Alta Vista Drive

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Alta Vista Drive looking south in Riverview
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Alta Vista Drive looking south in Riverview

Alta Vista Drive is a suburban road in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It runs from Bank Street in the south to Industrial Avenue in the north covering the neighbourhoods of Ridgemont, Alta Vista and Riverview.

Alta Vista was created as the result of major residential developments in the region following World War II. It was originally named Churchill Avenue but changed names as the result of Ottawa annexing that part of Gloucester Township (there was already a Churchill Avenue in Ottawa).

Alta Vista originally ran past Industrial and connected with the Vanier Parkway, but the intersection, which also involved Riverside Drive was re-aligned in the 1980s. Furthermore, in the 1990s, Alta Vista gained bicycle lanes along its entire stretch. Alta Vista is so named for its general height, as the neighbourhoods it runs through are generally higher than the rest of the city (the name means "a view from above" or "high view").

For the most part, Alta Vista runs through residential areas, and it is a two to four-lane minor arterial road, with a speed limit of 50 km/h (30 mph).

Alta Vista is home to the National Defence Medical Centre, Canadian Phramacists Association Canadian Blood Association and Canadian Dental Association headquarters as well as Ridgemont High School and St. Patrick's High School.