is a large network of paved multi-use pathways that wind their way through much of the city, including along the Ottawa River, Rideau River, and Rideau Canal. These pathways are used for transportation, tourism, and recreation. Because most streets either have wide curb lanes or bicycle lanes, cycling is a popular mode of transportation in the region throughout the year.

Ottawa sits at the confluence of three major rivers: the Ottawa River, the Gatineau River and the Rideau River. The Ottawa and Gatineau rivers were historically important in the logging and lumber industries, and the Rideau as part of the Rideau Canal system connecting the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence River with the Ottawa River.

Landmarks and notable institutions

The Château Laurier in downtown Ottawa.

Ottawa is home to a wealth of national museums, official residences, government buildings, memorials and heritage structures. Among the most notable:

• The Parliament Buildings, where Canada's government resides

• 24 Sussex Drive, the home of the Prime Minister of Canada

• Rideau Hall, the home of the Governor-General of Canada

• The National Gallery of Canada

• The Canadian War Museum

• The Canada Science and Technology Museum

• The Canada Aviation Museum

• The Canadian Museum of Nature

• The Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography

• The Canadian Museum of Civilization, across the Ottawa River in Gatineau, Quebec.

• The National War Memorial

• The Valiants Monument

• The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

• The Peacekeeping Monument

• The Canadian Tribute to Human Rights

• The Chateau Laurier, Ottawa's only Fairmont Hotel

The glass façade of Canada's National Gallery.

Federal buildings in the National Capital Region are managed by the Public Works Canada, while most of the federal lands in the Region are managed by the National Capital Commission or NCC; its control of much undeveloped land gives the NCC a great deal of influence over the city's development.