Highway 17 runs northwest out of Ottawa along the Ottawa River, threading through Arnprior, Renfrew, Petawawa, Pembroke, Deep River, and Mattawa before delivering you to North Bay. The whole stretch is roughly 350 kilometres, and you could drive it in under four hours if you never stopped. But stopping is the point, and knowing where to stop — and where to skip — is the difference between a good drive and a caffeine-deprived slog through the Canadian Shield.

The Route, Stop by Stop

Ottawa (Start)

If you are starting in Ottawa and want to caffeinate before hitting the highway, your best options are in the Glebe, Hintonburg, or ByWard Market neighbourhoods. Happy Goat Coffee has several locations and their Guatemala Huehuetenango drip was voted Ottawa's Best at the Ottawa Coffee Fest. Bridgehead is Ottawa's pioneer in sustainable and Fair Trade coffee, with locations across the city. Little Victories is considered one of Canada's best roasters. Any of these will send you onto Highway 17 properly caffeinated.

Arnprior — 45 minutes from Ottawa

Ottawa Valley Coffee, 32 Elgin Street West. This is your first real stop and it is a good one. OVC has built a genuine community cafe in a town that needed one. Open daily 8:30 AM to 5 PM. Solid espresso, good flat white, pastries from local bakers. The downtown is worth a ten-minute walk — brick-and-stone buildings, the Madawaska River confluence visible from the bridge. Budget 20-30 minutes.

Renfrew — 20 minutes past Arnprior

Ottawa Valley Coffee, 239 Raglan Street. The second OVC location, next to the clock tower, and arguably the best of their shops. Part cafe, part market, part community space, with church-pew seating and local goods for sale. Same coffee quality as Arnprior. The downtown has a quiet solidity — stone buildings, wide streets — that rewards a walk. If you only stop once on this drive, make it Arnprior or Renfrew.

Pembroke — 40 minutes past Renfrew

Pembroke is the valley's largest town and the mural capital — over 30 murals painted on downtown buildings. The coffee scene is less developed than you would expect for a town this size. The Mural Cafe at the hospital is your best bet for fresh baked goods and decent coffee (weekdays 9 AM to 4 PM). Otherwise, this is a Tim Hortons-and-diner town. Walk the murals with a to-go cup and enjoy the town for its visual character rather than its coffee.

Petawawa — 15 minutes past Pembroke

Ottawa Valley Coffee, 10 Canadian Forces Drive. The military-town OVC location. Same quality, different crowd — younger, more transient, reflecting the base community. If you are heading into Algonquin Park via Highway 60, stock up on beans here. There is nothing between Petawawa and Huntsville.

Deep River to Mattawa — The Quiet Stretch

This is thermos territory. Deep River is a fascinating little town — originally built for Chalk River nuclear lab workers, unusually well-educated, quietly intellectual — but the coffee options are extremely limited. Mattawa, where the Mattawa and Ottawa rivers meet, is similarly sparse. If you did not fill a thermos at one of the OVC locations, you will be relying on Tim Hortons or gas station coffee for this two-hour stretch. Plan accordingly.

Optional Detour: Barry's Bay

If you have time and are willing to leave Highway 17, Madawaska Coffee Co. in Barry's Bay is worth the drive. It is about 90 minutes south of Pembroke via Highway 62, through beautiful forest and farmland. They are a small independent roastery producing genuinely excellent coffee in a town of 1,300 people. The detour adds two to three hours to your trip but gives you the best coffee on the entire route.

North Bay (End)

North Bay has a modest but improving cafe scene. After the coffee desert of the Deep River to Mattawa stretch, anything will taste good, but there are a few independent spots downtown worth seeking out.

Practical Notes

The honest version: Highway 17 has three good independent coffee stops (Arnprior, Renfrew, Petawawa — all OVC) and a possible detour to one excellent one (Madawaska in Barry's Bay). Everything else is Tim Hortons, gas station coffee, or nothing. If you go in with that expectation, you will enjoy the drive. The scenery is genuinely beautiful, the towns have character, and the river is always nearby. Just bring a thermos for the back half.

More to Explore