Americas · capital city

What Is the Capital of Canada?

Q: Is Ottawa the largest city in Canada?

No. The largest urban area is Toronto (6.4 million), while Ottawa has about 1.4 million.

Q: What time zone is Ottawa in?

Ottawa is on UTC-5 — UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time). Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November.

Q: Which capital is closest to Ottawa?

Among the capitals of neighbouring countries, Washington, D.C. (United States) is the closest, 735 km away in a straight line.

Ottawa

The capital of Canada is Ottawa. About 1.4 million people live in the Ottawa urban area — 3.5% of the country's population.

1.4 million

Urban area population

UTC-5

Time zone (+ daylight saving)

45.42°N

Latitude · 75.70°W

Largest city: Toronto

Ottawa at a glance

Name origin

The city lies on the south bank of the Ottawa River, from which it derives its name; the river name comes from the Algonquin word adawe, meaning "to trade".

Time zone

UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time). Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November.

Coordinates

45 25 N, 75 42 W · IANA time zone America/Toronto

Location of Canada

Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean on the east, North Pacific Ocean on the west, and the Arctic Ocean on the north, north of the conterminous US

Largest cities in Canada

Toronto

6.4 million

Montreal

4.3 million

Vancouver

2.7 million

Calgary

1.6 million

Edmonton

1.5 million

Ottawa Capital

1.4 million

Urban-area population · CIA World Factbook (public domain)

Capitals of neighbouring countries

Capitals closest to Ottawa

Straight-line distance between capitals.

Frequently asked questions about Ottawa

What is the capital of Canada?

The capital of Canada is Ottawa. About 1.4 million people live in the Ottawa urban area — 3.5% of the country's population.

Is Ottawa the largest city in Canada?

No. The largest urban area is Toronto (6.4 million), while Ottawa has about 1.4 million.

What time zone is Ottawa in?

Ottawa is on UTC-5 — UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time). Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November.

Where does the name Ottawa come from?

The city lies on the south bank of the Ottawa River, from which it derives its name; the river name comes from the Algonquin word adawe, meaning "to trade".

Which capital is closest to Ottawa?

Among the capitals of neighbouring countries, Washington, D.C. (United States) is the closest, 735 km away in a straight line.

Data: CIA World Factbook (public domain); population: World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0).

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