Getting Around Greater Sudbury
Greater Sudbury is the largest city in Ontario by area, and that size shapes everything about how visitors move around it. The population lives in an urban core plus many smaller communities scattered among lakes and rocky hills, so some destinations sit close together and others are a long ride apart. Planning your transport before you arrive will save you a lot of time.
Is There a Metro, Tram or Commuter Rail Network?
No. Greater Sudbury has no metro, tram or local commuter rail system. The city's streetcar lines belong to its mining history, not to present-day travel. Rail service into the region is limited to intercity trains, which are covered below under getting into the city.
Buses and Public Transit
Local public transit is provided by GOVA, which runs bus service within the city from a central downtown terminal. The urban core is served by lines that generally run on the half hour during peak travel times and on the hour late at night and on Sundays. More remote parts of the city are not served as frequently, though some bus service is available. Because the municipality is so spread out, a trip from one end of town to the other can take a long time — but it is also inexpensive, at a flat fare of around $4.00 (2025).
- Where to catch it: the downtown terminal is the hub of the network.
- Fares and passes: single rides are cheap; multi-ride passes and unlimited 31-day passes are also available, which are worth considering if you will be in the city for more than a few days.
- Frequency: expect half-hourly service at peak times and hourly service late at night and on Sundays.
- Outlying areas: service is thinner, so check schedules before relying on a bus to reach a far-flung community.
GOVA also runs an on-demand service, GOVA Zone, which reaches areas that regular routes do not serve well. Reservations must be made at least 90 minutes ahead, and the service is quite infrequent, so check up-to-date schedules if you plan to use it.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Metered taxis are available, including at the airport, and several local companies operate in the city. Options include Aaron Taxi, AC Taxi, and Lockerby Transportation Group. For a city of this geographic size, a taxi is often the most practical way to reach a destination that buses serve only infrequently.
Walkability
Walking works well in the urban core, where the downtown terminal, shops and services cluster together. Beyond the core, however, Greater Sudbury is not a walking city: the population is spread across a vast area of lakes and rocky terrain, and many communities sit well apart from one another. Treat walking as a way to cover the core, and plan on a bus, taxi or car for anything farther out.
Getting into the City by Train
VIA Rail serves the Sudbury area on its long-distance routes, but note that the stations are not all in the city centre, and the main station used for travel to the rest of Canada sits on the outskirts of town and can be difficult to spot.
- Sudbury Junction station: the main station for travel to the rest of Canada, located on the outskirts of town. The Canadian between Toronto and Vancouver stops here in both directions.
- Sudbury station (233 Elgin St): a minor station, but by far the most prominent one and the only one many locals know about. It connects Sudbury and White River.
- Capreol Station: north of downtown, also served by The Canadian.
Because the stations are spread out and some are well away from the centre, arrange a taxi or other onward transport before you arrive.
Getting into the City by Bus
Ontario Northland operates intercity buses from a terminal on The Kingsway, with routes connecting Sudbury to Toronto (via Barrie, Orillia on some trips, and Parry Sound), to Hearst (via Kapuskasing, Cochrane and Timmins), to Ottawa (via Kanata, Arnprior, Renfrew, Pembroke, Petawawa, Mattawa and North Bay), and to Sault Ste. Marie (via Blind River, Elliot Lake and Espanola). Travelers can also reach Sudbury from Winnipeg by riding routes with transfers in Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie. FlixBus also serves Sudbury from Toronto, Parry Sound and Barrie.
Getting into the City by Car
Sudbury is served by three major provincial highways:
- Highway 17 (Trans-Canada Highway): leads west to Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay and western Canada, and east to North Bay, Ottawa and Quebec. A stretch of Highway 17 within the city boundaries is freeway, but Sudbury has no freeway connections to other communities.
- Highway 69: leads south to Parry Sound, where it becomes the Highway 400 freeway to Toronto. It is slowly being upgraded to freeway standards.
- Highway 144: leads north to Timmins.
Some quiet roads are in poor shape, though much effort has been put into repairing them.
From the Airport into the City
Sudbury Airport (YSB) is located about 25 minutes from downtown by car. Metered taxis are available at the airport, which is the simplest way into the city. If you prefer public transit, GOVA Zone on-demand service provides service to Garson, where you transfer to route 102 to reach New Sudbury Centre in Sudbury. Reservations for GOVA Zone must be made at least 90 minutes ahead, and the bus is quite infrequent, so check for up-to-date schedules before you count on it.
Airlines serving Sudbury include Air Canada, with a daily direct flight from Toronto Pearson; Bearskin Airlines, with direct flights from Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay and North Bay; and WestJet, with seasonal service from Calgary.
Practical Summary
- In the core: walk, or take a GOVA bus from the downtown terminal.
- Across the city: GOVA buses are cheap but can be slow and infrequent outside peak times; taxis are the flexible alternative.
- No metro or tram: the only rail service is intercity VIA Rail, and its stations are not all central.
- From the airport: metered taxi (about 25 minutes to downtown) or GOVA Zone to Garson plus route 102, booked at least 90 minutes ahead.
- From farther afield: Ontario Northland and FlixBus for intercity buses, VIA Rail for trains, and Highways 17, 69 and 144 by car.