Bus 5 in Ottawa links Elmvale A and Waller / Nicholas. The route is 9.3 km long with 31 stops, and the official schedule from OC Transpo puts the full trip at about 42 minutes. On a weekday it runs 70 trips in one direction, and 29 on a weekend day.
Route at a glance
| Mode | Bus |
|---|---|
| Route number | 5 |
| City | Ottawa |
| Transit authority | OC Transpo |
| Start → end | Elmvale A → Waller / Nicholas |
| End → start | Waller / Nicholas → Elmvale A |
| Route length | 9.3 km / 9.5 km in the opposite direction |
| Number of stops | 31 / 32 in the opposite direction |
| Travel time | about 42 minutes |
| Trips per day | 70 on weekdays, 29 on weekends one way |
| Frequency | peak 4–17 · midday 2–16 · weekend 30–60 |
| First / last trip from «Elmvale A» | 00:05 / 23:35 |
| First / last trip from «Waller / Nicholas» | 00:10 / 23:30 |
| Fare | — |
| Updated | August 23, 2026 |
Route of Bus 5
Outbound: Elmvale A → Waller / Nicholas
This direction has 31 stops and runs 9.3 km. The route passes Smyth / Russell, Cheo Entrance, Main / Clegg, Elgin / Mcleod. Below is the full list with the distance from the first stop.
| No. | Stop | From start | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elmvale A | 0.0 km | Terminus |
| 2 | Smyth / Russell | 0.7 km | |
| 3 | Smyth / Cuba | 0.9 km | |
| 4 | Smyth / Saunderson | 1.1 km | |
| 5 | Smyth / Haig | 1.5 km | |
| 6 | Smyth / Botsford S | 1.9 km | |
| 7 | Smyth / Roger Guindon | 2.0 km | |
| 8 | Ring / Toh General Campus | 2.6 km | |
| 9 | Cheo Entrance | 2.8 km | |
| 10 | Smyth / Barnhart | 3.2 km | |
| 11 | Smyth / Valour | 3.4 km | |
| 12 | Smyth / Alta Vista | 3.7 km | |
| 13 | Smyth / Riverside | 4.2 km | |
| 14 | Main / Centennial | 4.8 km | |
| 15 | Main / Beckwith | 5.2 km | |
| 16 | Main / Clegg | 5.4 km | |
| 17 | Main / Herridge | 5.6 km | |
| 18 | Main / Oblats | 5.8 km | |
| 19 | Main / Lees | 6.1 km | |
| 20 | Hawthorne / Main | 6.3 km | |
| 21 | Hawthorne / Colonel By | 6.5 km | |
| 22 | Elgin / Park | 6.9 km | |
| 23 | Elgin / Mcleod | 7.0 km | |
| 24 | Elgin / Waverly | 7.2 km | |
| 25 | Elgin / Gilmour | 7.3 km | |
| 26 | Elgin / Cooper | 7.6 km | |
| 27 | Elgin / Nepean | 7.8 km | |
| 28 | Elgin / Slater | 8.1 km | |
| 29 | Elgin / Wellington | 8.4 km | |
| 30 | Rideau B | 8.7 km | |
| 31 | Waller / Nicholas | 9.3 km | Terminus |
Inbound: Waller / Nicholas → Elmvale A
This direction has 32 stops and runs 9.5 km. The route passes Rideau A, Elgin / Gladstone, Main / Clegg, Ring. Below is the full list with the distance from the first stop.
| No. | Stop | From start | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Waller / Laurier E | 0.0 km | Terminus |
| 2 | Rideau A | 0.8 km | |
| 3 | Elgin / Queen | 1.5 km | |
| 4 | Elgin / Slater | 1.7 km | |
| 5 | Elgin / Nepean | 2.0 km | |
| 6 | Elgin / Lisgar | 2.1 km | |
| 7 | Elgin / Somerset W | 2.2 km | |
| 8 | Elgin / Lewis | 2.5 km | |
| 9 | Elgin / Gladstone | 2.7 km | |
| 10 | Elgin / Mcleod | 2.8 km | |
| 11 | Elgin / Catherine | 2.9 km | |
| 12 | Hawthorne / Colonel By | 3.4 km | |
| 13 | Main / Graham | 3.6 km | |
| 14 | Main / Oblats | 3.9 km | |
| 15 | Main / Hazel | 4.0 km | |
| 16 | Main / Clegg | 4.4 km | |
| 17 | Main / Bower | 4.6 km | |
| 18 | Main / Centennial | 5.0 km | |
| 19 | Smyth / Riverside | 5.6 km | |
| 20 | Smyth / Alta Vista | 6.0 km | |
| 21 | Smyth / Fairbanks | 6.2 km | |
| 22 | Smyth / Barnhart | 6.6 km | |
| 23 | Ring | 7.0 km | |
| 24 | Ring / Toh General Campus | 7.2 km | |
| 25 | Smyth / Lynda | 7.4 km | |
| 26 | Smyth / Roger Guindon | 7.7 km | |
| 27 | Smyth / Dauphin | 8.0 km | |
| 28 | Smyth / Haig | 8.5 km | |
| 29 | Smyth / Saunderson | 8.7 km | |
| 30 | Smyth / Cuba | 8.9 km | |
| 31 | Smyth / Othello | 9.1 km | |
| 32 | Elmvale A | 9.5 km | Terminus |
Schedule and frequency
According to the official schedule from OC Transpo, the route runs 70 trips in one direction on a weekday, and 29 on a weekend day.
| Direction | Weekdays | Weekends and holidays |
|---|---|---|
| From «Elmvale A» | 00:05 — 23:35 | 00:01 — 23:20 |
| From «Waller / Nicholas» | 00:10 — 23:30 | 06:55 — 23:27 |
Frequency calculated from the departure table: in the morning peak buses run every 4–17 minutes, most often every 14; midday every 2–16 minutes; in the afternoon peak every 14–20; on weekends every 30–60 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
When do the first and last trips run?
From Elmvale A the first is at 00:05 and the last at 23:35. From Waller / Nicholas they are 00:10 and 23:30.
How long does the trip from Elmvale A to Waller / Nicholas take?
About 42 minutes end to end — the median of full trips in the official schedule.
How many stops does the route have?
31 outbound and 32 inbound according to the official GTFS feed. The two lists do not match exactly.
Does bus 5 run on weekends?
Yes. On weekends and holidays there are 29 trips in one direction, running from Elmvale A between 00:01 and 23:20.
Every route number with its termini, operating hours and travel time is collected in the Ottawa buses overview.
Data current as of August 23, 2026. Schedule and termini — OC Transpo. Fares — OC Transpo. Stop list, schedule and route geometry come from the official GTFS feed (OC Transpo, version S1000512-S1000514).