Southern Ontario Map
Regional map covering the GTA, Niagara, and southwestern Ontario.
About Hamilton
Hamilton is the centre of one of Canada's larger metropolitan areas and a long-standing hub for steel manufacturing, healthcare, and education. The city is split visually by the Niagara Escarpment, locally called "the Mountain," which divides upper and lower Hamilton. McMaster University and Mohawk College are based here, and the city includes more than 100 named waterfalls within its boundaries.
Geography & Major Routes
Major routes include the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW), Highway 403, the Lincoln M. Alexander Parkway, and the Red Hill Valley Parkway. The Hamilton Harbour and Port of Hamilton are significant Great Lakes shipping facilities. Hamilton International Airport serves cargo and some passenger traffic.
Hamilton Districts & Communities
Downtown Hamilton, the historic neighbourhoods of Durand and Kirkendall, Westdale near the university, and Stoney Creek, Ancaster, Dundas, Flamborough, and Glanbrook (former municipalities amalgamated in 2001) make up the broader city.
Region
Hamilton is part of Southern Ontario, with a population of approximately 570,000. For broader context, see the Southern Ontario regional map and the Ontario map with cities.
Hamilton at a glance
| Region | Southern Ontario |
| Census division | Hamilton |
| Population (2021 census) | 569,353 |
| Coordinates | 43.2557° N, 79.8711° W |
How Hamilton is laid out
Hamilton sits at the western tip of Lake Ontario around Hamilton Harbour. The defining feature on any Hamilton map is the Niagara Escarpment, known locally as the Mountain, which cuts across the city and separates the lower city on the harbour plain from the upper city on the plateau above. Access between the two is limited to a handful of mountain accesses, which is why the road pattern changes so sharply along that line.
Highways and getting around
The QEW skirts the harbour toward Niagara, Highway 403 runs through the lower city toward Brantford and Woodstock, and the Lincoln Alexander and Red Hill Valley parkways carry traffic across and down the escarpment. Highway 6 heads north toward Guelph and south toward Caledonia.
Nearest cities and towns
Straight-line distances from Hamilton to other communities covered on this site. Road distances will be longer.
| Community | Distance |
|---|---|
| Burlington | 10 km |
| Oakville | 28 km |
| Milton | 29 km |
| Brantford | 34 km |
| Cambridge | 38 km |
| Mississauga | 41 km |
What this map shows
The printable map on this page is drawn from Statistics Canada 2021 census boundary files and Natural Earth water and road data. It shows the municipal boundaries around Hamilton, neighbouring communities, major highways, and lakes and rivers, with a scale bar for distance. The interactive map above it can be zoomed and panned; the PDF version is sized for letter paper.
Hamilton map FAQ
What is 'the Mountain' in Hamilton?
It is the local name for the Niagara Escarpment, the ridge that runs through the city. It is not a mountain but a long limestone cliff, part of the same formation that creates Niagara Falls.
Is Hamilton part of the Greater Toronto Area?
Hamilton is usually counted as part of the wider Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area and the Golden Horseshoe, but it is a separate single-tier city, not part of the GTA's regional municipalities.
What are Hamilton's waterfalls?
More than a hundred waterfalls occur where creeks drop over the escarpment inside city limits, including Albion Falls, Webster's Falls and Tews Falls.