Stittsville is the last stop west before the countryside. It has an old village main street with a Legion and a hardware store, a rail trail running through the middle, and, wrapped around all of that, twenty-five years of new subdivisions. Prices run $500K to $850K, and the number depends more on which decade your street was built in than on anything else.
The pockets
| Built | What you get | In the range | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Stittsville | Before the 1980s, along Main Street | The village. Older houses on big lots, some on their own wells, walking distance to the shops. | Varies widely |
| Amberwood | 1980s | Larger homes around the golf course. The established upper end. | High |
| Jackson Trails | 2000s | The big family pocket north of Hazeldean. Townhomes and singles, lots of schools. | Low to middle |
| Fairwinds and Crossing Bridge | 2000s to 2010s | West of Main. Newer singles close to the trail. | Middle |
| Fernbank | Newest, still building | The south edge. Big new singles and townhomes along Fernbank Road. Not cheap, and not finished. | Middle to high |
Not automatically cheaper than Kanata
Buyers come to Stittsville expecting a discount for the extra distance, and in the older pockets they find one. In Fernbank and the newer singles, they do not. A new four-bedroom on Fernbank Road prices like Kanata Lakes, because the builders know who is buying it. If you want the Stittsville discount, look at Jackson Trails and the older streets near Main rather than the sales centre.
The commute
Stittsville to downtown is 35 to 50 minutes by car, via Terry Fox or Carp Road to the 417, and then the same Queensway as everyone in Kanata. There is no train and no funded plan for one. Buses run from Stittsville into the Kanata Transitway stations and on to downtown, and they work, but the bus trip to downtown is an hour. If both adults in the house work downtown daily, I say so out loud before we look.
The other half of the answer: a lot of Stittsville works in Kanata. The tech park is fifteen minutes away. If that is you, the commute question mostly goes away.
Small town, big growth
The village feel is real. Main Street has been there for well over a century and it still runs a parade. What is also real is that Stittsville has been one of the fastest-growing parts of Ottawa for twenty years and the building has not stopped. The quiet street you love may have a construction site behind it for the next three years. Drive past the edges of the subdivision and look for the survey stakes.
What buyers get wrong
- They assume everything is on city water and sewer. Most of it is. Some older lots near Main and along the rural edges are on wells and septic, and that changes the inspection, the insurance and the budget. Ask on every older listing.
- They buy in Fernbank for the new house and then discover that Fernbank Road is the only way out, and it is a two-lane road with a lot of trucks on it.
- They skip Jackson Trails because it is "all townhouses." It is mostly townhouses. It is also the best-value pocket in the west end for a family that wants schools and parks in walking distance.
Who is happy here
Families who want a yard, quiet streets and a real main street to walk to on a Saturday. Anyone working in Kanata. Buyers who like the idea of the countryside being five minutes away and the Costco being ten.
Who is not: downtown commuters who have not done the drive, and anyone who wants the city close. The city is not close. That is the point of Stittsville and also its cost.
Selling in Stittsville
Older Stittsville homes sell to buyers who want the lot and the village, and pricing is about the lot. Newer ones compete with the builder up the road. Two different jobs, and I know which one your house is. Ask for a real number.
I like Stittsville for the family that has done the drive and is fine with it. If you have not done the drive yet, do it at 7:45 on a Tuesday, then call me and we will talk about which pocket fits.
Questions I get about Stittsville
Is Stittsville a good place to live?
For families who want quiet streets, a walkable main street and newer housing, yes. The trade-off is that it is the farthest west you can go and still be in Ottawa. The drive downtown is 35 to 50 minutes and there is no train.
Is Stittsville cheaper than Kanata?
In the older pockets, usually. In the new Fernbank builds, no. Most Stittsville homes sell between $500K and $850K, which overlaps Kanata almost entirely.
How far is Stittsville from downtown Ottawa?
About 30 kilometres. Plan on 35 to 50 minutes by car and about an hour by bus through the Kanata Transitway stations.
Are homes in Stittsville on well water?
Most are on city water and sewer. Some older properties near Main Street and along the rural edges are on wells and septic systems, which affects the inspection and the budget. Check every older listing.
Thinking about Stittsville?
Do the drive first. Then tell me your budget and we will find the pocket.