Getting to Carleton University from Downtown

Taxi or Ride-Sharing Services
To reach Carleton University from downtown Ottawa by taxi or ride-sharing service, the ride usually takes about 10–15 minutes, depending on traffic, and costs approximately CAD 15–25. Drivers can drop you off directly at the main campus.

Public Transportation
Ottawa has an extensive public transportation network that allows easy access to Carleton University’s main campus at a low cost. The city’s transit system includes the O-Train light rail network and multiple bus lines. A single ticket costs CAD 4.00 and can be purchased directly on the train using a credit card.

O-Train Lines 1 & 2

Lines 1 and 2 are part of Ottawa’s O-Train network. During morning and late-afternoon peak hours, trains run every 5 minutes on Line 1 and every 12 minutes on Line 2.

Carleton University is directly served by Line 2 at Carleton Station, located just a 6-minute walk from Richcraft Hall, which connects to Line 1 serving the main downtown stations. Most hotels in downtown Ottawa are on Line 1, so a transfer at Bayview Station is required. The travel time from Bayview to Carleton University is approximately 17 minutes.

Approximate travel times from Carleton University to key Line 1 downtown stations:

• • • Lyon Station: 26 minutes
    • Parliament Station: 32 minutes
    • Rideau Station: 38 minutes

Bus Lines

Depending on your hotel location and traffic conditions, it may be more convenient to take one of the bus lines that serve the university: 7, 10, or 111. To plan your trip and explore different transit options, please visit the OC Transpo trip planner: https://plan.octranspo.com/plan

You can also download the OC Transpo mobile app for real-time schedules and updates via this link.

For a detailed view of the O-Train network, including all lines and stations, visit the interactive map accessible here.