The area that is today Kanata Lakes was originally part of the Township of March, and was first settled by Europeans in the early nineteenth century. One site dating from this era is Pinhey's Point. It remained mainly agricultural until the 1960s when it became the site of heavy development. Modern Kanata is largely the creation of Bill Teron, a developer and urban planner who purchased 4000 acres (16 km²) of rural land and set about building a model community.

• Notable buildings and institutions
• The Kanata Recreation Complex
• The Kanata Centrum power centre; together with adjacent developments, Ottawa's 3rd largest shopping centre.
• AMC Kanata 24 Theatres, the largest movie theatre in Ottawa.

Kanata Lakes (also known as Kanata North or Ward 4) is a neighbourhood within the northern section of Kanata. Located north of highway 417, Kanata Lakes' main street is Kanata Avenue which runs into the neighbournood of Glen Cairn where it becomes Castlefrank Road. It has four major side roads: Knudson Drive, Walden Drive, Golbourn Forced Road, and Campeau Drive.

Kanata Lakes has several sports associations with regular activities, the most visible being the large golf clubs (one of them right in the middle of the town), the sailing club and the bicycle club.

Arts groups in Kanata Lakes include the Kanata Symphony and Kanata Theatre.