Toronto · intersection

Yonge & Charles

Yonge St & Charles St W · Toronto, Ontario · Church-Wellesley · Ward 11, University-Rosedale · Bloor-Yorkville BIA

Yonge & Charles sits in Church-Wellesley, in central Toronto. At the City's last count here, in 2016, it was a mid-volume intersection, with pedestrians outnumbering vehicles and significant cycling traffic. At the corner: Bloor Station, parks and an accessible pedestrian signal.

Traffic
6,984
vehicles · 8-hour count, Nov 5, 2016
14,692 pedestrians · 354 cyclists
Collisions
59
police-reported · 2016–2025
none killed or seriously injured · #1830 of 5,519
Getting there
Bloor Station
subway station within 250 m
17 routes within 1 km
Within a walk
93/100
city median 48 · #16 of 5,672
78 places to eat within 300 m · grocery 98 m

Map

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Yonge & Charles

Traffic and safety

The City's latest turning-movement count, every police-reported collision within 65 m, speeds on these streets

Traffic volume8-hour count · Nov 5, 2016 · weekend

Traffic is heaviest from the north: 2,457 southbound vehicles entered from that leg, 35% of the total, against 1 from the west. Most cyclists arrived from the north (148 of 354). Evening rush dominates here: 1,241 vehicles in the peak hour from 4:15 p.m., against 485 in the morning peak from 8:30 a.m. Heavy vehicles made up 1.8% of traffic (typical: 3.2%). For scale, a typical counted intersection in Toronto sees 16,177 vehicles over 14 hours. The count was taken on a Saturday, so it reflects weekend traffic; the rankings compare it with weekday counts elsewhere. The count is 10 years old — treat it as a snapshot of 2016, not today's volume. It was an 8-hour count, which is not directly comparable with the 14-hour counts the City has used since September 2023.

From the north2,457southbound · 148 bikes · 2.2% heavy
From the west1eastbound · 30 bikes · 0.0% heavy
Total vehicles6,98414,692 pedestrians · 354 cyclists · 1.8% heavy
From the east2,264westbound · 62 bikes · 1.1% heavy
From the south2,262northbound · 114 bikes · 2.3% heavy

Peak hours: 485 vehicles in the hour from 8:30 a.m. and 1,241 from 4:15 p.m. (approach figures are vehicles entering from that leg over the whole count — one day's traffic, not an annual average).

Collisions 2016–2025 · within 65 m

The worst year was 2024, with 12 collisions; 2025 recorded 3. 3 collisions (5%) involved an injury; the citywide share is 15%. 18 drivers failed to remain at the scene — 31% of collisions, a higher hit-and-run share than the city's 16%. 3 collisions involved a pedestrian or cyclist (5%), typical for the city. Since January 2026, 4 more collisions have been reported; they sit outside the ranking window. The most recent report on file is from Sep 8, 2026.

No collision involving a death or serious injury has been recorded within 65 m of this intersection since the record begins in 2006.

By year

16171819202122232425
2016–2025Collisions
All reported collisions59#1830 of 5,519
With an injury3
Property damage only40
Fail to remain18
Involving a pedestrian0
Involving a cyclist3#925 of 2,576
Severity not classified16
Since January 2026 (outside the window)4
Killed or seriously injured0
All KSI since 20060

A collision counts when its recorded location is within 65 m of the centreline node, intersection-related or not. KSI = killed or seriously injured, the basis of the danger rankings; records can lag a year or more, so the current year is outside the window. How collisions are counted.

How fast traffic moves here

On Yonge St between Irwin Ave and Isabella St, 186 m from the corner, a 3-day count in October 2025 put the average speed at 27 km/h and the 85th-percentile speed at 38 km/h, with the fastest one in twenty at 43 km/h or more. That segment carries about 14,200 vehicles a day.

Street segmentCountedVehicles / dayAverage85th percentile95th
Charles St E · Yonge St – Lane E of Yonge and N of Charles · 23 mNov 2011 · 3 days7,036———
Yonge St · Irwin Ave – Isabella St · 186 mOct 2025 · 3 days14,16227 km/h38 km/h43 km/h

Midblock counts are automatic counters laid across the road for one to seven days; 85% of drivers were at or below the 85th-percentile speed. A reading is not the speed through the intersection itself, and posted limits are not in the count data. How speeds are read.

The crossing
Signal 0921, activated 1971 · accessible (audible) pedestrian signal · leading pedestrian interval North/South

Getting there

Transit within 1 km, cycling at the corner, and where to park

Transit and cycling

Subway
Bloor Station (Line 1)200 m; Yonge Station (Line 2)287 m · 3 min; Wellesley Station (Line 1)419 m · 5 min; Bay Station (Line 2)493 m · 6 min; Museum Station (Line 1)609 m · 7 min; College Station (Line 1)848 m · 10 min; Rosedale Station (Line 1)882 m · 11 min
Streetcar
506 nearest 441 m · 5 min
TTC bus
97 19 94 13 75 82 nearest 18 m
Blue Night
306 320 300
Nearest stops
10 surface stops within 300 m — Yonge St at Charles St West; Yonge St at Charles St East
Cycling
no bikeway on the City cycling network touches this intersection
Bike Share
20 Charles St E 92 m · 33 docks · 35 stations, 736 docks within 1 km

Straight-line distances to the nearest stop or station entrance in each agency's current schedule feed, including temporary diversions.

Parking within 2 km

Green P
18 car parks · about 2,149 spaces
EV charging
20 Charles St E. · 95 m · 22 Level 2 + 1 fast ports; also 9 Wellesley St W. (505 m), 74 Yorkville Ave (690 m)
Bike parking
120 post-and-rings within 300 m · racks for 72 bikes within 600 m
Other lots
41 mapped lots within 500 m, 632 within 2 km — private, commercial or institutional, and often for customers or residents only
Green P car parkDistanceSpacesPeak occupancy
20 Charles St E · Garage141 m64618% (Q1 2026)
13 Isabella St · Surface228 m3073% (Q1 2026)
15 Wellesley St E · Surface529 m12654% (Q1 2026)
74 Yorkville Ave · Garage764 m17575% (Q1 2026)
1010 Yonge St. · Surface858 m48 *—

Green P spaces and average daily peak occupancy from the Toronto Parking Authority's quarterly dataset (* = capacity from the 2019 car-park list; check Green P for rates). EV chargers are City-operated only. On-street and underground parking are not included.

Within a walk

What the City's own records put within a walk of this corner — distances are the walk along real streets and paths. Shops, banks, gyms and clinics are in no City dataset, so they are not here.

Food, shops and services

Three grocery stores are within 300 m of the corner — the nearest is Bulk Mine, 98 m away. Four specialist food shops — butchers, bakeries and the like — sit within 300 m, the nearest Cheese Baker at 143 m. Toronto Public Health inspects 78 eating places within 300 m of this corner; within a kilometre the count is 364 — 8.9× the median for a Toronto intersection. The nearest is McDonald's, 19 m away. Three pharmacies sit within 300 m of the corner; the nearest is Shoppers Drug Mart, 20 m away. The nearest hospital site is Toronto Grace Health Centre, 465 m away, then Holland Centre at 617 m. For seniors' housing: Belmont House, a long-term care home 879 m away; Belmont House, a retirement home 879 m away. Sunshine Centres For Seniors - St. James Town Seniors Active Living Program runs a seniors' active living programme 1.0 km away.

Restaurants & cafés
  • McDonald's · 675 Yonge St19 m
  • Toro Toro Sushi and Poke · 675 Yonge St19 m
  • Bar Zunko · 675 Yonge St19 m
  • Nani's Gelato · 6 Charles St E29 m
  • Da Si Mar Shawarma · 673 Yonge St37 m
78 within 300 m · 364 within 1 km
Grocery
Bulk Mine 98 m · 3 within 300 m
Food shops
Cheese Baker 143 m · 4 butchers, bakeries and food shops within 300 m
Pharmacy
Shoppers Drug Mart 20 m · 12 within 1 km
Child care
  • University of Toronto Childcare On Charles · 73 spaces, infant, toddler, preschool · fee subsidy · $10-a-day139 m
  • Kids & Company - Bloor Street Site · 85 spaces, infant, toddler, preschool · $10-a-day568 m · 7 min
  • YMCA Child Development Centre (YMCA) · 144 spaces, infant, toddler, preschool, kindergarten, school age · fee subsidy · $10-a-day629 m · 7 min
5 licensed centres · 344 spaces within 1 km · 3 accept City fee subsidy
Health and care
  • Toronto Grace Health Centre · hospital site465 m · 6 min
  • Holland Centre · hospital site617 m · 7 min
  • Belmont House · long-term care home879 m · 10 min
  • Belmont House · retirement home879 m · 10 min
  • Sunshine Centres For Seniors - St. James Town Seniors Active Living Program · seniors' active living centre1 km · 11 min

Food premises Toronto Public Health has inspected since November 2023, screened by name and location to leave out the kitchens inside care homes, child care, schools and offices, and carts and stalls; a shop without a recent inspection does not appear. Pharmacies, hospital sites and care homes from the Ontario Ministry of Health's register — a hospital site may be a rehabilitation or specialty hospital without an emergency department; in an emergency call 911. How places are classed.

Parks, schools and places

Parks (36)
  • George Hislop Park149 m
  • St. Mary Street Parkette161 m
  • Norman Jewison Park265 m · 3 min
  • James Canning Gardens368 m · 4 min
  • Charles Street Parkette430 m · 5 min
and 31 more within 1.5 km
Community centres
Schools (31)
  • Humber College - International Graduate SchoolCollege · 300 m · 4 min
  • The Abelard Centre For EducationPrivate · 575 m · 7 min
  • The YMCA Academy Secondary SchoolPrivate · 629 m · 7 min
  • McDonald International Academy SchoolPrivate · 688 m · 8 min
  • Rosedale Day SchoolPrivate · 689 m · 8 min
and 26 more within 1.5 km
Library
  • Toronto Public Library Toronto Reference Library branch414 m · 5 min
  • Toronto Public Library Yorkville branch472 m · 6 min
Places of interest
  • CAA Theatre (formerly Panasonic Theatre)Performing Arts · 93 m
  • The Japan FoundationMuseum · 269 m · 3 min
  • Toronto Reference LibraryLandmark · 387 m · 5 min
  • Isabel Bader TheatrePerforming Arts · 556 m · 7 min

Parks, schools, libraries and places of interest within 1.5 km; child care, washrooms and care homes within 1 km; a hospital site within 2 km. Distances are the walk along real streets and paths. How these are joined.

Not within a walk: a public washroom.

93of 100
Scored from the records above

The median Toronto intersection scores 48. This corner is #16 of 5,672. It counts what can be reached, not how pleasant or safe the walk is.

  • Groceries and food30/30

    3 grocery stores within 300 m · 78 places to eat within 300 m

  • Transit28/28

    Bloor Station · 10 stops within 300 m · 17 routes within 1 km

  • Library and places to go14/14

    library 414 m away · 3 places of interest within 500 m

  • Parks and recreation7/10

    7 parks within 500 m · nearest centre 1.2 km

  • Schools and child care6/8

    1 school within 500 m · 1 licensed child care within 500 m

  • Crossing on foot8/10

    traffic signal · head start for people walking · accessible signals

Our own measure, not a licensed walkability rating: every point comes from a City dataset listed under Sources, and the six parts add up to the score. How the score is built · the full ranking.

Apartment buildings nearby

RentSafeTO-registered rental buildings within 1 km, with the City's latest evaluation score

Within a kilometre there are 79 RentSafeTO-registered apartment buildings — 11,213 rental units, 5.3× the median for a Toronto intersection — six social or Toronto Community Housing. The nearest is 30 Charles St E (137 m, 21 units, 3 storeys, built 1915), which scored 67 out of 100 at its August 2026 RentSafeTO evaluation. Two buildings of the 79 scored below 70; the average is 89, about the citywide norm.

Nearest buildingsUnitsStoreysBuiltScoreDistance
30 Charles St E · 14792670 Canada Inc213191567 · Aug 2026137 m
44 Charles St W · Jll79351197291 · Aug 2024208 m
25 St Mary St · Briarlane Rental Property Management Inc.26025196592 · Jul 2024247 m
42 Isabella St244195595 · Aug 2026257 m · 3 min
48 Isabella St · Hollyburn Properties Ltd8410196095 · Jun 2025277 m · 3 min
1101 Bay St · Bentallgreenoak26528197987 · Jun 2026305 m · 4 min

79 registered buildings · 11,213 units · 6 social housing · tallest 51 storeys. The score is the City's RentSafeTO evaluation out of 100; buildings of three or more storeys and ten or more units are registered, condominiums and houses are not. Each building links to its full record on LandlordReport.

Thefts reported at this corner

Thefts from vehicles and bicycle thefts that Toronto Police have offset to this intersection, 2016–2025

21 thefts from vehicles and 20 bike thefts were reported around this corner in 2016–2025 — 6.8× the median for a Toronto intersection with any reported theft. The pace has slowed: 7 in 2023–2025, about 2.3 a year, against 4.9 a year before that. 100% of the vehicle thefts were from the street or other outdoor spots; 65% of the bike thefts were from the street or other outdoor spots. Since January 2026, 5 more have been reported, the latest on Jun 25, 2026.

By year

16171819202122232425
2016–2025Reported2023–2025Since Jan 2026Most often from
Theft from a vehicle2113street/outdoor (21)
Bicycle theft2062street/outdoor (13), commercial premises (6)

Police offset every occurrence to the nearest intersection before publishing, so these are thefts on the streets and premises around this node, not necessarily at the corner itself. Other offences are published by neighbourhood only — see Church-Wellesley.

Nearby intersections

Questions

Is Yonge & Charles a dangerous intersection?

Not by the record: no one was killed or seriously injured here in 2016–2025, though police reported 59 lesser collisions. High counts usually track high traffic volume rather than a design flaw; volume is shown alongside so the numbers can be read in context.

How busy is Yonge & Charles?

A mid-volume intersection at the City's last count here, in 2016. Its latest count is from Nov 5, 2016, 76% of today's median for a counted intersection.

Is Yonge & Charles a walkable intersection?

Yonge & Charles scores 93 out of 100 on this site's within-a-walk measure — #16 of 5,672 Toronto intersections; the city median is 48. It counts what the City's own records put within a walk — food premises, transit, libraries, parks, schools, licensed child care — not shops, banks or clinics, which no City dataset lists. Within a walk: 3 grocery stores within 300 m · 78 places to eat within 300 m; Bloor Station · 10 stops within 300 m · 17 routes within 1 km; library 414 m away · 3 places of interest within 500 m. The crossing itself: traffic signal · head start for people walking · accessible signals.

How fast do cars go at Yonge & Charles?

The City's most recent speed count near the corner, on Yonge St between Irwin Ave and Isabella St (October 2025), found an average of 27 km/h and an 85th-percentile speed of 38 km/h — meaning 85% of drivers were at or below that speed.

Where can I park near Yonge & Charles?

The nearest Green P car park is 20 Charles St E (141 m away, 646 spaces, 18% full at the daily peak in Q1 2026). The City's mapping shows 632 parking lots of any kind within 2 km — roughly 16,540 spaces — 41 of them within 500 m; most are private or customer-only lots. The nearest City EV charger is at 20 Charles St E. (95 m).

How do I get to Yonge & Charles by transit?

Bloor Station (Line 1) is 200 m away; streetcar route 506 stop within 1 km, the nearest 441 m away; bus routes 97, 19, 94, 13, 75, 82 within 1 km (nearest stop: Yonge St at Charles St West, 18 m).

What restaurants are near Yonge & Charles?

78 restaurants, cafés and takeouts are within 300 m, and 364 within a kilometre, counting the premises Toronto Public Health has inspected since November 2023. The closest are McDonald's (19 m), Toro Toro Sushi and Poke (19 m), Bar Zunko (19 m), Nani's Gelato (29 m) and Da Si Mar Shawarma (37 m). DineSafe does not record cuisine or opening hours.

Is there a public washroom near Yonge & Charles?

Not within a kilometre in the City's lists of park washrooms, civic-building washrooms and automated street toilets. The nearest drinking fountain is 91 m away at George Hislop Park.

Is there child care near Yonge & Charles?

Five licensed child care centres within 1 km, with 344 spaces in total; 3 accept City fee subsidy and some are in the $10-a-day (CWELCC) program. The nearest are University of Toronto Childcare On Charles (139 m, 73 spaces), Kids & Company - Bloor Street Site (568 m, 85 spaces) and YMCA Child Development Centre (YMCA) (629 m, 144 spaces). Spaces are licensed capacity, not vacancies.

What apartment buildings are near Yonge & Charles?

79 RentSafeTO-registered apartment buildings with 11,213 rental units are within 1 km. The nearest are 30 Charles St E (137 m, 21 units, RentSafeTO score 67), 44 Charles St W (208 m, 793 units, RentSafeTO score 91), 25 St Mary St (247 m, 260 units, RentSafeTO score 92) and 42 Isabella St (257 m, 24 units, RentSafeTO score 95). The average RentSafeTO score across the 79 is 89 out of 100; 2 scored below 70.

How many thefts are reported at Yonge & Charles?

Toronto Police place 21 thefts from vehicles and 20 bicycle thefts at this intersection in 2016–2025, plus 5 since January 2026. Break-ins, robberies and other offences are published by neighbourhood only — see the Church-Wellesley page.

What neighbourhood is Yonge & Charles in?

Yonge & Charles is in Church-Wellesley (City of Toronto neighbourhood 167). It is in Ward 11, University-Rosedale, represented by Councillor Dianne Saxe. The corner falls inside the Bloor-Yorkville Business Improvement Area.

Sources

Every figure on this page comes from one of these datasets — how they are joined