Smaller than Toronto or Montreal, Kingston is a historic limestone city on Lake Ontario, where the St. Lawrence begins, roughly halfway between them. About 130,000 people live here. It was Canada's first capital in the 1840s, and Queen's University and the Royal Military College keep the downtown young and busy.
Visitors walk the waterfront, tour Fort Henry and the old penitentiary, browse Market Square, take a cruise into the Thousand Islands, or ride the ferry to Wolfe Island. The farmers' market runs several days a week. It is a compact, walkable city with good restaurants and small breweries, and the summer festival calendar is full. Housing costs are above the national average, and rents are stiff because of student demand and low vacancy. Crime is around average and mostly property related. Winters bring freezing rain and lake snow, and summers are humid.
Trip planning at a glance
Peak season
June to September (waterfront, Buskers Rendezvous and university move-in and convocation weekends spike rates)
Nearest airport
Kingston/Norman Rogers Airport (YGK), 15 km west of downtown with limited flights
Highlights
Fort Henry National Historic Site
Kingston City Hall and Market Square
Kingston Penitentiary and Prison for Women tours
Thousand Islands cruises
Bellevue House National Historic Site
Queen's University campus
Kingston Waterfront Pathway and Confederation Park
Out of 10. Open any score to see how it’s worked out. “Data-based” scores come from published figures; “Hey! En Route estimate” scores are worked out from what we know about the city; “Hey! En Route rating” scores were set by our editors.
6.8/10Good
Connector Score9.1
18 worthwhile cities within three hours; reachable by road, intercity train, intercity bus, air, and ferry; lodging and sights for an overnight stop. Hey! En Route estimate
Safety8.0
Crime Severity Index around 60; the Canadian figure is about 80. Data-based
Affordability5.5
Cost of living index about 110, where the national average is 100. Data-based
Transportation9.5
Reachable by: road, intercity train, intercity bus, air, and ferry. Hey! En Route estimate
Car-free friendliness7.0
Intercity train or bus, plus local transit and walkability. Hey! En Route estimate
Walkability7.6
A walkable downtown. Hey! En Route estimate
Things to do6.2
Known for 6 kinds of attraction, with 10 annual events listed. Hey! En Route estimate
Food & dining6.0
A known food scene, weighted by city size. Hey! En Route estimate
Places to stay5.8
Lodging at budget, mid-range and luxury prices. Hey! En Route estimate
Nature & outdoors3.5
Known for lakes & rivers. Hey! En Route estimate
Scenic value5.3
From its landscape: coast, mountains, lakes and parks. Hey! En Route estimate
Family friendliness4.6
Zoos, aquariums, theme parks and museums, weighted by safety. Hey! En Route estimate
Solo-traveler friendliness6.6
Safety, getting around without a car, hostels, and things to do. Hey! En Route estimate
Nightlife5.1
Estimated from city size and live music. Hey! En Route estimate
Remote-work friendliness6.0
City size, affordability, cafés and connections. Hey! En Route estimate
Road-trip convenience6.5
18 worthwhile cities within three hours’ drive, plus parking, EV charging and RV options. Hey! En Route estimate
Train-trip convenience8.0
Intercity train service, with 20 nearby cities reachable by rail. Hey! En Route estimate
Bus-trip convenience7.3
Intercity buses, with 22 nearby cities reachable by bus. Hey! En Route estimate
The Limestone City; Canada's First Capital (1841-1844); Gateway to the Thousand Islands; Home of Queen's University and the Royal Military College
Founded
1673 Fort Cataraqui (Fort Frontenac); 1783 Loyalist settlement as King's Town; 1838 incorporated as a town; 1846 incorporated as a city
Languages
English (majority); French (official at federal level; a small Francophone community and French immersion schools); Mandarin and Cantonese, Arabic, Spanish, Korean and Persian among immigrant and student communities; Mohawk (Tyendinaga is nearby) and other Indigenous languages
Airports
Kingston/Norman Rogers Airport (YGK), about 15 km west of downtown with limited flights, chiefly to Toronto; Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International (YOW), about 165 km east; Toronto Pearson International (YYZ), about 260 km west; Montreal-Trudeau (YUL), about 290 km east; Syracuse (SYR), about 150 km south in the US
Tipping
Restaurants 15-20% on the pre-tax bill (GST/HST/PST are added on top of listed prices and are not a tip); bars $1-2 per drink; taxis and rideshare 10-15%; hotel housekeeping $3-5 per night; bellhops $2-5 per bag; tour guides 10-15%; counter service optional
Community signals
Not enough responses yet to show a trend.
Kingston City Circle
For people considering Kingston, visiting soon, living there for a while, or comparing it with somewhere else.
Population 132,485 and CMA 172,546 are 2021 Census (Statistics Canada) figures via Wikipedia summary; StatCan pages could not be fetched due to robots restrictions, and newer official estimates were not retrieved. Land area 451.58 km2, elevation 93 m and coordinates from Wikipedia. Tipping, airport distances, event details (some months approximate), cost indices, hotel ranges, rent and home prices are approximate or from general knowledge, confidence medium-low on money figures. All money in CAD. Official URLs found via search but not load-tested.
Last verified September 25, 2026 · Source: Research spreadsheet · Editorial ·
Neighborhoods
7 areas to know, and who each one suits.
Downtown and Market Square
Historic core, dining
Sydenham and Skeleton Park
Bohemian, heritage
Portsmouth Village
Waterfront residential
Williamsville
Student and mixed
Kingscourt and Inner Harbour
Residential
Cataraqui and Westbrook
Suburban
Barriefield Village
Historic, near Fort Henry
No neighborhood matches that.
Where to base yourself
Downtown and the waterfront for walking to restaurants, City Hall and ferries
Inner Harbour and Ontario Street hotels for lakefront views
Queen's University area for value stays
near Highway 401 exits (Division Street and Gardiners Road) for chain motels
Barriefield for historic inns. Tiers: budget motels and hostels
mid-range chains and B&Bs
upscale boutique and waterfront hotels
Suburbs and neighboring towns
Loyalist Township (15 km; car, Kingston Transit to Amherstview); Greater Napanee (45 km; car); Wolfe Island (10 km; ferry); Leeds and the Thousand Islands (30 km; car); Central Frontenac (30 km; car); Gananoque (40 km; car)
What a visit costs
Per person per day, with a room shared by two. Change anything below to fit your trip.
Budget
$127/day
Lodging about CA$140 a night
Mid-range
$186/day
Lodging about CA$225 a night
Luxury
$304/day
Lodging about CA$365 a night
Budget calculator
Vehicle
mpg
These are estimates from typical prices, not quotes. Real costs vary with season, events, booking time and your own habits; taxes and fees are approximate.
Cost of living
For longer stays and relocation.
Cost of living index
110 (national average = 100)
Typical 1-bedroom rent
CA$1,900a month
Median home price
CA$585,000
Research notes
About 5-15% above the Canadian average overall (approximate; housing near Ottawa-level and above the national average, groceries similar); roughly at or slightly below the US average in dollar terms for renters (approximate, not verified); typical 1BR rent about CAD 1,700-2,100 per month on listing sites
Real estate
Buying or renting long-term: prices, trends and the rules.
Median home
CA$585,000
Mortgage calculator
Average home price about CAD 550,000-620,000 (approximate; Kingston and Area Real Estate Association and CREA, not re-verified); rent high due to student demand and low vacancy; market trend: surged in 2021-2022, then flat to softening with balanced conditions
Research notes on prices and seasons
Hotels per night (CAD): budget $110-170; mid-range $170-280; luxury $280-450. Peak season is June to September (waterfront, Buskers Rendezvous and university move-in and convocation weekends spike rates); winter cheapest. Rough daily visitor budget excluding lodging: CAD 110-190
Where to stay
Which part of town suits which kind of trip.
Downtown and the waterfront for walking to restaurants, City Hall and ferries
Inner Harbour and Ontario Street hotels for lakefront views
Queen's University area for value stays
near Highway 401 exits (Division Street and Gardiners Road) for chain motels
Barriefield for historic inns. Tiers: budget motels and hostels
mid-range chains and B&Bs
upscale boutique and waterfront hotels
Places to stay
2 listings in Kingston, ranked by traveller reviews. Featured listings are marked.
Safety information is a guide from public data and our research, not a guarantee. Conditions change; check local news and official advice before you go.
8.0
Very good · Data-based
Crime Severity Index around 60; the Canadian figure is about 80.
Safety overview
Crime severity index is near the Canadian and Ontario average (approximate; Statistics Canada, not re-verified), mostly property crime, theft from vehicles and mischief, with low violent crime. Health care: OHIP does not cover visitors, so travel insurance is advisable; Kingston Health Sciences Centre (Kingston General Hospital and Hotel Dieu) is the main hospital and a regional trauma centre. Hazards: winter storms and freezing rain, lake-effect snow and cold snaps, spring flooding along the lakeshore during high-water years, summer heat and humidity, and wildfire smoke episodes in some summers. Emergency: 911
Local notes
Specific places where extra care is worthwhile, especially at night. Most visits are trouble-free.
None of particular note for visitors; downtown Kingston is generally comfortable. Use ordinary care late at night around Princess Street bar blocks and in parts of the North End and Williamsville away from main roads
Times marked “est.” are estimates: drives use typical road distances at highway speeds, and train or bus times assume both cities have service. Always check a route planner and timetables before you travel.
Route ideas
Suggested by Hey! En Route from the best-connected next stops. Save one to your routes and make it your own.
2-day trip
Kingston (1 night)
3-day trip
Kingston (1 night) → Toronto (1 night)
About 164 mi, 3 h 10 min of travel
5-day trip
Kingston (2 nights) → Toronto (1 night) → London (1 night)
About 285 mi, 5 h 33 min of travel
7-day trip
Kingston (2 nights) → Toronto (1 night) → London (1 night) → Hamilton (1 night)
About 365 mi, 7 h 8 min of travel
10-day trip
Kingston (2 nights) → Toronto (2 nights) → London (1 night) → Hamilton (1 night) → Brampton (1 night)
