Centretown and West Centretown
Centretown is in central Ottawa, in Somerset Ward. The City defines it as the area bounded by Gloucester Street and Lisgar Street on the north, the Rideau Canal on the east, the Queensway on the south and Bronson Avenue on the west. Traditionally the name covered all of Ottawa west of the Rideau Canal, while Lower Town was everything to the east. A construction boom that began in the late nineties added many condominiums and other high-rise buildings north of Cooper Street, and the City launched a Mid-Centretown Community Design Plan study in 2009. This guide uses two Ottawa Neighbourhood Study areas, Centretown and West Centretown.
The Centretown area has 2 neighbourhoods: Centretown and West Centretown.
Updated · Facts on this page link to their sources
Centretown, Ottawa (20130831-DSC04278). Photo: Matti Blume, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons 01Centretown
A compact, apartment-heavy area a short walk from Parliament Hill.
Ottawa Neighbourhood Study area Centretown; the City's own definition runs from Gloucester and Lisgar streets to the Queensway, and from Bronson Avenue to the Rideau Canal.
Centretown, Ottawa (20130831-DSC04278). Photo: Matti Blume, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons 02West Centretown
A more mixed housing stock with an O-Train Line 2 station nearby.
Ottawa Neighbourhood Study area West Centretown.
Quick answers
Short answers first; each links to the full answer and its sources.
Is Centretown a good place to live?
Whether Centretown suits you depends on what you want from a home, and the facts describe a compact, apartment-heavy area close to downtown. In the 2021 census (via the Ottawa Neighbourhood Study), Centretown had 31,890 residents, 75.3% renter households and an average household size of 1.5. Its ONS average Walk Score is 69 and its Bike Score is 95.
As of 2026-10 · ons-sqo.ca en.wikipedia.org
Where is Centretown in Ottawa?
Centretown is a neighbourhood in Somerset Ward, in central Ottawa, Ontario. The City defines it as the area bounded by Gloucester Street and Lisgar Street on the north, the Rideau Canal on the east, the Queensway on the south and Bronson Avenue on the west.
As of 2026-10 · en.wikipedia.org
How far is Centretown from downtown Ottawa?
Centretown is about 0.8 km from Parliament Hill in a straight line (as the crow flies), which this guide uses as its downtown reference point. West Centretown is about 2.0 km from Parliament Hill by the same measure.
As of 2026-10 · en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
What are homes like in Centretown?
Homes in Centretown are mostly apartments. In the 2021 census (via the Ottawa Neighbourhood Study), 67.1% of dwellings were in buildings of five or more storeys and 23.4% in buildings under five storeys. Row houses were 3.2%, single-detached houses 3.0% and semi-detached houses 1.6%.
As of 2026-10 · ons-sqo.ca ons-sqo.ca
Is Centretown walkable?
Centretown's ONS average Walk Score is 69 and its Bike Score is 95. In the 2021 census, 37.9% of Centretown workers commuted on foot. The average number of transit stops within a 600 m walk is 20.1.
As of 2026-10 · ons-sqo.ca ons-sqo.ca
Do more people rent or own in Centretown?
More people rent than own in Centretown. In the 2021 census (via the Ottawa Neighbourhood Study), 75.3% of Centretown households were renters and 24.7% were owners. In West Centretown, 75.7% were renters and 24.2% were owners.
As of 2026-10 · ons-sqo.ca ons-sqo.ca