Newmarket Trivia: History, Facts, and Local Highlights

Newmarket, Ontario, is a town of 87,942 residents (2021 census) that serves as the regional seat of York Region. This article draws on verified census data, local history archives, and reference publications to provide a fact-packed overview of the town’s growth, historical milestones, and demographic makeup.

Last checked: 2026-08-06

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What is Newmarket, Ontario known for?

Newmarket is the administrative hub of York Region and a historically significant town north of Toronto. The Canadian Encyclopedia describes it as a “town in Ontario … the regional seat of York Region.” Its downtown grew around the Northern Railway of Canada mainline, which reached the area in 1853. That rail connection turned the settlement into an industrial centre, with mills, foundries, and a tannery operating by the late 1800s.

Today, the town functions primarily as a residential community within the Toronto Census Metropolitan Area. Highway 400 expansion to the west and Highway 404 construction to the east reshaped its growth from the 1970s onward, shifting it from an industrial base to a commuter suburb.

How has Newmarket’s population changed over time?

Statistics Canada’s 2021 Census counted 87,942 residents, up from 84,224 in 2016 — a 4.4% increase. For context, the Ontario town’s population in 1941 was just 3,990, according to a NewmarketToday retrospective. By 1996 it had reached 57,125, and by 2011 it was 79,978.

Projections from World Population Review and CityPopulation, both citing Statistics Canada, estimate a 2024 population around 95,000 and a 2026 figure near 97,000. These are not official census counts but illustrate the continued upward trend.

The Canadian Encyclopedia notes that the town’s growth rate (4.4%) lagged behind York Region’s overall rate (5.7%) between 2016 and 2021, suggesting that newer communities in the region expanded faster.

What is the history of Newmarket?

Newmarket’s recorded history begins with the arrival of the Northern Railway in 1853. The village was formally incorporated in 1857, with Donald Sutherland serving as its first reeve. Just three years later, in 1858, a young merchant named Robert Simpson co-opened Simpson & Trent Groceries, Boots, Shoes and Dry Goods in Newmarket — a store that later grew into the Simpsons department store chain.

An archival source from Electric Canadian describes the town in the late 1800s as “the only town in the County of York” and “a place of historical and commercial importance,” located about 28 miles from Toronto and connected by rail. The Holland River, which flows through the area, historically enabled travel between Lake Ontario and Lake Simcoe via portage routes.

Newmarket was incorporated as a town in 1880. Throughout the 20th century, manufacturing and retail dominated the local economy until highway expansion after the 1950s made it a bedroom community for Toronto commuters. The town’s transition from industrial centre to residential suburb is a recurring theme in local histories.

“The town was formed as one of many farming communities in the area, but also developed an industrial centre on the Northern Railway of Canada’s mainline.”

— Wikipedia entry for Newmarket, Ontario

What are the demographic highlights of Newmarket?

According to the 2021 Census, the town is 63.9% white/European and 34.9% visible minority. The largest visible minority groups include Chinese, West Asian, South Asian, Black, Southeast Asian, Filipino, and Latin American residents. The Canadian Encyclopedia also lists English, Irish, Scottish, Canadian, Chinese, Italian, German, Iranian, and French as notable ethnic origins.

Indigenous people make up 1.2% of Newmarket’s population, a figure consistent with the Ontario average. The town’s housing stock in 2021 consisted of 31,239 total private dwellings, of which 30,301 were occupied — a 97% occupancy rate that reflects strong demand.

Newmarket’s population density of 2,284 people per square kilometre is moderate by Canadian standards, sitting between low-density rural towns and the dense urban cores of Toronto.

Location and getting there

Newmarket is located approximately 45 kilometres north of downtown Toronto. It is accessible via Highway 404 (direct from Toronto) and Highway 400 to the west. GO Transit provides rail and bus service from Union Station to Newmarket’s two stations: Newmarket GO and East Gwillimbury GO (just north of the town). YRT (York Region Transit) operates local bus routes.

The town’s address for municipal offices is 395 Mulock Drive, Newmarket, ON L3Y 4X7. The historic downtown core is centred around Davis Drive and Main Street.

Single-entity spec table: Newmarket, Ontario

Frequently asked questions about Newmarket, Ontario

Sources cited

• Town of Newmarket – Briefing Document (2021 Census)
• Electric Canadian – Historical description of Newmarket