Kitchener and neighbouring Waterloo and Cambridge form a tightly-integrated metro area within the larger Region of Waterloo in Southwestern Ontario. At the time of the 2021 Canadian census, the population of the city of Kitchener was 256,885 people and the population of the Region of Waterloo area was 587,165.
Kitchener and Waterloo were pioneered by Mennonites from Pennsylvania, Cambridge by British, principally Scots, in the early 19th century. Once named Berlin, Kitchener was renamed in 1916 due to the anti-German sentiment during World War I, after British military hero Lord Kitchener. Since the 1950s when Waterloo attained city status, Kitchener and Waterloo have been known as the "Twin Cities", "K-W", or "Kitchener-Waterloo".
By car, with a local map: where other cities are laid out more or less on a grid Kitchener streets are not, rather follow their own complex patterns with frequent twists and turns, many continuing into adjoining Waterloo. Likewise, street directions are designated E, W, N, and S, but only one major cross street, Lancaster Street East/West, is true to the compass (running, oddly enough, straight north/south). King, Weber and Westmount are the principal EW streets in Kitchener (at Union Street, they become King, Weber and Westmount in Waterloo, where they are designated N/S).
1 Waterloo Pioneer Memorial Tower, 300 Lookout Ln (From King St. E., take Deer Ridge Dr. to Lookout Lane). A tower built in 1925 to commemorate the pioneers who first settled in this area in 1800, the first inland settlement in Upper Canada. A national historic site. 2 Victoria Park. Beautiful park in downtown. The park was designed by the firm of Frederick Law Olmstead, the same firm that designed Central Park in New York City. The park contains a large lake, a magnificent clock tower taken from the old city hall when it was demolished, a statue of Queen Victoria and a small restaurant that plays host to many musical acts among other things.
Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest. Bavarian festival held annually in October; is the largest in the world outside of Munich, Germany. Walter Bean Trail. A trail for hiking and bicycling that, when complete, will run along the Grand River through Kitchener, as well as Waterloo and part of Cambridge. 1 Kitchener Memorial Auditorium (The Aud), East Ave. The home of the Kitchener Rangers, an OHL (major junior hockey) team, "The Aud" often hosts other special events. open ears festival of music & sound, Downtown Kitchener, toll-free: +1-888-363-3591. A diverse, week-long, multi-venue music festival that has something for everyone.
1 Kitchener Market, 46 Queen St S. Tu-Fr 8AM-4PM, Sa 7AM-2PM. Farmer's market held on Saturday mornings in a modern building at the south end of downtown, about a 10-minute walk from City Hall and the bus station. There is also a food court made up of multi-cultural restaurants which is open every weekday. One local radio station, CJDV ("Dave FM") has a studio in the market, though they more often broadcast from their studio in Cambridge. (updated Jul 2019) 2 Three Kretans, 151 Frederick St, ☏ +1 519-576-9091. An authentic Greek restaurant. Established in 1995. 3 Taste of the Philly Cheesesteak, 98 King Street West (Quick walk right down King St), ☏ +1 519-743-4400.
See Nightlife, the weekly entertainment supplement published Thursdays by The Record, the area's daily newspaper, for its calendar of what's on in clubs, concerts, movies, stage, art, and kids stuff. 1 The Bent Elbow, 2880 King St E, ☏ +1 519-208-0202. M-Sa 3PM-11PM. 40 taps of Ontario and craft beer, over 50 bottles of one-offs, hard-to-find selections and Trappist ales. (updated Jun 2025) 2 Moose Winooskis, 20 Heldmann Rd, ☏ +1 519-653-9660. Su-W 11AM-midnight, Th-Sa 11AM-1AM. Log cabin decor, child-friendly. (updated Jul 2018) 3 AOK Craft Beer + Arcade, 165 King St W. Arcade bar with 20+ retro games and 12 rotating craft taps.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
In Sep, Kitchener typically sees ~22°C daytime highs and 8 rainy days.
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