Across country or across town
With a stellar track record of welcoming visitors from around the world, Calgary is easy to get to and simple to navigate once you’re here.
Arriving by Air
The Calgary International Airport (YYC) is Canada’s fourth busiest airport. Getting here is no more than one stop from every major city in the world. In 2010, a record 12.6 million passengers used the airport. Here are a few sample flight times:
- London – 8 hours 30 minutes
- New York – 4 hours 50 minutes
- Los Angeles – 3 hours
- Toronto – 4 hours
- Sydney – 17 hours
Once you’ve landed, downtown is only 20 minutes from the airport, and there are plenty of taxicabs and limousines available.
Arriving by Car
Calgary is located on the TransCanada highway, which extends from Canada’s Atlantic to Pacific coasts. We’re also on the CANAMEX Corridor, which extends from Northern Canada to Mexico. The maximum speed on primary highways is 110 kph (68 mph). Single-lane secondary highways exist outside highly populated areas and have a maximum speed of 90 kph (56 mph).
Driving Around
Several car rental agencies can be found at the airport and in the downtown core. And to make navigation easy, downtown streets are ordered numerically with streets running north and south, and avenues running east and west.
If you’d rather let someone else do the driving, limousines are available, or you can taxi around town with one of Calgary’s several cab companies. If you’re heading out of Calgary on an excursion, there are a number of motorcoach companies available.
Calgary Parking Authority operates a heated, underground parkade beneath the Calgary TELUS Convention Centre.
Walking Around
Calgary’s downtown is extremely pedestrian-friendly. CTCC is located right on Calgary’s original pedestrian mall, Stephen Avenue, and the paths and parks along the Bow River are only a few blocks away.
Perhaps the most intriguing pedestrian feature is our Plus 15 system. Found on the second story of connected buildings, it’s the world’s most extensive, indoor elevated walkway system. CTCC is connected to the Plus 15 on three sides.
Finally, Calgary’s sophisticated transit system – including the light-rail C-Train, which stops at the doors of CTCC – can quickly move you around the city’s quadrants. And travel is free along the downtown 7th Avenue “free fare zone”.