View source for Ontario Highway 7

{{short description|Ontario provincial highway}}
{{Infobox road
|province       = ON
|type           = Hwy
|route          = 7
|alternate_name =
|map            = Highway7.PNG
|map_notes      = Location of Highway 7 in Southern Ontario.<br />{{legend0|#FF0000|Current route}} {{legend0|#00FF00|Former route}}
|length_km      = 535.7<!-- This distance is the length in the intersection table minus the 62.6 kilometre gap -->
|length_ref     = <ref name="km" />
|established    = 1920
|section1       = Western segment
|direction_a    = West
|length_km1     = 154.1
|terminus_a1    = {{jcon|Hwy|4|town=Elginfield}}
|junction1      = {{jcon|Hwy|23}}<br />{{jcon|Hwy|8|city=Kitchener}}<br />{{jcon|Hwy|6|city=Guelph}}
|terminus_b1    = [[Regional Municipality of Halton|Halton]]&ndash;[[Regional Municipality of Peel|Peel]] boundary (near [[Norval, Ontario|Norval]])
|section2       = Eastern segment
|direction_b    = East
|length_km2     = 381.6
|terminus_a2    = Reesor Rd - [[Markham, Ontario|Markham]]
|junction2      = {{jcon|Hwy|412|city=Whitby}}<br />{{jcon|Hwy|7A|town=Port Perry}}<br />{{jcon|Hwy|12|city=Sunderland}}<br />{{jcon|Hwy|35|city=Lindsay}}<br />{{jcon|Hwy|115|city=Peterborough}}<br />{{jcon|Hwy|28|city=Peterborough}}<br />{{jcon|Hwy|62}} - [[Madoc, Ontario (village)|Madoc]]<br />{{jcon|Hwy|37|town=Actinolite}}<br />{{jcon|Hwy|41|town=Kaladar}}<br />{{jcon|Hwy|15|town=Carleton Place}}
|terminus_b2    = {{jcon|Hwy|417|city=Ottawa}}
|divisions      = [[Middlesex County, Ontario|Middlesex]], [[Oxford County, Ontario|Oxford County]], [[Regional Municipality of Halton|Halton]], [[Regional Municipality of York|York]], [[Regional Municipality of Durham|Durham]], [[Kawartha Lakes]], [[Peterborough County|Peterborough]], [[Hastings County|Hastings]], [[Lennox and Addington]], [[Frontenac County|Frontenac]], [[Lanark County|Lanark]]
|cities         = [[Stratford, Ontario|Stratford]], [[Kitchener, Ontario|Kitchener]]&ndash;[[Waterloo, Ontario|Waterloo]], [[Guelph]], [[Brampton]], [[Vaughan]], [[Markham, Ontario|Markham]], [[Pickering, Ontario|Pickering]], [[Peterborough, Ontario|Peterborough]], [[Ottawa]]
|towns          = [[Halton Hills]] ([[Acton, Ontario|Acton]], [[Georgetown, Ontario|Georgetown]], [[Norval, Ontario|Norval]]), [[Richmond Hill, Ontario|Richmond Hill]], [[Whitby, Ontario|Whitby]], [[Lindsay, Ontario|Lindsay]], [[Perth, Ontario|Perth]], [[Carleton Place, Ontario|Carleton Place]]
|previous_type  = ON
|previous_route = 6
|next_type      = ON
|next_route     = 7A
}}
'''King's Highway 7''', commonly referred to as '''Highway 7''' (abbreviated as '''Hwy 7''') and  historically as the '''Northern Highway''', is a [[Ontario Provincial Highway Network|provincially maintained highway]] in the [[Provinces and territories of Canada|Canadian province]] of [[Ontario]]. At its peak, Highway&nbsp;7 measured {{convert|716|km|abbr=on}} in length, stretching from [[Ontario Highway 40|Highway&nbsp;40]] east of [[Sarnia]] in [[Southwestern Ontario]], passing through the [[Greater Toronto Area]] (GTA) (although bypassing [[Toronto]] proper) and on to [[Ontario Highway 17|Highway&nbsp;17]] west of [[Ottawa]] in [[Eastern Ontario]]. However, due in part to the construction of Highways&nbsp;402 and 407, the province transferred the sections of Highway&nbsp;7 west of [[London, Ontario|London]] and through the GTA to county and regional jurisdiction. The highway is now {{convert|535.7|km|abbr=on}} long; the western segment begins at [[Ontario Highway 4|Highway&nbsp;4]] north of London and extends {{convert|154.1|km|abbr=on}} to [[Georgetown, Ontario|Georgetown]], while the eastern segment begins at [[Donald Cousens Parkway]] in [[Markham, Ontario|Markham]] and extends {{convert|381.6|km|abbr=on}} to [[Ontario Highway 417|Highway&nbsp;417]] in [[Ottawa]].

Highway&nbsp;7 was first designated in 1920 between Sarnia and [[Guelph]] and extended to Brampton the following year. Between 1927 and 1932, the highway was more than doubled in length as it was gradually extended eastward to [[Perth, Ontario|Perth]], where [[Ontario Highway 15|Highway&nbsp;15]] continued to Ottawa via Carleton Place. In the early 1960s, that section of Highway&nbsp;15 was renumbered as Highway&nbsp;7. In that same decade, the [[Conestoga Parkway]] through Kitchener and the [[Peterborough, Ontario|Peterborough]] Bypass were constructed. During the 1970s and 1980s, many sections of Highway&nbsp;7 were widened from the initial two lane cross-section to four or six lanes. Within central [[Regional Municipality of York|York Region]], where it would share a narrow corridor with the then-future [[Ontario Highway 407|Highway&nbsp;407]], the route was upgraded to a limited-access suburban arterial expressway in preparation for the construction of the latter route.

Soon thereafter, that new tollway would act as justification for transferring the section of Highway&nbsp;7 through the GTA to regional governments{{snd}}despite the fact that the western terminus of the 407 is at the junction of the [[Queen Elizabeth Way]] and [[Ontario Highway 403|Highway&nbsp;403]] in [[Burlington, Ontario|Burlington]]; too far south to provide any continuity with Highway 7, and also that the highway could have remained intact as a municipally-maintained [[connecting link]] as is typically the case where a through-highway traverses an urban area. The sections became Peel Regional Road 107 (following Bovaird Drive and Queen Street from west and east of [[Ontario Highway 410|Highway 410]] respectively), and York Regional Road 7. In the west, the construction of [[Ontario Highway 402|Highway&nbsp;402]] between [[Sarnia]] and [[London, Ontario|London]] provided an uninterrupted alternative to Highway&nbsp;7, resulting in the transfer of the section west of Highway&nbsp;4. A third transfer took place in Peterborough, briefly separating the route into three discontinuous segments, but has since been rectified by renumbering a section of [[Ontario Highway 7A|Highway&nbsp;7A]]. From 2007 to 2012, the section of Highway&nbsp;7 between [[Carleton Place]] and Ottawa has been widened to a divided freeway. In addition, work is underway to extend the Conestoga Parkway to [[New Hamburg, Ontario|New Hamburg]] as well as to build a new freeway between [[Kitchener, Ontario|Kitchener]] and [[Guelph]].

== Route description ==
Originally, Highway&nbsp;7 extended as far west as Sarnia, remaining as a provincial highway for some time after the extension of [[Ontario Highway 402|Highway&nbsp;402]] to London. At Warwick, Highway&nbsp;7 crosses Highway&nbsp;402, west of that point these routes ran parallel to each other for 40 km (both roads never being further than 2 km apart) until [[Ontario Highway 40|Highway&nbsp;40]]. Upon entering the Sarnia city limits from the east on Highway&nbsp;7, drivers encountered a plethora of motels and restaurants, the [[Sarnia Airport]], and attractions such as Hiawatha Racetrack and Waterpark, earning the stretch between Modeland Road and Airport Road the nickname of the "Golden Mile".<ref>{{cite report |title=Official Plan of the Town of Clearwater |date=January 1985 |url=http://www.sarnia.ca/documents.asp?DocumentID=74 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150630010247/http://www.sarnia.ca/documents.asp?DocumentID=74 |archive-date=2015-06-30 |page=7 }}</ref> The interchange with [[Ontario Highway 40|Highway&nbsp;40]] marked the former western terminus of Highway&nbsp;7, thereafter the road continues as Exmouth Street as the opposing carriageways merge and follow an S curve before passing [[Lambton Mall]]. Since being downloaded to municipal authorities, the former highway is now known as [[List of numbered roads in Lambton County|Lambton County Road&nbsp;22]] (London Line) and [[List of numbered roads in Middlesex County, Ontario|Middlesex County Road&nbsp;7]] (Elginfield Road).<ref name="2022 mapart west"/>

=== Western segment ===
The current western segment of Highway&nbsp;7 travels from [[Elginfield, Ontario|Elginfield]] in [[Middlesex County, Ontario|Middlesex County]] in the southwest to the [[Regional Municipality of Halton, Ontario|Halton]] - [[Peel Region, Ontario|Peel]] border at [[Halton Hills, Ontario|Norval]] near [[Brampton]]; a distance of {{convert|152.6|km}}. The western segment was separated from the rest of Highway&nbsp;7 on June 7, 1997, when the section from Brampton to [[Markham, Ontario|Markham]] was downloaded due to the opening of [[Ontario Highway 407|Highway&nbsp;407]].<ref name="1997d" /> A {{convert|23.4|km|abbr=on}} portion of this segment, from [[Waterloo Regional Municipality, Ontario|Waterloo]] Regional Road&nbsp;51 south of [[Baden, Ontario|Baden]] to [[Ontario Highway 85|Highway&nbsp;85]] in [[Kitchener, Ontario|Kitchener]] is a [[controlled-access highway|freeway]], forming part of the [[Conestoga Parkway]]. Plans to build a freeway bypass of Highway&nbsp;7 from Kitchener to Guelph are currently underway (see below).

The current route begins at Highway&nbsp;4, approximately {{convert|20|km|abbr=on}} north of London and immediately southeast of the village of [[Lucan, Ontario|Lucan]]; the former routing continued west along Elginfield Road through [[Parkhill, Ontario|Parkhill]] and [[Arkona, Ontario|Arkona]]. Though the highway changes direction several times between Elginfield and Kitchener, it is mostly straight and two lanes wide, except east of New Hamburg where it widens to four lanes. Proceeding east-northeast through farmland, the highway meets the southern terminus of Highway&nbsp;23 just {{convert|1.2|km}} later. It continues, serving as the boundary between [[Lucan Biddulph]] to the north and [[Middlesex Centre]] to the south, and later as the boundary between [[Perth County, Ontario|Perth County]] to the north and [[Middlesex County, Ontario|Middlesex]] and [[Oxford County, Ontario|Oxford]] counties, with the [[tripoint]] of the three at County Road&nbsp;120A south of [[St. Marys, Ontario|St. Marys]]. Southeast of St. Marys, Highway&nbsp;7 curves northeast into Perth County until it reaches downtown [[Stratford, Ontario|Stratford]], where it meets [[Ontario Highway 8|Highway&nbsp;8]].<ref name="2022 mapart west">{{cite map
| title       = Ontario Back Road Atlas
| cartography = [[MapArt]]
| publisher   = Mapart Publishing
| year        = 2022
| isbn        = 1-55198-226-9
| pages       = 14, 21–24}}</ref><ref name="gmaps west">{{Google maps
 | title      = Route of western segment of Highway 7
 | url        = https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/43.1664866,-81.355984/43.6478828,-79.8522893/@43.3756607,-80.9779919,130486m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m24!4m23!1m20!3m4!1m2!1d-80.9520399!2d43.3708848!3s0x882eadc8cf3d8917:0xbc3062b1a55c7dd9!3m4!1m2!1d-80.3970909!2d43.4969499!3s0x882b8c4ba6d59f45:0xff42ae1c3455101d!3m4!1m2!1d-80.2870697!2d43.5419905!3s0x882b900fd4bb5143:0xe547e8ab60f88b20!3m4!1m2!1d-80.1992353!2d43.5700126!3s0x882b9b9aab9c0a37:0x3ce795122ab10035!1m0!3e0
 | access-date = June 21, 2015}}<!--Note that this is an unreliable source per Google Maps terms of service [https://cloud.google.com/maps-platform/terms disclaimer (paragraph 14)].--></ref>

The two highways travel east [[concurrency (road)|concurrently]] for {{convert|45.1|km}}, passing through the town of [[Shakespeare, Ontario|Shakespeare]] as it travels in a straight line through farmland. Southwest of New Hamburg, the route curves northeast into [[Regional Municipality of Waterloo|Waterloo Region]], eventually widening into the four-lane Conestoga Parkway east of Nafziger Road. It follows this divided [[controlled-access highway|freeway]] past interchanges at [[Waterloo Regional Road&nbsp;51]] (Foundry Street) south of [[Baden, Ontario|Baden]], [[Waterloo Regional Road&nbsp;12]] (Queen Street/Notre Dame Drive) south of [[Petersburg, Ontario|Petersburg]], and [[Waterloo Regional Road&nbsp;70]] (Trussler Road) north of [[Mannheim, Ontario|Mannheim]], where it enters Kitchener and becomes surrounded by residential subdivisions. Within Kitchener, Highway&nbsp;7 encounters interchanges at [[Waterloo Regional Road&nbsp;58]] (Fischer-Hallman Road)(at which point it widens to six lanes), [[Waterloo Regional Road&nbsp;28]] (Homer Watson Boulevard), [[Waterloo Regional Road&nbsp;53]] (Courtland Avenue), [[Waterloo Regional Road&nbsp;15]] (King Street)/Highway 8 (at which point it widens to eight lanes), [[Waterloo Regional Road&nbsp;14]] (Ottawa Street) and [[Waterloo Regional Road&nbsp;55]] (Victoria Street). The Highway&nbsp;8 concurrency ends at the King Street interchange, with it diverging southeast onto the [[Freeport Diversion]]. Highway&nbsp;7 exits at Victoria Street (four-lane arterial) while the parkway continues north into Waterloo as [[Ontario Highway 85|Highway&nbsp;85]].<ref name="2022 mapart west" /><ref name="gmaps west" /> Construction began in June 2015 on a future freeway between Kitchener and Guelph that will make use of a reconfigured Wellington Street interchange, just north of Victoria Street, and tie in with the northern end of the [[Hanlon Expressway]].<ref name="kgf">{{cite news
 | title      = Initial Work On New Kitchener–Guelph Hwy. 7 to Start in June
 | first      = Paige
 | last       = Desmond
 | work       = The Record
 | location   = Waterloo Region
 | publisher  = Metroland Media
 | date       = May 30, 2015
 | url        = http://www.therecord.com/news-story/5652165-initial-work-on-new-kitchener-guelph-hwy-7-to-start-in-june/
 | access-date = June 21, 2015}}</ref>

Highway&nbsp;7 exits Kitchener after crossing the [[Grand River (Ontario)|Grand River]], where it enters farmland again for the brief {{convert|10|km|0|adj=on}} journey to Guelph along Victoria Street and Woodlawn Road. Midway between the two cities, the route enters [[Wellington County, Ontario|Wellington County]]. Within Guelph, it meets [[Ontario Highway 6|Highway&nbsp;6]] at the northern end of the Hanlon Expressway. The two routes travel southeast along the expressway to [[Wellington County Road 124]] (Wellington Street, former [[Ontario Highway 24|Highway&nbsp;24]]), where Highway&nbsp;7 branches northeast into downtown Guelph. It exits the city along York Road after crossing the [[Speed River (Ontario)|Speed River]], travelling parallel to and south of the [[Goderich–Exeter Railway]]. At [[Guelph/Eramosa|Rockwood]], the highway enters [[Regional Municipality of Halton|Halton Region]] (and officially the Greater Toronto Area) and begins to zig-zag through several communities in [[Halton Hills]]. These include [[Acton, Ontario|Acton]], where the route intersects former [[Ontario Highway 25|Highway&nbsp;25]], and [[Georgetown, Ontario|Georgetown]]. Just east of Norval, the western section of Highway&nbsp;7 ends at the Halton–[[Regional Municipality of Peel|Peel]] boundary. 

===Downloaded Peel-York segment===
[[File:Bovaird Drive bridge Mount Pleasant GO.jpg|thumb|Bovaird Drive (Peel Regional Road 107)  was part of the former Highway 7 route through Brampton]][[File:Highway 7 at Montgomery CT 2023.jpg|thumb|Unnamed urban arterial section of Highway 7 (now York Regional Road 7) through Markham, with the [[Highway 7 Rapidway]] for [[Viva Rapid Transit|Viva]] buses running down its centre]]
The downloaded section of Highway 7 continues into [[Brampton]] as [[List of numbered roads in Peel Region|Peel Regional Road&nbsp;107]] as it enters the heavily urbanized part of the GTA. Now named [[List of roads in Brampton#Bovaird Drive|Bovaird Drive]],<ref name="2022 mapart west" /><ref name="gmaps west" /> it soon widens to a four- to six-lane suburban [[arterial road]]. The former highway then follows [[Ontario Highway 410|Highway 410]] south, where it continues east along [[Queen Street, Brampton|Queen Street]] (also Peel Road 107).

Still an arterial, the former highway then enters [[York Region]] and the City of [[Vaughan]], where it runs 2 km (1.25 mi.) north of [[Toronto]] proper; its closest approach to it. East of [[Ontario Highway 400|Highway 400]], it passes through [[Vaughan Metropolitan Centre]], Vaughan's [[planned community|planned downtown core]], which is the northern terminus of the west arm of the Toronto subway's [[Line 1 Yonge-University]]. Beyond [[Keele Street]], it curves to the north and becomes an at-grade expressway, through the vicinity of the Vaughan, [[Markham, Ontario|Markham]], and [[Richmond Hill, Ontario|Richmond Hill]] tripoint. The expressway has a speed limit of 80 km/h (50 mph), with few traffic signals. There are grade-separated crossings of [[Dufferin Street|Dufferin]], [[Bathurst Street (Toronto)|Bathurst]], and [[Yonge Street|Yonge]] Streets, as well as [[Bayview Avenue]], where there is insufficient space to accommodate both intersections for them and their interchange ramps for [[Ontario Highway 407|Highway&nbsp;407]], which runs alongside it, and these streets are accessed by signalized L-shaped connector roads. East of Bayview, Highway&nbsp;7 resumes as an arterial road along the boundary of Markham and Richmond Hill as far as [[Ontario Highway 404|Highway&nbsp;404]], before running solely through Markham.

Despite its urbanized arterial setting through York Region, which includes a dedicated [[bus rapid transit]] facility (the [[Highway 7 Rapidway]]) running down its centre for most of the way across the region outside the expressway section, and no longer being a provincial highway since being downloaded to municipal authorities in 1997, the road is still officially named "Highway 7", but otherwise has no [[street or road name|street name]], and received the number York Regional Road&nbsp;7, displacing [[Islington Avenue]] which was redesignated as Regional Road&nbsp;17.

The Toronto Star ran a series of articles in 2013 depicting the urbanization of the downloaded Highway 7 in the Greater Toronto Area, including a proposed name change to "Avenue 7" through York Region.<ref>{{cite web
 | title      = Highway 7: The Road That Needs a New Name
 | first      = Katie
 | last       = Daubs
 | work       = Toronto Star
 | date       = February 22, 2013
 | url        = https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/02/22/highway_7_the_road_that_needs_a_new_name.html
 | access-date = February 23, 2013}}</ref> although this name has not been applied as of 2025.

[[File:Highway 7 and 407.png|thumb|left|Until 2015, Highway 407 merged into Highway 7 in Pickering; this section was rebuilt as [[Ontario Highway 407#Future|Highway&nbsp;407E]], opening on June 20, 2016.]]

=== Eastern segment ===
The eastern segment of Highway&nbsp;7 runs from [[York Regional Road 48|Donald Cousens Parkway]] (York Regional Road&nbsp;48) in Markham to Highway&nbsp;417 in Ottawa, a length of {{convert|381.6|km|abbr=on}}. Between [[Brooklin, Ontario|Brooklin]] and north of [[Sunderland, Ontario|Sunderland]], Highway&nbsp;7 assumes a north–south routing and is [[concurrent (road)|concurrent]] with Highway&nbsp;12. The section from Sunderland to the eastern terminus of the highway is designated as part of the Central Ontario Route of the [[Trans-Canada Highway]].<ref name="2022 mapart east">{{cite map
| title       = Ontario Back Road Atlas
| cartography = [[MapArt]]
| publisher   = Mapart Publishing
| year        = 2022
| isbn        = 1-55198-226-9
| pages       = 31–32, 43–48, 61–63, 76}}</ref><ref name="gmaps east">{{Google maps

 | title      = Route of eastern segment of Highway 7
 | url        = https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/43.8825097,-79.2143256/45.2720243,-75.9737016/@44.5182334,-77.7226932,267849m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m29!4m28!1m25!3m4!1m2!1d-79.1585274!2d43.9069879!3s0x89d527a148e15387:0x3863477b6fd8ed1a!3m4!1m2!1d-79.1015768!2d43.9199025!3s0x89d52129271e0a5f:0x2d9f44d33976c37d!3m4!1m2!1d-78.9623787!2d43.9821784!3s0x89d519a5a07eaabf:0x9f51dfd3df8af2de!3m4!1m2!1d-79.0245254!2d44.2987173!3s0x89d5429eaf96a99b:0xdb547a59647e4684!3m4!1m2!1d-78.4025839!2d44.2403789!3s0x89d59193f46c2d7f:0x4d617b517ac3ce54!1m0!3e0
 | access-date = June 21, 2015}}</ref>

Travelling east from Donald Cousens Parkway, Highway&nbsp;7 exits the urbanized portion of Markham and the GTA and enters the [[Greenbelt (Golden Horseshoe)|Greenbelt]], a large tract of land north of the GTA restricted from development. It curves north at the community of Locust Hill along an alignment that eliminated a jog, then curves back to the east as it crosses into [[Durham Region]]. It travels north of and parallel to Highway&nbsp;407 to [[Brougham, Ontario|Brougham]], curving to cross the former eastern terminus of the freeway near Brock Road (Durham Regional Road&nbsp;1). East of the Highway&nbsp;407 overpass, Highway&nbsp;7 widens to four lanes and curves around the community of [[Greenwood, Durham Regional Municipality, Ontario|Greenwood]] and the hill that it stands on. The route crosses the northern end of [[Pickering, Ontario|Pickering]], entering [[Whitby, Ontario|Whitby]] at Lakeridge Road (Durham Regional Road&nbsp;23). Between Lakeridge Road and Highway&nbsp;12, the route was rebuilt for the new Highway&nbsp;407E and [[West Durham Link]], with an overpass constructed at Cochrane Road. East of that, the route enters Brooklin and meets Highway&nbsp;12.<ref name="2022 mapart east" /><ref name="gmaps east" />

Highway&nbsp;7 and Highway&nbsp;12 travel north concurrently from Brooklin through Durham Region to Sunderland, with Highway&nbsp;7 eventually departing to the east, officially leaving the Greater Toronto Area and entering the City of [[Kawartha Lakes]]. Despite its name, the highway passes through a mostly-rural landscape in Kawartha Lakes, bypassing south of [[Lindsay, Ontario|Lindsay]] in the middle of the "city" along a brief concurrency with [[Ontario Highway 35|Highway&nbsp;35]]. East of Lindsay, the route meanders southeast towards [[Peterborough, Ontario|Peterborough]], encountering the divided freeway [[Ontario Highway 115|Highway&nbsp;115]] southwest of the city. The two routes travel east concurrently along the southern edge of the city. Highway&nbsp;115 and the divided freeway end at Lansdowne Street, onto which Highway&nbsp;7 turns.<ref name="2022 mapart east" /><ref name="gmaps east" />

[[File:Omemee Hwy 7.JPG|thumb|right|Highway&nbsp;7 near [[Omemee, Ontario|Omemee]], in the City of [[Kawartha Lakes]]]]
The segment between Peterborough and [[Perth, Ontario|Perth]] was built in the 1930s during the [[Great Depression]], as a [[public works]] employment project. It was constructed parallel to a [[CP Rail]] corridor (now abandoned east of Peterborough) that was built in the 1880s, and used hand-power to dig and build the road whenever possible.<ref name="depression" /> From Peterborough to Norwood, the route travels in a straight line through the [[Peterborough Drumlin Field]], connecting to the southern terminus of [[Ontario Highway 28|Highway&nbsp;28]] and crossing the Indian River while otherwise passing through farmland. At [[Norwood, Ontario|Norwood]] the route suddenly begins to meander as it approaches the undulated [[Canadian Shield]]. The section east of [[Havelock, Ontario|Havelock]] to Perth, unlike the rest of the highway, travels through a relatively isolated area, with few services or residences along the route outside of the several towns that it connects. In contrast to the surroundings west of there, this section is located in dense forest with numerous lakes and [[muskeg]] dotting the landscape. It services the villages of [[Marmora, Ontario|Marmora]], where it connects with the northern terminus of former [[Ontario Highway 14|Highway&nbsp;14]], [[Madoc, Ontario (village)|Madoc]], where it intersect [[Ontario Highway 62|Highway&nbsp;62]], [[Actinolite, Ontario|Actinolite]], where it meets the northern terminus of [[Ontario Highway 37|Highway&nbsp;37]], and [[Kaladar]], where it intersects [[Ontario Highway 41|Highway&nbsp;41]].<ref name="2022 mapart east" /><ref name="gmaps east" />

East of Kaladar, Highway&nbsp;7 begins to serve [[cottage]]s along the shores of several large lakes that lie near the highway. It intersects the northern terminus of former [[Ontario Highway 38|Highway&nbsp;38]] near [[Sharbot Lake, Ontario|Sharbot Lake]] and later passes south of [[Maberly, Ontario|Maberly]] before exiting the Canadian Shield and reentering farmland. On the outskirts of Perth, the route meets former [[Ontario Highway 43|Highway&nbsp;43]] and curves northward. It travels around the western and northern shorelines of [[Mississippi Lake]] before passing directly south of [[Carleton Place, Ontario|Carleton Place]]. Just east of there, Highway&nbsp;7 widens into a four lane freeway for the remainder of the distance to Highway&nbsp;417. This section, completed by early 2012,<ref name="twinning" /> was built by "twinning" the existing two lane highway with a second parallel carriageway to serve as the eastbound lanes. Highway&nbsp;7 ends at a trumpet interchange with Highway&nbsp;417, where drivers can proceed east to [[Ottawa]] or north to [[Arnprior]].<ref name="2022 mapart east" /><ref name="gmaps east" />
[[File:Central Frontenac ON.jpg|thumb|left|Highway 7 in [[Central Frontenac]]; this section passes through the sparsely developed terrain of the [[Opeongo Hills]]]]

== History ==
The route which would later become Highway&nbsp;7 was first established by the [[Ministry of Transportation of Ontario|Department of Public Highways]] as part of the initial provincial highway network on February{{nbsp}}26, 1920. This route connected Sarnia to Guelph.<ref name="shragge">{{cite book

 | title      = From Footpaths to Freeways
 | last1      = Shragge
 | first1     = John
 | last2      = Bagnato
 | first2     = Sharon
 | publisher  = Ontario Ministry of Transportation and Communications, Historical Committee
 | year       = 1984
 | isbn       = 0-7743-9388-2
 | pages      = 74–75}}</ref>
On April&nbsp;27, 1921, the route was extended east to the Wellington–Halton boundary. Several days later, on May&nbsp;4, the highway was extended further east to [[Hurontario Street]] in Brampton.<ref>{{cite report

 | title     = Annual Report
 | publisher = Department of Highways
 | date      = March 31, 1922
 | section   = Provincial Highways Assumed in 1921
 | page      = 23}}</ref>
''The Great Northern Highway'', as it was known at the time, was numbered as Highway&nbsp;7 during the summer of 1925.<ref>{{cite journal

 | title      = Provincial Highways Now Being Numbered
 | publisher  = Monetary Times Print
 | journal    = The Canadian Engineer
 | date       = August 25, 1925
 | volume     = 49
 | issue      = 8
 | page       = 246
 | quote      = Numbering of the various provincial highways in Ontario has been commenced by the Department of Public Highways. Resident engineers are now receiving metal numbers to be placed on poles along the provincial highways. These numbers will also be placed on poles throughout cities, towns and villages, and motorists should then have no trouble in finding their way in and out of urban municipalities. Road designations from "2" to "17" have already been allotted...}}</ref>
Assumptions on June&nbsp;22 and July&nbsp;2, 1927 extended Highway&nbsp;7 from Brampton to Peterborough. A portion of the original routing of Highway&nbsp;12 between Sunderland and Lindsay was renumbered in this process and a concurrency established between Brooklin and Sunderland.<ref>{{cite report

 | title     = Annual Report
 | publisher = Department of Highways
 | date      = March 31, 1928
 | section   = Appendix 6 - Schedule of Assumptions and Reversions of Sections
 | pages     = 60–61}}</ref>

During the early 1930s, the DHO decided that Highway&nbsp;7 would ultimately serve as the most direct route between Toronto and Ottawa; at that time the only option was via Highway&nbsp;2 and Highway&nbsp;16. The first step in this undertaking was to extend Highway&nbsp;7 as far as Madoc along existing settler routes. This section was assumed on September&nbsp;17, 1930.<ref>{{cite report

 | title     = Annual Report
 | publisher = Department of Highways
 | date      = March 31, 1932
 | section   = Appendix 5 - Schedule of Assumptions and Reversions of Sections
 | pages     = 76–77}}</ref>
On November&nbsp;18, 1931, construction was accelerated between Madoc and Perth as a major [[Great Depression|depression]]-relief project when eight contracts were set to build the new route. Over 2700 men blasted rock, [[dredging|dredged muskeg]] and endured a constant barrage of blood-sucking insects in order to construct this new link. The majority of it followed along a Canadian Pacific right-of-way (now abandoned past the town of [[Havelock, Ontario|Havelock]]) which had been cleared in 1881, deviating at times to provide a better [[Road construction|alignment]], avoid large muskeg or to lessen excavation work, most of which was performed by hand.<ref name="depression">{{cite report

 | title     = Annual Report
 | publisher = Department of Highways
 | date      = March 31, 1932
 | section   = Report on Highways
 | pages     = 16–18}}</ref>
On February&nbsp;10 and February&nbsp;17, the route, still incomplete, was surveyed and assumed as an extension of Highway&nbsp;7. The new highway was opened to traffic on August&nbsp;23, 1932.<ref>{{cite news

 | title      = Premier Henry Uses the Axe
 | author     = Staff
 | work       = The Windsor Star
 | date       = August 25, 1932
 | page       = 6}}</ref>

Between the 1930s and 1960s, Highway&nbsp;7 connected Sarnia with Perth; Highway&nbsp;15 continued from Perth to Ottawa. By the mid-1950s, the well established highway network had changed travel characteristics, and the numbering of Highway&nbsp;15 between Perth and Ottawa was confusing motorists. The [[Ottawa Board of Trade]] petitioned the Department of Highways to renumber several highways surrounding the city.<ref>{{cite news

 | title      = Ask Sweeping Road Scheme
 | work       = The Ottawa Citizen
 | date       = January 6, 1956
 | pages      = 1, 7
 | volume     = 113
 | issue      = 159
 | url        = https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eNgxAAAAIBAJ&dq=superhighway&pg=4866%2C686813
 | access-date = December 15, 2011}}</ref>
The department performed a series of renumberings similar to these recommendations following the extension of [[Ontario Highway 43|Highway&nbsp;43]] on September&nbsp;8, 1961. Highway&nbsp;15 was rerouted between [[Smiths Falls, Ontario|Smiths Falls]] and Carleton Place to travel concurrently with [[Ontario Highway 29|Highway 29]]; Highway&nbsp;7 was extended along the former routing from Perth to Carleton Place and signed concurrently with Highway&nbsp;15 eastward to Ottawa.<ref>{{cite press release

 | title     = [No Title]
 | author    = Information Section
 | publisher = Department of Highways
 | date      = September 8, 1961}}</ref> This brought the highway to its peak length of {{convert|700|km}}.

At an at-grade intersection with Highway&nbsp;40 (Modeland Road, formerly Lucasville Road), Highway&nbsp;7 transitioned into [[Ontario Highway 402|Highway&nbsp;402]], inaugurated in 1953, which continued westwards to the [[Bluewater Bridge]] at the [[United States|American]] border. In 1957, the DHO announced that Highway&nbsp;402 would be extended east of Sarnia to [[London, Ontario|London]], starting with the construction of an interchange at Modeland Road to replace the at-grade intersection in 1963-64, although Highway&nbsp;402 would continue to default to Highway&nbsp;7 for the near future as the rest of the extension was still being planned.<ref>{{cite news

 | title     = Sarnia Link to 401 Project
 | work      = Windsor Daily Star
 | date      = September 12, 1957
 | page      = 20}}</ref>
This interchange would serve as the terminus for a new bypass of Sarnia, as in 1980 a second overpass was built at this interchange during the twinning of Highway&nbsp;40 to Wellington Street.<ref>{{cite report

 | title     = Annual Report
 | publisher = Department of Highways
 | date      = March 31, 1963
 | section   = Highway District Reports – District 1 – Chatham
 | page      = 77}}</ref>

The extension of Highway&nbsp;402 involved a new alignment east of Murphy Road to a new interchange with Highway&nbsp;40, just north of the existing Highway&nbsp;40 interchange with Highway&nbsp;7, while Highway&nbsp;7 would continue to a redirected Exmouth Street (causing a section of the latter to be bypassed and renamed as Old Exmouth Street). Highway&nbsp;402 was completed between Sarnia and Highway&nbsp;401 in 1982, and with traffic shifting to the newly completed freeway, this resulted in the redundancy of Highway&nbsp;7 west of London.<ref name="ceremony">{{cite book
 | title      = Annual Report
 | publisher  = Ministry of Transportation and Communications
 | year       = 1982–1983
 | page       = 76
 | edition    = Construction}}</ref>

Nonetheless, Highway&nbsp;7 remained provincially maintained until the segment west of Highway&nbsp;4 was transferred to county jurisdiction on January&nbsp;1, 1998; a process referred to as downloading. The former highway is now known as [[List of numbered roads in Lambton County|Lambton County Road&nbsp;22]] (London Line) and [[List of numbered roads in Middlesex County, Ontario|Middlesex County Road&nbsp;7]] (Elginfield Road).<ref name="2022 mapart west"/>

In 1987, a new segment was built to eliminate a jog along [[Bathurst Street (Toronto)|Bathurst Street]] in [[Vaughan]] in York Region; which resulted in a section between Bathurst and [[Dufferin Street|Dufferin]] Streets becoming a westerly extension of Centre Street. In the mid 1990s, as part of the [[Ontario Highway 407|Highway&nbsp;407]] project, Highway 7 around the tripoint area of Vaughan, [[Markham, Ontario|Markham]], and [[Richmond Hill, Ontario|Richmond Hill]] in York was rebuilt on a new alignment as a six-lane at-grade expressway where the two highways were forced to share a narrow right-of-way through a [[transmission tower|hydro corridor]] due to suburban development abutting the corridor on both sides.

Broken parts of the original sections of Highway 7, named ''Langstaff Road'', already bypassed prior to the expressway reconstruction, still remain in use between Bathurst Street and Bayview Avenue, but reverted to the original Langstaff Road name. Another former section from Bathurst to Yonge followed Centre Street (bypassed prior to the aforementioned later link which extended that street westwards), which requiring motorists to travel north along Yonge Street to rejoin eastbound on Highway 7 along the former route of Langstaff. The portion through [[Markham Village]] in Markham was once called ''Wellington Street'' before local names were eliminated along Highway 7 through York Region.<ref name="markham7">{{cite web |title=Highway 7 Heritage Tour |url=https://www.markham.ca/wps/portal/Markham/AboutMarkham/Heritage/Markham-Village-Heritage-Tour/Highway-7/!ut/p/a1/hc5BboMwEAXQq3ACPOAQzNKBQgxpaKoiqDeVQQ5QMCCDwvWbROquSWc30vv6H3FUID6IS1uLpR0H0d9-vv2KGfgWTSCO3CMBSu1DEH5kFmFwBZ9X4Ed0v3EPAJBFATD3tMvS1wQD297zG_JO_fAIp_DN9oC9BHvMohST9DcPD47Cf_054nfybMEdPKmIEW9LZa6VMsG0PA9jCyzbBdtzHJugfIf42euSfL2tpUOJSY24lmeppTabcV5Qsa6rWbZDbVaj-kvNUuiqmYQWakaFoYTuGqGMS9v3opaGkLoVvTE14zLOaFJZAd9Ol5OZ_gCxx0lX/dl5/d5/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/ |website=City of Markham |access-date=9 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181130202011/https://www.markham.ca/wps/portal/Markham/AboutMarkham/Heritage/Markham-Village-Heritage-Tour/Highway-7/!ut/p/a1/hc5BboMwEAXQq3ACPOAQzNKBQgxpaKoiqDeVQQ5QMCCDwvWbROquSWc30vv6H3FUID6IS1uLpR0H0d9-vv2KGfgWTSCO3CMBSu1DEH5kFmFwBZ9X4Ed0v3EPAJBFATD3tMvS1wQD297zG_JO_fAIp_DN9oC9BHvMohST9DcPD47Cf_054nfybMEdPKmIEW9LZa6VMsG0PA9jCyzbBdtzHJugfIf42euSfL2tpUOJSY24lmeppTabcV5Qsa6rWbZDbVaj-kvNUuiqmYQWakaFoYTuGqGMS9v3opaGkLoVvTE14zLOaFJZAd9Ol5OZ_gCxx0lX/dl5/d5/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/ |archive-date=30 November 2018}}</ref> A stub of the old road exists today west of Main Street Markham (former [[Ontario Highway 48|Highway 48)]] that was a result of a realignment of Highway 7.

=== Transfer of portions to lower governments (downloading) ===
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the [[Ministry of Transportation of Ontario|Ministry of Transportation]] (MTO) [[Ontario highway transfers|"downloaded"]] (i.e., transferred responsibility for) several sections of Highway&nbsp;7 to regional and county governments. There are three separate issues that led to these downloads.

Due to budget cuts instituted by the [[Mike Harris]] government, many highways deemed to serve a local or regional function were downloaded to local jurisdiction. The sections of Highway&nbsp;7 west of London were transferred to [[Lambton County]] and [[Middlesex County, Ontario|Middlesex County]], largely supplanted by the completion of nearby [[Ontario Highway 402|Highway&nbsp;402]] in 1982.<ref name="ceremony"/><ref name="1997d" /> On April&nbsp;1, 1997, the section from Sarnia to [[Thedford, Ontario|Thedford]] was transferred to Lambton County.<ref name="1997d">{{cite report

 | title     = Highway Transfers List
 | publisher = Ministry of Transportation of Ontario
 | date      = April 1, 1997
 | pages     = 3, 4, 6–8}}</ref>
The section from Thedford to Elginfield was transferred to Lambton and Middlesex counties on January&nbsp;1, 1998.<ref name="1998d">{{cite report

 | title     = Highway Transfers List - "Who Does What"
 | publisher = Ministry of Transportation of Ontario
 | date      = June 20, 2001
 | pages     = 8–9}}</ref>

As the construction of Highway&nbsp;407 progressed across the northern end of the [[Greater Toronto Area]], the MTO transferred sections of Highway&nbsp;7 to the regions of Peel and York. On June 7, 1997, the section between [[Ontario Highway 410|Highway&nbsp;410]] and [[Ontario Highway 404|Highway&nbsp;404]] was transferred to the regions of Peel and York;<ref name="1997d" /> the section from Highway&nbsp;404 to McCowan Road was transferred to York Region on April&nbsp;1, 1999. Several months later, on September&nbsp;1, a short section between McCowan Road and Markham Road was transferred. Finally, on January&nbsp;25, 2007, the section between Markham Road and {{convert|185|m|abbr=on}} east of [[Donald Cousens Parkway]], where the highway narrows to two lanes today, was transferred. Within Peel Region, Highway&nbsp;7 ran north–south concurrently with Highway 410 between Bovaird Drive and Queen Street. The Queen St. portion of the route was numbered Peel Regional Road&nbsp;21 on July&nbsp;10, 1997,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.peelregion.ca/council/council_minutes/1990s/1997/rcmin19970710.htm|title=Council Minutes - JULY 10, 1997 - Region of Peel|website=www.peelregion.ca|access-date=7 April 2018}}</ref> but renumbered as Peel Regional Road&nbsp;107 on March&nbsp;26, 1998.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.peelregion.ca/council/bylaws/1990s/1998/by26-1998.htm|title=By-law Number 26-1998 - March 26, 1998 - Region of Peel|website=www.peelregion.ca|access-date=7 April 2018}}</ref> To make the former highway easier to follow through [[Brampton]], the Bovaird Drive portion of the route was subsequently also numbered Regional Road&nbsp;107, after the highway was transferred to the Region of Peel on November 28, 2001.<ref>{{cite web

 | title       = Council Minutes
 | first       = Geoff | last = Hunt
 | publisher   = Regional Municipality of Peel
 | date        = July 12, 2001
 | website     = Peelregion.ca
 | url         = https://www.peelregion.ca/council/council_minutes/2000s/2001/rcmin20010712.htm
 | access-date = April 7, 2018}}</ref>
The non-Highway 7 portions of Queen Street and Bovaird Drive west and east of Highway 410 are designated as Regional Roads 6 and 10 respectively.

In the Peterborough area, Highway&nbsp;7 was rerouted from travelling through the city to bypassing it along Highway&nbsp;115. This situation took over six years to set in place. On April&nbsp;1, 1997, the sections of Highway 7 entering the western edge of Peterborough along North Monaghan Parkway and Sir Sanford Fleming Drive were transferred to the county and city, creating a gap between [[Springville, Ontario|Springville]] and the Peterborough Bypass. This situation was rectified on May&nbsp;1, 2003, when the section of Highway&nbsp;7A that until then was a continuation of the road south from Springville to Highway&nbsp;115 was renumbered as Highway&nbsp;7. The concurrency with Highway&nbsp;115 was extended southwest to remove the discontinuity entirely.<ref>{{cite journal

 | title        = Signs of the Times
 | publisher    = Ontario Good Roads Association
 | date         = February 2002
 | journal      = Milestones
 | volume       = 2
 | issue        = 1
 | url          = http://www.ogra.org/lib/db2file.asp?fileid=1780
 | access-date  = January 2, 2012
 | url-status   = dead
 | archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20120426090046/http://www.ogra.org/lib/db2file.asp?fileid=1780
 | archive-date = April 26, 2012}}</ref>

=== Recent work ===
====York Region====
In 2005, Highway&nbsp;7 was made the second main arterial for York Region's [[Viva Rapid Transit]] service (after Yonge Street), leading to the expansion of the CN MacMillan Bridge and Highway&nbsp;400 overpass.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vivanext.com/blog/2017/07/26/the-expansion-of-the-highway-400-bridge-on-highway-7-west-begins/|title=the expansion of the Highway 400 bridge on Highway 7 West begins |publisher=[[Vivanext]] |access-date=7 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=choosing the right form of transit |date=14 November 2013 |publisher=[[Vivanext]] |url=https://www.vivanext.com/blog/tag/subway-extension/page/2/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=a look back at the CN MacMillan Bridge expansion |date=12 July 2017 |publisher=[[Vivanext]] |url=https://www.vivanext.com/blog/2017/07/12/a-look-back-at-the-cn-macmillan-bridge-expansion/ }}</ref>

====Carleton Place====
On August&nbsp;22, 2006, work officially began on a project to expand Highway&nbsp;7 between Ottawa and Carleton Place into a freeway through a process known as ''[[Twinning (roads)|twinning]]'',<ref>{{cite news

 | title        = Work begins to widen Highway 7 west of Ottawa
 | work         = Ottawa Business Journal
 | date         = August 22, 2006
 | url          = http://www.obj.ca/Other/Archives/2006-08-22/article-2157289/Work-begins-to-widen-Highway-7-west-of-Ottawa/1
 | access-date  = May 25, 2012
 | url-status   = dead
 | archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20120402015340/http://www.obj.ca/Other/Archives/2006-08-22/article-2157289/Work-begins-to-widen-Highway-7-west-of-Ottawa/1
 | archive-date = April 2, 2012}}</ref>
in which a second [[dual carriageway|carriageway]] is built parallel to an existing road and [[grade separation|grade-separated]] interchanges constructed.<ref>{{cite web

 | title        = What is Involved in Constructing a Four Lane Highway?
 | publisher    = Ministry of Transportation of Ontario
 | url          = http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/traveller/highway69/construction.shtml
 | access-date  = October 12, 2011
 | url-status   = dead
 | archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20110608073939/http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/traveller/highway69/construction.shtml
 | archive-date = June 8, 2011}}</ref>
Plans for this expansion were first conceptualized in 1979 when a planning study was undertaken. However, budgetary constraints forced an early end to this study in 1981. In 1988, the project was reinstated. A study released that year recommended that Highway&nbsp;7 be widened to five lanes with a centre turning lane south of Carleton Place as an interim measure; this was carried out in 1993.<ref>{{cite report |title=Highway 7 Preliminary Design: Careleton Place to Highway 417 (Ottawa Queensway) |date=2 June 1997 |page=3 |author=Planning and Development Approvals Commissioner |publisher=Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton |url=http://www.ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/archives/rmoc/Transportation/18Jun97/Hway7fnl.pdf }}</ref> Full planning on the four-laning of the route began in 1993.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/trc/2008/09-03/03%20-%20ACS2008-PWS-INF-0010.htm |title=HIGHWAY 17 WIDENING - OWNERSHIP TRANSFER OF ACCESS ROADS |publisher=Ottawa.ca |date=2008-07-22 |accessdate=2022-03-20}}</ref>

In mid-2005, the Government of Ontario announced the project to the public. The work was carried out over three contracts: from Highway&nbsp;417 to Jinkinson Road, from Jinkinson Road to Ashton Station Road, and from Ashton Station Road to Highway&nbsp;15. In July 2007, a C$45 million contract was awarded to R.W. Tomlinson for the first phase of the route west from Highway&nbsp;417.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/city/story.html?id=b6bc02e0-24fe-4627-af50-7e66551cc28e|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140904055833/http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/city/story.html?id=b6bc02e0-24fe-4627-af50-7e66551cc28e|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 4, 2014|title=canada.com - Page Not Found|access-date=7 April 2018|via=Canada.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.obj.ca/Other/Archives/2006-08-22/article-2157289/Work-begins-to-widen-Highway-7-west-of-Ottawa/1 |title=Work begins to widen Highway 7 west of Ottawa |work=[[Ottawa Business Journal]]|date=22 August 2006|access-date=25 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402015340/http://www.obj.ca/Other/Archives/2006-08-22/article-2157289/Work-begins-to-widen-Highway-7-west-of-Ottawa/1 |archive-date=2 April 2012 }}</ref> Bot Construction was awarded the $73.2 million contract for the second phase, which included two interchanges, four overpasses and service roads, in early 2008.<ref name="obj-twinning">{{cite news |title=Province spending $73M on second phase of Highway 7 expansion |url=http://www.obj.ca/Other/Archives/2008-04-18/article-2234433/Province-spending-$73M-on-second-phase-of-Highway-7-expansion/1 |access-date=30 December 2019 |work=Ottawa Business Journal |publisher=Great River Media |date=18 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120616160610/http://www.obj.ca/Other/Archives/2008-04-18/article-2234433/Province-spending-%2473M-on-second-phase-of-Highway-7-expansion/1 |archive-date=16 June 2012}}</ref> The first phase was opened to traffic on July&nbsp;31, 2008<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/209955/highway-7-widening-opens|title=Highway 7 Widening Opens|website=www.newswire.ca|access-date=7 April 2018}}</ref> Towards the end of 2009, the $25.8 million contract for the third phase was awarded to [[Aecon]].<ref>{{cite press release |publisher=[[Aecon]] |title=Aecon awarded $25 million MTO contract to expand Highway 7 |date=7 December 2009 |location=Toronto, Ontario |url=https://www.aecon.com/press-room/news/2009/12/07/674-Aecon-awarded-25-million-MTO-contract-to-expand-Highway-7 }}</ref> The second phase was completed ahead of schedule on December&nbsp;3, 2008, bypassing south of the former route at Ashton Station Road and merging to two lanes west of Dwyer Hill Road.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/ara/2009/01-08/6-ACS2009-ICS-BLD-0005.htm|title=HIGHWAY 7 EXPANSION FROM HIGHWAY 417 TO ASHTON STATION ROAD - NAMING OF SERVICE ROADS|website=ottawa.ca|access-date=7 April 2018}}</ref> The third phase was completed in late 2011/early 2012, connecting to Carleton Place.<ref name="twinning">{{cite web |title=2011 Completed Projects |url=http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/pubs/highway-construction/southern-highway-2012/completed-projects.shtml |publisher=Ontario Ministry of Transportation |access-date=30 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140814012009/http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/pubs/highway-construction/southern-highway-2012/completed-projects.shtml |archive-date=14 August 2014}}</ref>

In early 2011, Ontario Infrastructure Minister [[Bob Chiarelli]] hinted at possible plans to extend the four-laning of Highway&nbsp;7 west from Carleton Place to Perth.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.insideottawavalley.com/news-story/3801159-highway-7-expansion-to-perth-could-be-in-new-10-year-plan/|title=Highway 7 expansion to Perth could be in new 10-year plan|first=Desmond|last=Devoy|date=19 January 2011|website=insideottawavalley.com|access-date=7 April 2018}}</ref>

==== Proposed Kitchener–Guelph freeway ====
On March&nbsp;23, 2007, the [[Government of Ontario]] announced the approval of an [[Environmental Impact Assessment]] for a four-lane [[controlled-access highway]] between [[Kitchener, Ontario|Kitchener]] and [[Guelph]], as traffic on [[Ontario Highway 401|Highway&nbsp;401]] is growing steadily and approaching capacity, along with the current two-lane alignment of Highway&nbsp;7. This would connect to the [[Conestoga Parkway]] via an expansion of the existing Wellington Road half-cloverleaf interchange, with additional semi-directional flyover ramps above making it a four level interchange. The eastern end of the proposed Highway&nbsp;7 freeway would terminate at, and interline with, the [[Hanlon Expressway]] (Highway&nbsp;6), which is also scheduled for upgrades to a full [[freeway]] beginning in June 2015. Combined with plans to extend the Conestoga Parkway westward to Stratford, this would result in the Highway&nbsp;7 route following a continuous freeway all the way to Guelph.<ref name="kgf" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://ogov.newswire.ca/ontario/GPOE/2007/03/23/c5864.html?lmatch=&lang=_e.html|title=Government of Ontario, courtesy of Newswire.ca|website=newswire.ca|access-date=7 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930184934/http://ogov.newswire.ca/ontario/GPOE/2007/03/23/c5864.html?lmatch=&lang=_e.html|archive-date=30 September 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref>

As one of the prerequisite projects, on the Conestoga Parkway the Victoria Street overpass was demolished overnight on February{{nbsp}}23–24, 2018, and was replaced with a new structure that reopened to traffic on October{{nbsp}}28; the new bridge is longer and has a higher elevation to accommodate the future ramps between the Kitchener-Guelph freeway and the Conestoga Parkway.<ref>{{cite web
 | first       = Hayden | last = Phillips
 | title       = Victoria Street bridge gone, Conestoga Parkway open 
 | website     = CTV News 
 | date        = February 25, 2018 
 | url         = https://www.ctvnews.ca/kitchener/article/victoria-street-bridge-gone-conestoga-parkway-open/
 | access-date = April 5, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web 
 | title       = Kitchener's Victoria Street bridge reopening for Monday commute
 | work        = [[CBC News]]
 | date        = October 25, 2018
 | url         = https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/victoria-street-bridge-kitchener-reopens-1.4877660
 | access-date = April 5, 2022}}</ref>

In July 2020, the Ford government announced that it would fund the highway project linking Guelph and Kitchener and building a new bridge for the highway over the Grand River. It is expected to cost 764 million dollars for the 18-kilometre freeway.<ref>{{cite web|title=Province greenlights funding for Highway 7 widening between Guelph, Kitchener|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/7178836/highway-7-funding-guelph-kitchener/|access-date=2020-09-20|website=Global News|language=en-US}}</ref>

== Major intersections ==
{{ONinttop|exit|maint=MTO|length_ref=<ref name="km">{{cite web
 |title        = Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) counts
 |author       = Ministry of Transportation of Ontario
 |year         = 2004
 |url          = http://www.raqsb.mto.gov.on.ca/techpubs/TrafficVolumes.nsf/tvweb?OpenForm&Seq=5
 |access-date   = February 26, 2010
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20110706192209/http://www.raqsb.mto.gov.on.ca/techpubs/TrafficVolumes.nsf/tvweb?OpenForm&Seq=5
 |archive-date = July 6, 2011
 |url-status   = dead
}}</ref>|append=In addition, it includes some minor junctions. Highway&nbsp;7 is maintained under a [[Connecting Link]] agreement within Stratford, Guelph, Acton, Georgetown, Omemee, Havelock and Marmora.<ref>{{cite report
 | title      = Connecting Links
 | author     = Contract Management and Operations Branch
 | publisher  = Ministry of Transportation of Ontario
 | year       = 2011
 | pages      = 2, 3, 5}}</ref>}}
{{ONint|former
| division         = Lambton
| dspan            = 5
| location         = Sarnia
| exit             = &nbsp;
| espan            = 9
| km               = -101.6
| road             = {{jcon|Lambton|22|dir=begins|fulltext=y}}<br/>{{jcon|Hwy|40|city=Chatham|Modeland Road}}
| notes            = Former Highway&nbsp;7 western terminus
}}
{{ONint|former
| location         = Plympton–Wyoming
| km               = -83.2
| road             = {{jcon|Lambton|21|Oil Heritage Road}}
| notes            = [[Reece's Corners, Ontario|Reece's Corners]]; formerly {{jcon|Hwy|21|nosh=y}}
}}
{{ONint|former
| location         = Warwick
| lspan            = 2
| km               = -62.5
| road             = {{jcon|Lambton|9|con=79|dir=north|condir=south|Nauvoo Road}}
| notes            = Formerly {{jcon|Hwy|79|dir=south|nosh=y}}; former western end of Highway&nbsp;79 concurrency
}}
{{ONint|former
| km               = -58.9
| road             = {{jcon|Lambton|22|dir=east|Egremont Drive}}
| notes            = Formerly {{jcon|Hwy|22|dir=east|nosh=y}}; former {{jcon|Hwy|7|con=79|ot=y}} follow {{jcon|Lambton|79|dir=north|Arkona Road|ot=y}}
}}
{{ONint|former
| location         = Lambton Shores
| km               = -42.6
| road             = {{jcon|Lambton|6|dir=west|Thomson Line}}<hr/>{{jcon|Lambton|79|dir=north|Arkona Road}}
| notes            = Formerly {{jcon|Hwy|79|dir=north|nosh=y}}; former eastern end of Highway&nbsp;79 concurrency; former Highway&nbsp;7 follows {{jcon|Lambton|6|dir=east|Elginfield Road|ot=y}}
}}
{{ONint|former
| division_special = [[Lambton County, Ontario|Lambton]]&ndash;[[Middlesex County, Ontario|Middlesex]] boundary
| dspan            = 2
| location_special = [[Lambton Shores, Ontario|Lambton Shores]]&ndash;[[North Middlesex, Ontario|North Middlesex]] boundary
| lspan            = 2
| km               = -40.6
| uspan            = 2
| bridge           = [[Ausable River (Lake Huron)|Ausable River]]
}}
{{ONint|former
| km               = none
| road             = {{jcon|Lambton|6|dir=ends|fulltext=y}}<br/>{{jcon|Middlesex|7|dir=begins|fulltext=y}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint|former
| division         = Middlesex
| dspan            = 7
| location         = North Middlesex
| lspan            = 2
| km               = -29.1
| road             = {{jcon|Middlesex|81|dir=north|Main Street}}
| notes            = [[Parkhill, Ontario|Parkhill]]; formerly {{jcon|Hwy|81|dir=north|nosh=y}}; former western end of Highway&nbsp;81 concurrency
}}
{{ONint|former
| km               = -27.0
| road             = {{jcon|Middlesex|81|dir=south|Centre Road}}
| notes            = Formerly {{jcon|Hwy|81|dir=south|nosh=y}}; former eastern end of Highway&nbsp;81 concurrency
}}
{{ONint
| location_special = [[Middlesex Centre]]&ndash;[[Lucan Biddulph]] boundary
| lspan            = 4
| type             = trans
| exit             = &nbsp;
| km               = 0.0
| road             = {{jcon|Hwy|4|city=London|town2=Lucan}}<hr/>{{jcon|Hwy|7|dir=begins|nolink=y|shield=y}}<br/>{{jcon|Middlesex|7|dir=ends|fulltext=y}}
| notes            = [[Elginfield, Ontario|Elginfield]]; Highway&nbsp;7 western terminus
}}
{{ONint
| exit             = &nbsp;
| espan            = 13
| km               = 1.2
| road             = {{jcon|Hwy|23|dir=north|town=Mitchell}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 5.0
| road             = {{jcon|Middlesex|23|dir=south|Highbury Avenue}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 5.3
| road             = {{jcon|Middlesex|59|dir=north|Granton Line}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| location_special = [[Middlesex Centre]]&ndash;[[Lucan Biddulph]]&ndash;[[Thames Centre]] boundary
| km               = 10.1
| road             = {{jcon|Middlesex|50|dir=north|Prospect Hill Road}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| division_special = [[Perth County, Ontario|Perth]]&ndash;[[Middlesex County, Ontario|Middlesex]] boundary
| dspan            = 2
| location_special = [[Perth South (federal electoral district)|Perth South]]&ndash;[[Thames Centre]] boundary
| lspan            = 2
| km               = 16.8
| road             = {{jcon|Perth|27|dir=south|fulltext=y|Wellburn Road}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 17.6
| road             = {{jcon|Perth|123|dir=north|fulltext=y|town=St. Marys}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| division_special = [[Perth County, Ontario|Perth]]&ndash;[[Oxford County, Ontario|Oxford]] boundary
| dspan            = 2
| location_special = [[Perth South (federal electoral district)|Perth South]]&ndash;[[Zorra]] boundary
| lspan            = 2
| km               = 19.6
| road             = {{jcon|Perth|120A|dir=north|fulltext=y|town=St. Marys|James Street}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 24.0
| road             = {{jcon|Perth|118|fulltext=y|dir=north}}<br/>{{jcon|Oxford|119|fulltext=y|dir=south|town=Thamesford}}
| notes            = Formerly {{jcon|Hwy|19|dir=south|nosh=y}}; western end of former Highway&nbsp;19 concurrency
}}
{{ONint
| division         = Perth
| dspan            = 3
| location         = Perth South
| lspan            = 3
| km               = 26.7
| road             = {{jcon|Perth|9|dir=west|Perth Line 9|town=St. Marys}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 31.7
| road             = {{jcon|Perth|20|dir=west|Perth Line 20}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 33.8
| road             = {{jcon|Perth|26|dir=east|Perth Line 26}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| municipality_special        = [[Stratford, Ontario|Stratford]]
| lspan            = 5
| km               = 36.0
| road             = Perth Line 29
| notes            = Beginning of Stratford [[connecting link]] agreement
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 36.9
| road             = {{jcon|Perth|113|dir=south}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| exit             = &nbsp;
| type             = concur
| km               = 40.0
| road             = {{jcon|Hwy|8|dir=west|town=Goderich}}
| notes            = Western end of Highway&nbsp;8 concurrency
}}
{{ONint
| exit             = &nbsp;
| espan            = 8
| km               = 40.2
| road             = Waterloo Street
| notes            = Formerly {{jcon|Hwy|19|dir=north|nosh=y}}; eastern end of former Highway&nbsp;19 concurrency; to {{jcon|Perth|119|dir=north|nosh=y}}
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 43.3
| road             = 
| notes            = End of Stratford connecting link agreement
}}
{{ONint
| division         = Perth
| location         = Perth East
| km               = 52.0
| road             = {{jcon|Perth|107}}
| notes            = [[Shakespeare, Ontario|Shakespeare]]; formerly {{jcon|Hwy|59|nosh=y}}
}}
{{ONint
| division_special = [[Perth County, Ontario|Perth]]&ndash;[[Regional Municipality of Waterloo|Waterloo]] boundary
| location_special = [[Perth East, Ontario|Perth East]]&ndash;[[Wilmot, Ontario|Wilmot]] boundary
| km               = 60.2
| road             = {{jcon|Waterloo|1|Wilmot–Easthope Road}}
| notes            = [[New Hamburg, Ontario|New Hamburg]] Bypass
| nspan            = 3
}}
{{ONint
| division         = Waterloo
| dspan            = 19
| location         = Wilmot
| lspan            = 7
| km               = 62.1
| road             = {{jcon|Waterloo|3|dir=south|Walker Road}}
| notes            = none
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 63.5
| road             = {{jcon|Waterloo|4|dir=west|Peel Street}}
| notes            = none
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 64.4
| road             = {{jcon|Waterloo|4|dir=east|Bleams Road}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 65.8
| road             = {{jcon|Waterloo|5|dir=north|Nafziger Road}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{Jctplace|exit
| km               = 67.2
| place            = [[Controlled-access highway]] begins
}}
{{ONint
| exit             = —
| km               = 68.0
| road             = {{jcon|Waterloo|51|Foundry Street|town=Wilmot Centre}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| exit             = —
| km               = 73.1
| road             = {{jcon|Waterloo|12|Queen Street (south) / Notre Dame Drive (north)|town=Petersburg}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| location         = Kitchener
| lspan            = 8
| exit             = —
| km               = 76.9
| road             = {{jcon|Waterloo|70|Trussler Road|town=Mannheim}}
| notes            = Kitchener city limits; becomes [[Conestoga Parkway]]
}}
{{ONint
| exit             = —
| km               = 80.0
| road             = {{jcon|Waterloo|58|Fischer Hallman Road}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| exit             = —
| km               = 82.4
| road             = {{jcon|Waterloo|28|Homer Watson Boulevard}}
| notes            = Eastbound entrance via Ottawa Street South
}}
{{ONint
| exit             = —
| km               = 83.7
| road             = {{jcon|Waterloo|53|Courtland Avenue}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| exit             = —
| type             = concur
| km               = 85.1
| road             = {{jcon|Hwy|8|to=401|dir=east|Freeport Diversion}}
| notes            = Eastern end of Highway&nbsp;8 concurrency; no access from Highway&nbsp;7 to King Street
}}
{{ONint
| exit             = —
| km               = 86.4
| road             = {{jcon|Waterloo|4|Ottawa Street North}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| exit             = —
| type             = trans
| km               = 88.3
| road             = {{jcon|Hwy|85|dir=north|[[Conestoga Parkway]]|town=Waterloo}}<hr/>{{jcon|Waterloo|55|dir=west|Victoria Street}}
| notes            = Highway&nbsp;7 exits Conestoga Parkway at Victoria Street; westbound entrance via Edna Street; eastbound exit via Bruce Street; western end of {{jcon|Waterloo|55|ot=y}} concurrency<ref name="Waterloo_RR">{{cite web |title=Regional Roads By Road Number |url=https://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/living-here/resources/Roads-and-Traffic/DOCS_ADMIN-3891309-v1-2021_REGIONAL_ROADS_SORTED_BY_ROAD_NUMBER.pdf |website=Region of Waterloo |access-date=May 6, 2024 |date=November 2021}}</ref>
}}
{{ONint
| exit             = &nbsp;
| espan            = 3
| km               = 90.9
| road             = {{jcon|Waterloo|54|dir=south|Lackner Boulevard}}&nbsp;/ Bingemans Centre Drive
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| location         = Woolwich
| lspan            = 4
| km               = 94.0
| road             = {{jcon|Waterloo|17|dir=north|Ebycrest Road}}&nbsp;/ Woolwich Street
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 94.4
| road             = {{jcon|Waterloo|17|dir=south|Fountain Street}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| exit             = &nbsp;
| type             = concur
| km               = 94.7
| road             = {{jcon|Waterloo|55|dir=ends}}
| notes            = Eastern end of {{jcon|Waterloo|55|ot=y}} concurrency; {{jcon|Waterloo|55|ot=y}} ends {{cvt|300|m|ft}} east of Fountain Street<ref name="Waterloo_RR"/>
}}
{{ONint
| exit             = &nbsp;
| espan            = 2
| km               = 97.9
| road             = {{jcon|Waterloo|30|Shantz Station Road}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| municipality     = Guelph
| lspan            = 5
| km               = 103.0
| road             = Imperial Road
| notes            = Beginning of Guelph Connecting Link agreement
}}
{{ONint
| exit             = &nbsp;
| type             = concur
| km               = 105.9
| road             = {{jcon|Hwy|6|dir=north|Woodlawn Road|city=Mount Forest}}
| notes            = Northern terminus of [[Hanlon Expressway]]; western end of Highway&nbsp;6 concurrency
}}
{{ONint
| exit             = —
| type             = concur
| km               = 109.6
| road             = {{jcon|Hwy|6|dir=south|to=401|[[Hanlon Expressway]]|city=Hamilton}}<hr/>Wellington Street West
| notes            = Eastern end of Highway&nbsp;6 concurrency; Highway&nbsp;7 follows Wellington Street; formerly {{jcon|Hwy|24|dir=west|nosh=y}}; former western end of Highway&nbsp;24 concurrency; to {{jcon|Waterloo|124|dir=west|nosh=y}}
}}
{{ONint
| exit             = &nbsp;
| espan            = 15
| km               = 112.1
| road             = Wyndham Street South&nbsp;/ Wellington Street East
| notes            = Highway&nbsp;7 follows Wyndham Street South; formerly {{jcon|Hwy|24|dir=east|nosh=y}}; eastern end of former Highway&nbsp;24 concurrency
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 116.8
| road             = 
| notes            = End of Guelph Connecting Link agreement
}}
{{ONint
| division         = Wellington
| dspan            = 4
| location         = Guelph/Eramosa
| lspan            = 4
| km               = 120.0
| road             = {{jcon|Wellington|29|Eramosa Road|town=Eramosa}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 122.8
| road             = {{jcon|Wellington|44|dir=south}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 124.1
| road             = {{jcon|Wellington|27|dir=north|Gowan Road}}
| notes            = [[Rockwood, Ontario|Rockwood]]
| nspan            = 2
}}

{{ONint
| km               = 125.2
| road             = {{jcon|Wellington|50|dir=east}}
| notes            = none
}}
{{ONint
| division_special = [[Wellington County, Ontario|Wellington]]&ndash;[[Regional Municipality of Halton|Halton]] boundary
| location_special = [[Guelph/Eramosa]]&ndash;[[Milton, Ontario|Milton]] boundary
| km               = 131.3
| road             = {{jcon|Halton|32|dir=west|Eramosa-Milton Townline}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| division         = Halton
| dspan            = 8
| location         = Halton Hills
| lspan            = 8
| km               = 134.4
| road             = {{jcon|Halton|25|dir=north}}
| notes            = Formerly {{jcon|Hwy|25|dir=north|nosh=y}}; western end of former Highway&nbsp;25 concurrency; beginning of [[Acton, Ontario|Acton]] Connecting Link agreement
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 134.9
| road             = {{jcon|Halton|25|dir=south|town=Milton}}
| notes            = Formerly {{jcon|Hwy|25|dir=south|nosh=y}}; eastern end of former Highway&nbsp;25 concurrency
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 136.4
| road             = Churchill Road
| notes            = End of [[Acton, Ontario|Acton]] Connecting Link agreement
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 142.1
| road             = {{jcon|Halton|3|dir=north|Trafalgar Road|town=Ballinafad}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 145.6
| road             = {{jcon|Halton|3|dir=south|Trafalgar Road|town=Oakville}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 147.0
| road             = Wildwood Road
| notes            = Beginning of [[Georgetown, Ontario|Georgetown]] Connecting Link agreement
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 152.0
| road             = Hall Road
| notes            = End of [[Georgetown, Ontario|Georgetown]] Connecting Link agreement
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 153.6
| road             = {{jcon|Peel|19|Winston Churchill Boulevard|town=Cheltenham}}
| notes            = [[Norval, Ontario|Norval]]
}}
{{ONint
| division_special = [[Regional Municipality of Halton|Halton]]&ndash;[[Regional Municipality of Peel|Peel]] boundary
| location_special = [[Halton Hills, Ontario|Halton Hills]]&ndash;[[Brampton, Ontario|Brampton]] boundary
| type             = trans
| exit             = &nbsp;
| km               = 154.1
| road             = {{jcon|Hwy|7|dir=ends|nolink=y|shield=y}}<br/>{{jcon|Peel|107|dir=begins|fulltext=y}}
| notes            = End of western segment; continues as {{jcon|Peel|107|dir=east|ot=y}}
}}
{{ONint|former
| division         = Peel
| dspan            = 5
| location         = Brampton
| lspan            = 5
| km               = 156.0
| exit             = &nbsp;
| type             = unbuilt
| road             = {{Jcon|Hwy|413}}
| notes            = Future interchange location for future freeway; future end of western segment

}}
{{ONint|former
| exit             = &nbsp;
| km               = 162.5
| road             = [[Hurontario Street|Hurontario Street / Main Street]]
| notes            = Formerly {{jcon|Hwy|10|nosh=y}}
}}
{{ONint|former
| exit             = 13
| km               = 165.3
| road             = {{jcon|Hwy|410|dir=north}}<hr/>{{jcon|Peel|10|dir=east|nosh=y|[[List of roads in Brampton#Bovaird Drive|Bovaird Drive]]}}
| notes            = Former west end of Highway&nbsp;410 concurrency; exit numbers follow Highway&nbsp;410; Regional Roads are [[Unsigned highway|unsigned]] on Highway&nbsp;410
}}
{{ONint|former
| exit             = 12
| km               = 166.8
| road             = [[List of roads in Brampton#Williams Parkway|Williams Parkway]]  
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint|former
| exit             = 10
| km               = 168.3
| road             = {{jcon|Peel|6|dir=west|nosh=y|[[List of roads in Brampton#Queen Street|Queen Street]]}}<hr/>{{jcon|Hwy|410|dir=south}}
| notes            = Former east end of Highway&nbsp;410 concurrency; Regional Roads are unsigned on Highway&nbsp;410
}}
{{ONint|former
| division_special = [[Regional Municipality of Peel|Peel]]&ndash;[[Regional Municipality of York|York]] boundary
| location_special = [[Brampton, Ontario|Brampton]]&ndash;[[Vaughan, Ontario|Vaughan]] boundary
| exit             = &nbsp;
| espan            = 8
| km               = 178.5
| road             = {{jcon|Peel|50|fulltext=y}}&nbsp;/ {{jcon|York|24|fulltext=y|nosh=y}}<hr/>{{jcon|Peel|107|dir=ends|fulltext=y}}<br/>{{jcon|York|7|dir=begins|fulltext=y}}
| notes            = Formerly {{jcon|Hwy|50|nosh=y}}; {{jcon|York|24|fulltext=y|ot=y}} is unsigned
}}
{{ONint|former
| division         = York
| dspan            = 8
| location         = Vaughan
| lspan            = 3
| km               = 179.7
| road             = {{jcon|Hwy|427}}
| notes            = Highway&nbsp;427 exit&nbsp;21
}}
{{ONint|former
| km               = 180.8
| road             = {{jcon|York|27}}
| notes            = Formerly {{jcon|Hwy|27|nosh=y}}
}}
{{ONint|former
| km               = 187.7
| road             = {{jcon|Hwy|400}}
| notes            = Highway&nbsp;400 exit&nbsp;29; no access to {{jcon|Hwy|407|nosh=y}} from {{jcon|York|7|ot=y}}
}}
{{ONint|former
| location         = Richmond Hill
| km               = 198.7
| road             = {{jcon|York|1|[[Yonge Street]]}}
| notes            = Formerly {{jcon|Hwy|11|nosh=y}}
}}
{{ONint|former
| location_special = [[Richmond Hill, Ontario|Richmond Hill]]&ndash;[[Markham, Ontario|Markham]] boundary
| km               = 203.5
| road             = {{jcon|Hwy|404}}
| notes            = Highway&nbsp;404 exit&nbsp;26; no access to {{jcon|Hwy|407|nosh=y}} from {{jcon|York|7|ot=y}}
}}
{{ONint|former
| location         = Markham
| lspan            = 3
| km               = 212.8
| road             = {{jcon|York|68|Markham Road}}
| notes            = Formerly {{jcon|Hwy|48|nosh=y}}
}}
{{ONint|former
| km               = 216.5
| road             = {{jcon|York|48|Donald Cousins Parkway}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| type             = trans
| exit             = &nbsp;
| km               = 216.7
| road             = {{jcon|Hwy|7|dir=begins|nolink=y|shield=y}}<br/>{{jcon|York|7|dir=ends|fulltext=y}}
| notes            = Beginning of eastern segment lies {{cvt|185|m|ft|round=5}} east of Reesor Road
}}
{{ONint
| division_special = [[Regional Municipality of York|York]]&ndash;[[Regional Municipality of Durham|Durham]] boundary
| location_special = [[Markham, Ontario|Markham]]&ndash;[[Pickering, Ontario|Pickering]] boundary
| exit             = &nbsp;
| espan            = 3
| km               = 219.6
| road             = {{jcon|York|30|York–Durham Line|fulltext=y}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| division         = Durham
| dspan            = 13
| location         = Pickering
| lspan            = 3
| km               = 
| road             = {{jcon|Durham|40|dir=south|Whites Road}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 226.5
| road             = {{jcon|Durham|1|Brock Road|town=Brougham|town2=Uxbridge}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| exit             = &nbsp;
| type             = closed
| km               = 227.3
| road             = {{jcon|Hwy|407|dir=west|city=Markham}}
| notes            = Highway&nbsp;7 passes over former eastern terminus of Highway&nbsp;407
}}
{{ONint
| location         = Whitby
| lspan            = 3
| type             = incomplete
| exit             = &nbsp;
| km               = 235.2
| road             = {{jcon|state=ON|Hwy|412|dir=south}}
| notes            = Southbound entrance and northbound exit
}}
{{ONint
| type             = concur
| exit             = &nbsp;
| km               = 239.1
| road             = {{jcon|Hwy|12|Baldwin Street|dir=south}}<hr/>{{jcon|Durham|3|dir=east|Winchester Road}}
| notes            = Western end of Highway&nbsp;12 concurrency
}}
{{ONint
| exit             = &nbsp;
| espan            = 7
| km               = 243.2
| road             = {{jcon|Durham|26|dir=south|Thickson Road}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| location         = Scugog
| lspan            = 4
| km               = 253.3
| road             = {{jcon|Hwy|7A|dir=east|town=Port Perry|city2=Peterborough}}<br/>{{jcon|Durham|21|dir=west|Goodwood Road}}
| notes            = [[Manchester, Ontario|Manchester]]; Highway&nbsp;7A provides a shorter route to Peterborough via [[Ontario Highway 115|Highway&nbsp;115]]
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 256.2
| road             = {{jcon|Durham|8|Reach Street|town=Uxbridge|town2=Port Perry}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 260.4
| road             = {{jcon|Drh|47|dir=west|town=Uxbridge|town2=Stouffville}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 266.2
| road             = {{jcon|Durham|6|dir=east|Saintfield Road|town=Seagrave}}
| notes            = [[Saintfield, Ontario|Saintfield]]
}}
{{ONint
| location         = Brock
| lspan            = 3
| km               = 270.6
| road             = {{jcon|Durham|13}}
| notes            = [[Blackwater, Ontario|Blackwater]]
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 275.4
| road             = {{jcon|Durham|10|dir=west|River Street}}
| notes            = [[Sunderland, Ontario|Sunderland]]
}}
{{ONint
| type             = trans
| exit             = &nbsp;
| km               = 278.2
| road             = {{jcon|Hwy|12|tch=y|dir=north|town=Beaverton|city2=Orillia}}
| notes            = Eastern end of Highway&nbsp;12 concurrency; western end of [[Trans-Canada Highway]] (continues on {{jcon|Hwy|12|ot=y|dir=north}})
}}
{{ONint
| division_special = [[Regional Municipality of Durham|Durham]]&ndash;[[Kawartha Lakes]] boundary
| location         = Manilla
| exit             = &nbsp;
| espan            = 3
| km               = 285.2
| road             = {{jcon|Durham|2|contype=KL|con=2|fulltext=y|Simcoe Street}}
| notes            = [[Manilla, Ontario|Manilla]]
}}
{{ONint
| division         = Kawartha Lakes
| dspan            = 12
| location         = &nbsp;
| km               = 288.3
| road             = {{jcon|KL|46|dir=north|town=Woodville}}<br/>Fingerboard Road south
| notes            = Formerly {{jcon|Hwy|46|dir=north|nosh=y}}
}}
{{ONint
| location         = Oakwood
| km               = 294.5
| road             = {{jcon|KL|6|Eldon Road|town=Little Britain|town2=Kirkfield}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| location         = Lindsay
| lspan            = 4
| type             = concur
| exit             = &nbsp;
| km               = 303.2
| road             = {{jcon|Hwy|35|dir=north|Kent Street West|town=Lindsay|town2=Fenelon Falls}}
| notes            = Western end of Highway&nbsp;35 concurrency and Lindsay Bypass; formerly {{jcon|Hwy|7B|dir=east|nosh=y}}
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 307.3
| exit             = &nbsp;
| road             = {{jcon|KL|4|Angeline Street South / Little Britain Road|town=Little Britain}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint

| type             = concur
| km               = 308.7
| exit             = &nbsp;
| road             = {{jcon|Hwy|35|dir=south|town=Newcastle}}<br/>{{jcon|KL|15|Lindsay Street|dir=north}}
| notes            = Eastern end of Highway&nbsp;35 concurrency and Lindsay Bypass; formerly {{jct|province=ON|Hwy|7B|Hwy|35B|dir1=west|dir2=north|noshield=y}}
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 310.2
| exit             = &nbsp;
| espan            = 12
| road             = {{jcon|KL|36|dir=north|town=Bobcaygeon}}
| notes            = Formerly {{jcon|Hwy|36|dir=north|nosh=y}}
}}
{{ONint
| location         = &nbsp;
| km               = 322.5
| road             = {{jcon|KL|31|dir=west|Mount Horeb Road}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| location         = Omemee
| lspan            = 4
| km               = 323.4
| road             = Sibley Avenue
| notes            = Beginning of Omemee Connecting Link agreement
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 323.9
| road             = {{jcon|KL|38|dir=south|Ski Hill Road}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 324.7
| road             = {{jcon|KL|7|dir=north|Sturgeon Road}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 326.1
| notes            = End of Omemee Connecting Link agreement
}}
{{ONint
| location         = &nbsp;
| km               = 328.2
| road             = {{jcon|KL|10|Emily Park Road}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| division_special = [[Kawartha Lakes]]&ndash;[[Peterborough County|Peterborough]] boundary
| location         = Fowlers Corners
| km               = 334.8
| road             = {{jcon|KL|26|dir=north|Frank Hill Road|fulltext=y}}<hr/>{{jcon|PB|1|dir=east|Lindsay Road|fulltext=y}}
| notes            = Formerly {{jcon|Hwy|7B|dir=east|nosh=y}}
}}
{{ONint
| division         = Peterborough
| dspan            = 6
| location_special = [[Selwyn, Ontario|Selwyn]]&ndash;[[Cavan Monaghan]] boundary
| km               = 339.1
| road             = {{jcon|PB|3|dir=east|Park Hill Road West}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| location         = Cavan Monaghan
| lspan            = 5
| km               = 340.4
| road             = {{jcon|PB|9|Sherbrook Street West&nbsp;/ Mount Pleasant Road}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 342.2
| road             = {{jcon|PB|5|dir=east|Lansdowne Street}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 343.6
| road             = {{jcon|PB|15|Monaghan Parkway|dir=east}}
| notes            = Formerly Highway&nbsp;7 east; Highway&nbsp;7 follows former {{jcon|Hwy|7A|nosh=y}}
}}
{{ONint
| exit             = 45
| type             = concur
| km               = 347.2
| road             = {{jcon|Hwy|115|dir=south|city=Toronto}}<hr/>{{jcon|PB|28|town=Port Hope}}
| notes            = Western end of Highway&nbsp;115 concurrency; exit numbers follow Highway&nbsp;115; formerly {{jcon|Hwy|28|dir=south|nosh=y}}
}}
{{ONint
| exit             = 49
| km               = 351.2
| road             = {{jcon|PB|11|Airport Road}}
| notes            = To [[Peterborough Airport]]
}}
{{ONint
| municipality     = Peterborough
| lspan            = 5
| exit             = 51
| km               = 353.6
| road             = The Parkway, Sir Sandford Fleming Drive
| notes            = Formerly {{jct|province=ON|Hwy|28|Hwy|7|dir1=north|dir2=west|noshield=y|nolink2=y}}
}}
{{ONint
| type             = incomplete
| exit             = 54
| km               = 356.9
| road             = Bensfort Road
| notes            = Access to and from westbound Highway&nbsp;7/115 via Kennedy Road; no access to eastbound Highway&nbsp;7/115
}}
{{ONint
| exit             = 56
| km               = 358.5
| road             = Ashburnham Drive
| notes            = Access to and from eastbound Highway&nbsp;7/115 via Neal Drive
}}
{{ONint|exit
| type             = concur
| km               = 359.9
| road             = {{jcon|Hwy|115|dir=ends}}<br/>Lansdowne Street East&nbsp;/ Television Road
| notes            = Eastern end of freeway and Highway&nbsp;115 concurrency; [[traffic signal|signalized]] intersection; formerly {{jcon|Hwy|7B|dir=west|nosh=y}}
}}
{{ONint
| exit             = &nbsp;
| espan            = 30
| km               = 360.4
| road             = {{jcon|PB|35|dir=south|Keene Road}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| division         = Peterborough
| dspan            = 7
| location         = Otonabee–South Monaghan
| km               = 367.2
| road             = {{jcon|Hwy|28|dir=north|town=Lakefield|town2=Bancroft}}<br/>{{jcon|PB|34|dir=south|Heritage Line}}
| notes            = Formerly {{jcon|Hwy|134|dir=north|nosh=y}}
}}
{{ONint
| location         = Asphodel–Norwood
| lspan            = 2
| km               = 377.0
| road             = {{jcon|PB|38}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 386.8
| road             = {{jcon|PB|40|dir=north}}<br/>{{jcon|PB|45|dir=south}}
| notes            = [[Norwood, Ontario|Norwood]]; formerly {{jcon|Hwy|45|dir=south|nosh=y}}
}}
{{ONint
| location         = Havelock-Belmont-Methuen
| lspan            = 4
| km               = 395.9
| road             = [[Canadian Pacific Railway]] crossing
| notes            = Beginning of [[Havelock, Ontario|Havelock]] Connecting Link agreement
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 396.1
| road             = {{jcon|PB|30|Concession Street}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 397.7
| road             = {{jcon|PB|48|dir=east}}&nbsp;/ Mary Street
| notes            = End of [[Havelock, Ontario|Havelock]] Connecting Link agreement
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 402.3
| road             = {{jcon|PB|50|dir=south}}
| notes            = [[Preneveau, Ontario|Preneveau]]
}}
{{ONint
| division         = Hastings
| dspan            = 11
| location         = Marmora and Lake
| lspan            = 4
| km               = 414.0
| road             = {{center|[[Crowe River]]}}
| notes            = Beginning of [[Marmora, Ontario|Marmora]] Connecting Link agreement
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 414.1
| road             = {{jcon|Hastings|14|dir=south|Forsyth Street}}
| notes            = Formerly {{jcon|Hwy|14|dir=south|nosh=y}}
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 415.3
| road             = Maloney Street
| notes            = End of [[Marmora, Ontario|Marmora]] Connecting Link agreement
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 418.6
| road             = {{jcon|Hastings|11|dir=north|Deloro Road}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| location_special = [[Madoc, Ontario (township)|Madoc (township)]]
| km               = 429.3
| road             = {{jcon|Hastings|23|dir=east|St. Lawrence Street}}
| notes            = Formerly {{jcon|Hwy|7B|dir=east|nosh=y}}
}}
{{ONint
| location_special = [[Centre Hastings]]<br/>([[Madoc, Ontario (village)|Madoc (village)]])
| lspan            = 2
| km               = 431.6
| road             = {{jcon|Hwy|62|city=Belleville|town2=Bancroft}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 432.5
| road             = {{jcon|Hastings|12|dir=north|Cooper Road}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| location_special = [[Madoc, Ontario (township)|Madoc (township)]]
| km               = 434.4
| road             = {{jcon|Hastings|23|dir=west|St. Lawrence Street}}
| notes            = Formerly {{jcon|Hwy|7B|dir=west|nosh=y}}
}}
{{ONint
| location         = Tweed
| lspan            = 3
| km               = 442.2
| road             = {{jcon|Hastings|20|dir=north|Queensborough Road}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 445.1
| road             = {{jcon|Hwy|37|dir=south|city=Belleville}}, [[Tweed, Ontario (village)|Tweed (village)]]
| notes            = [[Actinolite, Ontario|Actinolite]]
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 445.8
| road             = {{jcon|Hastings|25|dir=north|Flinton Road}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| division         = Lennox and Addington
| location         = Addington Highlands
| km               = 467.1
| road             = {{jcon|Hwy|41|dir=north|town=Denbigh}}<br />{{jcon|LA|41|dir=south}}
| notes            = [[Kaladar, Ontario|Kaladar]]
}}
{{ONint
| division         = Frontenac
| dspan            = 2
| location         = Central Frontenac
| lspan            = 2
| km               = 507.2
| road             = {{jcon|c frontenac|509|dir=north|town=Plevna}}
| notes            = Formerly {{jcon|Hwy|509|dir=north|nosh=y}}
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 508.5
| road             = {{jcon|c frontenac|38|dir=south|town=Sharbot Lake|city2=Kingston}}
| notes            = Formerly {{jcon|Hwy|38|dir=south|nosh=y}}
}}
{{ONint
| division         = Lanark
| dspan            = 10
| location         = Tay Valley
| km               = 519.8
| road             = {{jcon|Lanark|36|Bolingbroke Road south&nbsp;/ Elphin Road north}}
| notes            = [[Maberly, Ontario|Maberly]]
}}
{{ONint
| location         = Perth
| lspan            = 2
| km               = 542.5
| road             = {{jcon|Lanark|511|dir=north|town=Lanark}}
| notes            = Formerly {{jcon|Hwy|511|dir=north|nosh=y}}
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 543.2
| road             = {{jcon|Lanark|43|dir=south|Wilson Street|town=Smiths Falls}}
| notes            = Formerly {{jcon|Hwy|43|dir=south|nosh=y}}
}}
{{ONint
| location         = Lanark Highlands
| km               = 564.0
| road             = {{jcon|Lanark|15|dir=north|Ferguson Falls Road|town=Lanark}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| location         = Mississippi Mills
| km               = 564.0
| road             = {{jcon|Lanark|9|dir=north|Tatlock Road}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| location_special = [[Mississippi Mills, Ontario|Mississippi Mills]]&ndash;[[Beckwith, Ontario|Beckwith]] boundary
| km               = 573.0
| road             = {{jcon|Lanark|7B|Townline Road|city=Carleton Place}}
| notes            = Formerly {{jcon|Hwy|7B|dir=east|nosh=y}}<!-- Fixed?? erroneously signed Lanark County Road 29 on Highway 7-->
}}
{{ONint
| location         = Carleton Place
| lspan            = 3
| km               = 576.8
| road             = {{jcon|Hwy|15|dir=south|city=Smiths Falls|city2=Kingston}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 577.4
| road             = {{jcon|Lanark|29|dir=north|town=Arnprior|McNeely Avenue}}
| notes            = Formerly {{jcon|Hwy|15|dir=north|nosh=y}}
}}
{{Jctgap
| text             = Beginning of [[controlled-access highway]]
}}
{{ONint
| location         = Beckwith
| exit             = —
| km               = 581.7
| road             = {{jcon|Lanark|17|Appleton Sideroad north&nbsp;/ Cemetery Sideroad south}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| division_special = [[Lanark County]]&ndash;[[Ottawa, Ontario|Ottawa]] boundary
| location_special = [[Beckwith, Ontario|Beckwith]]&ndash;[[Ottawa, Ontario|Ottawa]] boundary
| km               = 584.4
| exit             = —
| road             = Ashton Station Road
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONintfiller
| municipality     = Ottawa
| lspan            = 3
| km               = 588.2
| exit             = —
| road             = {{jcon|Ottawa|3|[[Dwyer Hill Road]]}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 595.8
| exit             = —
| road             = {{jcon|Ottawa|36|[[Hazeldean Road]]|city=Ottawa}}
| notes            = 
}}
{{ONint
| km               = 598.3
| exit             = —
| road             = {{jcon|Hwy|417|tch=y|town=Arnprior|town2=Pembroke|city3=Ottawa}}
| notes            = Highway&nbsp;7 eastern terminus; Highway&nbsp;417 exit 145
}}
{{jctbtm|exit|keys=concur,trans,unbuilt,closed,incomplete}}

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

== External links ==

* [https://www.thekingshighway.ca/Highway7.htm Highway 7 at thekingshighway.ca]

{{Commons category}}
{{Attached KML|display=title,inline}}
*[https://archive.today/20080111005547/http://ogov.newswire.ca/ontario/GPOE/2007/08/20/c8442.html?lmatch=&lang=_e.html Canada NewsWire Press Release]

{{Interprovincial highway
| curr = 7
| curr_type = Hwy
| curr_province = ON
| name = TCH
| prev = 12
| prev_type = Hwy
| prev_province = ON
| next = 417
| next_type = Hwy
| next_province = ON
}}
{{Trans-Canada}}
{{Ontario King's Highways}}

[[Category:Ontario provincial highways|007]]
[[Category:Trans-Canada Highway|Ontario 007]]
[[Category:Carleton Place]]
[[Category:Transport in Halton Hills]]
[[Category:Kawartha Lakes]]
[[Category:Roads in Brampton]]
[[Category:Roads in Markham, Ontario]]
[[Category:Roads in Ottawa]]
[[Category:Transport in Guelph]]
[[Category:Roads in Kitchener, Ontario]]
[[Category:Transport in Peterborough, Ontario]]
[[Category:Transport in Pickering, Ontario]]
[[Category:Transport in Stratford, Ontario]]
[[Category:Transport in Vaughan]]
[[Category:Transport in Whitby, Ontario]]
[[Category:Roads in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo]]