St. John's is the capital of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is the oldest city in North America outside of the Caribbean and is on the Avalon Peninsula in the southeast corner of the island of Newfoundland. Highlights in this city facing the Atlantic are military history, colourful houses along hilly streets and many variants of fish and chips.
St. John's is the easternmost point on the Trans-Canada Highway, a network of roads leading more than 8,000 km westward to Victoria, British Columbia. In fact, the easternmost point in North America aside from Greenland, Cape Spear, is just 15 km from downtown. With a location 2,100 km (1,339 miles) northeast of Toronto, St. John's is closer to Dublin than to Vancouver on the west coast of Canada, and closer to the Azores than to Ottawa. It is 3½ hours behind Greenwich Mean Time, 1½ hours ahead of Eastern Time, and 4½ hours ahead of Pacific Time. A taste of the Old World in the New, St.
Metrobus, ☏ +1 709-722-9400, informationservices@metrobus.com. 2.50. (updated Aug 2026) St. John's public transit system Metrobus, serves nearly all of St. John's, with limited service to the neighbourhoods of Shea Heights, Kilbride and the Goulds, as well as the neighbouring city of Mount Pearl. Surrounding communities are not served by bus. The fare is $2.50 per ride (adults and seniors, Aug 2026), children $2.00, and not per distance, making it a very cheap, affordable way of getting around town. If paying cash, pay the exact fare, because the driver will not give change.
As North America's easternmost outpost on the Atlantic, the harbour has played an important part in the history of St. John's, and the city has grown around it. The harbour can be viewed from multiple points around it, for instance from Signal Hill or the eastern shore. 1 Signal Hill. Majestically overlooking the city and designated as a National Historic Site. The hill was the last stand of the French army in North America during the Seven Years War. Cabot Tower, built in 1897, stand as the top today. The first wireless transatlantic message was received there in 1901. (updated Aug 2026) 2 The Battery.
The Grand Concourse, 439 Allandale Rd, ☏ +1 709-737-1077, info@grandconcourse.ca. The Grand Concourse Authority oversees an extensive collection of walking trails in the city. (updated Aug 2026) 1 St. John's Haunted Hike, Church Hill (tour begins and ends at the Anglican Cathedral). Su-Th at 9:30PM in summer. Tour historic St. John's while being regaled with stories of the spooky & strange. (updated Aug 2026) 2 East Coast Trail. A cliff side trail along the coast north of Signal Hill. This trail system extends in segments to the north and south for dozens of kilometers. (updated Aug 2026) 3 Iceberg Quest Ocean Tours, Pier 6, 135 Harbour Dr, ☏ +1 709-722-1888, book@icebergquest.com.
St. John's is the hometown of Canadian fried chicken chain Mary Brown's Chicken. The first location opened in 1969 in St. John's at the Avalon Mall, where there is still a branch. Many of their locations are available in Newfoundland and Labrador. Local favourite dishes include "chips, dressing and gravy" (french fries and stuffing covered in thick gravy), "fish-and-brewis" (a sort of hard bread), and "cod cheeks" (the cheeks of cod fish, really). 1 Bagel Café, 246 Duckworth St, ☏ +1 709-739-4470. One of the best breakfasts available in St. John's, with breakfast served all day. They also have hamburgers, sandwiches, soups and salads on the menu.
George Street, in the heart of downtown, is a prime location for nightlife. Water Street, said to be the oldest street in North America, also contains several pubs, usually of a more relaxing atmosphere. There are a lot of Irish pubs here, maybe not a surprise as St. John's is the point in North America that is closest to Ireland. Unlike most provinces in Canada, cold beer can be purchased in convenience stores. Liquor and wine are only available at NLC locations. Cannabis products can be purchased from several retail locations by adults (max 30 grams), including pre-rolls and beverages. 1 Duke of Duckworth, 325 Duckworth St, ☏ +1 709-739-6344.
While St. John's is generally regarded as a safe city, increases in the crime rate have been reported. Panhandling is very common in downtown, however simply replying "no" or ignoring those individuals usually does the trick, while a few more may be more persistent. Very rarely will these people become violent, and are usually not a problem. As in any other city of comparable size, use caution when travelling after dark. Common areas to avoid after dark include Buckmaster Circle, Old and New Penneywell Road, areas immediately around Hamlyn Road, Livingstone Street, Water Street west (Springdale Street west to the beginning of Waterford Bridge Road including Victoria Park) and Shea Heights.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
In Sep, St. John's typically sees ~17°C daytime highs and 7 rainy days.
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