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Local Transportation

Peterborough & the Kawarthas is ideally situated between Ontario’s Capital, Toronto and Canada’s Capital, Ottawa and the northeastern United States.

Peterborough & the Kawarthas is easily accessible from Highway 401, Highway 115, and the newly developed connection to the 115 from Highway 407. If a slower pace suits you better, you can tour the stunning countryside via Highway 7, or various scenic roadways throughout the region. Peterborough has a convenient GO Transit station located Downtown, with stops throughout the County of Peterborough.


Getting Here: Planes, Trains, Automobiles (and boats, and bikes, and canoes…)

Directions from Toronto

  • Via ON-407 and ON-115N – Take the Don Valley Parkway N to Highway 407 East to Highway 115
  • Via 401, take ON 401 Express to ON 401 East to Highway 115

Exits: #49 – Airport Road (Peterborough), #51 – The Parkway (Peterborough), #54 Bensfort Road (Peterborough), #56 Ashburnham Road (Peterborough), Highway 7 Junction (Peterborough)

Directions from Ottawa

  • Via Highway 7/Trans Canada Highway – Take Trans-Canada Highway/ON 417W, continue on Highway ON-7 to Peterborough
  • Via ON-416S/Highway 7 – Take Trans-Canada Highway/ON 417W and ON-416 S to Dilworth Rd/Ottawa 13, Take exit 42 from ON-416S, take route 5 and Donnelly Dr to County Road 43 in Merrickville-Wolford, and then take Highway 7 to Peterborough

Directions from Kingston/401 East Corridor

  • Via ON-401 W – Follow ON 401W to County Road 30 in Brighton, take exit 509. Continue on County Road 30, take County Road 27, County Road 25, County Road 2, County Road 38/Regional Road 38 and Highway 7 to Peterborough
  • Via ON-401 W – Follow ON 401 W to N Front Street/ON-62 in Belleville, take exit 543B, continue on ON-62N, take County Road 14, County Road 8, County Road 35 and County Road 2 to Highway 7

Ideally located

One vibrant city. Eight diverse rural townships. Two First Nations communities.

Peterborough & the Kawarthas is conveniently located between Canada’s capital, Ottawa, and Canada’s business centre, Toronto, which is Ontario’s capital city. The region is less than a day’s drive from the Northeastern United States.

The Trent-Severn Waterway

Peterborough & the Kawarthas is ideally situated along the Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site of Canada, one of the finest interconnected systems of navigation in the world. There are a number of marinas, including the popular Peterborough Marina located in the heart of Downtown Peterborough on Little Lake and 12 unique lock stations along the way starting at Lock 19 entering Peterborough from the Otonabee River and Rice Lake all the way through famed Kawarthas cottage country to Lock 31 in Buckhorn. Navigating the Trent-Severn Waterway was named a Journey of a Lifetime, and one of the World’s 500 Greatest Trips by National Geographic, boaters (and paddlers) can travel a significant portion here in Peterborough & the Kawarthas.

Did you know? Parks Canada’s Headquarters for the Trent-Severn Waterway is located in Peterborough.

The Peterborough Airport

The Peterborough Airport has the longest paved, lighted runway between Ottawa and Toronto. This full-service facility caters to both business and general aviation including fuel, oil, aircraft repairs, weather observation site, and charter service. Terminal operations feature Customs pre-clearance using CANPASS and a restaurant facility catering to local and transient traffic.

Travelling to or from Toronto?

For airport shuttles from Lester B. Pearson International and Billy Bishop Airports in Toronto, try Century Transportation.

Taxi and limousine services

There are two taxi services available in the area which include Call-A-Cab and Capitol Taxi as well as car rental dealers such as Enterprise Rent-A-Car.

If you like to travel in style, there are a number of limousine companies in the area. Looking for a rideshare service? Try Uride or Y-Drive PTBO

Bus and transit services

Peterborough Transit is pleased to present contactless fare purchase available using the HotSpot App, available as a free download on Google and Apple devices. The HotSpot Parking App is available in Peterborough at all meters and Pay and Display Machines. The HotSpot Parking App has a monthly or annual fee for the convenience of paying for parking on a mobile device. Parking related information can be found on the City of Peterborough’s website

The Link is a pilot project funded through the Province of Ontario. Project partners include Selwyn Township, Curve Lake First Nation, Community Care Peterborough, and the City of Peterborough. 

Go Transit – Peterborough Terminal 

Regularly scheduled GO Bus service from Peterborough to Toronto Union Station and destinations in-between and beyond. Connects with Oshawa GO Trains

Services available at Peterborough Bus Terminal:

  • GO ticket sales desk (or riders can pay the bus driver)
  • Full schedule and fare details are available online or at the ticket booth
  • PRESTO electronic fare cards can be purchased at the ticket booth

Train Service

The Government of Canada has committed to begin the process of procurement to build a new train service in the Toronto to Quebec City Corridor which would see the return of passenger train service to Peterborough. Until this is complete, the nearby Via Rail train station in Cobourg, Ontario is approximately 45 minutes from Peterborough, and Enterprise Car rental is available nearby. 

Cycling & Trails

The City of Peterborough has plentiful parkland and trails with more than 100 parks and sports fields. Whether you’re exploring on foot or by bike, the interconnected trail system in the city, which has received Silver Bicycle Friendly designation from the Share the Road Cycling Coalition, makes getting around a breeze, and better yet, this infrastructure connects to the County of Peterborough via the Peterborough & the Kawarthas Classics Road Cycling Routes. Trails are also located throughout the region in communities such as Lakefield, Millbrook, and Keene, including the Kawartha Trans Canada Trail, which makes this area one of Ontario’s most sought-after cycling destinations.