Once three individual towns — Hespeler, Preston, and Galt — Cambridge amalgamated in 1973, partly as a hedge against encroachments from Kitchener, to the north. Present days Cambridge sits mostly south of Highway 401 and the boundaries of the three former communities are now difficult to distinguish.

How Much Does Car Insurance Cost in Cambridge

The average cost of car insurance in Cambridge is $1,343.

*Methodology: We used a sample profile for a male driver aged 30 years with his own vehicle having mandatory coverage. He drives a Honda Civic 2012 car with an average mileage of 5000 – 8000 km per year to commute to work. He has a clean driving record history of 5 years with no accidents or collisions.

We surveyed the car insurance prices in Cambridge for the purpose of illustrating the range in quotes based on driving record, location, and other criteria. To get a customized quote, enter your postal code above.

Affordable Car Insurance in Cambridge Ontario

As an Ontario community, all cars on the road require auto insurance. Fines for violations range up to $50,000, so it’s expensive to avoid this requirement. Private insurance companies supply the province’s auto insurance market, though tight regulations are thought to contribute to the generally high cost of car insurance policies. The Financial Services Commission of Ontario provides oversight for the industry, but flexibility remains for individual providers, so long as the FSCO approves rates and procedures.

Every insurer has a unique method for underwriting policies. Because of the differences between companies, drivers benefit from competitive pricing. There’s no standard policy that’s right for every driver, and car insurance can be customized to meet most drivers’ needs.

Ontario Mandatory Car Insurance Coverage

There is, however, a minimum amount of insurance, below which an insurer can’t sell. This policy carries four classes of coverage. The major two, accident benefits and third-party liability, may be extended through additional insurance purchases. Basic coverage does not include either collision or comprehensive coverage, the insurance types that often cover repair or replacement after an incident. Most Ontario drivers add these to their policies.

The cost of collision as well as comprehensive insurance is somewhat adjustable. Deductible limits permit a driver to fine-tune a policy’s premiums. A motorist maintaining high deductibles accepts more financial responsibility in an insurance claim but pays less for their annual premium. Low deductibles transfer more financial load to the insurer, so premiums go up.

Drivers also have a variety of options for specialized coverage, depending on what features their insurance company offers. While most options carry additional costs, some features, such as usage-based insurance programs, provide discounts.

Most insurers also offer discounts when a motorist meets certain conditions. Maintaining auto and home insurance with one company could earn discounts on both policies. Similar offers apply with more than one driver or car insured with the same company.

Driving in Cambridge Ontario

• “The Delta” is the informal name for the intersections of Highways 8 and 24. Highway 8 is named Coronation St. west of the Delta and Dundas Street to the east. Similarly, Highway 24 is Hespeler Road north of the Delta and Water Street to the south. This is one of the major congestion points in Cambridge, though each street is at least 3 lanes wide in every direction.
• As the main Cambridge exit onto 401, Highway 24 exhibits the heaviest congestion. This is aggravated by the presence of a dense commercial strip extending south to Dunbar Road and north to Queen Street.
• There is an interchange at Franklin Road, east of Highway 24. Currently, it provides 401 off-ramp access to eastbound traffic and on-ramp access to westbound vehicles.
• Full 401 access exists at Townline Road, east of Franklin Road.
• The Kitchener exit at Highway 8, King Street, also serves Cambridge south of the 401.
• The Kitchener exit at Homer Watson Boulevard connects to George Street in Cambridge.
• The Cedar Creek Road exit on the 401 provides access well west of Cambridge, though directly into the city. It changes to Cedar Street once inside the city.
• Congestion on the 401 during rush hour is most common between Highway 8 and Highway 24. Traffic coming into the Cambridge area from the east — GTA commuter traffic — may also back up. Westbound traffic usually clears after the Highway 8 interchange.
• Highway 24 connects Cambridge to Brantford in the south and Guelph to the northeast. Studies to develop the road between Cambridge and Brantford are underway.

List of Driving Schools in Cambridge Ontario

Road Information for Cambridge Ontario

• The City of Cambridge maintains road and lane closure information on its website.
• Kitchener radio station AM 570 News broadcasts local road information, including Cambridge. Traffic updates also feature on its website.
• The Region of Waterloo maintains county roads in the Cambridge and Kitchener-Waterloo areas. Their website lists road and lane closures due to regional road projects.
• The Weather Network broadcasts weather forecasts for the Cambridge area and accompanies this with online forecasts.
• The Ministry of Transportation for Ontario features winter road condition reports for Southwestern Ontario on its website. This includes the Cambridge area.

Driving Facts for Cambridge Ontario

• Hespeler is the only one of the original Cambridge communities located mostly north of the 401. It was also the smallest of the three.
• The area in between Hespeler, Galt, and Preston is predominately commercial and industrial. The three towns form a roughly equilateral triangle. The commercial/industrial region fills the middle of this triangle. Approximate boundaries for the area are Industrial Road on the west side, Can-Amera Parkway to the south and east, and the 401 to the Townline Road interchange. A narrow strip of commercial/industrial land runs along the north side of the 401 in Hespeler.
• Highway 8 continues southeast of Cambridge toward Hamilton. However, this is not a major route, traversing through mostly agricultural land.
• Another, more traveled, route to Hamilton uses the 401 to Highway 6 south. Except for a few sections, Highway 6 is four lanes. It is controlled access only south of Clappison’s Corners to Highway 403.

List of Cambridge Auto Insurance Brokers, Agents, and Companies

Cambridge motorists can shop for the lowest car insurance rates from their computers. Ratelab offers a car insurance calculator that searches dozens of industry partners to find the best match of both features and price. Enter your home postal code below to find your lowest rate.