How Many Tim Hortons Are There in Canada? (You Won’t Believe It)
1. The Headline Number
As of April 8 2025, Canada has 3 558 Tim Hortons restaurants.
That’s roughly one Tims for every 10 800 Canadians—more common than Pharmasave drugstores, Lululemon outlets, or even LCBO locations. And the network keeps edging upward; the brand added 14 new Canadian stores in the last 12 months despite saturation in major markets.
*Population estimates: Statistics Canada July 2024.
Data source: ScrapeHero location audit April 2025.
Fast facts
Ontario alone hosts more Tims (1 805) than all U.S. locations combined (~630).
Nova Scotia wins the density race—one store per 7 660 residents.
The Territories finally hit five shops in 2024 when Whitehorse got its second 24-hour drive-thru.
Toronto’s 171 shops mean you’re never more than a nine-minute walk from a maple dip downtown.
After explosive 80s-90s growth, expansion slowed as rural and suburban markets reached saturation. The small 2020–2022 dip reflects pandemic closures and relocation to gas-station “express” kiosks. Net growth resumed in 2023 after the chain pivoted to drive-thru renovations and urban micro-formats.
5. Why So Many?
Franchise-friendly economics—Average build-out costs under C$2 million versus >C$4 million for some U.S. coffee brands.
Breakfast monopoly—Nearly 50 % share of Canada’s QSR coffee market; traffic justifies multiple units in small towns.
Hockey-powered brand equity—Timbit sports programs create lifelong fans.
Real-estate strategy—Partnerships with Esso, Petro-Canada, and Sobeys fuel co-located mini-stores, especially in rural corridors.
Drive-thru obsession—70 % of Canadian Tims have a drive-thru window; double lanes in high-volume suburbs keep wait times < 2 minutes.
6. Regional Oddities
PEI’s Summerside (pop. 16 000) houses four locations—one per 4 000 people, the highest per-capita ratio for any Canadian city.
Quebec City’s Old Town has zero Tims inside the fortified walls due to heritage bylaws; the nearest is 600 m outside at Rue Saint-Jean.
Banff National Park added a kiosk in 2021, sparking debate over chain stores in protected areas; Parks Canada capped seating to limit congestion.
In other words, Tim Hortons operates more locations than Starbucks, McDonald’s, and A&W combined in Canada.
8. Will the Number Keep Rising?
Urban micro-cafés in condo lobbies and transit stations should add ~50 stores per year through 2027.
Rural “Tims Express” kiosks in gas marts offset closures of aging dine-in flagships.
Net prediction: 3 700–3 800 Canadian units by 2030—modest 1 % CAGR.
Key constraint: labour shortages. Many franchisees report difficulty staffing 24-hour outlets; some prairie stores now run 18-hour schedules.
9. Frequently Asked Questions
Why does ScrapeHero list 3 558 but Tim Hortons corporate says “4 000+”?
Corporate figures bundle all Canadian restaurants, including seasonal campus kiosks and on-base canteens not tracked in public directories. ScrapeHero audits only customer-facing permanent stores.
How many Tim Hortons per capita is “too many”?
Economists joke the limit is “one per traffic light.” Data shows diminishing returns when density exceeds one store per 7 000 residents—already crossed in Nova Scotia and parts of Ontario.
Are some provinces under-served?
Yes—BC’s 15 590 people per store suggests growth runway, especially north of Prince George where locals still road-trip 90 km for a double-double.
Do franchisees own multiple stores?
Over 60 % of Canadian units belong to multi-unit operators controlling five or more Tims; largest group owns 42.
What’s the smallest community with a Tims?
Gull Lake, Saskatchewan (pop. 965) opened a compact drive-thru in 2023—putting Tim Hortons five years ahead of its first traffic light.
10. Final Sip
So, how many Tim Hortons are there in Canada? Three thousand five hundred fifty-eight—and counting. That staggering footprint explains why trips from Tofino to St. John’s feel stitched together by familiar red-and-white signs promising coffee, Timbits, and a washroom break. Whether more shops appear or the chain shifts to micro-formats, one truth stands: for millions of Canadians, life’s map is still measured by the distance between Tims.
