Getting Around Richmond Hill
Richmond Hill is a suburban town in York Region, just north of Toronto, and its attractions are spread out. That single fact shapes almost every transport decision you'll make here: free parking is available at practically everywhere, so a car is the most common and easiest way to get around. If you're arriving without a car, though, you have several workable options, and the bus network in particular is strongest exactly where visitors tend to spend their time.
Rail, Metro and Tram
Richmond Hill has no metro or tram of its own. What it does have is GO Transit regional rail, which links the town with Toronto and stops at Langstaff GO Station, Richmond Hill GO Station, Gormley GO Station and Bloomington GO Station. Be aware of how this service is oriented: trains run on weekdays only, heading inbound to Toronto during the morning rush and outbound in the afternoon rush. That makes the train more useful for commuters than for visitors. There is no GO train or bus service between Toronto and Richmond Hill on weekends and holidays.
For connections to Toronto's subway, the practical anchor is Highway 407 station on TTC subway Line 1, which sits on the route to and from Richmond Hill Centre for the GO bus services described below.
Buses and Public Transport
York Region Transit (YRT) runs the municipal buses in Richmond Hill, including the Viva express services. Service is adequate overall, but check timetables so you don't waste time waiting for half an hour. The exception is along Yonge Street and Highway 7, where most of the interesting destinations are: service there is excellent, and even if you miss your bus, the next one generally comes soon. Most routes stop at Richmond Hill Centre, which makes connections between routes easy.
Viva stops are worth seeking out because they have electronic timeboards showing the arrival times of the next three buses. Those times are estimated via a GPS connection to each bus, so they're generally accurate.
Fares and payment work as follows:
- A ride within Richmond Hill counts as one zone and costs $4.00.
- Tickets are time-stamped and valid for two hours.
- You can pay by cash, by Presto card, or using the Presto mobile app.
- Multiple tickets can be purchased at a discount.
- Validate your ticket before riding — in the machines by the bus stops for Viva, or onboard for YRT buses, where there's a slot to insert the ticket so it gets timestamped.
If you're coming from Toronto, take either the Viva Blue bus or YRT Route 98/99 from Finch Subway Station on TTC subway Line 1 Yonge-University. Both run along Yonge Street through the centre of Richmond Hill, with a major stop at Richmond Hill Centre Bus Terminal. Viva Blue makes fewer stops than YRT 98/99, so it's generally faster. Alternatively, board TTC subway Line 1 toward Vaughan Metropolitan Centre and connect to Viva Orange at Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, or to YRT at Pioneer Village station.
GO Transit also runs several bus routes connecting nearby towns and cities to Richmond Hill, all stopping at Richmond Hill Centre:
- Route 40 is an express service linking Hamilton and Mississauga (Square One and Toronto Pearson International Airport) with Richmond Hill, running hourly, seven days a week, and every 30 minutes during weekday rush hours.
- Route 41 runs Monday to Friday between Hamilton and Pickering via Richmond Hill Centre and Scarborough Town Centre, at 30-minute intervals.
- Route 52 is a weekend and holiday service between Highway 407 station and Oshawa, every 2 hours.
- Route 54 runs Monday to Friday between Highway 407 station and Markham via Richmond Hill Centre, every hour.
- Route 56 runs at 30-minute intervals Monday to Friday between Highway 407 station and Oakville via Richmond Hill Centre.
All of these GO bus routes also stop at Highway 407 station on TTC subway Line 1 on their way to and from Richmond Hill Centre. If you're arriving from the west or south of Richmond Hill, you can change buses at Square One Terminal in Mississauga or at Highway 407 station in Vaughan to reach Richmond Hill. GO bus Route 61 serves the GO train stations listed above, but it lacks late afternoon and evening service from Richmond Hill to Union Station.
FlixBus also serves Richmond Hill, with connections from Toronto Pearson Airport, Vaughan, Markham, Kingston and Ottawa.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Beyond that, the practical guidance for a car-free visitor is that the bus network is your mainstay, with taxis as a fallback for trips the buses don't serve conveniently.
Walkability
Richmond Hill is not a walking-oriented destination. Plan on covering distances by vehicle or bus rather than on foot, and treat walking as a way to move between nearby stops along a single stretch of Yonge Street or Highway 7 rather than as a way to cross town.
Getting from the Airport
Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) in Mississauga is the nearest major airport to Richmond Hill. The most direct public transport option is GO Transit Route 40 – Airport Express, which runs hourly, seven days a week, between Terminal 1 and Richmond Hill Centre Terminal. As of June 2023 the one-way fare was $8.05 and the trip takes 20 minutes. If you'd rather not take the bus, a taxi from the airport to Richmond Hill will cost between $66 and $84.
By Car
Driving is straightforward. Highway 404 runs from Toronto northwards to Newmarket and forms the boundary between Richmond Hill on the west and Markham on the east from Highway 7 north to 19th Avenue, then between Richmond Hill and Whitchurch-Stouffville from 19th Avenue north to Bloomington Road. Richmond Hill also sits just north of Highway 407, a toll road.