The main campus of the University is situated on a 1,000 acre (400 hectare) campus in the northwest section of the city of Waterloo. The School of Architecture is located in Cambridge and also operates a satellite campus in Rome. A Health Sciences campus in Kitchener houses The School of Pharmacy. A campus in Stratford is being developed and will house programs in digital media. A campus in Dubai was opened in 2009 with plans to deliver undergraduate programs in Engineering and Mathematics. Waterloo, its twin city Kitchener, Cambridge, and Stratford are located in mid-western Ontario. The Regional Municipality of Waterloo has a population of approximately 508,000.
Since the opening of its first permanent structure on campus in 1958, the University has experienced continuous development of its campus environment. There are extensive library and computing facilities and a variety of student residences. In addition, the campus provides accommodation for a broad range of student social, cultural, recreational, and athletic activities.