Pacific Mall is the usual first stop in Markham, a suburban city just northeast of Toronto with about 340,000 people that is often called the tech capital of Canada. It is also one of the most diverse places in the country. Chinese-language signs are everywhere in the shopping plazas, and the food is the main reason people visit: Pacific Mall, Milliken Mills and Downtown Markham are packed with dim sum, hot pot and bakeries.
For a change of pace, Unionville's Main Street is a genuinely pretty old village with a pond and patios, and the Markham Museum recreates early settler life. The Markham Fair each fall is one of Ontario's oldest. Downtown Toronto is about 30 km away. It is safe, tidy and family oriented, with crime well below the national average. The tradeoffs are price, since housing costs about what Toronto does, and traffic, which is heavy on Highway 7 and the 407 at rush hour. You will want a car.
Trip planning at a glance
Peak season
June to September and holiday weekends
Quieter season
January to March
Nearest airport
Toronto Pearson International (YYZ), 45 km southwest (about 45-60 minutes by car
Highlights
Unionville Main Street (historic village)
Markham Museum and Heritage Village
Pacific Mall and other Asian-food and shopping centers
Toogood Pond and Bob Hunter Memorial Park
Downtown Markham and Flato Markham Theatre
Markville Shopping Centre
Rouge National Urban Park (adjacent, about 10 km)
Markham Village Main Street
day trip to Toronto (about 30 km) and Kleinburg McMichael Gallery
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.
6.6/10Good
Connector Score9.1
34 worthwhile cities within three hours; reachable by road, intercity train, intercity bus, air, and local transit; lodging and sights for an overnight stop. Hey! En Route estimate
Safety9.1
Crime Severity Index around 35; the Canadian figure is about 80. Data-based
Affordability5.7
Cost of living index about 108, where the national average is 100. Data-based
Transportation10.0
Reachable by: road, intercity train, intercity bus, air, and local transit. Hey! En Route estimate
Car-free friendliness7.0
Intercity train or bus, plus local transit and walkability. Hey! En Route estimate
Walkability5.2
Estimated from city size and transit; no walkable downtown noted. Hey! En Route estimate
Things to do6.0
Known for 6 kinds of attraction, with 8 annual events listed. Hey! En Route estimate
Food & dining6.2
A known food scene, weighted by city size. Hey! En Route estimate
Places to stay6.5
Lodging at budget, mid-range and luxury prices. Hey! En Route estimate
Nature & outdoors2.0
No particular outdoor draws noted. Hey! En Route estimate
Scenic value3.8
From its landscape: coast, mountains, lakes and parks. Hey! En Route estimate
Family friendliness7.3
Zoos, aquariums, theme parks and museums, weighted by safety. Hey! En Route estimate
Solo-traveler friendliness5.9
Safety, getting around without a car, hostels, and things to do. Hey! En Route estimate
Nightlife5.2
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
34 worthwhile cities within three hours’ drive, plus parking, EV charging and RV options. Hey! En Route estimate
Train-trip convenience7.8
Intercity train service, with 21 nearby cities reachable by rail. Hey! En Route estimate
Bus-trip convenience7.3
Intercity buses, with 13 nearby cities reachable by bus. Hey! En Route estimate
High-Tech Capital of Canada; Canada's Most Diverse Community; Heritage Markham; Tech Hub of the GTA
Founded
1794 settled by William Berczy and German families; 1971 incorporated as Town of Markham; 2012 renamed City of Markham
Languages
English (official and dominant); French is an official federal language but little used day to day; Cantonese, Mandarin and other Chinese languages are the most common non-English languages, followed by Tamil, Persian, Russian, Tagalog, Korean and Urdu; Chinese-language signage is common in commercial plazas
Airports
Toronto Pearson International (YYZ), about 45 km southwest (about 45-60 minutes by car); Billy Bishop Toronto City (YTZ), about 40 km south; Markham Airport (CNU8) is a small general aviation field; Hamilton John C. Munro (YHM) about 90 km southwest
Tipping
Restaurants 15-20% of the pre-tax bill (taxes are added on top of listed prices, and tipping is on the pre-tax amount); bars $1-2 per drink or 15-20% of tab; taxis and rideshare 10-15%; hotel housekeeping $3-5 CAD per night; bellhops $2-5 CAD per bag; tour guides 10-15%; counter service optional (all amounts CAD; Ontario adds 13% HST on most goods and services on top of listed prices, plus a municipal accommodation tax of about 4% on hotels in Toronto only; check locally for Markham)
Community signals
Not enough responses yet to show a trend.
Markham City Circle
For people considering Markham, visiting soon, living there for a while, or comparing it with somewhere else.
Population 338,503 is the 2021 Census figure from Statistics Canada, recalled (a Statistics Canada Focus on Geography search result was seen but not opened for Markham, so lower confidence; later estimates run higher, near 350,000); metro is the Toronto CMA figure 6,202,225 as specified. Land area 210.9 sq km per 2021 Census (recalled). Web fetch was not used; snippets only. Visitor URL is Visit Markham (visitmarkham.ca, Destination Markham) seen in search results as an events site; treated as the official tourism site but lower confidence. The founding line combines recalled history and is lower confidence. Elevation, coordinates, event months, hotel ranges, tipping, cost-of-living comparisons, crime index, rent, home prices and airport distances are approximate or from general knowledge and not verified. Official URLs found via search but not load-tested. All money in CAD.
Last verified September 25, 2026 · Source: Research spreadsheet · Editorial ·
Downtown Markham and the Hwy 7 and Warden Avenue corridor for hotels, dining and business
Unionville for historic charm and dining
Highway 407 and Woodbine Avenue near tech offices
Thornhill for quieter residential stays
Toronto downtown for sightseeing (about 45 minutes by GO train or car). Tiers: budget motels along Highway 7
mid-range chains (Hilton Garden Inn, Courtyard by Marriott, Markham Suites)
luxury is limited, with upscale options in Toronto
Suburbs and neighboring towns
Toronto (Scarborough) (10 km; TTC bus, GO bus); Richmond Hill (10 km; YRT bus, GO train); Vaughan (15 km; YRT bus); Whitchurch-Stouffville (20 km; GO train, car); Pickering (20 km; car, GO bus); Unionville (5 km; GO train, YRT); Aurora (25 km; car, YRT)
What a visit costs
Per person per day, with a room shared by two. Change anything below to fit your trip.
Budget
$118/day
Lodging about CA$135 a night
Mid-range
$173/day
Lodging about CA$210 a night
Luxury
$284/day
Lodging about CA$335 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
108 (national average = 100)
Typical 1-bedroom rent
CA$2,350a month
Median home price
CA$1,150,000
Research notes
Roughly 5-10% above the Canadian average and similar to Toronto, about 5-10% below large US coastal metros (approximate, from common indices); typical 1BR rent about $2,200-2,500 CAD per month on listing sites (approximate)
Real estate
Buying or renting long-term: prices, trends and the rules.
Median home
CA$1,150,000
Mortgage calculator
Benchmark home price about $1.1-1.2M CAD citywide (TRREB, approximate; detached about $1.5-1.7M CAD, townhouses about $950,000-1,050,000 CAD, condos about $600,000-650,000 CAD); average 1BR rent about $2,200-2,500 CAD; market trend: high prices, softer sales since 2022 and flat to slightly lower values (not verified this pass)
Research notes on prices and seasons
Hotels per night (CAD, before 13% HST): budget $110-160; mid-range $160-260; luxury $270-400. Peak season is June to September and holiday weekends; January to March is cheapest. Rough daily visitor budget excluding lodging: $100-180 CAD
Where to stay
Which part of town suits which kind of trip.
Downtown Markham and the Hwy 7 and Warden Avenue corridor for hotels, dining and business
Unionville for historic charm and dining
Highway 407 and Woodbine Avenue near tech offices
Thornhill for quieter residential stays
Toronto downtown for sightseeing (about 45 minutes by GO train or car). Tiers: budget motels along Highway 7
mid-range chains (Hilton Garden Inn, Courtyard by Marriott, Markham Suites)
luxury is limited, with upscale options in Toronto
Places to stay
6 listings in Markham, 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.
9.1
Excellent · Data-based
Crime Severity Index around 35; the Canadian figure is about 80.
Safety overview
Markham's Crime Severity Index is well below the national average and among the lowest for Canadian cities of its size (roughly 30-40, approximate, Statistics Canada; York Regional Police data show vehicle theft, break-ins and fraud as the main issues). Health care: Ontario OHIP does not cover visitors, so travel health insurance is strongly advisable. Hospitals: Markham Stouffville Hospital, Uxbridge site, Oak Valley Health, Humber River, Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital nearby and Toronto hospitals (Scarborough Health Network). Hazards: cold snowy winters (-5 to -15 C, ice storms), humid summers with heat waves and severe thunderstorms, occasional flooding along the Rouge and Don rivers, and rare wildfire smoke. Emergency 911
Local notes
Specific places where extra care is worthwhile, especially at night. Most visits are trouble-free.
Markham is a quiet suburban city; use ordinary caution in parking lots at large shopping centers late at night (car theft and break-ins occur), and note that traffic on Highway 407, Highway 7 and Kennedy Road is very heavy at rush hour. No area is specifically hazardous for visitors
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
Markham (1 night)
3-day trip
Markham (1 night) → Hamilton (1 night)
About 58 mi, 1 h 14 min of travel
5-day trip
Markham (2 nights) → Hamilton (1 night) → Toronto (1 night)
About 101 mi, 2 h 8 min of travel
7-day trip
Markham (2 nights) → Hamilton (1 night) → Toronto (1 night) → London (1 night)
About 222 mi, 4 h 31 min of travel
10-day trip
Markham (2 nights) → Hamilton (2 nights) → Toronto (1 night) → London (1 night) → Windsor (1 night)
