waterfall
Niagara Falls (Canada)
The Canadian side offers the most dramatic views of the Horseshoe Falls, with the Journey Behind the Falls experience and Niagara Parks botanical gardens.
17 km · about 20 min drive
North AmericaCanadaOntario
St. Catharines
Ontario, Canada · North America
About St. Catharines
St. Catharines works well as a base: 15 minutes from Thorold, 17km from Niagara Falls (Canada).
St. Catharines is in Ontario, Canada, with about 140,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Thorold, about 7 km away.
St. Catharines is the most populous city in Canada's Niagara Region and the 8th-largest urban area in the province of Ontario. As of 2021, St. Catharines has an area of 96.2 square kilometres (37.1 mi2) and 136,803 residents. It lies in Southern Ontario, 51 kilometres (32 mi) south of Toronto across Lake Ontario, andRead more
19 kilometres (12 mi) inland from the international boundary with the United States along the Niagara River. It is the northern entrance of the Welland Canal. St. Catharines carries the official nickname "The Garden City" due to its 4 square kilometres (1.5 mi2) of parks, gardens, and trails.
St. Catharines is between the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) and the Canada–U.S. border at Fort Erie. Manufacturing was the city's dominant industry, as noted by the heraldic motto, "Industry and Liberality". General Motors of Canada, Ltd., the Canadian subsidiary of General Motors, was the city's largest employer, a distinction now held by the District School Board of Niagara. THK Rhythm Automotive, formerly TRW, operates a plant in the city, although in recent years, employment there has shifted from heavy industry and manufacturing to services.
St. Catharines lies on one of the main telecommunications backbones between Canada and the United States. As a result, a number of call centres operate in the city. It is designated an Urban Growth Centre by the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, intended to achieve a minimum density target of 150 jobs and residents combined per hectare by 2032 or earlier.
St. Catharines is also home to Brock University, a campus of Trillium College, and a university prep school Ridley College.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near St. Catharines?
Within an hour or so of St. Catharines: Niagara Falls (Canada) (17 km), Horseshoe Falls (Canadian Side) (17 km), Niagara-on-the-Lake (17 km), Niagara Falls (New York) (19 km).
Where is St. Catharines?
St. Catharines is in Ontario, Canada, about 7 km from Thorold.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 136,803
- Continent
- North America
- Country
- Canada
- Region
- Ontario
- Timezone
- America/Toronto
- Coordinates
- 43.1713, -79.2427
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Canada
CAA roadside assistance: 1-800-222-4357. Winter tyres mandatory in Quebec December–March.
Full driving guide for CanadaTags
Worth the detour from St. Catharines
7 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
Horseshoe Falls (Canadian Side)
The most powerful waterfall in North America, where 90 per cent of the Niagara River's flow plummets over the curved brink.
17 km · about 20 min drive
landmark
Niagara-on-the-Lake
A charming heritage town at the mouth of the Niagara River with award-winning wineries, the Shaw Festival theatre, and beautiful 19th-century streetscapes.
17 km · about 20 min drive
waterfall
Niagara Falls (New York)
One of the world's most powerful and famous waterfalls, where the Niagara River plunges over 160 feet at the US-Canada border.
19 km · about 20 min drive
landmark
CN Tower
Soaring 553-metre communications and observation tower that defines the Toronto skyline.
54 km · about 60 min drive
landmark
Ripley's Aquarium of Canada
Toronto's spectacular aquarium at the base of the CN Tower with a stunning underwater tunnel and 20,000 aquatic animals.
54 km · about 60 min drive
museum
Royal Ontario Museum
Canada's largest museum of world cultures and natural history, topped by Daniel Libeskind's dramatic crystalline extension.
57 km · about 65 min drive
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