About Waterloo

Explore the region

Waterloo is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is one of three cities in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, with a population of more than 630,000 people. Learn more about the Waterloo Region.

In and near Waterloo region:

Waterloo and the surrounding area have many attractions & entertainment available for visitors, including:

  • CAFKA: Contemporary Art in Public Spaces. The CAFKA exhibition, “Stay With Me” will be featured in the Region of Waterloo from June 3 to July 22, 2023. Many of the installations are on the University of Waterloo campus, including at the university art gallery, or in nearby locations like Waterloo Park or the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery.
  • Trails in Waterloo Region. The Waterloo Region is home to some excellent leisurely trails for walkers, joggers, and cyclists.
  • The Village of St. Jacobs. In addition to many interesting shops in St. Jacobs, there is a popular farmers’ market that takes place on Thursday & Saturday mornings.
  • The Elora Gorge. At the Elora Gorge, the Grand River flows between tall, rocky cliffs. The gorge can be accessed from the village of Elora or from the nearby Elora Gorge Conservation Area.
  • Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory. At the Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory, you can view and learn about thousands of butterflies as they flutter around you.
  • The Stratford Shakespeare Festival. The Stratford Shakespeare Festival, in the nearby city of Stratford (about a half-hour drive), is the largest repertory theatre in North America. It features plays by William Shakespeare (of course) but also other authors.

In Toronto:

  • Ripley’s Aquarium. Ripley's Aquarium features amazing exhibits of all kinds of sea creatures. The Aquarium is also right beside Toronto's famous CN Tower.
  • Royal Ontario Museum. The Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto is a museum of world culture and natural history. It is one of the largest museums in North America.
  • Art Gallery of Ontario. The Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto contains more than 80,000 works of art from the first century to the present day.
  • Ontario Science Centre. The Ontario Science Centre features exhibits on astronomy, nature, geology, technology, and human anatomy.
  • The Toronto Islands. The Toronto Islands are a cluster of islands in Lake Ontario just a few miles from Toronto. You must take a ferry from Toronto's harbour front to the islands. You can also visit Centreville Amusement Park which is on Centre Island.
  • Canada's Wonderland. Amusement Park in Ontario!

Elsewhere:

  • Niagara Falls. Niagara Falls is about 1.5 hours from Waterloo by car.
  • Niagara-on-the-lake. Niagara-on-the-lake offers a picturesque town with a rich historic district and the region has some of the finest wineries in Ontario.

Venue & Parking

The University of Waterloo is located in the twin cities of Kitchener-Waterloo in southwestern Ontario, about 90 minutes' drive West of Toronto. The main campus is 1000-acre with 100+ buildings and six faculties. Learn more about the University of Waterloo on our quick facts page.

University of Waterloo Territorial Acknowledgement

The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is coordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.

Venue
Federation Hall
200 University Avenue West
Waterloo, ON, Canada N2L 3G1

Visitor Parking

Please consult the UW campus map for locations. An interactive map of the campus can be found on the Waterloo website.

Parking is available for visitor use at the following daily rates:

Transportation in Waterloo

  • ION Light Rail
  • Grand River Transit, routes 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, and 29, Late Night Loop, and iXpress reach the main campus. If you are taking the ION, use the University of Waterloo station. To get to the Delta Hotel, take the ION two stops to Willis Way station, and follow the tracks back to Erb St. and then down Erb St. to the hotel; to get from the Delta to UW, walk to the Waterloo Public Square station, and take the ION two stops to the University of Waterloo station.