Cambridge is situated in the most prosperous, highly industrialized area of Canada.  This strategic location is supported through the transportation excellence provided by the MacDonald Cartier Freeway (Highway 401), which ensures quick, convenient accessibility to Toronto, southern Ontario and the bordering regions of the United States.

Cambridge is Strategically located in Northeastern North America

map of area

  • Cambridge's location provides a consumer market of 1 million people within 30 mile radius, 6 million people within 65 miles and 130 million people within one day's trucking
  • access to major U.S. border crossings is convenient from Cambridge
  • excellent "Just In Time" manufacturing location due to intricate highway system and suitable climate
  • convenient access (50 minutes) to Toronto's "Lester B. Pearson International Airport" offering direct flights to over 300 destinations in 60 countries, and 25 minutes to Hamilton's John C. Munro International Airport, and home to the Waterloo Regional Airport
  • convenient access to Ports of Toronto and Hamilton which permits direct access to the Atlantic Ocean and international shipping routes three-quarters of the year
  • one hour drive to Metropolitan Toronto for business and lifestyle benefits of a world-class City
Distance to major markets
CityMilesKmCityMilesKm
Toronto 55 90 Buffalo 95 153
Hamilton  22 36 Detroit 181 291
Kitchener 10 16 Cleveland 289 465
Niagara Falls 77 125 Pittsburgh 320 510
Windsor 180 290 Boston 510 821
Montreal 400 640 Chicago 460 740
Ottawa 300 483 New York 510 820

Geographic Characteristics

The City of Cambridge covers a land area of 112.82 square kilometres.  The coordinates are latitude 43° 23' N, longitude 80° 15' W, with an elevation of approximately 300 metres.

Cambridge is located in Southwestern Ontario at the convergence of the Grand and Speed Rivers, and along the Galt and Paris Moraines.  The river valley is host to a stretch of the Grand River Forest, containing Carolinian forest species rare to Canada, such as tulip trees, and black walnut.  The surrounding geography is used for agricultural purposes, interspersed with a mixture of northern and southern forest species known as the Carolinian-Canadian Transitional Biotic Province.

In 1994, the Grand River became the first urban waterway to be named a Canadian Heritage River.  This distinction is due to the rich diversity of natural and human heritage found along the valley lands. The network of River Trails allow hiking and biking enthusiasts to enjoy the Grand River's natural assets, which include rare ferns, Carolinian forest species, limestone bluff outcroppings and sensitive wetlands.