Orléans, Ottawa: 41 questions about living and buying here, answered | orleans.homes

Question 1

Is Orléans a good place to live?

Accepted Answer

Orléans is a large, mostly suburban east-end Ottawa community of 139,309 people in the 2021 census, with parks, schools in English and French, and a growing rail connection. Whether it suits you depends on priorities: most workers commute by car and walkability is modest.

Question 2

Where is Orléans in Ottawa?

Accepted Answer

Orléans is in the east end of Ottawa along the Ottawa River, about 16 km from downtown according to Wikipedia. It is bounded by the river to the north, Green's Creek to the west, and rural Cumberland and Navan to the east.

Question 3

How far is Orléans from downtown Ottawa?

Accepted Answer

Orléans is about 16 km from downtown Ottawa according to Wikipedia. Measured as the crow flies from neighbourhood centres to Parliament Hill, the eight areas in this guide range from 13.3 km (Chapel Hill North) to 20.0 km (Cardinal Creek).

Question 4

What schools serve Orléans?

Accepted Answer

City of Ottawa open data lists 43 schools in the Orléans area: 13 OCDSB, 10 OCSB, 13 CECCE, 5 CÉPEO and 2 independent schools. Families must confirm which school serves an address with each board's school locator.

Question 5

Are there French-language schools in Orléans?

Accepted Answer

Yes. City of Ottawa data lists 13 CECCE (French Catholic) and 5 CÉPEO (French public) schools in the Orléans area. Examples include Saint-Joseph d'Orléans, Reine des Bois and La Source elementary schools, and Garneau Catholic High School.

Question 6

Which high schools are near Orléans?

Accepted Answer

High schools in the Orléans area include Sir Wilfrid Laurier and Cairine Wilson (OCDSB), St. Matthew and St. Peter (OCSB), and Garneau, Béatrice-Desloges and Catholic College Mer Bleue (CECCE). Gisèle-Lalonde (CÉPEO) and Ottawa Victory Christian Academy (independent) are also listed.

Question 7

What are homes like in Orléans?

Accepted Answer

Homes in Orléans are mostly ground-oriented: in the 2021 census, single-detached houses made up 35.7% to 73.2% of dwellings across the eight study areas, and row houses 14.3% to 37.7%. Apartments in buildings of five or more storeys were 0.0% to 5.7%.

Question 8

How much do homes cost in Orléans?

Accepted Answer

There is no Orléans-specific price in the data used here. Citywide, OREB reported a single-family benchmark price of $705,100 and an average sale price of $685,640 for all homes in September 2026. Separately, the 2021 census median owner-estimated dwelling value in the eight Orléans study areas ranged from $496,000 to $695,000.

Question 9

Is Orléans on the O-Train?

Accepted Answer

Yes, in part. Jeanne d'Arc station on Line 1 is open, and Convent Glen station is listed as opening in 2026 as part of the Line 1 east extension, per OC Transpo. Place d'Orléans is an open Transitway station.

Question 10

What is the nearest O-Train station to Orléans?

Accepted Answer

For most of Orléans the nearest station is Convent Glen (Line 1), listed as opening in 2026, or the open Jeanne d'Arc station. Straight-line, Convent Glen is 0.6 km from the Convent Glen – Orléans Woods centre and Jeanne d'Arc is 1.8 km from Chapel Hill North.

Question 11

How do people in Orléans get to work?

Accepted Answer

Most workers in Orléans drive. In the 2021 census, 79.1% to 88.8% of workers across the eight study areas commuted by car, truck or van, and 6.1% to 12.0% by public transit. Between 37.6% and 45.3% worked from home.

Question 12

What parks and trails are in Orléans?

Accepted Answer

The City of Ottawa parks inventory lists 45 parks in the Orléans area. Larger green spaces include the Ottawa River Pathway, Bilberry Creek Valley, Cardinal Creek Valley, Voyager Creek Valley and Grandmaître Ecological Reserve.

Question 13

Where do people in Orléans buy groceries?

Accepted Answer

Orléans has supermarkets across its neighbourhoods, including Metro, No Frills, Farm Boy, FreshCo, Your Independent Grocer, Food Basics, Walmart Supercentre, Real Canadian Superstore and Sobeys. The nearest store is within 1.0 km in straight line for some areas, such as Metro at 0.4 km from Convent Glen.

Question 14

Is Orléans walkable?

Accepted Answer

Orléans is largely car-oriented. ONS neighbourhood average Walk Scores for the eight study areas range from 21 (Chapel Hill South) to 56 (Orléans Village – Chateauneuf). Between 2.0% and 5.2% of workers walked to work in 2021.

Question 15

Is Orléans good for families?

Accepted Answer

Orléans has many schools, parks and recreation centres, and households are mostly owners. Children aged 0–14 were 14.0% to 19.7% of residents in the eight study areas in the 2021 census, and average household size ranged from 2.3 to 2.9.

Question 16

Do more people rent or own in Orléans?

Accepted Answer

More people own. In the 2021 census, owner households were 80.3% to 92.3% of households across the eight Orléans study areas, and renters 7.7% to 19.7%.

Question 17

Which city ward is Orléans in?

Accepted Answer

Orléans spans three wards. Per City of Ottawa ward data, October 2026, Ward 1 (Orléans East-Cumberland, Matthew Luloff) covers Queenswood, Queenswood Heights, Fallingbrook and Cardinal Creek; Ward 2 (Orléans West-Innes, Laura Dudas) covers Convent Glen, Orléans Village and Chapel Hill North; and Ward 19 (Orléans South-Navan, Catherine Kitts) covers Chapel Hill South.

Question 18

What is the nearest hospital to Orléans?

Accepted Answer

In City of Ottawa data, the nearest hospital to Orléans is Montfort Hospital. Straight-line distance from neighbourhood centres ranges from 8.1 km (Chapel Hill North) to 14.6 km (Cardinal Creek).

Question 19

What is the history of Orléans?

Accepted Answer

Orléans was settled in the 1830s, mainly by French Canadian families, and centred on the parish of St. Joseph d'Orléans. It grew from farmland into a suburb from the late 1960s, and became part of the City of Ottawa at amalgamation in 2001.

Question 20

Is Orléans French-speaking?

Accepted Answer

Orléans is bilingual, with a historically francophone core. In the 2021 census, French was the language most spoken at home for 22.5% to 31.3% of residents across the eight study areas.

Question 21

What is Convent Glen – Orléans Woods like?

Accepted Answer

Convent Glen – Orléans Woods is an established Orléans area with 14,770 residents (2021 census) and a median age of 46.0. Single-detached houses are 45.7% of dwellings, and 83.7% of households own. Convent Glen station on Line 1 is 0.6 km away in a straight line and is listed as opening in 2026.

Question 22

What is Orléans Village – Chateauneuf like?

Accepted Answer

Orléans Village – Chateauneuf had 11,310 residents in the 2021 census, with 73.2% of dwellings single-detached and 90.3% of households owning. It has the highest ONS Walk Score average of the eight areas, at 56.

Question 23

What is Queenswood – Chatelaine like?

Accepted Answer

Queenswood – Chatelaine is a smaller Orléans area with 4,535 residents (2021 census). It has the highest tree canopy of the eight areas at 36.6% (2024), and a mix of single-detached (35.7%), row (33.0%) and semi-detached (15.5%) homes.

Question 24

What is Queenswood Heights like?

Accepted Answer

Queenswood Heights is one of the first large suburban developments in Orléans, begun in the late 1960s. It had 10,265 residents in the 2021 census, a median age of 47.2, and 67.6% single-detached homes. Place d'Orléans Transitway station is 1.2 km away in a straight line.

Question 25

What is Fallingbrook like?

Accepted Answer

Fallingbrook is the largest of the eight study areas, with 18,010 residents in the 2021 census. Development began in 1985 on former farmland, and 92.3% of households own. Fallingbrook Community Centre is 0.5 km away and Ray Friel Recreation Complex 0.8 km, straight-line.

Question 26

What is Chapel Hill North like?

Accepted Answer

Chapel Hill North had 11,785 residents in the 2021 census and is the closest of the eight areas to downtown, at 13.3 km in a straight line from Parliament Hill. Jeanne d'Arc station on Line 1 is 1.8 km away. Tree canopy was 35.0% in 2024.

Question 27

What is Chapel Hill South like?

Accepted Answer

Chapel Hill South had 14,425 residents in the 2021 census and the youngest median age of the eight areas, 37.2. Its median owner-estimated dwelling value was $695,000 (2021), the highest of the eight, and 88.8% of workers commuted by car, truck or van.

Question 28

What is Cardinal Creek like?

Accepted Answer

Cardinal Creek is an eastern Orléans area with 13,010 residents in the 2021 census. French was the most spoken language at home for 31.3% of residents, the highest of the eight areas, and the ONS Bike Score average is 66.

Question 29

What recreation centres and rinks are in Orléans?

Accepted Answer

City of Ottawa data lists eight recreation centres in Orléans, including Ray Friel Recreation Complex, Bob MacQuarrie Recreation Complex – Orléans, Roy G. Hobbs, Pierre Rocque and Bob Monette community centres, and 12 rinks. The data used here does not list pools.

Question 30

Does Orléans have a library?

Accepted Answer

Yes. City of Ottawa data lists the Ottawa Public Library Orleans Branch. It is 0.8 km in a straight line from Orléans Village – Chateauneuf and 1.0 km from Chapel Hill North.

Question 31

How much tree canopy does Orléans have?

Accepted Answer

In 2024, tree canopy covered between 15.6% (Fallingbrook) and 36.6% (Queenswood – Chatelaine) of the eight Orléans study areas, according to the Ottawa Neighbourhood Study.

Question 32

How old are people in Orléans?

Accepted Answer

Median age in the eight Orléans study areas ranged from 37.2 (Chapel Hill South) to 47.2 (Queenswood Heights) in the 2021 census. Children aged 0–14 were 14.0% to 19.7% of residents, and seniors 65 and over were 10.7% to 24.2%.

Question 33

Is there a beach in Orléans?

Accepted Answer

Yes. City of Ottawa data lists Petrie Island River Beaches in the Orléans area, and Wikipedia describes Petrie Island as a recreational destination and the closest beach to Fallingbrook.

Question 34

What are the main shopping streets in Orléans?

Accepted Answer

St. Joseph Boulevard, historically the area's main road, is a major commercial corridor in Orléans, and the Heart of Orléans BIA is the area's listed business improvement area. Place d'Orléans, which opened in 1979, is a major shopping centre.

Question 35

How many people live in Orléans?

Accepted Answer

Orléans had 139,309 people in the 2021 census, based on the adjusted boundary definition used by Wikipedia. The eight study areas in this guide together had 98,110 residents in 2021.

Question 36

How many people in Orléans work from home?

Accepted Answer

In the 2021 census, 37.6% (Queenswood – Chatelaine) to 45.3% (Cardinal Creek) of workers aged 15 and over in the eight Orléans study areas worked from home.

Question 37

Are there apartments and condos in Orléans?

Accepted Answer

There are some, but they are a small share of housing. In the 2021 census, apartments in buildings under five storeys were 0.0% to 14.9% of dwellings across the eight study areas, and apartments in buildings of five or more storeys were 0.0% to 5.7%.

Question 38

When does Convent Glen O-Train station open?

Accepted Answer

Convent Glen station is listed as opening in 2026 as part of the Line 1 east extension, per OC Transpo. It was shown as under construction in the data used for this guide.

Question 39

How many schools are in Orléans?

Accepted Answer

City of Ottawa data lists 43 schools in the Orléans area: 13 OCDSB, 13 CECCE, 10 OCSB, 5 CÉPEO and 2 independent schools.

Question 40

What natural features are in Orléans?

Accepted Answer

Orléans lies along the Ottawa River and includes Green's Creek, the Orléans Escarpment and the Cardinal Creek Karst. The Mer Bleue Conservation Area, home to a bog recognized under the Ramsar Convention, lies south of Orléans.

Question 41

How close are bus stops in Orléans?

Accepted Answer

The Ottawa Neighbourhood Study reports an average of 6.3 (Chapel Hill South) to 12.4 (Queenswood Heights) transit stops within a 600 m walk across the eight Orléans study areas.

Living in the Orléans area: questions, answered

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