Windsor (Ontario)

Windsor is a mid-sized Canadian city on the southwest tip of Ontario. It's an extremely multicultural city with over 20% of its population having been born outside of Canada. The city's rich cultural background is evident in its Middle Eastern, Italian, and Asian neighbourhoods. Just across the Detroit River from Detroit and the American border, it's one of the very few places where you have to go south to enter Canada. Its main waterfront park stretches about, from the 1929 Ambassador suspension bridge past the contemporary Windsor Sculpture Park. It ends near the 1894 Italianate Canadian Club Heritage Centre, which recalls when Windsor was a source for liquor smuggled to the Prohibition-era states.

Understand
Founded as a French agricultural settlement in 1748, Windsor has grown into a city of about 230,000 people (2021 census). Reflecting its American neighbour across the Detroit River, it has a strong connection with the automobile industry, with Chrysler's Canadian headquarters based in the city. The riverside area of Windsor has been developed into a lush area of parkland that offers spectacular views of the Detroit skyline, and is the city's most well-known feature.

The 1981 Journey song "Don't Stop Believin'" mentions a boy "born and raised in south Detroit", which would be Windsor. Songwriter Steve Perry has said "I tried north Detroit, I tried east and west and it didn't sing, but south Detroit sounded so beautiful. I loved the way it sounded, only to find out later it's actually Canada."

Culture
Even if you spend a day in Windsor you'll notice that it's a very multicultural city, yet still retaining a small town feel. Right off the bat, visitors will hear English, French, Arabic and Italian. Near the east side of the downtown area is the North African/Middle Eastern neighbourhoods with a large Lebanese community. Southeast of the downtown area is the Via Italia neighbourhood, with numerous Italian restaurants and shops. West of the downtown area is an area with strong Asian influences.

Climate
The city has quite a wide range in climate conditions, with average temperatures hovering around -6°C (21°F) in January, while in July the average temperature is around 28 °C (82 °F). The late summer is the best time to visit the city, though it can be humid and sultry.

Windsor's weather breaks the most records, in more categories, in both averages and extremes, than any other Canadian regions. Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada, yet mid-western, while surrounded by the Great Lakes. Some of these records measure heat, humidity, precipitation, lightning, variances, mild winters, etc. For specifics details see: climate.weather.gc.ca

By plane




By train

 * Operates a route multiple times daily between Windsor and Toronto including stops in Chatham, London, Ingersoll, Woodstock, Brantford, Burlington, and Oakville. Travel time to Windsor from London 1.75-2 hours, from Brantford is 3-3.25 hours, and from Toronto is 4-4.5 hours.
 * Neighbouring Detroit in the United States has multiple trains daily from Chicago.
 * Neighbouring Detroit in the United States has multiple trains daily from Chicago.

By car
Canada's busiest highway, the 401, is a major artery which begins in Windsor and follows the beaten-path Windsor-Quebec corridor, and becomes Autoroute 20 in Quebec. Highway 401 carries the bulk of the traffic between Canada's two largest cities, Toronto and Montreal.

Windsor is also easily accessible by crossing the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel or the Ambassador Bridge from Detroit. For more information about the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel and Ambassador Bridge and immigration/customs please see the From the United States section.

From Buffalo, Windsor is a sneaky shortcut which lops about a hundred miles off the trip to Detroit compared to a domestic route through Ohio. Unfortunately, much of the time saved is lost dealing with strange Customs on both sides. Take QEW from the Buffalo Peace Bridge to Hamilton, then take the 403 west to join the 401.

From the United States
U.S. and Canadian citizens are required to present a passport, passport card, enhanced driver's licence, or trusted traveller card when crossing the U.S.-Canada border. For more detailed identification requirements, visit Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). (See the 'Get in' section of the main Canada article for entry requirements for citizens of other countries.) Although it is efficient for an international border, this is the busiest crossing between the two countries, and is not as quick and casual as it once was.

There are two ways to get to Windsor from Detroit:
 * Construction of a third bridge, the future Gordie Howe International Bridge between Brighton Beach (Windsor) and Delray (Detroit), began in 2018. The Windsor-Essex Parkway, an extension of Highway 401 which opened in 2015, will connect directly to the new bridge - which expected to be completed in 2025. In the meantime, all traffic from Detroit lands not directly on the motorway but on Windsor surface streets (Ontario highways 3 and 3B), leading to substantial delays at the border.
 * Construction of a third bridge, the future Gordie Howe International Bridge between Brighton Beach (Windsor) and Delray (Detroit), began in 2018. The Windsor-Essex Parkway, an extension of Highway 401 which opened in 2015, will connect directly to the new bridge - which expected to be completed in 2025. In the meantime, all traffic from Detroit lands not directly on the motorway but on Windsor surface streets (Ontario highways 3 and 3B), leading to substantial delays at the border.
 * Construction of a third bridge, the future Gordie Howe International Bridge between Brighton Beach (Windsor) and Delray (Detroit), began in 2018. The Windsor-Essex Parkway, an extension of Highway 401 which opened in 2015, will connect directly to the new bridge - which expected to be completed in 2025. In the meantime, all traffic from Detroit lands not directly on the motorway but on Windsor surface streets (Ontario highways 3 and 3B), leading to substantial delays at the border.

Pedestrians cannot walk across the bridge or through the tunnel; they must use the tunnel bus. Bicyclists are prohibited from using the bridge and the tunnel, but (since 2017) can use the bike rack of the tunnel bus. One can also disassemble the bike and put it in a bike bag, which can be brought on the bus. A Windsor-Detroit ferry crossing exists, but primarily serves truck traffic (including hazardous material) which cannot use the tunnel.

An alternative to crossing at Windsor-Detroit is the Blue Water Bridge in Sarnia-Port Huron, an hour from Windsor-Detroit by motorcar.

Get around
The majority of the hotels and entertainment are concentrated in the downtown area, so walking and reasonable cabs may be good options.

By car
Windsor is a city that was built for the car, or rather, a city built on building cars, thus earning the nicknames the 'Automotive Capital of Canada' or 'Motor City Canada' in addition to 'Rose City' branding (despite not particularly featuring more roses than other cities across Southern Ontario). If you are going to get around the entire city, not just the downtown area and immediate neighbouring districts, your best option would be to rent a car.

By taxi and ride hailing






By foot
Many attractions listed below are quite spread out - even more than 10 km from downtown - and as such impractical to visit by foot. However, some are concentrated in an area about 500 m across between the tunnel entrance and the river. Moreover the riverside park is almost certainly best explored on foot.

Historical




Parks and gardens












Amusement parks






Trails










Sports




Music scene
Windsor's underground music scene is blooming with talented musicians creating music genres such as rock, indie, metal, soul and more. Every single day there's a show being put on by the determined booking agents and venues alike who love this city. The scene in Windsor is tightly-knit, like a big family. It creates this home-like feeling, as most of the people who have left only miss the concerts. The venues in Windsor set the stage for gorgeous concerts to be brought down from all over the world!



Buy


Shopping in Windsor can be a treat particularly due to the abundance of ethnic stores littered about Windsor. There's a store to suit everyone's need, including the American cigar aficionado, who will be delighted to realize that due to Canada's cozier relations with Cuba than America's, Cuban cigars are widely available for purchase. Purchasing a Cuban cigar or Cuban products in Windsor, even if consumed on Canadian soil, is considered by U.S. government to be a violation of the U.S. embargo and you may be subject to hefty fines or jail time if caught. In practice, however, this might not be a big problem, as thousands of Americans travel to Cuba illegally every year with no problem.



Eat
Windsor is known for being one of the great food places in Canada, with much of its reputation owing to the many ethnic restaurants in the city ranging from Italian, Lebanese, Chinese (Cantonese/Szechuan), Thai, Indian, Greek, African (Ethiopian/Somalian), Caribbean, as well as other specialties such as vegetarian/vegan restaurants.

Mid-range




Splurge




Bars, pubs and clubs






Breweries & distilleries

 * (Don't confuse the Hiram Walker & Sons Limited with the Canadian Club Brand Centre tourist attraction at 2072 Riverside E, that is permanently closed.
 * (Don't confuse the Hiram Walker & Sons Limited with the Canadian Club Brand Centre tourist attraction at 2072 Riverside E, that is permanently closed.
 * (Don't confuse the Hiram Walker & Sons Limited with the Canadian Club Brand Centre tourist attraction at 2072 Riverside E, that is permanently closed.
 * (Don't confuse the Hiram Walker & Sons Limited with the Canadian Club Brand Centre tourist attraction at 2072 Riverside E, that is permanently closed.

Stay safe
Downtown Windsor is safe and very lively, even late at night. The biggest danger is getting into a confrontation with an intoxicated person when the clubs close for the night. The usual precautions should be taken, such as, travel in groups, mind your own business, etc. However, the downtown core is usually well policed, so you should have no real problems.

Beginning late into the evening touts will roam the streets offering free admission to bars, clubs, and strip joints. While for the most part touts operate individually you may be approached by two or more touts. Standard precautions should be taken when considering following a tout to a strange location or to a bar that you've never been to before. If you feel uncomfortable walk away.

Unlike most mid-sized Canadian cities the custom in Windsor is similar to bigger cities like Toronto or Montreal in that drivers will not stop for pedestrians crossing a street who are not crossing at a marked traffic intersection (i.e. jaywalking). Jaywalking is specifically legal in Windsor but at the pedestrian's own risk. Windsor does not have stand-alone pedestrian activated crosswalks. Additionally, Windsor drivers tend to be quite aggressive. Windsorites drive similarly to the aggressive (but quick and efficient) Detroit or US East Coast style rather than the more laid back Canadian style. If you like to drive slowly and cautiously you may find yourself getting honked at, yelled at, given the finger, tailgated, etc.

Go next


For a more quaint experience, Essex County and Pelee Island can be of interest offering many sight-seeing experiences such as wine tours (Colio Wines & Pelee Island Winery) and Point Pelee National Park, which is a 40 minute drive from Windsor to Leamington along Highway 3. About 30 minutes away along the waterfront, Amherstburg is the home of historic Fort Malden. Nearby is Bois Blanc Island, an abandoned amusement park which used to be popular among Detroit visitors.

Windsor is the southernmost major city in Canada. Detroit is just across the river and offers museums and cultural attractions, most notably the Detroit Institute of Arts, Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village, and the Detroit Zoo. Beyond Windsor/Detroit, a car ride can take you to many close cities in the United States, such as Ann Arbor, Toledo, Lansing, Cleveland, or Columbus. Chicago is a 4- to 5-hour drive west from Windsor.

Further out on the Windsor-Quebec corridor lies London, a 2-hour drive, while Toronto is a 4-hour drive northeast from Windsor. Also from Windsor, a 9- or 10-hour drive northeast give or take may bring you to Montréal or Ottawa, Canada's capital city.