Geography of Ottawa

National Capital Region by SPOT Satellite in 2003

This is the outline of the geography of the city of Ottawa, the capital of Canada. Ottawa's current borders were formed in 2001, when the former city of Ottawa amalgamated with the ten other municipalities within the former Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton. Ottawa is now a single-tiered Census division, home to 870,250 people.

The city centre is located at the confluence of the Ottawa and Rideau Rivers. The Ottawa River forms the entire northern boundary of the city which it shares with the province of Quebec's municipalities of Pontiac and Gatineau. The northern boundary begins in the west at Arnprior and continues east to Rockland. The boundary then turns south in a straight line, separating the former Township of Cumberland (now in Ottawa) and the City of Clarence-Rockland. It then turns west in another straight line separating the former Township of Cumberland with the municipalities of The Nation and Russell. It then turns south separating Russell from the former Township of Osgoode (now in Ottawa). That boundary runs south in a straight line, then turns west separating Osgoode from the municipality of North Dundas. That boundary runs west in a straight line before turning north separating Osgoode from the municipality of North Grenville. This is another straight line, running north until the Rideau River near Kemptville. The boundary follows the River upstream until almost reaching Merrickville. The boundary then runs in a northwest direction in a straight line with a number of jogs. It separates the municipalities of Montague, Beckwith and Mississippi Mills from the former townships of Marlborough, Goulbourn, Huntley and Fitzroy.

Former townships

What is now Ottawa was once divided geographically into 11 townships. Ten of them in the former Carleton and one (Cumberland) in the former Russell County. The ten townships of Carleton were Fitzroy, Gloucester, Goulbourn, Huntley, March, Marlborough, Nepean, North Gower, Osgoode and Torbolton.

Physical geography

The highest point in the city is 166 m (545 ft) above sea level, and is located 2.6 km SSE of Manion Corners (45° 14' 5" N; 76° 3' 3" W). The lowest point in the city is the Ottawa River, at 44m above sea level.

Highest points by ward

Map of Ottawa showing urban area, highways, waterways, and historic townships

Rivers and creeks

Tributaries of the Ottawa River (from east to west)

The Mississippi River.

The Rideau River is one of the two main rivers in Ottawa

The Ottawa River outside of Parliament Hill.

• Becketts Creek
• Cardinal Creek
• Bilberry Creek
• Green's Creek
  • Mud Creek
  • Borthwick Creek
    • Nicolet Drain
  • Ramsay Creek
  • McEwen Creek
• Rideau River
• Rideau Canal (artificial)
  • Brown's Inlet
  • Patterson Creek
• Graham Creek
• Still Water Creek
• Watts Creek
• Shirley's Brook
• Constance Creek
• Carp River
• Mississippi River
  • Cartwrights Creek
  • Cody Creek
• Madawaska River (mouth not in Ottawa)

Tributaries of the Rideau River (from north to south)

The Jock River.

• Sawmill Creek
• Nepean Creek
• Black Rapids Creek
• Mosquito Creek
• Jock River
  • Mahoney Creek
  • Nichols Creek
  • Kings Creek
• Mud Creek
• Steven Creek
• Cranberry Creek
• McDermot Drain (mouth not in Ottawa)
• Brassills Creek
• Rideau Creek

Others

• Bear Brook
  • South Indian Creek
  • Shaws Creek
  • McKinnons Creek
• North Castor River
  • Black Creek
• Middle Castor River
• South Castor River

Features of the Ottawa River

Nepean Point.

Chaudière Falls.

(from East to West)

Features of the Rideau River

Rideau Falls.

(from North to South)

Lakes

• Brewer Park Pond (Ottawa)
• Constance Lake (Kanata)
• Lac des Chats (West Carleton)
• Dow's Lake (artificial, Ottawa)
• Lac Deschênes (Nepean)
• Lake Madawaska (West Carleton)
• McKay Lake (Rockcliffe Park)
• Mud Lake (Britannia)
• Mud Pond (Kanata)
• Sand Pits Lake (Rockcliffe Park)

Other geographical features

Mer Bleue bog

• Beaver Island (West Carleton)
• The Burnt Lands (West Carleton)
• Canaan Hill (Cumberland)
• Carlington Hill (Carlington)
• Carp Hills (also known as Carp Ridge) (West Carleton)
• Colonel By Valley (Ottawa)
• Greenbelt (Nepean/Gloucester)
  • Mer Bleue (Cumberland/Gloucester)
  • Pine Grove Forest
  • Stony Swamp
• LeBreton Flats (Ottawa)
• Marlborough Forest (Rideau-Goulbourn Ward)
• Nanny Goat Hill (Ottawa)
• Quigley Hill (Cumberland)

Sources

• National Resources Canada Topographic Maps
• MapArt map of Ottawa
• Ontario Base Survey

External links

• Take a Virtual Cruise on the Ottawa River

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