The City of Burlington is located in the Halton Region at the western end of Lake Ontario, with a population of 186,948 according to the Canada 2021 Census. Burlington is part of the Greater Toronto Area, and is also included in the Hamilton Census Metropolitan Area. Burlington lies between the north shore of Lake Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment. The city is strategically located near the geographic centre of the Golden Horseshoe, a densely populated and industrialized region home to over 8 million people. Burlington is also situated on the shores of Lake Ontario and conveniently located within an hour of Toronto & Niagara Falls.
Enjoy a walk along the waterfront trail at Spencer Smith Park all the way to the Lift Bridge, on a clear day you might be able to see downtown Toronto. Another place to explore is the Royal Botanical Gardens, one of North America's largest botanical gardens, and enjoy Bronte Creek Provincial Park. Hike on our nature trails and take in scenic landscapes along the Niagara Escarpment.
Burlington is also known for many very popular events, The Sound of Music Festival, Burlington Jazz n' Blues Festival, Art in the Park, Lakeside Festival of Lights and Rotary Ribfest. Learn more about our history in the Museums of Burlington, and take a tour of the Burlington Art Centre. Elevate your experience in Burlington!
Climate
Burlington's climate is generally continental with warm humid summers and cold, dry winters. This is moderated by the proximity of Lake Ontario, which tends to reduce temperature extremes. Monthly median temperatures range from 22 degrees centigrade (71 degrees F) in July to -5 degrees centigrade (23 degrees F) in January. The annual precipitation consists of about 28 inches of rain and 51 inches of snow. Easterly winds off the open waters of Lake Ontario may add substantially to local snowfall however the prevailing winds are from the southwest. The average date for a late frost is May 3rd, and the first autumn frost occurs about the 15th day of October.
Who lives here?
| Residents (by age) (Census 2016) |
|
0-14 |
16.0% |
|
15-64 |
63.1% |
|
65+ |
21.0% |
Total number of
private households |
73,180 |
|
Average number of persons
in private households |
2.5 |
| Average Income (Census 2021) |
$93,588 |
| English is the mother tongue |
175,890 |
Source
Life Style
Burlington maintains 580.78 hectares of park land and offers 4 indoor and 2 outdoor pools, 3 splash pads, 8 ice pads, 13 community centres, and 9 golf courses. Burlington offers some of the best hiking in the area can be done in the local sections of the Bruce Trail and the Niagara Escarpment, which is a UNESCO-designated World Biosphere Reserve, as well as along the Waterfront Trail that skirts the northern shore of Lake Ontario. You can relax and take in the Sound of Music Festival in June that features the world famous Burlington Teen Tour Band who have performed in Europe, Japan, and throughout Canada and the United States.
Burlington promotes itself as a global community by fostering United Nations support at the local level and by maintaining a twin city relationship with Itabashi, Japan. This effort is realized by numerous community based projects that strengthen ties with Itabashi. Burlington also has recently twinned with Apeldoorn, Netherlands.
There is no daily newspaper published in Burlington. Papers delivered to Burlington include: The Hamilton Spectator, The Burlington Post, the Toronto Star, the Globe & Mail, the Toronto Sun, and the National Post.
Attractions
Some of the city's attractions include Canada's Largest Ribfest, Sound of Music Festival, Art Gallery of Burlington, and Spencer Smith Park, all located near the city's municipal offices in the downtown core. Additionally, the city attracts hikers, birders and nature lovers due to the Royal Botanical Gardens located on the border with Hamilton, as well as its proximity to a part of the Niagara Escarpment in the north end of the city that includes the Iroquoian section of the Bruce Trail.
Burlington is home to the Royal Botanical Gardens (which has the world's largest lilac collection). Art Gallery of Burlington, has a unique national role in collecting contemporary Canadian ceramics. The Joseph Brant Museum (named after the Mohawk Chief) and Ireland House at Oakridge Farm, a history museum depicting family life from the 1850s to the 1920s are also popular attractions.
Burlington has the distinction of having one of the only 2 naturally occurring magnetic hills in Canada. The magnetic hill is located on King Road, north of Bayview Park. Whether it's adventure, history, culture, recreation or relaxation, Burlington has it all.
Information provided by Tourism Burlington. For more information about Burlington please visit the Tourism Burlington website.