Reviewed by Natalie Sladek
Canada : Safety by City
- Abbotsford
- Brampton
- Burnaby
- Calgary
- Coquitlam
- Edmonton
- Halifax
- Hamilton
- Kelowna
- Kitchener
- Mississauga
- Montreal
- Nanaimo
- Niagara Falls
- Oshawa
- Ottawa
- Quebec City
- Red Deer
- Regina
- Saskatoon
- Thunder Bay
- Toronto
- Vancouver
- Victoria
- Windsor
- Winnipeg
Hamilton is a port city in Ontario with a population of around half a million people.
It is situated at the westernmost end of Lake Ontario—the city wraps around the lake and continues towards the Niagara Escarpment, referred to by locals as “the mountain.”
Hamilton is interesting by its to the Royal Botanical Gardens, the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, the Bruce Trail, McMaster University and several colleges.
The Canadian Football League’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats play at Ivor Wynne Stadium.
Also in the city, there are numerous museums, waterfalls, green parks.
The city even has an official tourism website that offers a free “Experience Hamilton” Visitor’s Guide and current info on local events and attractions.
Warnings & Dangers in Hamilton
OVERALL RISK : MEDIUM
Hamilton is quite safe for travel, and many travelers do not encounter any difficulties moving around here. In remote areas of the city and dimly lit streets, you can run into drug dealers; in such cases, a robbery is possible. Do not resist and give what the criminals ask and then contact the police.
TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK : LOW
Taxis and public transportation are safe in Hamilton. As always, if you use common sense and watch your pockets on a crowded bus. It's better to take a licensed taxi.
PICKPOCKETS RISK : MEDIUM
As in almost any city, you can meet pickpockets in Hamilton. Most often they operate in tourist places and in crowded vehicles. Also, be careful not to leave personal items and valuables in your car.
NATURAL DISASTERS RISK : MEDIUM
Hamilton, we face several hazards, such as floods, tornadoes, and earthquakes. In addition to natural disasters, there are other types of risks, such as power outages and industrial or transportation accidents.
MUGGING RISK : LOW
Armed robberies or severe hacks in the city are rare. However, it may occur. For tourists protection, it is not recommended to walk in distant areas of the city from the center and not to linger on the street late at night, especially if you have a little drink.
TERRORISM RISK : LOW
Canada's current level is Medium, meaning that a violent act of terrorism could occur. There were no cases of terrorism in Hamilton; however, travelers should always be on the alert about this danger.
SCAMS RISK : MEDIUM
Most fraud in Hamilton occurs over the Internet. When criminals collect your data and your card data, keep this in mind, and never fill out confidential banking information on third-party sites. SMS mailing is also often a scam tool but does not affect tourists.
WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK : LOW
Usually, for women traveling alone, there is no problem in Hamilton. They are unlikely to attract unwanted attention from local men. However, it is always worthwhile to have common sense and remember the usual security measures.
So... How Safe Is Hamilton Really?
Hamilton has an average crime rate and is considered quite safe.
The main crimes here are related to drug trafficking, vandalism, and petty theft.
Use common sense and avoid walking around alone at night.
During the day, the city is quite safe, and you can even safely walk alone.
The rate of violent crime is moderate compared to other similarly-sized Canadian cities.
Most often, criminals attack light victims who do not worry about their surroundings or go late from the bar.
It should be noted that the police in Hamilton works quite well, and if a crime has occurred to you, you should immediately contact the nearest police station.
If you travel to Hamilton in the winter, you should take special safety measures so as not to freeze. In winter, there can be rather low temperatures, and there is ice on the roads.
The beautiful trails along the Niagara Escarpment can sometimes run quite close to unfenced, unmarked cliff edges. Stay on the path and use caution, and you’ll be fine.
Hamilton is home to the Hamilton Steel Mill.
This means that, from time to time, there is a kind of odd smell in the air.
You don’t need to worry about parking in a garage as your vehicle will be ok.
Just do not leave your valuables in the car.
How Does Hamilton Compare?
| City | Safety Index |
|---|---|
| Hamilton | 76 |
| Montreal | 81 |
| Toronto | 81 |
| Vancouver | 82 |
| Calgary | 82 |
| Niagara Falls | 87 |
| Quebec City | 85 |
| Brussels (Belgium) | 60 |
| Belize City (Belize) | 37 |
| La Paz (Bolivia) | 52 |
| Sao Paulo (Brazil) | 45 |
| Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | 43 |
| Sofia (Bulgaria) | 73 |
Useful Information
- Visas - A visa to enter Canada for tourists that stay less than 180 days is not obligatory for certain nationalities and that can be checked online. A valid passport is a must.
- Currency - The official currency in Canada is the Canadian dollar(It is often called "loonie"). The Canadian dollar has a symbol: $ and code: CAD. It is divided into 100 cents.
- Weather - The best times to visit Hamilton for ideal weather are June to October. Average temperatures in Hamilton vary drastically and the weather feels cold for about half of the year and otherwise nice with a fair chance of precipitation about half of the year.
- Airports - The nearest major airport is John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport. This airport has domestic flights and is 24 km from the center of Hamilton. Another major airport is Region of Waterloo International Airport, which has international and domestic flights from Kitchener, Canada, and is 63 km from Hamilton.
- Travel Insurance - The travel insurance policy is a must when visiting a foreign country. Make sure you got it before starting your journey, the customs officer may ask for it.
Hamilton Weather Averages (Temperatures)
Average High/Low Temperature
| Temperature / Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | -1 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 19 | 24 | 27 | 26 | 21 | 14 | 8 | 2 |
| Low °C | -9 | -8 | -4 | 2 | 8 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 12 | 6 | 1 | -5 |
| High °F | 30 | 32 | 41 | 54 | 66 | 75 | 81 | 79 | 70 | 57 | 46 | 36 |
| Low °F | 16 | 18 | 25 | 36 | 46 | 55 | 63 | 61 | 54 | 43 | 34 | 23 |
Canada - Safety by City
| City | Safety Index |
|---|---|
| Abbotsford | 83 |
| Brampton | 82 |
| Burnaby | 65 |
| Calgary | 82 |
| Coquitlam | 86 |
| Edmonton | 86 |
| Halifax | 79 |
| Hamilton | 76 |
| Kelowna | 76 |
| Kitchener | 75 |
| Mississauga | 85 |
| Montreal | 81 |
| Nanaimo | 32 |
| Niagara Falls | 87 |
| Oshawa | 42 |
| Ottawa | 83 |
| Quebec City | 85 |
| Red Deer | 32 |
| Regina | 74 |
| Saskatoon | 73 |
| Thunder Bay | 65 |
| Toronto | 81 |
| Vancouver | 82 |
| Victoria | 82 |
| Windsor | 81 |
| Winnipeg | 77 |
Sketchy at best. Not sure where that 77 came from. More like a 38. Have you seen their roads? They look like pressed ham.
Hamilton has such a terrible road!!!
It's got spunk, but perhaps not as safe as some places
lol….oh dear Hamilton. It holds a special place in my heart – I went to university there for 5 years. But let me tell you. Unless you are a local and know where to go/not to go, or have figured how to blend in well…this is not a particularly “safe” place – at least down town or in certain areas. I mean…the homeless people, and all sorts of neglected folks seem harmless enough. But you don’t really know that if one of them is crazy and snaps. I remember one day coming home to my student house and turning on the tv to hear that some man had been stabbed in the face in the exact bank that I had just been to downtown. A “crazy” homeless person had come in and without reason stabbed this man. Broad daylight. Another time my friend and I had decided to walk home from Hess (their street with bars and clubs), which was a good 25 minute walk back to the student houses that surrounded the university. Along the way, a large, relatively built, topless screaming man started following us home. He wasn’t screaming at us persay. He was speed walking, and occasionally looking up and screaming at the sky and then kicking and hitting things along the road. Clearly mentally disturbed. We were terrified and tried to speed walk as fast as we could away from him without attracting too much attention (didn’t want to run in case it caused him to run after us in some drug induced haze). We managed to come by an Admiral Inn (i think that was the name) and we ran inside and asked the security guard there if we could just hide in the lobby until this man passed by – the guard was very nice and let us. We watched this crazy man walk by the Inn and have a tantrum punching all the large recycling bins. Then when we were sure he was far enough ahead, we kept walking home. (we didn’t have money for a cab or else we wouldve just called one trust me haha broke student life right). This guy was WAITING on the side streets!! Not 10 minutes had passed when we started walking – and he was almost directly behind us screaming. So needless to say we RAN at this point. And we lost him when we turned down the street by the Synagogue and then through some other small streets and he didn’t know where we’d gone. But holy shit. terrifying. And that is just ONE of my Hamilton stories. Now don’t get me wrong – I love Hamilton. I think it’s got spunk, and I would opt for Hamilton over Toronto any day…but If you’re looking for a night out on the town, perhaps make sure that you are with people who know the ins and outs of the city, or that you have secured reliable transport to and from your venues so you’re not left wandering some sketchy streets, which are almost all of them downtown.