Kitchener Waterloo

Kitchener is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario, about 100 km (62 mi) west of Toronto. It is one of three cities that make up the Regional Municipality of Waterloo and is the regional seat. Kitchener was known as Berlin until a 1916 referendum changed its name. The city covers an area of 136.86 km², and had a population of 256,885 at the time of the 2021 Canadian census.

The Regional Municipality of Waterloo has 575,847 people, making it the 10th-largest census metropolitan area (CMA) in Canada and the fourth-largest CMA in Ontario. Kitchener and Waterloo are considered “twin cities”, which are often referred to jointly as “Kitchener–Waterloo” (K–W), although they have separate municipal governments.

Known as “KW”, the sister cities of Kitchener and Waterloo are famous for two prestigious universities, an innovative tech industry, vibrant culture, unique events and fun attractions.

Kitchener has a proud German heritage and hosts the world’s largest Oktoberfest celebration outside of Germany each year. Enjoy numerous music festivals throughout the year, including the Kitchener Blues Festival and Kultrún World Music Festival, as well as museums and art galleries and several public parks and gardens. Another popular attraction is the Kitchener Market, one of the oldest public markets of its kind in Canada.