- City Guide - Ottawa The Ottawa Region, covering an area 4,662
square kilometres (1,800 square miles) in size, is unique in its
history, geography and lifestyle. The nation's capital is the
second largest city in the province of Ontario and is the fourth
largest city in Canada. With a metropolitan population of
1,236,326 in 2011, the city of Ottawa can be found along the
south bank of the Ottawa River, bordering Gatineau Quebec to
form the National Capital Region. Ottawa was ranked as the city
with second highest quality of living in North America according
to the Mercer Human Resource Consulting firm. It was also named
the best community in Canada to live in by MoneySense in 2012
for its third consecutive year. The National Capital Region
offers a wide variety of urban attractions: many of Canada's
best museums and cultural facilities, as well as the Parliament
Buildings and other historical structures and major
institutions, are located in the Capital area. The city of
Ottawa was originally named Bytown, d