Ottawa to Montreal is the friendliest long-distance route in the region: roughly 200 km, about two hours of driving on Highway 417 and Autoroute 20. Students, young professionals, and families move between these two cities constantly — and because the drive is short, many Montreal moves can load in Ottawa and deliver the same day.
Don't let the short distance fool you into casual planning, though. The Montreal end has its own moving culture — July 1st moving day madness, Plateau walk-ups with spiral staircases, and condo rules in two languages. A little preparation makes this the easiest big-city move you'll ever do.
Same-day or next-day: how the route runs
For small and mid-sized homes, we can often load in Ottawa in the morning and deliver in Montreal the same afternoon. Larger households usually load one day and deliver the next. Your written quote confirms the schedule after the inventory walkthrough — pricing is flat, based on what you're moving and the access at both ends.
One date to know: Quebec's moving day. Leases across Montreal traditionally turn over on July 1, making late June the most congested moving window in the province. If your Montreal move lands anywhere near it, book early — earlier than feels reasonable — and expect buildings and streets to be busy.
Montreal delivery realities
Montreal's housing stock is unlike Ottawa's. Plateau and Mile End plexes come with exterior spiral staircases and tight interior turns; condo towers in Griffintown and downtown run elevator-booking systems like Toronto's; and street parking for a truck can require planning (and sometimes a permit) in dense arrondissements. Tell us the building style when you book, and send photos of staircases for anything unusual — the crew will arrive with the right equipment and a plan for the spiral.
Language is no barrier: paperwork and delivery-day communication are handled the way your household prefers. And if you're coming the other way — Montreal to Ottawa — we run the reverse route on the same flat-quote model.