Getting around London, Ontario
Last reviewed October 30, 2026
If you're used to the TTC, GO and the 401 at rush hour, getting around London will feel different in both directions. In-city drives are shorter and simpler, but public transit is less extensive. Here's what to expect, and how it should shape where you buy.
Driving: what most Londoners do
Most London households rely on a car, and many have two. The city is laid out around a set of main arterial roads. Wellington Road, Richmond Street, Highbury Avenue, Wonderland Road and Hyde Park Road run roughly north–south. Oxford Street, Dundas Street, Fanshawe Park Road and Commissioners Road run east–west. There's no expressway through the middle of the city, so cross-town trips go along those arterials. Outside rush hour, most trips across London take 20–30 minutes.
Rush hour does exist. Some north–south routes, bridges over the Thames and the roads around the universities get congested. But "bad traffic" here usually means adding 10–15 minutes, not an hour. Highway 401 runs along the city's southern edge and Highway 402 heads west to Sarnia from the southwest corner, so homes in the south and east are closest to the highway.
London Transit (LTC)
The London Transit Commission runs the city's bus network, including routes that connect downtown, Western University, Fanshawe College and the major shopping areas. Service is frequent along the busiest corridors, especially those serving the campuses, and thinner in outer suburbs and evenings.
The City has been building rapid transit corridors with dedicated bus lanes, including routes through downtown, along Wellington Road to the south, and east along the King and Dundas corridor. Construction timelines and routes are published on the City of London's website. If transit access is important to you, check the latest status for the specific streets you're considering.
Living car-light is possible in London, mainly downtown, near Western, and in walkable pockets like Wortley Village and Old East Village. If you want to live car-free, choose those areas first and check the bus routes to your workplace before you buy.
Cycling and walking
The Thames Valley Parkway is London's backbone for recreational cycling, running, and some commuting. It's a long multi-use path system along the north, south and main branches of the Thames River, connecting downtown with Springbank Park and many neighbourhoods. The City has also been adding bike lanes and cycle tracks on several streets. In winter, cycling drops off sharply, though some paths are maintained.
Getting to Toronto and the GTA
Driving the 401
Downtown Toronto is roughly 190 kilometres from London. In light traffic the drive takes around two hours. At GTA rush hour, especially between Milton and downtown, it can take considerably longer. Winter weather between London and Woodstock can also slow things down. Many hybrid workers time their trips to avoid the morning peak entirely.
VIA Rail
VIA Rail runs trains between London's downtown station on York Street and Toronto's Union Station, with routes via Kitchener and via Brantford. Trips typically take a little over two hours, and schedules are more limited than GTA commuter rail, so check viarail.ca for current times and fares. For people who visit Toronto occasionally, the train is often more relaxing than driving: you can work on board and arrive downtown.
GO Transit
Metrolinx ran a pilot extending some GO trains to London between 2021 and 2023, but it ended. There is currently no regular GO train service to London. GO trains do run to Kitchener, which some people drive to. Keep an eye on provincial announcements, because rail service in the corridor is a recurring topic.
Intercity buses
Private coach operators run London–Toronto routes. Operators and schedules change, so search for current options before you rely on them.
For a much deeper look at commuting, see our companion site Commute from London.
Flying
London International Airport (YXU) is in the city's northeast and offers a limited set of scheduled flights, mostly to a few Canadian hubs and seasonal sun destinations. It's very convenient when it has the route you need. For international travel, most Londoners drive to Toronto Pearson (about two hours) or occasionally use Detroit Metropolitan. Shuttle services run between London and Pearson.
How transport should shape where you buy
- Regular GTA trips by car: south and east London, closer to the 401.
- Regular GTA trips by train: central neighbourhoods within easy reach of the downtown VIA station (Wortley Village, Old North, Woodfield, Old East Village, downtown).
- Car-light living: downtown, near Western, or along the busiest bus corridors.
- Kids in sports and activities: check drive times to the arenas, pools and fields you'll be visiting several times a week.
Your local agent
Rayna Elabed, Sales Representative
When you're moving from the GTA, the hardest things to judge from a distance are local: which streets back onto a busy arterial, how a neighbourhood feels on a weekday evening, and whether a list price is in line with what similar homes nearby actually sold for. That's where a London-based agent earns their keep.
Rayna Elabed is a Sales Representative with CENTURY 21 First Canadian Corp., Brokerage, based at the brokerage's downtown office on York Street. She works with buyers on the search and the negotiation, and with sellers on pricing and marketing. You can browse current London listings and reach her directly through her CENTURY 21 page.