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The price of car insurance in Ottawa is $1,980 per year according to our user database, or $165 per month. This number represents the average of all Ottawa quotes completed on our site, excluding drivers who are deemed high-risk due to previous traffic convictions. There are things you can do to avoid paying high auto insurance rates in Ottawa, like practicing defensive driving on the roads and comparing auto insurance quotes. The best way to get a personal estimate for car insurance in Ottawa is to compare quotes from multiple car insurance companies.

The Ottawa postal code with the highest average car insurance premiums is the K1T area. This postal code is located in the Nepean region, which is situated between Kanata and Gloucester. The area encompasses Blossom Park, Greenboro, Leitrim and Findlay Creek. 

The Ottawa postal code with the lowest average premiums is the K1B region, located inside the suburb of Gloucester and situated along the Trans Canada Highway. The region encompasses the Blackburn Hamlet, Pine View and Sheffield Glen districts. The average premium for this postal code is $1,459.42 per year.

Ottawa has some of the most affordable auto insurance rates in Ontario, which is notorious for having some of the highest auto insurance premiums in the country. Here are the cities in Ontario with the lowest car insurance premiums, from cheapest to highest.

The Ontario cities with the cheapest car insurance are:

• Ottawa
• Kingston
• Pembroke
• Cornwall
• Brockville

Many Ontario residents pay far more than Ottawa residents for auto insurance. Brampton residents pay the highest car insurance premiums in the province, followed closely by North York, Mississauga, Scarborough and Toronto.

Just because Ottawa’s average price is among the lowest in the province, that doesn’t mean cheap car insurance is easy to find. 

Car insurance buyers in Ottawa should keep in mind that where you live is just one factor in determining how much you’ll pay in premiums. Other factors your auto insurance provider will consider include your personal driving habits, your insurance history and how much you drive every day. If you have driving convictions and a spotty insurance history, you can expect to pay higher rates.

No Ottawa auto insurance company can guarantee low rates to every driver that applies for a policy. Every insurance company underwrites risk differently, so it’s difficult to estimate where you’ll be able to get the cheapest car insurance premiums in Ottawa.

There are a number of factors that insurance companies consider which are out of your control. Among these factors is the company’s loss ratios, which are composed of the driving records of all of your insurance company’s customers.

Don’t worry. There are still factors under your control that can effectively help you lower your car insurance rates in Ottawa. These include your driving record, the amount of kilometres you drive each year, the type of car you drive, your eligibility for discounts and — ultimately — the car insurance policy you choose.

Utilitarian cars that have high safety ratings and aren’t historically targeted by thieves are generally considered to be a low risk by insurance companies, which might lower your car insurance rates. In addition, you can also practice defensive driving and limiting your mileage to try for a lower car insurance rate.

By comparing Ottawa car insurance quotes on LowestRates.ca, you may find that one insurance company’s tolerance for risk is a bit different than your current auto insurance provider and they may be willing to offer you a lower rate.

There are several factors that can impact the cost of car insurance in Ottawa. Here are some things your insurance company might factor in when determining your rate:

Your mileage: If you’re using your vehicle to run a few errands (between 6 km and 9 km per day), your mileage won’t influence your insurance premium. On the other hand, if you use your car frequently and your daily mileage is over 25-30 km per day, your premium will likely be higher than someone who drives less.

Your driving record: If you have an accident or a string of traffic tickets on your driving record when you sign up for car insurance, your car insurance premiums will be higher than someone with no incidents in their history. Having a clear record, on the other hand, will likely get you a lower rate.

Your age: Car insurance companies will give you higher insurance rates until you’ve built enough driving history to prove that you’re a safe driver. The good news is, you’re not alone. Young people all over Ottawa, and Canada, pay higher rates for auto insurance than their older, more experienced peers on the road. Like many things in life, it gets better with age.

Adults between the ages of 50 and 70 get some of the lowest car insurance rates in Ottawa. If you belong to this demographic, you probably have a long history of being insured and you might even have bundled your home insurance policy with the same provider of your auto insurance.  After age 70, though, you might see your rate begin to climb. People in this age group are statistically more likely to file larger claims and require a longer recovery time for injuries. If you do see your rates begin to rise, it may be time to shop around for new automobile insurance in Ottawa.

Car insurance for new drivers in Ottawa is expensive. Young people pay, on average, the highest insurance premiums of any demographic (adults with driving convictions notwithstanding). For drivers who’ve been insured since the age of 16, rates start declining in the mid-twenties and typically persist until their thirtieth birthday. 

It is possible for new drivers to find cheaper car insurance in Ottawa. Here are some ways young drivers can trim their car insurance premium:

• Avoid getting your own car, if you can. Instead, opt to get listed as the secondary driver of your parents’ car. Insurance for secondary drivers costs less than it does for the primary driver.
• If you’re in school (high school or post-secondary), insurance companies offer discounts to students who maintain a certain GPA.
• Take a driver’s education course and make sure you get a certificate of completion. Showing that to an insurance company will lower your rate.

It can be challenging for new drivers to find affordable car insurance in Ottawa. However, we’ve found that the demographic that finds the most savings on LowestRates.ca are young drivers — the more you’re expected to pay, the more dramatic the savings you can find when you compare Ottawa car insurance quotes. 

If you’ve recently immigrated to Ottawa, you cannot drive without proper licencing and insurance. 

You must trade in your licence from the country you’ve emigrated from within 60 days for an Ontario driver’s license. The provincial government recognizes licences from several countries as equivalent to an Ontario license, which makes your transition smoother and spares you from going through Ontario’s graduated licensing system. Ask your old insurance company to provide a reference to your new Ontario insurer. Having proof of your insurance and driving history will go a long way to securing a lower car insurance rate.

Having several traffic convictions will put you in the high-risk category with most car insurance companies. Having your licence revoked will push you even further into the high-risk category. Being high-risk means that insurance companies think that the likelihood of you filing a claim is high. Since insurance companies are betting that they will need to provide you financial assistance, they will charge you more. It’s very hard to find cheap auto insurance rates in Ottawa as a high-risk driver. There are, however, insurance companies that cater to high-risk drivers. Failing that, you can purchase facility insurance, which is a pool that is funded by Canadian insurance companies to offer coverage to high-risk drivers.

Facts

• Ottawa roads are among the safest in the country. Efforts from all government levels, and many non-governmental agencies, reduced traffic fatalities and serious injuries in Ottawa significantly over the past 30 years — despite a huge increase of drivers in Ottawa.
• If you think you've seen all of Ottawa, look down — there's an entire city beneath your feet. Ottawa is home to an extensive "underground city": tunnel networks through Carleton University, an underground passageway in the downtown business district, and a rapid transit line currently in construction.
• The urban transit service of Ottawa, called OC Transpo, has its own bus rapid transit (BRT) system. This high-frequency bus service runs on the transitway and boasts a network of separate roadways for OC Transpo buses.

Myths​

• Car insurance calculators geared towards Ottawa drivers can provide an accurate quote. False. You won’t get an accurate quote by inputting a few facts about your driving history. Insurance companies need more data than that. Take three minutes to complete a quote and speak with an Ottawa car insurance broker. 
• A larger population means more accidents in Ottawa. False. You'd think that in a city like Ottawa, accidents would be among the highest in the country, but the opposite is true. In fact, Ottawa has one of the lowest accident rates in Canada. Between 2014 and 2018, the intersection with the most traffic collisions was St. Joseph Blvd. and Jeanne D’arc Blvd with a total of 280 total collisions.
• Heavy winter snowfall means more accidents. False. Even though Ottawa gets about 224 centimetres (or 88 inches) of snowfall every year, drivers in the city know how to cope with the white stuff.
• When driving in Ottawa, you can skip the winter tires and use all-seasons tires instead. False. All-season tires may seem convenient, but when you're driving in Canada, and especially in snowy Ottawa, there's no such thing as tires for "all seasons".

Beware of potholes: Ottawa roads have become known for being speckled with potholes. In the early months of 2020, City of Ottawa officials filled more than 13,000 potholes. Depending on the weather, potholes can go from being a literal bump in the road and a full-on car accident so be alert and stay safe while driving.

Limited downtown parking: The topic of finding parking in downtown Ottawa has been up for debate for years. If you’re travelling downtown via car, keep this in mind as it’s not unheard of for parking enforcement authorities to surprise residents with tickets of $75 or more.

Don’t skip the winter tires: Much like the rest of Canada, Ottawa is known for its harsh winters. If you’re regularly driving through harsh winter weather, winter tires can mean all the difference between getting home safely or winding up in an accident. Furthermore, some insurance companies will offer you a discount on your car insurance if you have winter tires.

Speaking of which, watch out for those snow banks: If there are snow banks on your lawn, you need to be careful when you're pulling out of the driveway. It's easy to get clipped by a passing vehicle if piled-up snow blocks your view.

Look out for deer or other wildlife on the road:​ There are 1,000 collisions between wildlife and vehicles each year in Ottawa — that's more than in any other area in Ontario. Look for yellow wildlife warning signs or light reflections from animals' eyes. The best way to stay safe is to reduce your speed so you have time to react appropriately.