Honda Indy in Markham: Race-Weekend Access, Road Closures and Where a Car Can Stop

What is the Honda Indy in Markham, and how do you get to the race?

Most people still call it the Honda Indy, because the race spent decades in Toronto under that name. For Toronto and Markham readers the change is practical rather than cosmetic. The old routine of parking near Exhibition Place and walking in no longer applies; the 2026 race lived in a different part of the GTA with a different road network, and the first edition taught everyone a good deal.

This guide is written from the curb. It sets out where the circuit is, what the City of Markham closed and when, how long the drive is from downtown Toronto and Pearson, where a chauffeured car can sensibly stop, and the cases where GO is plainly the better choice. It is useful to a fan who never books a car.

All of the race-weekend detail refers to 2026, the first year in Markham. Where a detail is a pattern rather than a published fact, we say so.

Why did the Indy leave Exhibition Place for Markham?

IndyCar's Canadian race had run in Toronto since 1986, with no event in 2008, 2020 or 2021, and was held at Exhibition Place. It moved for 2026 because of the logistical challenges posed by the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with Toronto's matches played at BMO Field on the Exhibition Place grounds. The move was announced on 3 September 2025 by the promoter, the City of Markham and IndyCar under a multi-year agreement. The City says the event is planned to be held annually for five years from 2026.

Two facts follow for anyone planning a trip. First, the new circuit is a purpose-built temporary street course with its own build and teardown schedule. Second, a five-year commitment suggests that the access pattern learned in 2026 will repeat, though the details will be revised. The official site is hondaindy.com.

When is the race, and what do we know about 2027?

In 2026 the weekend ran Friday 14 to Sunday 16 August: practice on Friday, qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday, according to the City of Markham. Friday's on-track sessions were cancelled because the circuit was not finished and had to be inspected, and the sessions were moved into Saturday's schedule. That is worth remembering when you read any one year's timetable: the published plan and the weekend that actually happens can differ.

Race organisers said they look forward to welcoming everyone back in 2027. As of this guide, we found no announced date for 2027, so we give none. Dates and start times will appear on the official site. Plan a car against the published schedule, not against the month.

Where exactly is the circuit?

The IndyCar announcement placed the 2.19-mile (3.52 km) temporary street course with 12 turns in Markham Centre, the eastern part of the city's downtown. The site lies between Kennedy Road, Enterprise Boulevard, the Unionville GO tracks and Highway 407. It was designed by Tony Cotman of NZR Consulting and runs 90 laps on race day. The circuit wraps around the Markham Pan Am Centre and the York University Markham campus, with the largest parking lots to the west off Enterprise Boulevard.

The geography explains most of the traffic. Highway 407, Kennedy Road, Enterprise Boulevard and the GO tracks bound the site, and when the roads inside them close there is no through route for a car, so each approach funnels to a handful of drop-off points.

Which roads close, and for how long?

The City of Markham published a closure schedule on its Ontario Honda Dealers Indy page. The key dates for 2026:

• Track build: 19 July to 12 August.
• Full road closures: 12 August at 9 pm until 18 August at 6 am.
• Track teardown: 17 to 27 August.

The fully closed roads included Enterprise Boulevard, University Boulevard, YMCA Boulevard, Unionville Gate, South Unionville Avenue, Main Street Unionville south of Highway 7, Kennedy Road from south of Highway 7 to south of Highway 407, and the Highway 407 interchange ramps. Main Street Unionville between Carlton Road and Victoria Avenue was closed on Friday and Saturday from 11 am to 10 pm and on Sunday from 11 am to 8 pm. The City advised avoiding non-essential travel near the track and following detour signs. Noise was expected from 9 am to 6 pm on the three days.

This matters for pickups at nearby addresses too. A car cannot pick you up at a hotel or home inside the closure at the time you ask; the chauffeur needs a pickup point outside it, confirmed in advance. If you live or stay in Unionville, tell us at booking.

How far is Markham Centre from downtown Toronto and Pearson?

Distances are what dispatchers actually quote, so here they are. These are typical off-peak road distances and times; race weekend adds time on the last few kilometres.

The usual routes are Highway 404 and Highway 407 from the north and west, Highway 401 and the Don Valley Parkway from downtown, and Highway 7 across Markham. Highway 407 is a toll highway; the booker shows the exact all-in fare for your address and vehicle before you confirm.

If you land at Pearson on race weekend, our Pearson airport limo service tracks your flight, and international arrivals include 60 minutes of free waiting after landing; domestic arrivals include 30. For the general Markham service, see limo service Markham.

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Where can a car drop off or collect for race day?

Neither the City nor the promoter published a taxi or rideshare zone in the pages we could open, and we do not invent one. What a chauffeur does is plan around the published closures. A realistic approach has four parts:

1. Drop on the outer edge. With Enterprise Boulevard, University Boulevard and YMCA Boulevard closed, the car cannot enter the central area. The chauffeur uses an open street outside the closure and you walk or take the shuttle in.
2. Know the shuttle lots. The City listed Lot 1 at the IBM lot, 8200 Warden Avenue, and Lot 2 at the Markham Civic Centre, 101 Town Centre Boulevard, with shuttles about every 15 minutes. The last shuttles in 2026 left at 9:30 pm on Friday, 10 pm on Saturday and around 4:40 to 4:45 pm on Sunday. A car can drop at either lot and you ride the last stretch.
3. Choose a different pickup corner. Everyone leaves at once after the race, and the corner where you arrived is where the crowd walks to. A pickup a few blocks away, agreed in advance, saves time.
4. Agree a window, not a minute. On a race day the last shuttles and the end of the race create a surge. We message you when the car is in position.

For accessibility, the City said Lot 2 had 35 accessible spaces, first come first served, and that an accessible shuttle ran from the Blue (Aviva and Remington) lot to Gate 2. If anyone in your party has limited mobility, tell us at booking so the chauffeur plans the closest practical stop.

What changed at Unionville GO, and is GO the better way to go?

For many fans, yes. Unionville GO Station is on the Stouffville line and was described as steps from the track. For race weekend, Metrolinx added three extra morning trains from Union Station to Unionville GO on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with matching return trips in the afternoon and early evening, according to the pre-event coverage. Check the GO Transit site for exact times in any year.

There were two catches in 2026. Parking and passenger drop-off at Unionville GO closed from 12 August at 6 pm, so a car could not simply drop you at the station door. And the bus loop moved to Birchmount Road and Enterprise Boulevard through 17 August, about a 30-minute walk from the station and without step-free access; the City suggested Milliken or Centennial GO as alternatives for some riders. Details are on GO Transit and the City's page.

If you come from Toronto, the train takes the Highway 404 and 407 traffic out of the picture and arrives at the track. A chauffeur still helps at the other end: a pickup at Union Station before the train, or a return pickup from a drop point outside the closure after the last shuttle.

What does a race weekend look like, day by day?

A typical IndyCar weekend has a shape that helps you plan a car.

• Friday: practice and, in 2026, a free fan day with an autograph session at the Pan Am Centre. It is the easiest day to move around, though in 2026 the Friday track sessions were lost.
• Saturday: qualifying decides the starting order. In 2026 a NASCAR Canada Series race and a concert followed.
• Sunday: the race. In 2026 the green flag was at 12:22 pm, with driver introductions earlier, and the surge starts when the race ends.

If you attend only one day, Sunday needs the most planning. Arrive early, because shuttle and gate lines are likely to be longest before the green flag, and plan the return around the first half hour after the finish, when the crowd moves all at once.

Which vehicle suits an Indy group?

• Executive Sedan (up to 3 passengers, 2 large and 2 carry-on bags): a couple or a solo visitor.
• Luxury SUV (up to 6 passengers, 5 to 6 large bags): a family or a small hospitality group.
• Executive Sprinter (12 to 14 passengers, 12 or more bags): a corporate or club group travelling together. See our Sprinter service.
• Stretch limousine and mini-coach or party bus (8 to 10 and 20 to 30 passengers, hourly): availability and the exact vehicle are confirmed at booking.

Large vehicles are harder to place at a perimeter drop, so a corporate group may do better with a single meeting point and two vehicles. For hosted groups, corporate car service covers invoicing and multiple vehicles, and concert and sports limo service covers event nights in general. Alcohol rules follow Ontario law and are confirmed at booking; we do not promise drinks on board.

Child, toddler and booster seats are available when requested at booking.

Should you stay in Markham or in Toronto?

If you attend all three days, staying in Markham removes the long approach. Visit Markham lists 16 Markham hotels, including Toronto Marriott Markham, Hilton Garden Inn Toronto/Markham, Delta Hotels Toronto Markham, Hampton Inn and Suites by Hilton, and Residence Inn by Marriott Toronto Markham, described as minutes from the track. See Visit Markham's Indy guide. Staying downtown suits a visitor who wants Toronto in the same trip; then GO to Unionville is the natural link. Our guides to Pacific Mall and Unionville and to BMO Field match days cover other GTA event routines.

Honest alternatives: GO, shuttles, rideshare or a chauffeur

The verdict: for a single fan travelling from downtown, GO is the better choice. For a family with children and gear, a group with a corporate booking, a visitor landing at Pearson, or anyone who wants one agreed pickup after a long day, a pre-booked car removes the most uncertainty.

How do you book an Indy car with TorontoBlackLimousine.net?

Booking is direct through our online booker. Enter the pickup address, the drop point and the date, choose a vehicle class and see the exact fare for your address before you pay. Our Toronto dispatch runs 24 hours, and vehicles and chauffeurs are licensed and commercially insured.

Cancellation: more than 72 hours' notice carries no charge; 72 hours or less is 10%; 48 hours or less is 50%; and 24 hours or less, or a no-show, is 100%, measured from the scheduled pickup time.

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For other GTA trips, see limo service Toronto, the GTA hub, our events guide and the Scotiabank Arena pickup guide.