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St. John's International Airport (YYT) → Placentia

St. John's Airport (YYT) to Placentia and Castle Hill

Drive time
1h 43m
Distance
132.4 km
Routes
40 · 1 · 100

Conservative model estimate, St. John's International Airport (YYT) to Placentia — no stops, dry roads. Many of Newfoundland's provincial routes carry no speed limit in the open map data, so the router assumes a slow default: a driver who knows the road will beat this. Source: OSRM driving profile, St. John's International Airport (YYT) to Placentia, checked 2026-09-05.

Drive it with your own nav:Organic Maps →OsmAnd →Apple →Google →Waze →The first two run on OpenStreetMap and don't track you — the same map this site is built from.

Or take the whole route with you: Download the GPX → — the measured drive plus every stop as a waypoint, for Organic Maps, OsmAnd or any Garmin, no account and no signal needed once it's on the device.

No one has sent a recording of this drive yet.Be the first — send the track →

This is the drive from St. John’s out to the bottom of the Avalon Peninsula’s Placentia arm: out through the city on Route 40, a short stretch of the Trans-Canada, then south on Route 100 all the way down the bay. It’s 132 km and about 1 hour 43 minutes door to door, and once you’re clear of St. John’s most of it is a quiet two-lane secondary highway with long stretches between communities.

What Placentia keeps is its history, in two places you can walk through: the fort remains at Castle Hill National Historic Site, and the O’Reilly House Museum’s collection. The Placentia Area Historical Society dates the area’s history of occupation to the 1500s, and records the town as a capital for the French in Newfoundland from 1662 to 1713, and the English, who also used it as their capital.

Driving route from St. John's International Airport (YYT) to Placentia: 132.4 km, about 1h 43m, via Routes 40 · 1 · 100.Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Tiles by OpenFreeMap. Route line computed with OSRM.

Faded on the map: the other measured drives from St. John's International into this same region, each its own page — Cape St. Mary's Ecological Reserve (2h 47m). Where a faded line leaves the solid one is where that drive forks from this one.

Worth stopping for

  1. Fitzgerald's Pond Provincial Park Reserve

    A Provincial Park Reserve beside Route 100, effectively on the driven line. ParksNL classes reserves as former camping parks whose campground was privatised before 1997, with the rest kept to protect natural features, and says plainly that reserves have no visitor services. ParksNL describes this one as protecting a population of a rare lichen — Erioderma pedicellatum, the boreal felt lichen — in the Maritime Barrens, Southeastern Barrens subregion, and notes that the privately owned Fitzgerald's Pond Park next door is a separate thing from the reserve. Treat the reserve as a quiet pull-off, not a stop with facilities.

    Stopping here adds about 0 min and 0 km to the drive.

    navigate: Organic · OsmAnd · Apple · Google · Waze

  2. O'Reilly House Museum

    A house museum run by the Placentia Area Historical Society, a nonprofit and registered charity. The Society's own site dates the area's history of occupation to the 1500s, and records Placentia as a capital for the French in Newfoundland from 1662 to 1713, and the English, who also used it as their capital — the town the Society calls the ancient French capital. It states that the museum opens for the summer tourist season and sometimes longer, so check with them before planning a visit around a date.

    Stopping here adds about 1 min and 0.2 km to the drive.

    navigate: Organic · OsmAnd · Apple · Google · Waze

  3. Castle Hill National Historic SiteDetour

    Parks Canada sets this site in the 18th century, when British and French forces battled on the shores of Newfoundland for control of a lucrative fishery, and describes what stands there now as the remnants of a stone fort — a chapter of history, in their words, that determined the fate of a continent. The visitor centre keeps a season rather than year-round hours, and passes are Parks Canada's to state, so check their page before you plan a day around it.

    Stopping here adds about 8 min and 3 km to the drive.

    navigate: Organic · OsmAnd · Apple · Google · Waze

What has been recorded near here

Species reported within 50 km of Placentia and shared to GBIF, the international record of species occurrences. The useful column is when — the months the reports cluster in.

  • Northern gannetseabirdMorus bassanusReports cluster in July, June, August2,675 reports on record
  • Humpback whalewhaleMegaptera novaeangliaeReports cluster in July, June, August242 reports on record
  • Atlantic puffinseabirdFratercula arcticaReports cluster in June, July, August211 reports on record
  • Minke whalewhaleBalaenoptera acutorostrataReports cluster in June, May, July111 reports on record
  • Fin whalewhaleBalaenoptera physalusReports cluster in August, July, October13 reports on record

What this is not

  • Not how many there are. A report means somebody looked, saw and wrote it down. A busy harbour with tour boats reports more than an empty coast with the same animals in it.
  • Not a sighting you are promised. Nothing here says you will see one.
  • Not complete. Only species we ask GBIF about appear, and only where somebody reported them.

From GBIF, queried 2026-09-14 — their record, not a copy of it.

When you get to Placentia

Doing it electric

Fast chargers on this drive
Paradise km 16, St. John’s km 17
Longest stretch without one
115 km
St. John’s → Placentia, of 132 km driven
Nearest fast charger to Placentia
48 km
38 min by road, at Whitbourne

NL Hydro lists an ultra-fast site coming in 2026 at St. John’s (km 17) and Whitbourne (km 89) — not counted above until it opens.

Source: NL Hydro's published fast-charging network map, exported 2026-09-13 — sites within 3 km of this route's measured line, the km read along it, the drive to the nearest site priced by OSRM. NL Hydro lists these as 62.5 kW DC with CCS and CHAdeMO plugs on a ChargePoint account; whether one is free or working right now is the app's to say. Level 2 chargers in towns are not counted.

Every route compared →NL Hydro: plan your road trip →

Paved or not, per the map

Mapped as unpaved
none
Mapped as paved
65%
80.9 km of 132.4 km driven
No surface tag on the map
35%
42.9 km the map does not describe either way

Why it matters: Hertz Canada’s published rental terms — the one set of Canadian rental terms we could read in full, quoted not recommended — list “use off paved roads or on roads which are not regularly maintained” as misconduct that voids the damage waiver. Read the agreement you sign before leaving the lot. The terms themselves. Source for these figures: OSRM driving profile, stored route query, with node annotations; OpenStreetMap surface tags via Overpass, checked 2026-09-13. A road with no tag is unknown, not paved; what any road is like today is on 511.

Eating on the way — measured, not recommended

119 places to eat that the open map data records within 2 km of this drive, in the order you would pass them. No stars, no prices, no opinions, and no opening hours — distance along the road is the one thing measured here that a directory cannot give you.

The longest stretch with nothing mapped on it is 71.4 km — after Costco Food Court, until Mary Brown's. That is the figure worth planning around.

  • Starbuckscafékm 0.1 · 1631 m off the road
  • Wing'N Itrestaurantkm 0.1 · 1419 m off the road
  • Mr. Subfast foodkm 0.1 · 1607 m off the road
  • Corarestaurantkm 0.1 · 1486 m off the road
  • Pita Pitfast foodkm 0.1 · 1620 m off the road
  • Parkside Pizzafast foodkm 0.1 · 1506 m off the road
  • Jade Gardensrestaurantkm 0.1 · 1899 m off the road
  • Sun Sushirestaurantkm 0.1 · 1888 m off the road
  • YellowBelly Brewery and Public Housepubkm 0.1 · 202 m off the road
  • Tim Hortonscafékm 0.1
  • Newfoundland Chocolate Companycafékm 0.1 · 173 m off the road
  • Booster Juicefast foodkm 0.1 · 165 m off the road
  • Freshiirestaurantkm 0.1
  • Quesadafast foodkm 0.1 · 1497 m off the road
  • McDonald'sfast foodkm 0.1 · 1835 m off the road
  • Mary Brown'sfast foodkm 0.1 · 1582 m off the road
  • Second Cupcafékm 0.1 · 1739 m off the road
  • Montana'srestaurantkm 0.1 · 1800 m off the road
  • Starbuckscafékm 0.1 · 1733 m off the road
  • Harvey'sfast foodkm 0.1 · 1599 m off the road
  • Milestonesrestaurantkm 0.1 · 1570 m off the road
  • KFCfast foodkm 0.1 · 1671 m off the road
  • A&Wfast foodkm 0.1 · 1882 m off the road
  • Subwayfast foodkm 0.8
  • Tim Hortonscafékm 0.8
  • The Rockrestaurantkm 0.8
  • Tim Hortonscafékm 2.6 · 1639 m off the road
  • Greco Pizzafast foodkm 2.6 · 1623 m off the road
  • Booster Juicefast foodkm 2.6 · 1644 m off the road
  • Rustler'srestaurantkm 2.6 · 1653 m off the road
  • Ches's Fish and Chipsrestaurantkm 2.6 · 1546 m off the road
  • Pizza Houserestaurantkm 2.6 · 1393 m off the road
  • Tim Hortonscafékm 2.6 · 1524 m off the road
  • Mr. Subfast foodkm 2.9 · 1723 m off the road
  • Pizza Expertsfast foodkm 2.9 · 1716 m off the road
  • Wendy'sfast foodkm 2.9 · 1679 m off the road
  • Domino'sfast foodkm 2.9 · 1657 m off the road
  • Peter's Pizza Restaurant & Loungerestaurantkm 2.9 · 1712 m off the road
  • Mustang Sally'srestaurantkm 2.9 · 1662 m off the road
  • Sun Sushirestaurantkm 2.9 · 1715 m off the road
  • Old Town Pizzeriarestaurantkm 3 · 691 m off the road
  • Tim Hortonscafékm 3 · 744 m off the road
  • Dairy Queenfast foodkm 3 · 775 m off the road
  • East Side Mario'srestaurantkm 3.1 · 1448 m off the road
  • Big Bite Pitafast foodkm 4.6 · 1842 m off the road
  • MajesTeacafékm 4.6 · 1829 m off the road
  • Donati'sfast foodkm 4.6 · 1949 m off the road
  • Bitterspubkm 4.7 · 1224 m off the road
  • Ziggy Peelgoodfast foodkm 4.7 · 1837 m off the road
  • Tim Hortonscafékm 4.7 · 1936 m off the road
  • Pop's Dinerrestaurantkm 4.7 · 1935 m off the road
  • NJ's Kitchenrestaurantkm 4.7 · 1983 m off the road
  • Smitty'srestaurantkm 4.7 · 1935 m off the road
  • Noodle Namirestaurantkm 4.7 · 1948 m off the road
  • Subwayfast foodkm 4.7 · 1804 m off the road
  • Quintana'srestaurantkm 4.7 · 1806 m off the road
  • Big Ben's Pubpubkm 4.7 · 1818 m off the road
  • Breezewaypubkm 5 · 1246 m off the road
  • Jumping Beancafékm 5 · 1435 m off the road
  • Mary Brown'sfast foodkm 5 · 1275 m off the road
  • Booster Juicefast foodkm 5 · 1282 m off the road
  • Manchu Wokfast foodkm 5 · 1290 m off the road
  • Pizza Delightrestaurantkm 5 · 1304 m off the road
  • Just Friesfast foodkm 5 · 1309 m off the road
  • Tim Hortonscafékm 5.1 · 1539 m off the road
  • The Pantry (Autism Society Foundation Room)restaurantkm 5.2 · 764 m off the road
  • McDonald'sfast foodkm 5.3 · 1855 m off the road
  • The Guv'nor Pubpubkm 5.3 · 1851 m off the road
  • Domino'sfast foodkm 5.4 · 1922 m off the road
  • The Bigs Ultimate Sports Grillrestaurantkm 5.5 · 1892 m off the road
  • Old Town Pizzafast foodkm 5.6 · 1911 m off the road
  • Mary Brown'sfast foodkm 5.6 · 1920 m off the road
  • Subwayfast foodkm 6.1 · 1819 m off the road
  • Mary Brown'sfast foodkm 6.1 · 1784 m off the road
  • A&Wfast foodkm 6.1 · 1803 m off the road
  • Dairy Queenfast foodkm 6.1 · 1831 m off the road
  • Tim Hortonscafékm 6.1 · 1797 m off the road
  • Mr. Souvlakifast foodkm 6.1 · 1790 m off the road
  • Peters Pizzarestaurantkm 6.1 · 1740 m off the road
  • Burger Kingfast foodkm 6.1 · 1998 m off the road
  • Tim Hortonscafékm 6.9 · 1231 m off the road
  • Red Pepper Restaurantrestaurantkm 6.9 · 1894 m off the road
  • Cora'srestaurantkm 6.9 · 1961 m off the road
  • Scamper's Snack Barrestaurantkm 6.9 · 1806 m off the road
  • Tim Hortonscafékm 6.9 · 1236 m off the road
  • Montana'srestaurantkm 6.9 · 1975 m off the road
  • McDonald'sfast foodkm 8.2 · 1855 m off the road
  • Dairy Queenfast foodkm 14.7 · 254 m off the road
  • Kozy Kitchenrestaurantkm 14.7
  • Mary Brown'sfast foodkm 14.7 · 206 m off the road
  • Mr. G's Loungepubkm 14.7 · 338 m off the road
  • Ocean Sushirestaurantkm 14.7 · 331 m off the road
  • Peter's Pizzafast foodkm 14.7 · 345 m off the road
  • Tim Hortonscafékm 14.7 · 285 m off the road
  • Tiny's Bar and Grillrestaurantkm 14.7 · 329 m off the road
  • McDonald'sfast foodkm 14.8 · 536 m off the road
  • Ye's Wokrestaurantkm 14.9 · 654 m off the road
  • A&Wfast foodkm 14.9 · 727 m off the road
  • Coffee Matters Paradisecafékm 15 · 726 m off the road
  • Domino'sfast foodkm 15.2 · 1097 m off the road
  • Subwayfast foodkm 15.2 · 1173 m off the road
  • Cojonesrestaurantkm 15.2 · 1069 m off the road
  • Pizza Housefast foodkm 15.3 · 1855 m off the road
  • Subwayfast foodkm 15.3 · 535 m off the road
  • Robin's Donutsfast foodkm 15.7 · 450 m off the road
  • Donovan's Irvingrestaurantkm 15.9 · 622 m off the road
  • A&Wfast foodkm 16.5 · 1700 m off the road
  • A&Wfast foodkm 16.5 · 1700 m off the road
  • Canteenrestaurantkm 16.9 · 1756 m off the road
  • Starbuckscafékm 17.1 · 1642 m off the road
  • Pizza Hutrestaurantkm 17.1 · 1773 m off the road
  • Tim Hortonscafékm 17.1 · 1941 m off the road
  • A&Wfast foodkm 17.1 · 1885 m off the road
  • Costco Food Courtfast foodkm 17.2 · 1456 m off the road
  • Mary Brown'srestaurantkm 88.6
  • Tim Hortonscafékm 89.2
  • Subwayfast foodkm 89.2
  • A&Wfast foodkm 89.5
  • Belles Restaurantrestaurantkm 131.4

What this list is not

  • Not a recommendation. Nothing here is endorsed, reviewed or rated. It is in the order you drive past it.
  • Not complete. Somewhere unmapped does not appear. This is never "all of them".
  • Not open hours. We publish none, because the open data holds none. Never assume a kitchen is serving.
  • Not necessarily still trading. A place that closed stays in the data until somebody removes it.
  • Not for sale. No one can pay to appear here, to rank higher, or to have a rival removed.

Open map data is incomplete — somewhere unmapped does not appear here, and this is never "all of them" or "the good ones". A place that closed is also still on the map until somebody removes it, which is why no hours are shown and nothing here says a kitchen is open. From OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (which includes data from Meta, Foursquare and AllThePlaces); swept 2026-09-12. Map the one that is missing → and every site built on the open map gains it, this one included.

Before you go

These change. We link the people who keep them current rather than copying numbers that go stale here.

  • MooseYear round, worst between dusk and dawn

    The province states the likelihood of injury in a moose collision runs about twice as high between dusk and dawn as in daytime. Route 40 and the short Trans-Canada stretch out of St. John's are main roads carrying steady traffic, but most of this drive is Route 100, a two-lane secondary highway down the Placentia arm of the Avalon with long unlit stretches between communities — that is where the risk actually applies.

    Check it now →

  • Road conditionsYear round, matters most November–April

    Route 100 down to Placentia is a two-lane secondary highway with long gaps between communities, well away from the city. Check conditions before you leave the airport, especially in winter.

    Check it now →

Arriving without a car

Every distance and time on this page is a drive. If you are not renting, here is what St. John's International Airport Authority lists at this door — operators and numbers, not fares: a tariff is theirs to change, so it is linked and not copied.

Rideshare: it depends who you ask.

The Airport Authority's own ground-transportation pages name City Wide Taxi as “the exclusive provider of ground transportation services for the public” and do not mention rideshare anywhere. Uber publishes pickup instructions for YYT, and the Airport's own account welcomed Uber in 2024. Both things are true and this page will not pretend they resolve: the Authority's pages are what govern the kerb, so check them on the day.

  • Taxi

    City Wide Taxi, which the Airport Authority names as the exclusive provider for the public. Cabs queue outside the Arrivals area and a dispatcher is there to help. The Authority publishes preset fares to named hotels and a meter-plus-surcharge rate everywhere else; what those are is theirs to publish and change.

    (709) 722-7777

  • Public transit

    Metrobus route 14 runs between the airport and the St. John's metro region, including Memorial University. There are two stops at the airport: one near the arrivals area, and one on World Parkway by the Holiday Inn Express. The Authority says Metrobus has committed to a wheelchair-accessible service on this route and can take large, non-folding mobility aids. Schedule and fares are Metrobus's.

St. John's International Airport Authority, read 2026-09-15 — the authority on what operates at this kerb, and the only place a current fare or timetable should come from.

Questions people actually ask

How long is the drive from St. John's Airport to Placentia?＋

About 132 km and 1 hour 43 minutes, on Routes 40, 1 and 100. That's a free-flow estimate on dry roads with no stops, terminal door to Placentia.

Should I fly into St. John's, Gander or Deer Lake for Placentia?＋

St. John's, by a wide margin. Door to door it's about 103 minutes from St. John's, versus roughly 225 minutes from Gander and about 453 minutes from Deer Lake. There's no case for the other two airports on this trip.

What's in Placentia worth the drive?＋

Two things. Castle Hill National Historic Site, where Parks Canada keeps the remnants of a stone fort from the 18th-century fight between British and French forces over the Newfoundland fishery; and the O'Reilly House Museum, run by the Placentia Area Historical Society, in a town whose history of occupation the Society traces to the 1500s and which was a capital for the French and, on the Society's account, for the English too.

Is it a hard drive?＋

No. Route 40 and the short Trans-Canada stretch out of St. John's are main, well-travelled roads, and Route 100 down to Placentia is a quieter two-lane secondary highway. The main thing to plan around is moose, once you're clear of the city — see the note above.

Put this map on your site

If you run a place to stay, a tour, or a town page along this drive, this map answers the question your guests already email you: how far are you from the airport? Free, no account, and the measured figures stay current because they are ours to maintain.

<iframe src="https://fromtheairport.xyz/embed/yyt-placentia"
  width="100%" height="420" style="border:0" loading="lazy"
  title="Driving route: St. John's International Airport (YYT) to Placentia"></iframe>
Add ?lat=&lon=&label= to the URL to pin your own property on the map.

Every distance, drive time and coordinate on this page was checked against its source on September 5, 2026. Origin: OpenStreetMap way/279110348 — St. John's International Airport. Destination: OpenStreetMap node/4209548504 — Placentia.