View source for Toronto

{{Short description|Most populous city in Canada}}
{{About|the capital of Ontario, Canada}}
{{Redirect|City of Toronto|the city's government|Municipal government of Toronto}}
{{Pp-move}}
{{Pp-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=July 2014}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Toronto
| official_name      =
| settlement_type    = [[List of cities in Ontario|City]] ([[List of municipalities in Ontario#Single-tier municipalities|single-tier]])<!-- Consensus see: [[Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Ontario/Archive 1#City infoboxes: "tier" or "conventional" municipal statuses (or both)?]] -->
| image_skyline      = {{multiple image
| border            = infobox
| total_width       = 280
| perrow            = 1/2/2/2
| caption_align     = center
| image1            = Toronto Skyline viewed from Algonquin Island (16-9 crop).jpg<!--Please don't change without consensus in article talk page-->
| caption1          = [[List of tallest buildings in Toronto|Skyline]] of [[downtown Toronto]] and the [[CN Tower]]
| image2            = Ontario Legislative Building, Toronto, South view 20170417 1.jpg<!--Please don't change without consensus in article talk page-->
| caption2          = [[Ontario Legislative Building]]
| image3            = Nathan Phillips Square (33343114810).jpg<!--Please don't change without consensus in article talk page-->
| caption3          = [[Toronto Sign]] and [[Toronto City Hall|City Hall]]
| image4            = Toronto - ON - Humber Bay und Humber Bay Arch Bridge.jpg<!--Please don't change without consensus in article talk page-->
| caption4          = [[Humber Bay Arch Bridge]]
| image5            = Casa Loma (23170005321).jpg<!--Please don't change without consensus in article talk page-->
| caption5          = [[Casa Loma]]
| image6            = Royal Ontario Museum in Fall 2021.jpg
| caption6          = [[Royal Ontario Museum]]
| image7            = Scarborough bluffs -b.jpg
| caption7          = [[Scarborough Bluffs]]
}}
| image_size         = 250px
| image_flag         = Toronto Flag.svg
| flag_size          = 125px
| flag_link          = Flag of Toronto
| image_seal         = Coat of arms of Toronto.png
| seal_type          = Coat of arms
| seal_size          = 95px
| seal_link          = Coat of arms of Toronto
| image_blank_emblem = Toronto, City of.svg
| blank_emblem_type  = Logo
| blank_emblem_size  = 140px
| etymology          = From the [[Mohawk language|Mohawk]] word {{lang|iro|tkaronto}} ('tree in the water there'), the name of a channel between Lakes [[Lake Simcoe|Simcoe]] and [[Lake Couchiching|Couchiching]]
| nicknames          = [[Name of Toronto#Nicknames|See list]]
| motto              = Diversity Our Strength<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/awards-tributes/tributes/history-of-city-symbols/ |website=www.toronto.ca |title=History of City Symbols |publisher=City of Toronto |year=2020 |access-date=October 27, 2020 |archive-date=August 12, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210812134238/https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/awards-tributes/tributes/history-of-city-symbols/ |url-status=live |last1=Toronto |first1=City of }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=The Social Construction of Diversity: Recasting the Master Narrative of Industrial Nations |last1=Harzig |first1=Christiane |last2=Juteau |first2=Danielle |author2-link=Danielle Juteau |last3=Schmitt |first3=Irina |publisher=Berghahn Books |year=2006 |isbn=978-1-57181-376-3 |page=310 |quote=In reflecting and capturing this sense of the city, one of the first actions of the newly amalgamated Toronto City Council in 1998 was to adopt "Diversity Our Strength" as its official motto. }}</ref>{{efn|The motto is typically rendered without punctuation, while the city's coat of arms uses [[Bullet (typography)|typographical bullets]] to space the words used in the motto. However, some sources from the municipal government of Toronto use punctuation to describe the motto as "Diversity, Our Strength."<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/accessibility-human-rights/equity-diversity-inclusion/ |title=Equity, Diversity & Inclusion |author=City of Toronto Government |work=City of Toronto |date=August 18, 2017 |access-date=October 27, 2020 |archive-date=October 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009135713/https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/accessibility-human-rights/equity-diversity-inclusion/ |url-status=live }}</ref>}}
| image_map          = {{maplink
  | id                 = Q172
  | frame              = yes
  | plain              = yes
  | frame-align        = center
  | frame-width        = 270
  | frame-height       = 270
  | frame-lat          = 43.725518 
  | frame-long         = -79.390531
  | zoom               = 9
  | type               = shape
  | marker             = city
  | stroke-width       = 2
  | stroke-color       = #0096FF
  | fill               = #0096FF
  | fill-opacity = 0.1
}}
| coordinates        = {{coord|43|39|09|N|79|22|54|W|region:CA-ON_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| pushpin_map        = Ontario#Canada#North America
| pushpin_mapsize    = 250px
| pushpin_map_caption = Location of Toronto in Ontario##Location of Toronto in Canada##Location of Toronto in North America
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = [[Canada]]
| subdivision_type1  = [[Provinces and territories of Canada|Province]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Ontario]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of regions of Canada|Region]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Southern Ontario]]
| parts_type         = [[Amalgamation of Toronto|Communities]]
| parts              = {{hlist|[[East York]]|[[Etobicoke]]|[[North York]]|[[Old Toronto]]|[[Scarborough, Ontario|Scarborough]]|[[York, Ontario|York]]}}
| established_title  = Established
| established_date   = {{start date and age|1793|08|27}} (as [[York, Upper Canada|York]])
| established_title1 = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
| established_date1  = {{start date and age|1834|03|06}} (as Toronto)
| established_title2 = [[List of census divisions of Ontario|Changed division]]
| established_date2  = {{start date and age|1953|01|20}} (from [[York County, Ontario|York County]] to [[Metropolitan Toronto]])
| established_title3 = [[Merger (politics)|Amalgamated]]
| established_date3  = {{start date and age|1998|01|01}}
| government_type    = [[List of municipalities in Ontario#Single-tier municipalities|Single-tier municipality]] with a [[Mayor–council government|mayor–council system]]
| governing_body     = [[Toronto City Council]]
| leader_title       = [[Mayor of Toronto|Mayor]]
| leader_name        = [[Olivia Chow]]
| leader_title1      = [[Deputy Mayor of Toronto|Statutory Deputy Mayor]]
| leader_name1       = [[Ausma Malik]]
| unit_pref          = Metric
| total_type         = Total
| area_footnotes     = <ref name=CityPop/><ref name=UAPop/><ref name=CMAPop/>
| area_magnitude     = 
| area_total_km2     = 631.10
| area_urban_km2     = 1829.05
| area_blank1_title  = [[Census Metropolitan Area|CMA]]
| area_blank1_km2    = 5902.75
| elevation_min_m    = 76.5
| population_as_of   = [[2021 Canadian census|2021]]
| population_footnotes = <ref name=CityPop>{{cite web |title=Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2021 and 2016 censuses – 100% data |url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810000202 |publisher=Statistics Canada |date=9 February 2022 |access-date=28 April 2025}}</ref><ref name=UAPop>{{cite web |title=Population and dwelling counts, for Canada and population centres, 2021 and 2016 censuses – 100% data |url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810001101 |publisher=Statistics Canada |date=9 February 2022 |access-date=28 April 2025}}</ref><ref name=CMAPop>{{cite web |title=Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations, 2021 and 2016 censuses – 100% data |url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810000501 |publisher=Statistics Canada |date=9 February 2022 |access-date=28 April 2025}}</ref>
| population_rank    = [[List of North American cities by population|4th]] in North America<br />[[List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population|1st]] in Canada
| population_density_km2 = 4,427.8
| population_total   = 2,794,356<!--Please don't change until the 2026 Canadian Census is released per [[WP:CANPOP]]-->
| population_blank1_title = [[Census Metropolitan Area|CMA]]
| population_blank1  = 6,202,225<!--Please don't change until the 2026 Canadian Census is released per [[WP:CANPOP]]--> ([[List of census metropolitan areas and agglomerations in Canada|1st]])
| population_blank2_title = [[Golden Horseshoe|Region]]
| population_blank2  = 9,765,188<!--Please don't change until the 2026 Canadian Census is released per [[WP:CANPOP]]-->
| pop_est_as_of      = 2024<!--This is permitted per [[WP:CANPOP]]-->
| population_est     = 3,273,119<!--This is permitted per [[WP:CANPOP]]--><ref>{{Cite web |last=Government of Canada |first=Statistics Canada |date=2025-01-16 |title=Population estimates, July 1, by census division, 2021 boundaries |url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1710015201 |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=www150.statcan.gc.ca}}</ref>
| population_demonym = Torontonian
| population_note    = 
| postal_code_type   = Postal code span
| postal_code        = [[List of postal codes of Canada: M|M]]
| area_codes         = [[Area codes 416, 647, 437, and 942|416, 647, 437, 942]]
| unemployment_rate  = 
| blank_name_sec1    = [[Gross domestic product|GDP]] (CMA)
| blank_info_sec1    = {{CAD|link=yes}}473.7&nbsp;billion (2021)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=3610046801 |title=Gross domestic product (GDP) at basic prices, by census metropolitan area (CMA) |date=January 25, 2025 |access-date=January 25, 2025 |archive-date=January 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122184338/https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=3610046801 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| blank1_name_sec1   = GDP per capita (CMA)
| blank1_info_sec1   = {{CAD}}73,176 (2021)
| timezone           = [[Eastern Standard Time|EST]]
| utc_offset         = −05:00
| timezone_DST       = [[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]]
| utc_offset_DST     = −04:00
| website            = {{Official URL}}
}}

'''Toronto'''{{efn|{{IPAc-en|audio=EN-Toronto.ogg|t|ə|ˈ|r|ɒ|n|t|oʊ|}} {{respell|tə|RON|toh}};<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=Toronto |title=American Heritage Dictionary entry: Toronto |website=[[American Heritage Dictionary]] |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221129045055/https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=Toronto |archive-date=29 November 2022 |url-status=live |access-date=4 August 2025}}</ref> {{IPA|en-CA|təˈɹɒnoʊ|local}} {{respell|tə|RON|oh}}, {{IPA|en-CA|ˈtɹɒnoʊ|also}} {{respell|TRON|oh}}<ref>{{cite web |last=Bergin |first=Caitlin |url=https://cla-acl.ca/pdfs/resumes-2022-abstracts/Bergin.pdf |title=Chranna? Turono? Toe-ron-toe? Sociophonetic perception in the pronunciation of "Toronto" |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220701021907/https://cla-acl.ca/pdfs/resumes-2022-abstracts/Bergin.pdf |archive-date=July 1, 2022 |publisher=Carleton University }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Crystal |first=David |year=1995 |title=Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language |location=New York |publisher=Cambridge University Press |page=341 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Gallinger |first1=Zack |last2=Motskin |first2=Arik |url=http://www.the10and3.com/this-is-how-canada-talks/ |title=This is How Canada Talks |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180414082027/http://www.the10and3.com/this-is-how-canada-talks/ |archive-date=April 14, 2018 |journal=The 10 and 3 |date=August 24, 2017 }}</ref>}} is the [[List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population|most populous city in Canada]] and the [[capital city]] of the [[Provinces and territories of Canada|Canadian<!--Do not remove--> province]] of [[Ontario]]. With a population of <!--Please don't change until the 2026 Canadian Census is released per [[WP:CANPOP]]-->2,794,356<!--Please don't change until the 2026 Canadian Census is released per [[WP:CANPOP]]--> in 2021<!--Please don't change until the 2026 Canadian Census is released per [[WP:CANPOP]]-->,<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Government of Canada |first=Statistics Canada |date=February 9, 2022 |title=Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population |url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/index.cfm?Lang=E |access-date=February 10, 2022 |website=www12.statcan.gc.ca |archive-date=February 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220209134619/https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/index.cfm?Lang=E |url-status=live }}</ref> it is the [[List of North American cities by population|fourth-most populous city in North America]]. The city is the anchor of the [[Golden Horseshoe]], an urban agglomeration of <!--Please don't change until the 2026 Canadian Census is released per [[WP:CANPOP]]-->9,765,188<!--Please don't change until the 2026 Canadian Census is released per [[WP:CANPOP]]--> people (as of <!--Please don't change until the 2026 Canadian Census is released per [[WP:CANPOP]]-->2021<!--Please don't change until the 2026 Canadian Census is released per [[WP:CANPOP]]-->) surrounding the western end of [[Lake Ontario]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Portrait of the Canadian Population in 2006: Subprovincial population dynamics, Greater Golden Horseshoe |url=http://geodepot.statcan.gc.ca/Diss/Maps/ThematicMaps/regional_horseshoe_e.cfm |url-status= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180130091530/http://geodepot.statcan.gc.ca/Diss/Maps/ThematicMaps/regional_horseshoe_e.cfm |archive-date=January 30, 2018 |website=[[Statistics Canada]], 2006 Census of Population }}</ref> while the [[Greater Toronto Area]] proper had a 2021 population of 6,712,341.<ref name=":2" /> As of 2024, the Golden Horseshoe had an estimated population of 11,139,265 people<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Government of Canada |first=Statistics Canada |date=2024-05-22 |title=Population estimates, July 1, by census division, 2021 boundaries |url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1710015201 |access-date=2025-07-30 |website=www150.statcan.gc.ca}}</ref> while the [[census metropolitan area]] had an estimated population of 7,106,379.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Government of Canada |first=Statistics Canada |date=January 16, 2025 |title=Canada's population estimates: Subprovincial areas, 2024 |url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/250116/dq250116b-eng.htm |access-date=January 21, 2025 |website=www12.statcan.gc.ca |archive-date=January 21, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250121034400/https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/250116/dq250116b-eng.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Toronto is an international centre of business, finance, arts, sports, and culture, and is recognized as one of the most [[multiculturalism|multicultural]] and [[cosmopolitanism|cosmopolitan]] cities in the world.<ref name="Vipond2017">{{cite book |author=Robert Vipond |title=Making a Global City: How One Toronto School Embraced Diversity |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_p7CDgAAQBAJ&pg=PP147 |date=April 24, 2017 |publisher=University of Toronto Press |isbn=978-1-4426-2443-6 |page=147 }}</ref><ref name="HuskenNeubert2011">{{cite book |author1=Ute Husken |author2=Frank Neubert |title=Negotiating Rites |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WhtwAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA163 |date=November 7, 2011 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-981230-1 |page=163 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Stewart |first=Ashleigh |date=July 29, 2023 |title=Toronto, Canada: An unlikely hub for North American arts and culture |url=https://www.thepost.co.nz/travel/350044395/toronto-canada-unlikely-hub-north-american-arts-and-culture |url-access=subscription |access-date=May 19, 2025 |work=[[The Post (New Zealand newspaper)|The Post]]}}</ref>

[[Indigenous peoples in Canada|Indigenous peoples]] have inhabited the Toronto area, located on a broad sloping [[plateau]] interspersed with [[Toronto ravine system|rivers, deep ravines, and urban forest]], for more than 10,000 years.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=dd058d577e312410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD |title=First Peoples, 9000 BCE to 1600 CE – The History of Toronto: An 11,000-Year Journey – Virtual Exhibits {{pipe}} City of Toronto |website=toronto.ca |access-date=April 30, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150416111209/https://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=dd058d577e312410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD |archive-date=April 16, 2015 }}</ref> After the broadly disputed [[Toronto Purchase]], when the [[Mississaugas|Mississauga]] surrendered the area to the [[The Crown|British Crown]],{{sfn|Johnson |Wilson |1989 |p=34}} the British established the town of [[York, Upper Canada|York]] in 1793 and later designated it as the capital of [[Upper Canada]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dalzielbarn.com/pages/TheBarn/York&UpperCanada.html |title=The early history of York & Upper Canada |website=Dalzielbarn.com |access-date=July 14, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150714190400/http://www.dalzielbarn.com/pages/TheBarn/York%26UpperCanada.html |archive-date=July 14, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> During the [[War of 1812]] the town was the site of the [[Battle of York]], resulting in heavy damage and a two-week [[Military occupation|occupation]] by [[United States Armed Forces|American troops]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2013/04/21/the_battle_of_york_200_years_ago_shaped_toronto_and_canada_editorial.html |title=The Battle of York, 200 years ago, shaped Toronto and Canada: Editorial |date=April 21, 2013 |work=thestar.com |access-date=July 14, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150711021619/http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2013/04/21/the_battle_of_york_200_years_ago_shaped_toronto_and_canada_editorial.html |archive-date=July 11, 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref> York was [[Name of Toronto|renamed]] and incorporated in 1834 as the City of Toronto. It was designated as the capital of the province of Ontario in 1867 during [[Canadian Confederation]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Mangione |first=Kendra |date=March 6, 2014 |title=Timeline: 180 years of Toronto history |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/toronto/article/timeline-180-years-of-toronto-history/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150508105433/http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/timeline-180-years-of-toronto-history-1.1717785 |archive-date=May 8, 2015 |access-date=May 12, 2015 |work=Toronto }}</ref> The [[city proper]] has since expanded past its original limits through both [[merger (politics)|annexation]] and [[Amalgamation of Toronto|amalgamation]] to its current area of {{convert|630.2|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}.

The diverse population of Toronto reflects its current and historical role as an important destination for [[Immigration to Canada|immigrants to Canada]].<ref name="toronto_diversity">{{cite web |url=http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/policy/fed-prov/can-ont-toronto-mou.html |title=Canada-Ontario-Toronto Memorandum of Understanding on Immigration and Settlement (electronic version) |author=Citizenship and Immigration Canada |date=September 2006 |access-date=March 1, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311043934/http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/policy/fed-prov/can-ont-toronto-mou.html |archive-date=March 11, 2007 }}</ref><ref name=diverse_city>{{cite book |last=Flew |first=Janine |author2=Humphries, Lynn |author3=Press, Limelight |author4=McPhee, Margaret |title=The Children's Visual World Atlas |publisher=Fog City Press |year=2004 |location=Sydney, Australia |page=76 |isbn=978-1-74089-317-6 }}</ref> About half of its residents were born outside of Canada and over 200 [[ethnic group|ethnic origins]] are represented among its inhabitants.<ref name=Diversity_Toronto_Facts>{{cite web |url=http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=dbe867b42d853410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD&vgnextchannel=57a12cc817453410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD |title=Diversity – Toronto Facts – Your City |publisher=City of Toronto |access-date=April 2, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150406180836/http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=dbe867b42d853410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD&vgnextchannel=57a12cc817453410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD |archive-date=April 6, 2015 }}</ref> While the majority of Torontonians speak English as their primary language, over 160 languages are spoken in the city.<ref name="2011 census: Language">{{cite web |url=https://www1.toronto.ca/city_of_toronto/social_development_finance__administration/files/pdf/language_2011_backgrounder.pdf |title=Social Development, Finance & Administration |website=toronto.ca |publisher=City of Toronto |access-date=June 7, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160618015141/http://www1.toronto.ca/city_of_toronto/social_development_finance__administration/files/pdf/language_2011_backgrounder.pdf |archive-date=June 18, 2016 }}</ref> The city is governed by [[Toronto City Council]], a [[unicameralism|unicameral]] body whose members are elected every four years. City council is composed of 25 councillors, who each represent a geographical ward, and the [[mayor of Toronto]] who serves as head of council and the [[chief executive officer]] of the [[Municipal government of Toronto|municipal government]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Office of the City Clerk |date=2019 |title=My Local Government: It's for Me |url=https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/9998-MyLocal_Government-Book_Apr12_spread.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241214025920/https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/9998-MyLocal_Government-Book_Apr12_spread.pdf |archive-date=December 14, 2024 |website=City of Toronto}}</ref><ref name="Council Members">{{cite web |title=Council Members |url=http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=c3a83293dc3ef310VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160715180346/http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=c3a83293dc3ef310VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD |archive-date=July 15, 2016 |access-date=July 17, 2016 |website=toronto.ca |publisher=City of Toronto}}</ref>

Toronto is Canada's largest financial centre, and is home to the [[Toronto Stock Exchange]], the headquarters of Canada's [[Big Five banks of Canada|five largest banks]],{{sfn|Duffy|2004|page=154}} and the headquarters of many large Canadian and multinational corporations.{{sfn|Dinnie|2011|page=21}} [[economy of Toronto|Its economy]] is highly diversified with strengths in technology, design, financial services, life sciences, education, arts, fashion, aerospace, environmental innovation, food services, and tourism.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Toronto |first1=City of |url=https://www.toronto.ca/business-economy/industry-sector-support/ |title=Industry Sector Support – City of Toronto |website=toronto.ca |date=July 14, 2017 |access-date=February 18, 2020 |archive-date=February 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200212232403/https://www.toronto.ca/business-economy/industry-sector-support/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.toronto.ca/business_publications/tocompetes.htm |title=Toronto Competes |author=ICF Consulting |website=toronto.ca |date=February 2000 |access-date=March 1, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070127122238/http://www.toronto.ca/business_publications/tocompetes.htm |archive-date=January 27, 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.investtoronto.ca/Business-Toronto/Key-Business-Sectors.aspx |title=Business Toronto – Key Business Sectors |website=Investtoronto.ca |access-date=April 30, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150510071935/http://www.investtoronto.ca/Business-Toronto/Key-Business-Sectors.aspx |archive-date=May 10, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>  Toronto is also a prominent centre for music,<ref name="Toronto Music">{{cite web |url=http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=28682dbb5cce2410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD&vgnextchannel=401132d0b6d1e310VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD |title=Music – Key Industry Sectors |publisher=City of Toronto |access-date=July 30, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150728061830/https://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=28682dbb5cce2410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD&vgnextchannel=401132d0b6d1e310VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD |archive-date=July 28, 2015 }}</ref> theatre,<ref name="Toronto Theatre">{{cite web |url=http://www.investtoronto.ca/Quality-of-Life/Amenities/Cultural-Attractions.aspx |title=Quality of Life – Arts and Culture |access-date=July 30, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924035725/http://www.investtoronto.ca/Quality-of-Life/Amenities/Cultural-Attractions.aspx |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> motion picture production,<ref name="Toronto motion picture production">{{cite web |url=http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=5e46c1b5c62ca310VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD&vgnextchannel=401132d0b6d1e310VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD |title=Film & Television – Key Industry Sectors |publisher=City of Toronto |access-date=July 30, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150728061809/https://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=5e46c1b5c62ca310VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD&vgnextchannel=401132d0b6d1e310VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD |archive-date=July 28, 2015 }}</ref> television production,<ref name="Toronto television production">{{cite web |url=http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=f635ca7908040410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD |title=Made here. Seen everywhere. – Film in Toronto |publisher=City of Toronto |access-date=July 30, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150728004358/https://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=f635ca7908040410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD |archive-date=July 28, 2015 }}</ref> and digital media production,<ref name="Digital Media Production UNESCO">{{cite web |url=https://www.toronto.ca/business-economy/industry-sector-support/creative-technology/unesco-city-of-media-arts/ |title=UNESCO City of Media Arts |publisher=City of Toronto |access-date=Dec 24, 2025}}</ref> and is home to the headquarters of Canada's major national [[Media in Toronto|broadcast networks and media outlets]].<ref name="Toronto Entertainment and Creative Cluster">{{cite web |url=http://www.mtc.gov.on.ca/en/publications/Creative_Cluster_Report.pdf |title=Ontario's Entertainment and Creative Cluster |access-date=July 3, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160328051959/http://www.mtc.gov.on.ca/en/publications/Creative_Cluster_Report.pdf |archive-date=March 28, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Its varied [[Culture in Toronto|cultural institutions]],<ref name="Toronto Culture and Creativity">{{cite web |url=http://torontopressroom.ets.net/culture-and-creativity.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518103239/http://torontopressroom.ets.net/culture-and-creativity.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 18, 2015 |website=Toronto Press Room |title=Culture, The Creative City |access-date=July 10, 2015 }}</ref> which include numerous [[List of museums in Toronto|museums and galleries]], [[Annual events in Toronto|festivals and public events]], entertainment districts, [[List of National Historic Sites of Canada in Toronto|national historic sites]], and [[Sports in Toronto|sports activities]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eraarch.ca/pdf/CulturalInstitutions.pdf |title=Cultural Institutions in the Public Realm |website=Eraarch.ca |access-date=June 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305023758/http://www.eraarch.ca/pdf/CulturalInstitutions.pdf |archive-date=March 5, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> attract over [[Tourism in Toronto|26&nbsp;million visitors]] each year.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.destinationtoronto.com/research/business-intelligence/visitor-economy-study/ |title=Visitor Economy Study |publisher=Destination Toronto |website=destinationtoronto.ca |access-date=May 20, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Rider |first=David |date=January 24, 2018 |title=No end in sight for tourists' love affair with Toronto |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/city-hall/no-end-in-sight-for-tourists-love-affair-with-toronto/article_403448fc-e3d0-576c-97ea-1b8061f1b881.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190904232645/https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2018/01/24/no-end-in-sight-for-tourists-love-affair-with-toronto.html |archive-date=September 4, 2019 |access-date=September 4, 2019 |work=[[Toronto Star]]}}</ref>

== Etymology ==
{{Main|Name of Toronto}}
The word ''Toronto'' has been recorded with various spellings in French and English, including ''Tarento'', ''Tarontha'', ''Taronto'', ''Toranto'', ''Torento'', ''Toronto'', and ''Toronton''.{{sfn|Guillet|1969|p=49}} The most frequent early spelling, ''Taronto'', referred to 'The Narrows', a channel of water through which [[Lake Simcoe]] discharges into [[Lake Couchiching]] where the Huron had planted tree saplings to corral fish at what is now the [[Mnjikaning Fish Weirs]] site in [[Orillia]]. This narrows was called {{lang|moh|tkaronto}} by the [[Mohawk people|Mohawk]], meaning 'where there are trees standing in the water',{{sfn|Natural Resources Canada}}<ref name="etymology">{{cite web |title=The real story of how Toronto got its name |url=http://geonames.nrcan.gc.ca/education/toronto_e.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061016222541/http://geonames.nrcan.gc.ca/education/toronto_e.php |archive-date=October 16, 2006 |access-date=December 8, 2006 |website=geonnames.nrcan.gc.ca |publisher=[[Natural Resources Canada]] (2005) }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Gray |first=Jeff |date=October 17, 2003 |title=A defining moment for tkaronto |newspaper=[[The Globe and Mail]] |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/a-defining-moment-for-tkaronto/article18432992/ |url-access=registration |access-date=January 19, 2021 |archive-date=March 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210303051042/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/a-defining-moment-for-tkaronto/article18432992/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and was recorded as early as 1615 by [[Samuel de Champlain]].{{sfn|Natural Resources Canada: Canada, Provinces & Territories: The naming of their capital cities}} The word ''Toronto'', meaning 'plenty', also appears in a 1632 French lexicon of the [[Wyandot language|Huron language]], which is also an Iroquoian language.{{sfn|Hounsom|1970|p=26}} It also appears on French maps referring to various locations, including Georgian Bay, Lake Simcoe, and several rivers.{{sfn|Hounsom|1970|p=27}} A [[portage]] route from Lake Ontario to [[Lake Huron]] running through this point, known as the [[Toronto Carrying-Place Trail]], led to widespread use of the name.

==History==
{{Main|History of Toronto}}
{{For timeline|Timeline of Toronto history}}

===Early history===
Archaeological sites show evidence of human occupation in the site that would later become Toronto dating back thousands of years.{{sfn|Firth|1962|p=3}} The [[Wendat]], an Iroquoian speaking people, occupied the territory that would become Toronto for centuries from pre-European contact until the invasion and massacre by the [[Haudenosaunee]] from the south side of Lake Ontario between 1648 and 1650. By the 1660s, the [[Iroquois settlement of the north shore of Lake Ontario|Haudenosaunee established two villages]] within what is today Toronto, [[Bead Hill|Ganatsekwyagon]] (Bead Hill) on the banks of the [[Rouge River (Ontario)|Rouge River]] and [[Teiaiagon]] on the banks of the [[Humber River (Ontario)|Humber River]]. By 1701, the [[Mississaugas]], an Anishinaabe speaking people from [[Northern Ontario]], had displaced the Haudenosaunee, who abandoned the Toronto area at the end of the [[Beaver Wars]], with most returning to their homeland in present-day New York state.{{sfn|Schmalz|1991|p=}}

French traders founded [[Fort Rouillé]] in 1750 (the current [[Exhibition Place|Exhibition grounds]] were later developed there), but abandoned it in 1759 during the [[Seven Years' War]].<ref name=rouille>{{cite web |url=http://schools.tdsb.on.ca/jarvisci/toronto/rouille.htm |title=Fort Rouillé |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120913004442/http://schools.tdsb.on.ca/jarvisci/toronto/rouille.htm |archive-date=September 13, 2012 |publisher=Jarvis Collegiate Institute |year=2006 |access-date=December 8, 2006 }}</ref> The British defeated the French and their indigenous allies in the war, and the area became part of the British colony of [[Province of Quebec (1763–1791)|Quebec]] in 1763.

During the [[American Revolutionary War]], an influx of British settlers arrived there as [[United Empire Loyalist]]s fled for the British-controlled lands north of Lake Ontario. The Crown granted them land to compensate for their losses in the Thirteen Colonies. The new province of Upper Canada was being created and needed a capital. In 1787, the British [[Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester|Lord Dorchester]] arranged for the Toronto Purchase with the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation, thereby securing more than a quarter of a million acres (1000&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of land in the Toronto area.<ref name=British>[http://www.toronto.ca/culture/history/history-natives-newcomers.htm Natives and newcomers, 1600–1793] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070306111515/http://www.toronto.ca/culture/history/history-natives-newcomers.htm |date=March 6, 2007 }}, City of Toronto (2006). Retrieved December 8, 2006.</ref> Dorchester intended the location to be named Toronto.{{sfn|Hounsom|1970|p=27}} The first 25 years after the Toronto purchase were quiet, although "there were occasional independent fur traders" present in the area, with the usual complaints of debauchery and drunkenness.{{sfn|Firth|1962 |p=3}}

In 1793, Governor [[John Graves Simcoe]] established the town of [[York, Upper Canada|York]] on the Toronto Purchase lands, naming it after [[Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany]]. Simcoe decided to move the Upper Canada capital from [[Niagara-on-the-Lake|Newark]] (Niagara-on-the-Lake) to York,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ontario.ca/en/your_government/004690 |title=History of Ontario's Legislative Buildings |website=ontario.ca |publisher=Government of Ontario |access-date=July 13, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091022083250/http://www.ontario.ca/en/your_government/004690 |archive-date=October 22, 2009 }}</ref> believing the new site would be less vulnerable to attack by the United States.<ref name="[[Fort York]]">{{cite web |url=http://www.fortyork.ca |title=Welcome to the birthplace of Toronto |website=fortyork.ca |publisher=Friends of Fort York (2006) |access-date=December 8, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110221234140/http://www.fortyork.ca/ |archive-date=February 21, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Fort York|York garrison]] was built at the entrance of the town's natural harbour, sheltered by a long sand-bar peninsula. The town's settlement formed at the harbour's eastern end behind the peninsula, near the present-day intersection of [[Parliament Street (Toronto)|Parliament Street]] and [[Front Street (Toronto)|Front Street]] (in the "[[Old Town, Toronto|Old Town]]" area).

===19th century===
[[File:Battle of York airborne.jpg|thumb|An American squadron exchanging fire with [[Fort York]] during the [[Battle of York]], 1813. The American landing is depicted to the west (left foreground).]]
In 1813, as part of the [[War of 1812]], the [[Battle of York]] ended in the town's capture and plunder by United States forces.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.udata.com/users/hsbaker/york.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070820093114/http://www.udata.com/users/hsbaker/york.htm |archive-date=August 20, 2007 |title=Battle of York |access-date=July 10, 2007 }}</ref> [[John Strachan]] negotiated the town's surrender. American soldiers destroyed much of the garrison and set fire to the parliament buildings during their five-day occupation. Because of the sacking of York, British troops retaliated later in the war with the [[Burning of Washington|burning of Washington, D.C.]]

The [[University of Toronto]], then known as King's College, was established in 1827 as the first institution of higher education in Upper Canada.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ma |first1=Clayton |title=University of Toronto |url=https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/university-of-toronto |website=The Canadian Encyclopedia |access-date=August 15, 2025}}</ref>

York was incorporated as the City of Toronto on March 6, 1834, adopting the Indigenous name.<ref>{{Cite web |title=An act to extend the limits of the Town of York, to erect the said Town into a City, and to incorporate it under the name of the City of Toronto. (Passed 6th March, 1834) |url=https://digitalarchive.tpl.ca/objects/344019 |access-date=October 5, 2024 |website=digitalarchive.tpl.ca |language=en }}</ref> Reformist politician [[William Lyon Mackenzie]] became the first [[mayor of Toronto]]. Mackenzie would later lead the unsuccessful [[Upper Canada Rebellion]] of 1837 against the British colonial government.

Toronto's population of 9,000 included some [[African Americans|African-American]] slaves,{{citation needed |date=September 2023}} some of whom had been brought by the Loyalists, and [[Black Loyalist]]s, whom the Crown had freed (most of the latter were resettled in Nova Scotia). By 1834, refugee slaves from America's South were also immigrating to Toronto to gain freedom.<ref name=black>{{cite web |url=http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=53c9757ae6b31410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD&vgnextchannel=6c21226b48c21410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD |title=Black history at the City of Toronto Archives |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202183847/http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=53c9757ae6b31410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD&vgnextchannel=6c21226b48c21410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD |archive-date=February 2, 2014 |publisher=City of Toronto |year=2009 |access-date=March 13, 2009 }}</ref> [[Slavery in Canada|Slavery]] was banned outright in Upper Canada (and throughout the British Empire) in 1834.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Will4/3-4/73 |title=Slavery Abolition Act 1833 (repealed November 19, 1998) |website=legislation.gov.uk |publisher=UK Government |access-date=September 13, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170914081704/http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Will4/3-4/73 |archive-date=September 14, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> Torontonians integrated people of colour into their society. In the 1840s, an eating house at Frederick and King Streets, a place of mercantile prosperity in the early city, was operated by a black man named Bloxom.{{sfn|Robertson|1894|p=25}}

[[File:TorontoCanadaWest.jpg|thumb|left|Toronto in 1854. The city was a major destination for immigrants to Canada in the second half of the 19th century.]]

As a major destination for immigrants to Canada, the city grew rapidly through the remainder of the 19th century. The first significant wave of immigrants were Irish, fleeing the [[Great Famine (Ireland)|Great Irish Famine]]; most of them were [[Catholic Church|Catholic]]. By 1851, the Irish-born population had become the largest single ethnic group in the city. The Scottish and English population welcomed smaller numbers of [[Protestantism|Protestant]] Irish immigrants, some from what is now Northern Ireland, which gave the [[Orange Order]] significant and long-lasting influence over Toronto society. Almost every mayor of Toronto was a member of the Orange Order between 1850 and 1950, and the city was sometimes referred to as the "[[Belfast]] of Canada" because of Orange influence in municipal politics and administration.<ref>{{cite web |last=Wilcox |first=Michael |date=June 6, 2007 |title=Orange Order in Canada |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/orange-order |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230316182908/https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/orange-order |archive-date=March 16, 2023 |access-date=March 16, 2023 |website=[[The Canadian Encyclopedia]]}}</ref>

For brief periods, Toronto was twice the capital of the united [[Province of Canada]]: first from 1849 to 1851, following unrest in Montreal, and later from 1855 to 1859. After this date, Quebec was designated as the capital until 1865 (two years before Canadian Confederation). Since then, the capital of Canada has remained [[Ottawa]], Ontario.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.statoids.com/uca.html |title=Canada Provinces |website=Statoids.com |access-date=April 17, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110223215649/http://www.statoids.com/uca.html |archive-date=February 23, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:ParliamentBuildingsFrontStreet.jpg |thumb|The second Parliament of Upper Canada building on Front Street, 1856]]

Toronto became the capital of the province of Ontario after its official creation in 1867. The seat of government of the Ontario briefly returned to the same building that hosted the Third Parliament Building of Upper Canada, before moving to the [[Ontario Legislative Building]] at [[Queen's Park (Toronto)|Queen's Park]] in 1893. Because of its provincial capital status, the city was also the location of [[Government House (Ontario)|Government House]], the residence of the [[viceroy|viceregal]] representative of [[Monarchy of Canada|the Crown]] [[Monarchy in Ontario|in right of Ontario]].

Long before the [[Royal Military College of Canada]] was established in 1876, supporters of the concept proposed military colleges in Canada. Staffed by British Regulars, adult male students underwent a three-month-long military course at the School of Military Instruction in Toronto. Established by Militia General Order in 1864, the school enabled officers of militia or candidates for commission or promotion in the Militia to learn military duties, drill and discipline, to command a company at Battalion Drill, to drill a company at Company Drill, the internal economy of a company, and the duties of a company's officer.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~theislands/photos6/ansonkeillmilcert.jpg |title=Province of Canada : Second Class Certificate |website=Freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com |format=JPG |access-date=June 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160407162844/http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~theislands/photos6/ansonkeillmilcert.jpg |archive-date=April 7, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The school was retained at Confederation, in 1867. In 1868, schools of [[cavalry]] and [[artillery]] instruction were formed in Toronto.<ref>{{cite book |first=Richard |last=Preston |title=Canada's RMC: A History of the Royal Military College of Canada |publisher=RMC Club by U of Toronto Press }}</ref>
[[File:Yorkville Town Hall, Yonge St., west side, opposite Collier St. (16526085614).jpg |thumb |A group in front of a horse-drawn streetcar in front of [[Yorkville Town Hall]] 1870. A [[Gas lighting|gas streetlamp]] is visible in the right foreground.]]
In the 19th century, the city built an extensive sewage system to improve sanitation, and streets were illuminated with [[gas lighting]] as a regular service.{{citation needed |date=September 2023}} Long-distance railway lines were constructed, including a route completed in 1854 linking Toronto with the Upper Great Lakes. The [[Grand Trunk Railway]] and the [[Northern Railway of Canada]] joined in the building of the first [[Toronto Union Station (1858)|Union Station]] in downtown. The advent of the railway dramatically increased the numbers of immigrants arriving, commerce and industry, as had the Lake Ontario steamers and schooners entering port before. These enabled Toronto to become a major gateway linking the world to the interior of the North American continent. Expanding port and rail facilities brought in northern timber for export and imported Pennsylvania coal. Industry dominated the waterfront for the next 100 years.

During the late 19th century, Toronto became the largest alcohol distillation (in particular, [[Distilled beverage|spirits]]) centre in North America.{{citation needed |date=September 2023}} A distillery built by [[Gooderham and Worts]] from 1959 to 1961 became the country's largest [[whisky]] factory.<ref>{{cite book |editor1=Jack S. Blocker Jr. |editor2=David M. Fahey |editor3=Ian R. Tyrrell |date=2003 |title=Alcohol and Temperance in Modern History: An International Encyclopedia |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA |isbn=9781576078341 |page=272 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j77OEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA272}}</ref><ref name="Kearney2002">{{cite book |author1=Mark Kearney |author2=Randy Ray |date=2002 |title=I Know that Name!: The People Behind Canada's Best-known Brand Names from Elizabeth Arden to Walter Zeller |publisher=Dundurn |isbn=9781550024074 |page=101 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_6cA03bXwhsC&pg=PA101}}</ref> While the factory has since closed, its buildings have been designated a [[National Historic Sites of Canada|National Historic Site]] and have been converted into the [[Distillery District]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://parks.canada.ca/culture/designation/lieu-site/gooderham |title=Gooderham and Worts Distillery National Historic Site |date=December 20, 2022 |publisher=Parks Canada |access-date=October 17, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/distillery-district-20-year-anniversary-1.6846457 |title=How Toronto's Distillery District was transformed into the attraction it is today |author=Lane Harrison |work=CBC News |date=May 21, 2023 |access-date=October 17, 2025}}</ref> The harbour allowed access to grain and sugar imports used in processing.

[[File:GooderhamAndWorts1800s.jpg|thumb|The [[Gooderham and Worts]] buildings, 1896]]

Horse-drawn [[Tram|streetcars]] gave way to electric streetcars in 1891 when the city granted the operation of the transit franchise to the [[Toronto Railway Company]]. The public transit system passed into public ownership in 1921 as the [[Toronto Transportation Commission]], later renamed the [[Toronto Transit Commission]]. The system now has [[List of North American rapid transit systems by ridership|the third-highest ridership of any city public transportation system in North America]].<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite news |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013153812/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1122072619227_40/?hub=CTVNewsAt11 |url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1122072619227_40/?hub=CTVNewsAt11 |work=CTV News |title=Toronto transit chief says searches unlikely |date=July 24, 2005 |archive-date=October 13, 2007 }}</ref>

===20th century===
[[File:Toronto Fire Ruins, Front Street April 19th, 1904 (HS85-10-14899).jpg|thumb|Ruins on Front Street after the [[Great Fire of Toronto (1904)|Great Toronto Fire of 1904]]]]
The [[Great Fire of Toronto (1904)|Great Toronto Fire of 1904]] destroyed a large section of [[downtown Toronto]]. The fire destroyed more than 100 buildings.<ref name="Morris1992">{{cite book |author=Oeter Morris |title=Embattled Shadows: A History of Canadian Cinema, 1895–1939 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=c08BBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA38 |date=August 6, 1992 |publisher=McGill-Queen's Press – MQUP |isbn=978-0-7735-6072-7 |pages=38– }}</ref> The fire claimed one victim, John Croft, who was an explosive expert clearing the ruins from the fire.<ref name="Filey1999">{{cite book |author=Mike Filey |title=Mount Pleasant Cemetery: An Illustrated Guide: Second Edition, Revised and Expanded |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ziOUu1Md-6gC&pg=PA74 |date=June 1, 1999 |publisher=Dundurn |isbn=978-1-4597-1310-9 |pages=74– }}</ref> It caused {{CAD|10387000|year=1904}} in damage.<ref name="Evening Citizen 1948">{{cite news |author=<!-- Staff writer, no byline --> |title=Oil Fire Menaces Toronto |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CP4uAAAAIBAJ&pg=3774%2C2168808 |newspaper=[[Ottawa Citizen|The Evening Citizen]] |location=[[Ottawa]] |date=February 12, 1948 |page=1 |access-date=December 5, 2014 |archive-date=October 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201016121321/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CP4uAAAAIBAJ&pg=3774%2C2168808 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The city received new European immigrant groups from the late 19th century into the early 20th century, particularly Germans, French, Italians, and Jews. They were soon followed by Russians, Poles, and other Eastern European nations, in addition to the Chinese entering from the West. Like the Irish before them, many of these migrants lived in overcrowded shanty-type slums, such as "[[The Ward, Toronto|the Ward]]", which was centred on [[Bay Street]], now the heart of the country's [[Financial District, Toronto|Financial District]].

As new migrants began to prosper, they moved to better housing in other areas, in what is now understood to be succession waves of settlement. Despite its fast-paced growth, by the 1920s, Toronto's population and economic importance in Canada remained second to the much longer established [[Montreal]], Quebec. However, by 1934, the Toronto Stock Exchange had become the largest in the country.
[[File:VE Day celebrations on Bay Street 1945.jpg|thumb|People in Toronto celebrating the [[Victory in Europe Day|Victory in Europe]], May 1945]]
In 1954, the City of Toronto and 12 surrounding municipalities were federated into a [[regional municipality|regional government]] known as [[Metropolitan Toronto]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/repealedstatutes/english/elaws_rep_statutes_90m62_e.htm |title=Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto Act |website=e-laws.gov.on.ca |publisher=[[Government of Ontario]] |year=2000 |access-date=December 29, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110105121125/http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/repealedstatutes/english/elaws_rep_statutes_90m62_e.htm |archive-date=January 5, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> The postwar boom had resulted in rapid suburban development. It was believed a coordinated land-use strategy and shared services would provide greater efficiency for the region. The metropolitan government began to manage services that crossed municipal boundaries, including highways, police services, water and [[Public transport|public transit]]. In that year, a half-century after the Great Fire of 1904, disaster struck the city again when [[Hurricane Hazel]] brought intense winds and flash flooding. In the Toronto area, 81 people were killed, nearly 1,900 families were left homeless, and the hurricane caused more than {{CAD|25000000|year=1954}} in damage.<ref name=hurricane>{{cite web |url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/sos/002028-3200-e.html |title=SOS! Canadian Disasters |publisher=Library and Archives Canada |year=2006 |access-date=December 19, 2008 |website=collectionscanada.gc.ca |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614215507/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/sos/002028-3200-e.html |archive-date=June 14, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[File:Hurricane Hazel -- house2.jpg|thumb|left|Houses uprooted by flooding of the Humber River after [[Hurricane Hazel]] passed through Toronto, 1954]]

In 1967, the seven smallest municipalities of Metropolitan Toronto were merged with larger neighbours, resulting in a six-municipality configuration that included the [[Old Toronto|former city of Toronto]] and the surrounding municipalities of [[East York]], [[Etobicoke]], [[North York]], [[Scarborough, Ontario|Scarborough]], and [[York, Ontario|York]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mathwizurd.com/history/2015/5/8/why-is-toronto-called-the-6 |title=Why is Toronto Called the Six |first=David |last=Witten |year=2016 |access-date=June 2, 2017 |website=mathwizurd.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170506170417/http://www.mathwizurd.com/history/2015/5/8/why-is-toronto-called-the-6 |archive-date=May 6, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In the decades after World War II, refugees from war-torn Europe and Chinese job-seekers arrived, as well as construction labourers, particularly from Italy and Portugal. Toronto's population grew to more than one million in 1951 when large-scale suburbanization began and doubled to two million by 1971. Following the elimination of racially based immigration policies by the late 1960s, Toronto became a destination for immigrants from all over the world. By the 1980s, Toronto had surpassed Montreal as Canada's most populous city and chief economic hub. During this time, in part owing to the political uncertainty raised by the resurgence of the [[Quebec sovereignty movement]], many national and multinational corporations moved their head offices from Montreal to Toronto and [[Western Canada|Western Canadian]] cities.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3683/is_200201/ai_n9069631/pg_1 |title=Westward ho? The shifting geography of corporate power in Canada |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080330145114/http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3683/is_200201/ai_n9069631/pg_1 |archive-date=March 30, 2008 |journal=Journal of Canadian Studies |year=2002 |access-date=January 14, 2007 }}</ref>
[[File:-First Canadian Place under construction-3.jpg|thumb|Construction of [[First Canadian Place]], the operational headquarters of the [[Bank of Montreal]], in 1975]]
On January 1, 1998, Toronto was greatly enlarged, not through traditional [[annexation]]s, but as an [[Merger (politics)|amalgamation]] of the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto and its six lower-tier constituent municipalities: East York, Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough, York, and the original city itself. They were dissolved by an act of the [[Government of Ontario]] and formed into a single-tier City of Toronto (colloquially dubbed the "[[merger (politics)#Canada|megacity]]"), replacing all six governments.

The merger was proposed as a cost-saving measure by the [[Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario|Progressive Conservative]] provincial government under premier [[Mike Harris]]. The announcement touched off vociferous public objections. In March 1997, a [[referendum]] in all six municipalities produced a vote of more than 3:1 against amalgamation.<ref>Chidley, Joe; Hawelshka, Danilo. [http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/torontos-struggle-against-amalgamation/ Toronto's struggle against amalgamation] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191216004153/https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/torontos-struggle-against-amalgamation |date=December 16, 2019 }}. [[Maclean's]], March 17, 1997.</ref> However, municipal governments in Canada are creatures of the provincial governments, and referendums have little to no legal effect. The Harris government could thus legally ignore the referendum results and did so in April when it tabled the ''[[City of Toronto Act]]''. Both [[parliamentary opposition|opposition parties]] [[filibuster#Provincial|held a filibuster]] in the provincial legislature, proposing more than 12,000 amendments that allowed residents on streets of the proposed megacity to take part in public hearings on the merger and adding historical designations to the streets.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/Infoparl/english/issue.asp?param=64&art=75 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130101022300/http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/Infoparl/english/issue.asp?param=64&art=75 |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 1, 2013 |title=Legislative Reports |magazine=Canadian Parliamentary Review }}</ref> This only delayed the bill's inevitable passage, given the Progressive Conservatives' majority.

North York mayor [[Mel Lastman]] became the first "megacity" mayor, and the 62nd mayor of Toronto, with his [[1997 Toronto municipal election|electoral victory]].<ref name="1997 results">{{cite web |url=http://www.toronto.ca/elections/results/results_1997.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021141358/http://www.toronto.ca/elections/results/results_1997.htm |archive-date=October 21, 2012 |title=1997 Toronto general election results |year=1997 |publisher=City of Toronto |access-date=July 12, 2013 }}</ref> Lastman gained national attention after multiple snowstorms, including the January [[North American blizzard of 1999|Blizzard of 1999]], dumped {{convert|118|cm}} of snow and effectively immobilized the city.<ref name="Mel calls in the troops">{{cite news |last=Mansbridge |first=Peter |title=Toronto calls in troops to fight massive snowstorm |url=http://www.cbc.ca/player/Digital+Archives/Environment/Extreme+Weather/ID/1721169786 |access-date=March 8, 2014 |newspaper=CBC News |date=January 13, 1999 |author2=Adrienne Arsenault |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240526234617/https://www.webcitation.org/6Nufp50P5?url=http://www.cbc.ca/player/Digital%20Archives/Environment/Extreme%20Weather/ID/1721169786/ |archive-date=May 26, 2024 |location=Toronto |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://nationalpost.com/feature/when-youre-a-soldier-you-do-what-youre-told-an-oral-history-of-the-time-toronto-called-in-the-army-to-deal-with-the-snow |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20190317160311/https://nationalpost.com/feature/when%2Dyoure%2Da%2Dsoldier%2Dyou%2Ddo%2Dwhat%2Dyoure%2Dtold%2Dan%2Doral%2Dhistory%2Dof%2Dthe%2Dtime%2Dtoronto%2Dcalled%2Din%2Dthe%2Darmy%2Dto%2Ddeal%2Dwith%2Dthe%2Dsnow |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 17, 2019 |title=An oral history of the time Toronto called in the army to deal with the snow |publisher=nationalpost.com |date=January 10, 2019 |access-date=January 18, 2020 }}</ref> He called in the [[Canadian Army]] to aid snow removal by use of their equipment to augment police and emergency services. The move was ridiculed by some in other parts of the country, fuelled in part by what was perceived as a frivolous use of resources.<ref>Barnes, Alan (January 16, 1999). 'World class wimps' receive little sympathy, ''The Toronto Star'', p. A22.</ref><ref name="Megacity Mel Snowstorm critique">
{{cite news |title=Mel Lastman: Selling himself to a city |url=http://www.cbc.ca/toronto/features/mel/megacity_mel.html |access-date=March 8, 2014 |newspaper=CBC News |year=2008 |author=CBC News Staff |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080612130710/http://www.cbc.ca/toronto/features/mel/megacity_mel.html |archive-date=June 12, 2008 |location=Toronto |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===21st century===
[[File:Jasonp blackout2003 toronto UnionStnInt.jpg|thumb|Crowds navigating [[Union Station (Toronto)|Union Station]] during the [[Northeast blackout of 2003]]]]
The city attracted international attention in 2003 when it became the centre of a major [[SARS]] (severe acute respiratory syndrome) outbreak. Public health attempts to prevent the disease from spreading elsewhere temporarily dampened the local economy.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/one-family-went-on-holiday-and-made-toronto-a-global-pariah-116428.html |title=One family went on holiday – and made Toronto a global pariah |last=Laurance |first=Jeremy |date=April 23, 2003 |website=The Independent |access-date=May 22, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180522183931/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/one-family-went-on-holiday-and-made-toronto-a-global-pariah-116428.html |archive-date=May 22, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> From August 14 to 17, 2003, the city was hit by a [[Northeast blackout of 2003|massive blackout]] which affected millions of Torontonians (it also affected most of Southern Ontario and parts of the United States), stranding some hundreds of people in tall buildings, knocking out traffic lights and suspending subway and streetcar service across the city during those aforementioned days.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/779383/blackout-2003-ontario-in-the-dark/ |title=Blackout 2003: Ontario in the dark |website=Global News |access-date=December 9, 2020 |archive-date=April 30, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210430161446/https://globalnews.ca/news/779383/blackout-2003-ontario-in-the-dark/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

On March 6, 2009, the city celebrated the 175th anniversary of its inception as the City of Toronto in 1834. Toronto hosted the [[2010 G20 Toronto summit|4th G20 summit]] during June 26–27, 2010. This included the largest security operation in Canadian history. Following large-scale [[2010 G20 Toronto summit protests|protests]] and rioting, law enforcement arrested more than 1,000 people, the largest mass arrest in Canadian history.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/06/toronto-g20-summit-police-lawsuit-civil-rights-abuses |title=More than 1,000 people detained during G20 summit in Toronto can sue police |work=The Guardian |date=April 7, 2016 |publisher=Guardian News and Media Limited |access-date=July 15, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160717231714/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/06/toronto-g20-summit-police-lawsuit-civil-rights-abuses |archive-date=July 17, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:Tree falls on vehicle - Toronto Ice Storm 2013.jpg|thumb|left|Damage from a fallen tree after the [[December 2013 North American storm complex|December 2013 storm complex]] passed through Toronto]]
On July 8, 2013, severe flash flooding hit Toronto after an afternoon of slow-moving, intense thunderstorms. Toronto Hydro estimated 450,000 people were without power after the storm and Toronto Pearson International Airport reported {{convert|126|mm|0|abbr=on}} of rain had fallen over five hours, more than during Hurricane Hazel.<ref name=Thunderstorm_2013>{{cite news |title=Environment Canada answers the question: Where was Toronto's severe thunderstorm warning? |url=http://globalnews.ca/news/704499/environment-canada-answers-the-question-where-was-torontos-severe-thunderstorm-warning/ |access-date=July 18, 2013 |newspaper=Global Toronto |date=July 9, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130714072223/http://globalnews.ca/news/704499/environment-canada-answers-the-question-where-was-torontos-severe-thunderstorm-warning/ |archive-date=July 14, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> Within six months, from December 20 to 22, 2013, Toronto was brought to a near halt by the worst [[December 2013 North American storm complex|ice storm]] in the city's history, rivalling the severity of the [[January 1998 North American ice storm|1998 Ice Storm]] (which mainly affected southeastern Ontario, and Quebec). At the height of the storm, over 300,000 [[Toronto Hydro]] customers had no electricity or heating.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/12/29/ice_storm_7400_in_toronto_still_without_power.html |title=Ice storm: Toronto Hydro CEO promises power within hours to remaining customers {{pipe}} Toronto Star |work=Thestar.com |date=December 29, 2013 |access-date=February 23, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304200251/http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/12/29/ice_storm_7400_in_toronto_still_without_power.html |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> Toronto hosted [[WorldPride]] in June 2014,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/pridetoronto/2014/06/29/world_pride_12000_marchers_turn_downtown_streets_into_sea_of_colour.html |title=Showing off a world of Pride |work=Toronto Star |date=June 29, 2014 |publisher=Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd. |access-date=July 15, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816162934/https://www.thestar.com/news/pridetoronto/2014/06/29/world_pride_12000_marchers_turn_downtown_streets_into_sea_of_colour.html |archive-date=August 16, 2016 |url-status=live |last1=Mathieu |first1=Emily }}</ref> and the [[Pan American Games|Pan]] and [[Parapan American Games]] in [[2015 Pan American Games|2015]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.toronto2015.org/ |title=Official Site |website=toronto2015.org |publisher=TORONTO 2015 Pan Am / Parapan Am Games |access-date=July 15, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190701222217/http://www.toronto2015.org/ |archive-date=July 1, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The city continues to grow and attract immigrants. A 2019 study by [[Toronto Metropolitan University]] (then known as Ryerson University) showed that Toronto was the fastest-growing city in North America. The city added 77,435 people between July 2017 and July 2018. The Toronto metropolitan area was the second-fastest-growing metropolitan area in North America, adding 125,298 persons, compared with 131,767 in the [[Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex|Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metroplex]] in Texas. The large growth in the Toronto metropolitan area is attributed to international migration to Toronto.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ryerson.ca/cur/Blog/blogentry35/ |title=WOW! Toronto Was the Second Fastest Growing Metropolitan Area and the Top Growing City in All of the United States and Canada |author=Frank Clayton and Hong Yun (Eva) Shi |date=May 31, 2019 |publisher=Centre for Urban Research and Land Development – Ryerson University |access-date=December 6, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191112002805/https://www.ryerson.ca/cur/Blog/blogentry35/ |archive-date=November 12, 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The [[COVID-19 pandemic in Canada]] first occurred in Toronto and was [[COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto|among the hotspots in the country]].<ref name="RC">{{Cite news |url=https://news.ontario.ca/mohltc/en/2020/01/ontario-confirms-first-case-of-wuhan-novel-coronavirus.html |title=Ontario Confirms First Case of Wuhan Novel Coronavirus |date=January 25, 2020 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200129194142/https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1496143/coronavirus-confirmation-2e-cas-toronto |archive-date=January 29, 2020 |publisher=Government of Ontario |language=en }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{cite web |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/tracking-every-case-of-covid-19-in-canada-1.4852102 |title=Tracking every case of COVID-19 in Canada |date=March 13, 2020 |website=Coronavirus |language=en |access-date=March 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200315124205/https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/tracking-every-case-of-covid-19-in-canada-1.4852102 |archive-date=March 15, 2020 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Geography==
{{Main|Geography of Toronto}}
[[File:Toronto by Sentinel-2.jpg|thumb|Satellite image of Toronto and the surrounding area in 2018]]
Toronto covers an area of {{convert|630|km2|sqmi|0}},<ref name=population>[http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census01/products/standard/popdwell/Table-CSD-P.cfm?PR=35&T=2&SR=1&S=3&O=D Population statistics and land area] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070317191603/http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census01/products/standard/popdwell/Table-CSD-P.cfm?PR=35&T=2&SR=1&S=3&O=D |date=March 17, 2007 }}, Statistics Canada (2001). Retrieved December 5, 2006.</ref> with a maximum north–south distance of {{convert|21|km|mi}}. It has a maximum east–west distance of {{convert|43|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}, and it has a {{convert|46|km|mi|0|adj=on}} long [[Toronto waterfront|waterfront]] shoreline, on the northwestern shore of [[Lake Ontario]]. The [[Toronto Islands]] and [[Port Lands]] extend out into the lake, allowing for a somewhat sheltered [[Toronto Harbour]] south of the downtown core.<ref name="northwest">{{cite web |url=http://www.toronto.ca/attractions/getting_here.htm |title=Getting Here |website=toronto.ca |publisher=City of Toronto |access-date=February 14, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070705224859/http://www.toronto.ca/attractions/getting_here.htm |archive-date=July 5, 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref> An Outer Harbour was constructed southeast of downtown during the 1950s and 1960s, and it is now used for recreation. The city's limits are formed by Lake Ontario to the south, the western boundary of [[Marie Curtis Park]], [[Etobicoke Creek]], [[Eglinton Avenue]] and [[Ontario Highway 427|Highway 427]] to the west, [[Steeles Avenue]] to the north and the [[Rouge River (Ontario)|Rouge River]] and the Scarborough–Pickering Townline to the east.

===Topography===
{{further|Toronto ravine system}}
{{More citations needed section|date=July 2016}}
[[File:Leaside Bridge 2023.jpg|thumb|[[Leaside Bridge]] crossing the [[Don River (Ontario)|Don valley ravine]] in 2023. The [[Toronto ravine system]] and its [[Toronto waterway system|waterways]] cut through the city's landscape.]]
The city is mostly flat or gentle hills, and the land gently slopes upward away from the lake.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fortin |first=Marcel |date=2002 |title=Toronto Contours 1 metre intervals |url=https://mdl.library.utoronto.ca/collections/geospatial-data/toronto-contours-1-metre-intervals |access-date=September 4, 2025}}</ref> The flat land is interrupted by the [[Toronto ravine system]], which is cut by numerous creeks and rivers of the [[Toronto waterway system]], most notably the Humber River in the west end, the [[Don River (Ontario)|Don River]] east of downtown (these two rivers flanking and defining the Toronto Harbour), and the Rouge River at the city's eastern limits. Most of the ravines and valley lands in Toronto today are parklands and recreational trails are laid out along the ravines and valleys.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Kao |first=Josie |date=March 7, 2022 |title=The elusive urban forest that lies beneath Toronto |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/the-elusive-urban-forest-that-lies-beneath-toronto |access-date=September 4, 2025 |magazine=[[National Geographic]]}}</ref> The original town was laid out in a [[grid plan]] on the flat plain north of the harbour, and this plan was extended outwards as the city grew. The width and depth of several of the ravines and valleys are such that several grid streets, such as [[Finch Avenue]], [[Leslie Street]], [[Lawrence Avenue]], and [[St. Clair Avenue]], terminate on one side of a ravine or valley and continue on the other side. Toronto has many bridges spanning the ravines. Large bridges such as the [[Prince Edward Viaduct]] were built to span broad river valleys.

Despite its deep ravines, Toronto is not remarkably hilly, but its elevation does increase steadily away from the lake. Elevation differences range from {{convert|76.5|m|ft|0|abbr=}} [[Above mean sea level|above sea level]] at the Lake Ontario shore to {{convert|209|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} above sea level near the [[York University]] grounds in the city's north end at the intersection of [[Keele Street]] and Steeles Avenue.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/data-research-maps/toronto-at-a-glance/ |title=City of Toronto: Toronto at a Glance, Geography |website=Toronto.ca |date=November 14, 2017 |publisher=City of Toronto |access-date=March 7, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180425115350/https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/data-research-maps/toronto-at-a-glance/ |archive-date=April 25, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> There are occasional hilly areas; in particular, [[Midtown, Toronto|midtown Toronto]], as well as the [[Silverthorn, Toronto|Silverthorn]] and [[Fairbank, Toronto|Fairbank]] neighbourhoods, have several sharply sloping hills. Lake Ontario remains occasionally visible from the peaks of these ridges as far north as Eglinton Avenue, {{convert|7|to|8|km|mi}} inland.
[[File:Topographical Map of Toronto.png|thumb|left|upright=1.2|Topographical map of Toronto. The terrain elevation increases steadily away from the shoreline.]]
The other major geographical feature of Toronto is its escarpments. During the [[Last Glacial Period|last ice age]], the lower part of Toronto was beneath [[Glacial Lake Iroquois]]. Today, a series of [[escarpment]]s mark the lake's former boundary, known as the "Iroquois Shoreline". The escarpments are most prominent from [[Victoria Park Avenue]] to the mouth of [[Highland Creek (Toronto)|Highland Creek]], where they form the [[Scarborough Bluffs]]. Other observable sections include the area near St. Clair Avenue West between [[Bathurst Street (Toronto)|Bathurst Street]] and the Don River, and north of [[Davenport Road]] from Caledonia to [[Spadina Avenue|Spadina Road]]; the [[Casa Loma]] grounds sit above this escarpment.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.blogto.com/city/2012/07/a_brief_history_of_the_lake_iroquois_shoreline_in_toronto/ |title=A brief history of the Lake Iroquois shoreline in Toronto |website=www.blogto.com |language=en |access-date=April 28, 2020 |archive-date=April 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200414000450/https://www.blogto.com/city/2012/07/a_brief_history_of_the_lake_iroquois_shoreline_in_toronto/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The geography of the lakeshore has dramatically changed since the first settlement of Toronto. Much of the land on the harbour's north shore is landfill, filled in during the late 19th century. Until then, the lakefront docks (then known as wharves) were set back farther inland than today. Much of the adjacent Port Lands on the harbour's east side was a [[wetland]] filled in early in the 20th century.<ref name="utoronto1">{{cite web |url=http://maps.library.utoronto.ca/dvhmp/ashbridges-bay.html |title=Don River Valley Historical Mapping Project |publisher=Maps.library.utoronto.ca |access-date=July 14, 2016 |archive-date=May 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160524162113/http://maps.library.utoronto.ca/dvhmp/ashbridges-bay.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The shoreline from the harbour west to the Humber River has been extended into the lake. Further west, landfill has been used to create extensions of land such as Humber Bay Park.
[[File:Views from the CN Tower Laslovarga (20).JPG|thumb|View of the [[Toronto Islands]], an island chain that bounds [[Toronto Harbour#Inner Harbour|Toronto's Inner Harbour]]]]
The Toronto Islands were a natural peninsula until a storm in 1858 severed their connection to the mainland,<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://nowtoronto.com/news/tempestuous-isle/ |title=Tempestuous isle: A tragic history of Toronto Islands |last=Longley |first=Richard |date=September 14, 2017 |work=NOW Magazine |access-date=February 14, 2018 |language=en-us |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180215084610/https://nowtoronto.com/news/tempestuous-isle/ |archive-date=February 15, 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> creating a channel to the harbour. The peninsula was formed by [[longshore drift]] taking the sediments deposited along the Scarborough Bluffs shore and transporting them to the Islands area.

The other source of sediment for the Port Lands wetland and the peninsula was the deposition of the Don River, which carved a wide valley through the sedimentary land of Toronto and deposited it in the shallow harbour. The harbour and the channel of the Don River have been dredged numerous times for shipping. The lower section of the Don River was straightened and channelled in the 19th century. The former mouth drained into a wetland; today, the Don River drains into the harbour through a concrete waterway, the [[Keating Channel]]. To mitigate flooding in the area, as well as to create parkland, a second more natural mouth was built to the south during the first half of the 2020s, thereby creating a new island, [[Ookwemin Minising]].

===Neighbourhoods and former municipalities===
{{main|History of neighbourhoods in Toronto|List of neighbourhoods in Toronto}}
[[File:Toronto map.png|thumb|Map of Toronto with major traffic routes. Also shown are the limits of [[Metropolitan Toronto|six former municipalities]], which form the current City of Toronto.]]

Toronto encompasses an area formerly administered by several separate municipalities that were amalgamated over the years. Each developed a distinct history and identity over the years, and their names remain in common use among Torontonians. Former municipalities include East York, Etobicoke, [[Forest Hill, Toronto|Forest Hill]], [[Mimico]], North York, [[Parkdale, Toronto|Parkdale]], Scarborough, [[Swansea, Toronto|Swansea]], [[Weston, Toronto|Weston]] and York. Throughout the city, there exist hundreds of small neighbourhoods and some larger neighbourhoods covering a few square kilometres.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}

The many residential communities of Toronto express a character distinct from the skyscrapers in the commercial core. [[Victorian era|Victorian]] and [[Edwardian era|Edwardian-era]] residential buildings can be found in enclaves such as [[Rosedale, Toronto|Rosedale]], [[Cabbagetown, Toronto|Cabbagetown]], [[The Annex]], and [[Yorkville, Toronto|Yorkville]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Edwardian Residential Architecture In Toronto – Urbaneer – Toronto Real Estate, Blog, Condos, Homes |url=https://www.urbaneer.com/blog/edwardian_residential_architecture_in_toronto |access-date=April 4, 2021 |website=www.urbaneer.com |archive-date=April 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413163101/https://www.urbaneer.com/blog/edwardian_residential_architecture_in_toronto |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Wychwood Park]] neighbourhood, historically significant for the architecture of its homes, and for being one of Toronto's earliest planned communities, was designated as an Ontario Heritage Conservation district in 1985.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.torontoneighbourhoods.net/neighbourhoods/midtown/wychwood-park/history |title=History of Wychwood Park |website=torontoneighbourhoods.net |publisher=Maple Tree Publishing |access-date=July 16, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160822005638/http://www.torontoneighbourhoods.net/neighbourhoods/midtown/wychwood-park/history |archive-date=August 22, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[Casa Loma (neighbourhood)|Casa Loma]] neighbourhood is named after "Casa Loma", a castle built in 1911 by [[Henry Pellatt|Sir Henry Pellat]], complete with gardens, turrets, stables, an elevator, secret passages, and a bowling alley.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.casaloma.org/ |title=Casa Loma |website=casaloma.org |publisher=Liberty Entertainment Group |access-date=July 16, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160712101236/http://www.casaloma.org/ |archive-date=July 12, 2016 |url-status=usurped }}</ref> [[Spadina House]] is a 19th-century [[Manor house|manor]] that is now a museum.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=919d2271635af310VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD |title=Spadina Museum: Historic House & Gardens |website=toronto.ca |publisher=City of Toronto |access-date=July 16, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160704082331/http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=919d2271635af310VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD |archive-date=July 4, 2016 }}</ref>

====Old Toronto====
[[File:Cabbagetown houses.jpg|thumb|[[Victorian architecture|Victorian]]-era [[Bay-and-gable]] houses are a distinct architectural [[List of house types|style of residence]] that is ubiquitous throughout the older neighbourhoods of Toronto.]]
The pre-amalgamation City of Toronto covers the downtown core and older neighbourhoods to the east, west, and north. It is the most densely populated part of the city. The Financial District contains the [[First Canadian Place]], [[Toronto-Dominion Centre]], [[Scotia Plaza]], [[Royal Bank Plaza]], [[Commerce Court]] and [[Brookfield Place (Toronto)|Brookfield Place]]. This area includes, among others, the neighbourhoods of [[St. James Town]], [[Garden District, Toronto|Garden District]], [[St. Lawrence, Toronto|St. Lawrence]], [[Corktown, Toronto|Corktown]], and [[Church and Wellesley]]. From that point, the Toronto skyline extends northward along Yonge Street.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}

Old Toronto is also home to many historically wealthy residential enclaves, such as [[Yorkville, Toronto|Yorkville]], Rosedale, The Annex, Forest Hill, [[Lawrence Park, Toronto|Lawrence Park]], [[Lytton Park]], [[Deer Park, Toronto|Deer Park]], [[Moore Park, Toronto|Moore Park]], and Casa Loma, most stretching away from downtown to the north.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}
East and west of downtown, neighbourhoods such as [[Kensington Market]], [[Chinatown, Toronto|Chinatown]], [[Leslieville]], [[Cabbagetown, Toronto|Cabbagetown]] and [[Riverdale, Toronto|Riverdale]] are home to bustling commercial and cultural areas as well as communities of artists with studio lofts, with many middle- and upper-class professionals.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}
Other neighbourhoods in the central city retain an ethnic identity, including two smaller Chinatowns, the [[Greektown, Toronto|Greektown]] area, [[Little Italy, Toronto|Little Italy]], [[Little Portugal, Toronto|Portugal Village]], and [[Gerrard Street (Toronto)|Little India]], among others.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Usmani |first=Zain |date=March 27, 2023 |title=Toronto Neighbourhoods {{!}} Ethnic Enclaves to Discover - Prepare For Canada |url=https://www.prepareforcanada.com/before-you-arrive/settling-in-canada/toronto-neighbourhoods-ethnic-enclaves-to-discover/ |access-date=April 10, 2023 |website=www.prepareforcanada.com |language=en-US |archive-date=April 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230410051934/https://www.prepareforcanada.com/before-you-arrive/settling-in-canada/toronto-neighbourhoods-ethnic-enclaves-to-discover/ |url-status=live }}</ref><!--There is no need to list every ethnic enclave in Toronto; see [[List of neighbourhoods in Toronto]] instead-->

====Suburbs====
[[File:Crescent Town 2022.jpg|thumb|[[Crescent Town]] and the surrounding area from the air. Crescent Town was a post-World War II suburban neighbourhood developed in [[East York]].]]
The inner suburbs are contained within the former municipalities of York and East York.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Toronto: A Tale Of Three Cities {{!}} Smart Cities Dive |url=https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/ex/sustainablecitiescollective/toronto-tale-three-cities/1217926/ |access-date=April 4, 2021 |website=www.smartcitiesdive.com |language=en-US |archive-date=May 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210513024529/https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/ex/sustainablecitiescollective/toronto-tale-three-cities/1217926/ |url-status=live }}</ref> These are mature and traditionally working-class areas, consisting primarily of post–World War I small, single-family homes and small apartment blocks.<ref name=":0" /> Neighbourhoods such as [[Crescent Town]], [[Thorncliffe Park]], [[Flemingdon Park]], Weston, and [[Oakwood Village]] consist mainly of high-rise apartments, which are home to many new immigrant families. During the 2000s, many neighbourhoods became ethnically diverse and underwent [[gentrification]] due to increasing population and a housing boom during the late 1990s and the early 21st century. The first neighbourhoods affected were [[Leaside]] and [[North Toronto]], gradually progressing into the western neighbourhoods in York.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}
[[File:York after sunset (2855524410).jpg|thumb|In an attempt to curb [[urban sprawl|suburban sprawl]], many suburban neighbourhoods in Toronto encouraged high-density populations by mixing housing lots with apartment buildings far from the downtown core.]]
The outer suburbs comprising the former municipalities of Etobicoke (west), Scarborough (east) and North York (north) largely retain the grid plan laid before post-war development.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 23, 2013 |title=Quick comparisons between Toronto's and Chicago's street grids |url=http://spacing.ca/toronto/2013/10/23/torontos-and-chicagos-street-grids/ |access-date=April 4, 2021 |website=Spacing Toronto |language=en-US |archive-date=May 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508013119/https://spacing.ca/toronto/2013/10/23/torontos-and-chicagos-street-grids/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Sections were long established and quickly growing towns before the suburban housing boom began and the emergence of metropolitan government, existing towns or villages such as Mimico, [[Islington-City Centre West|Islington]] and [[New Toronto]] in Etobicoke; [[Willowdale, Toronto|Willowdale]], [[Newtonbrook]] and [[Downsview]] in North York; [[Agincourt, Toronto|Agincourt]], [[Wexford, Toronto|Wexford]] and [[West Hill, Toronto|West Hill]] in Scarborough where suburban development boomed around or between these and other towns beginning in the late 1940s. Upscale neighbourhoods were built, such as the [[Bridle Path, Toronto|Bridle Path]] in North York, the area surrounding the Scarborough Bluffs in [[Guildwood]], and most of central Etobicoke, such as [[Humber Valley Village]], and [[The Kingsway, Toronto|The Kingsway]]. One of the largest and earliest "planned communities" was [[Don Mills]], parts of which were first built in the 1950s.<ref>{{cite news |title=Plan town of 45,000 on Don Mills farms; Will cost 10,000,000 |first=Paul L. |last=Fox |newspaper=[[Toronto Star]] |date=March 12, 1953 |page=3 }}</ref> Phased development, mixing single-detached housing with higher-density apartment blocks, became more popular as a suburban model of development. During the late 20th century, [[North York City Centre]] and [[Scarborough City Centre]] developed separate downtown districts outside Downtown Toronto after the former boroughs were promoted to cities.<ref name="CHRON">{{cite web |url=http://www.torontofamilyhistory.org/chronology.html |title=Toronto Chronology |publisher=Ontario Genealogy Society – Toronto Branch |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929044646/http://www.torontofamilyhistory.org/chronology.html |archive-date=September 29, 2007 }}</ref> High-rise development in these areas has given these former municipalities distinguishable skylines of their own, with high-density transit corridors serving them; some of these [[Transit-oriented development|developments are also transit-oriented]].{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}

====Industrial====
[[File:Toronto's Distillery District in 2023 (52716109425).jpg|thumb|The [[Distillery District]] holds the most extensive collection of preserved Victorian industrial architecture in North America.]]
In the 1800s, a thriving industrial area developed around Toronto Harbour and the lower Don River mouth, linked by rail and water to Canada and the United States. Examples included the Gooderham and Worts Distillery, Canadian Malting Company, the Toronto Rolling Mills, the Union Stockyards and the [[William Davies Company|Davies pork processing facility]] (the inspiration for the "Hogtown" nickname).<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Matthews |first1=Geoffrey J. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tWkxht1Oa8EC&q=In+the+1800s%2C+a+thriving+industrial+area+developed+around+Toronto+Harbour&pg=PA162 |title=Historical Atlas of Canada: The land transformed, 1800–1891 |last2=Measner |first2=Don |date=January 1, 1987 |publisher=University of Toronto Press |isbn=978-0-8020-3447-2 |language=en |access-date=April 12, 2021 |archive-date=September 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230914171830/https://books.google.com/books?id=tWkxht1Oa8EC&q=In+the+1800s%2C+a+thriving+industrial+area+developed+around+Toronto+Harbour&pg=PA162 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=R |first=Thais |title=Why Is Toronto Called Hogtown? |url=https://newcanadianlife.com/why-is-toronto-called-hogtown/ |access-date=April 4, 2021 |website=New Canadian Life |language=en-US |archive-date=May 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210513025145/https://newcanadianlife.com/why-is-toronto-called-hogtown/ |url-status=live }}</ref> This industrial area expanded west along the harbour and rail lines and was supplemented by the infilling of the marshlands on the east side of the harbour to create the Port Lands. A garment industry developed along lower Spadina Avenue, the "[[Fashion District, Toronto|Fashion District]]". Beginning in the late 19th century, industrial areas were set up on the outskirts, such as [[The Junction|West Toronto / The Junction]], where the Stockyards relocated in 1903.<ref name="stockyards">{{cite web |url=http://torontohistory.net/junction-stockyards.html |title=Junction Stockyards |website=torontohistory.net |publisher=Toronto Historical Association |access-date=September 13, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170914035408/http://torontohistory.net/junction-stockyards.html |archive-date=September 14, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Great Fire of 1904 destroyed a large amount of industry in the downtown. Some companies moved west along King Street, and some moved as far west as Dufferin Street, where the large [[Massey-Harris]] farm equipment manufacturing complex was located.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.blogto.com/city/2011/08/what_king_west_looked_like_in_the_1980s/ |title=What King West looked like in the 1980s |website=blogTO |first=Derek |last=Flack |date=August 24, 2011 |access-date=September 13, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170914035602/http://www.blogto.com/city/2011/08/what_king_west_looked_like_in_the_1980s/ |archive-date=September 14, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Over time, pockets of industrial land mostly followed rail lines and later highway corridors as the city grew outwards. This trend continues to this day; the largest factories and distribution warehouses are in the suburban environs of [[Regional Municipality of Peel|Peel]] and [[Regional Municipality of York|York]] Regions, but also within the current city: Etobicoke (concentrated around [[Toronto Pearson International Airport|Pearson Airport]]), North York, and Scarborough.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}
[[File:Skyline,_2013_09_14_(17).JPG|thumb|left|The [[West Don Lands]] is a [[brownfield land|former industrial site]] in downtown Toronto that has undergone redevelopment.]]
Many of Toronto's [[Brownfield land|former industrial sites]] close to (or in) downtown have been redeveloped, including parts of the Toronto waterfront, the rail yards west of downtown, and [[Liberty Village]], the Massey-Harris district and large-scale development is underway in the [[West Don Lands]].{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}
The Gooderham & Worts Distillery produced spirits until 1990 and is preserved today as the "Distillery District", the largest and best-preserved collection of [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]] industrial architecture in North America.{{sfn|Gibson|2008}} Some industry remains in the area, including the [[Redpath Sugar Refinery]]. Similar areas that retain their industrial character but are now largely residential are the Fashion District, Corktown, and parts of South Riverdale and Leslieville. Toronto still has some active older industrial areas, such as [[Brockton Village]], Mimico and New Toronto. In the west end of Old Toronto and York, the Weston/[[Mount Dennis]] and The Junction areas still contain factories, meat-packing facilities and rail yards close to medium-density residential. However, the Junction's Union Stockyards moved out of Toronto in 1994.<ref name="stockyards"/>

The brownfield industrial area of the Port Lands, on the east side of the harbour, is one area planned for redevelopment.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=6e75397250b16410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD&vgnextchannel=ae9352cc66061410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD |title=Port Lands Acceleration Initiative – City Planning – Your City |publisher=City of Toronto |language=en-CA |access-date=February 4, 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170205181727/http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=6e75397250b16410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD&vgnextchannel=ae9352cc66061410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD |archive-date=February 5, 2017 }}</ref> Formerly a marsh that was filled in to create industrial space, it was never intensely developed&mdash;its land unsuitable for large-scale development&mdash;because of flooding and unstable soil.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://leslievillehistory.com/timeline-ashbridges-bay/ |title=Ashbridge's Bay |date=April 13, 2015 |newspaper=Leslieville Historical Society |language=en-US |access-date=February 4, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170205100926/https://leslievillehistory.com/timeline-ashbridges-bay/ |archive-date=February 5, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
It still contains numerous industrial uses, such as the [[Portlands Energy Centre]] power plant, port facilities, movie and television production studios, concrete processing facilities, and low-density industrial facilities. The [[Waterfront Toronto]] agency has developed plans for a naturalized mouth to the Don River and to create a flood barrier around the Don, making more of the land on the harbour suitable for higher-value residential and commercial development.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://urbantoronto.ca/news/2015/07/city-announces-next-steps-port-lands-revitalization |title=City Announces Next Steps in Port Lands Revitalization {{!}} Urban Toronto |website=urbantoronto.ca |language=en |access-date=February 4, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170205101158/http://urbantoronto.ca/news/2015/07/city-announces-next-steps-port-lands-revitalization |archive-date=February 5, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
A former chemicals plant site along the Don River is slated to become a large commercial complex and transportation hub.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://eastharbour.ca/ |title=East Harbour |website=eastharbour.ca |publisher=First Gulf |access-date=September 13, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170914035711/http://eastharbour.ca/ |archive-date=September 14, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== Architecture ===
{{Main|Architecture of Toronto}}
{{See also|List of oldest buildings and structures in Toronto|List of tallest buildings in Toronto}}
[[File:Sharp_Centre_for_Design.jpg|thumb|right|The Rosalie Sharp Centre for Design, an extension of [[OCAD University]]'s main building]]
Toronto's buildings vary in design and age, with many structures dating back to the early 19th century, while other prominent buildings were just newly built in the first decade of the 21st century.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Takhar |first=Jas |date=February 12, 2020 |title=The History of Toronto Architecture |url=https://medium.com/@jastakhar13/the-history-of-toronto-architecture-6f7dbbf1ff3a |access-date=April 4, 2021 |website=Medium |language=en |archive-date=May 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210513021930/https://medium.com/@jastakhar13/the-history-of-toronto-architecture-6f7dbbf1ff3a |url-status=live }}</ref> Lawrence Richards, a member of the Faculty of Architecture at the [[University of Toronto]], has said, "Toronto is a new, brash, rag-tag place—a big mix of periods and styles."<ref>{{cite web |title=Toronto Architecture |url=http://www.where.ca/Toronto/article_feature~listing_id~95.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111101083629/http://www.where.ca/Toronto/article_feature~listing_id~95.htm |archive-date=November 1, 2011 }}</ref> [[Bay-and-gable]] houses, mainly found in Old Toronto, are a distinct architectural feature of the city.

Toronto is a city with a substantial amount of skyscrapers and high-rise buildings. The city has [[List of tallest buildings in Toronto|106 skyscrapers]] taller than {{convert|150|m|ft|0}}, the [[List of cities with the most skyscrapers|16th-most]] in the world and the most in Canada by far.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cities by Number of 150m+ Buildings |url=https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/cities |access-date=September 13, 2025 |publisher=[[Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat]]}}</ref> There are currently three "[[supertall]]" skyscrapers (taller than {{convert|300|m|ft|0}}) under construction in the city, and more have been approved.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Roche |first=Daniel Jonas |date=May 2, 2025 |title='Build Baby Build': Ten projects by BIG, Frank Gehry, Studio Gang, and others reshaping Toronto's skyline |url=https://www.archpaper.com/2025/05/ten-projects-toronto-reshaping-skyline/ |access-date=September 13, 2025 |magazine=[[The Architect's Newspaper]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Vega |first=Manuela |date=April 25, 2024 |title='Supertall' buildings coming to Toronto + Trudeau slams Poilievre for not denouncing Alex Jones endorsement |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/morning-digest/supertall-buildings-coming-to-toronto-trudeau-slams-poilievre-for-not-denouncing-alex-jones-endorsement/article_5a7d044a-02f0-11ef-a52f-b3de5eeba8f2.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240425121033/https://www.thestar.com/news/morning-digest/supertall-buildings-coming-to-toronto-trudeau-slams-poilievre-for-not-denouncing-alex-jones-endorsement/article_5a7d044a-02f0-11ef-a52f-b3de5eeba8f2.html |archive-date=April 25, 2024 |access-date=September 13, 2025 |work=[[Toronto Star]]}}</ref> Defining the Toronto skyline is the [[CN Tower]], a telecommunications and tourism hub. Completed in 1976 at a height of {{convert|553.33|m|ftin}}, it was the world's tallest<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080124080732/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070913/cn_tower_070913/20070913?hub=SciTech Dubai building surpasses CN Tower in height], [[CTV Television Network]] (2007); retrieved September 13, 2007.</ref> freestanding structure until 2007 when it was surpassed by [[Burj Khalifa]] in [[Dubai]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Taylor |first1=Bill |date=September 13, 2007 |title=CN Tower no longer world's tallest |work=Toronto Star |publisher=Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd. |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2007/09/13/cn_tower_no_longer_worlds_tallest.html |url-status=live |access-date=July 16, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816175733/https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2007/09/13/cn_tower_no_longer_worlds_tallest.html |archive-date=August 16, 2016 }}</ref>
[[File:Sunset Toronto Skyline Panorama Crop from Snake Island.jpg|thumb|Sunset Toronto Skyline]]
Through the 1960s and 1970s, significant pieces of Toronto's architectural heritage were demolished to make way for redevelopment or parking. In contrast, since 2000, amid the [[Canadian property bubble]], Toronto has experienced a condo construction boom and architectural revival, with several buildings opened by world-renowned architects. [[Daniel Libeskind]]'s [[Royal Ontario Museum]] addition, [[Frank Gehry]]'s remake of the [[Art Gallery of Ontario]], and [[Will Alsop]]'s distinctive [[OCAD University]] expansion are among the city's new showpieces.<ref>{{cite web |year=2005 |title=Toronto's Cultural Renaissance |url=http://www.livewithculture.ca/livewithculture_ca/about/cultural_renaissance_projects/toronto_s_cultural_renaissance |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071111050849/http://www.livewithculture.ca/livewithculture_ca/about/cultural_renaissance_projects/toronto_s_cultural_renaissance |archive-date=November 11, 2007 |website=livewithculture.ca |publisher=City of Toronto }}</ref> The mid-1800s Distillery District, on the eastern edge of downtown, has been redeveloped into a pedestrian-oriented arts, culture and entertainment neighbourhood.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Distillery Historic District |url=http://www.toronto.com/things-to-do/the-distillery-historic-district/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160711164809/http://www.toronto.com/things-to-do/the-distillery-historic-district/ |archive-date=July 11, 2016 |access-date=July 16, 2016 |website=Toronto.com }}</ref> This construction boom has some observers call the phenomenon the [[Manhattanization]] of Toronto after [[Manhattan|the densely built island borough]] of New York City.<ref>{{cite news |last=Alcoba |first=Natalie |date=August 27, 2014 |title=Toronto's 'Manhattanization': Downtown development growing at 'mind blowing' rate |newspaper=[[National Post]] |url=https://nationalpost.com/news/toronto/torontos-manhattanization-downtown-office-development-growing-at-mind-blowing-rate |access-date=June 28, 2015 |archive-date=August 6, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160806192737/http://news.nationalpost.com/toronto/torontos-manhattanization-downtown-office-development-growing-at-mind-blowing-rate |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Climate ===
{{further|Geography of Toronto#Climate}}
{{climate chart
| Toronto
|-6.7|-0.3|64.6
|-6.0|0.6|53.9
|-1.8|5.1|52.8
|3.9|11.7|78.0
|10.0|18.8|76.4
|15.3|24.2|81.6
|18.1|27.0|76.5
|17.7|26.1|71.9
|13.8|22.0|69.4
|7.7|14.6|69.1
|2.3|8.1|70.8
|-2.7|2.6|57.8
|float=left
|clear=none
|source = Environment Canada<ref name= "Toronto (City)">{{cite web |publisher=[[Environment and Climate Change Canada]] |url=https://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate_normals/results_1991_2020_e.html?searchType=stnName_1991&txtStationName_1991=toronto&searchMethod=contains&txtCentralLatMin=0&txtCentralLatSec=0&txtCentralLongMin=0&txtCentralLongSec=0&stnID=207000000&dispBack=1 |title=Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 |date=March 27, 2024 |access-date=May 6, 2024 |archive-date=May 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240506192751/https://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate_normals/results_1991_2020_e.html?searchType=stnName_1991&txtStationName_1991=toronto&searchMethod=contains&txtCentralLatMin=0&txtCentralLatSec=0&txtCentralLongMin=0&txtCentralLongSec=0&stnID=207000000&dispBack=1 |url-status=live }}</ref>
}}
The city of Toronto has a hot summer [[humid continental climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Dfa''),<ref name="Peel">{{cite journal |last1=Peel |first1=M. C. |last2=Finlayson |first2=B. L. |last3=McMahon |first3=T. A. |year=2007 |title=Updated world map of the Köppen–Geiger climate classification |url=http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/11/1633/2007/hess-11-1633-2007.pdf |url-status=live |journal=Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. |volume=11 |issue=5 |pages=1633–1644 |bibcode=2007HESS...11.1633P |doi=10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007 |issn=1027-5606 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120203170339/http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/11/1633/2007/hess-11-1633-2007.pdf |archive-date=February 3, 2012 |access-date=May 5, 2015 |doi-access=free }}</ref> though was on the threshold of a warm summer humid continental climate (''Dfb'') until the 20th century due to the [[urban heat island]] but still found in the [[Greater Toronto Area|metropolitan region]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=World Map of Köppen-Geiger climate classification – 1971–2000 normals |url=http://koeppen-geiger.vu-wien.ac.at/pdf/1976-2000.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171215192309/http://koeppen-geiger.vu-wien.ac.at/pdf/1976-2000.pdf |archive-date=December 15, 2017 |access-date=June 10, 2019 |website=koeppen-geiger.vu-wien.ac.at |language=en }}</ref> with warm, humid summers and cold winters. According to the classification applied by [[Natural Resources Canada]], the city of Toronto is in plant hardiness zone 7a. Some suburbs and nearby towns have lower zone ratings.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Government of Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service |title=Canada's Plant Hardiness Site |url=http://www.planthardiness.gc.ca/?m=22&lang=en&prov=Ontario&val=T |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305141609/http://www.planthardiness.gc.ca/?m=22&lang=en&prov=Ontario&val=T |archive-date=March 5, 2016 |access-date=June 7, 2016 |website=Planthardiness.gc.ca }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=Government of Canada, [[Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada]] |title=Plant Hardiness Zones of Canada |url=http://www.agr.gc.ca/atlas/agpv?webmap-en=78529700717d4cab81c13e9f9404ef10&webmap-fr=c1b454842d3748b0bb0807d7817d34c2 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170727145343/http://www.agr.gc.ca/atlas/agpv?webmap-en=78529700717d4cab81c13e9f9404ef10&webmap-fr=c1b454842d3748b0bb0807d7817d34c2 |archive-date=July 27, 2017 |access-date=July 11, 2017 |website=agr.gc.ca }}</ref>

The city experiences four distinct seasons, with considerable variance in length.<ref name="climatedriverv1">{{cite web |year=2011 |title=What are we studying and why? |url=http://www1.toronto.ca/city_of_toronto/environment_and_energy/key_priorities/files/pdf/tfwcds-chapter1.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150820183936/http://www1.toronto.ca/city_of_toronto/environment_and_energy/key_priorities/files/pdf/tfwcds-chapter1.pdf |archive-date=August 20, 2015 |access-date=September 20, 2015 |work=Toronto's Future Weather and Climate Driver Study |publisher=City of Toronto }}</ref> As a result of the rapid passage of weather systems (such as high- and low-pressure systems), the weather is variable from day to day in all seasons.<ref name="climatedriverv1" /> Owing to urbanization and its proximity to water, Toronto has a fairly low [[Diurnal temperature variation|diurnal temperature range]]. The denser urbanscape makes for warmer nights year-round; the average nighttime temperature is about {{convert|3.0|C-change|1}} warmer in the city than in rural areas in all months.<ref name="climatedriverv3">{{cite web |year=2011 |title=Why is Weather in Toronto the way it is? |url=http://www1.toronto.ca/city_of_toronto/environment_and_energy/key_priorities/files/pdf/tfwcds-chapter3.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150820183939/http://www1.toronto.ca/city_of_toronto/environment_and_energy/key_priorities/files/pdf/tfwcds-chapter3.pdf |archive-date=August 20, 2015 |access-date=September 20, 2015 |work=Toronto's Future Weather and Climate Driver Study |publisher=City of Toronto }}</ref> However, it can be noticeably cooler on many spring and early summer afternoons under the influence of a lake breeze, since Lake Ontario is cool relative to the air during these seasons.<ref name="climatedriverv3" /> These lake breezes mostly occur in summer, bringing relief on hot days.<ref name="climatedriverv3" /> Other low-scale maritime effects on the climate include [[lake-effect snow]], fog, and delaying of spring- and fall-like conditions, known as [[seasonal lag]].<ref name="climatedriverv3" />

Winters are cold, with frequent snow.<ref name="climate">{{cite web |title=Weather Expectations |url=http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=0d14c76aa6b12310VgnVCM1000003dd60f89RCRD&vgnextchannel=a48832d0b6d1e310VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150909015931/http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=0d14c76aa6b12310VgnVCM1000003dd60f89RCRD&vgnextchannel=a48832d0b6d1e310VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD |archive-date=September 9, 2015 |access-date=September 20, 2015 |publisher=City of Toronto }}</ref> During the winter months, temperatures are usually below {{convert|0|C|F|0|abbr=on}}.<ref name="climate" /> Toronto winters sometimes feature cold snaps when maximum temperatures remain below {{convert|-10|C|F|0|abbr=on}}, often made to feel colder by [[wind chill]]. Occasionally, they can drop below {{convert|-25|C|F|0|abbr=on}}.<ref name="climate" /> Snowstorms, sometimes mixed with ice and rain, can disrupt work and travel schedules while accumulating snow can fall anytime from November until mid-April. However, mild stretches also occur in most winters, melting accumulated snow. The summer months are characterized by very warm temperatures.<ref name="climate" /> Daytime temperatures are usually above {{convert|20|C|F|0|abbr=on}}, and often rise above {{convert|30|C|F|0|abbr=on}}.<ref name="climate" /> However, they can occasionally surpass {{convert|35|C|F|0|abbr=on}} accompanied by high humidity. Spring and autumn are transitional seasons with generally mild or cool temperatures with alternating dry and wet periods.<ref name="climatedriverv3" /> Daytime temperatures average around {{convert|10|to|12|C|F|0|abbr=on}} during these seasons.<ref name="climate" />
[[File:NorthYorkIceStorm2.JPG|thumb|Winters in Toronto are typically cold with frequent snowfall.]]
Precipitation is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year, but summer is usually the wettest season, the bulk falling during thunderstorms. The average yearly precipitation is {{convert|822.7|mm|in|1|abbr=on}}, with an average annual snowfall of {{convert|121.5|cm|in|0|abbr=on}}.<ref name="annex" /> Toronto experiences an average of 2,066 sunshine hours or 45 per cent of daylight hours, varying between a low of 28 per cent in December to 60 per cent in July.<ref name="annex" />

Climate change has affected Toronto, and as a consequence, the Toronto City Council declared a climate emergency, setting a net-zero carbon emissions target by 2040 through the [[TransformTO]] climate action plan.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chief |first=David Rider City Hall Bureau |date=September 26, 2019 |title=City of Toronto aiming to be carbon neutral by 2050 or earlier |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/city-hall/city-of-toronto-aiming-to-be-carbon-neutral-by-2050-or-earlier/article_9faeac39-90c6-59bf-a7b7-d7780b4db815.html |access-date=January 3, 2024 |website=Toronto Star |language=en |archive-date=January 3, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240103182047/https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/city-hall/city-of-toronto-aiming-to-be-carbon-neutral-by-2050-or-earlier/article_9faeac39-90c6-59bf-a7b7-d7780b4db815.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The highest temperature ever recorded in Toronto was {{convert|40.6|C|0}} on July 8, 9 and 10, 1936,<ref name= "July 1936">{{cite web |publisher=[[Environment and Climate Change Canada|Environment Canada]] |url=https://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate_data/daily_data_e.html?hlyRange=1953-01-01%7C1969-05-31&dlyRange=1840-03-01%7C2017-04-27&mlyRange=1840-01-01%7C2006-12-01&StationID=5051&Prov=ON&urlExtension=_e.html&searchType=stnName&optLimit=specDate&StartYear=1840&EndYear=2024&selRowPerPage=25&Line=0&searchMethod=contains&Month=7&Day=5&txtStationName=toronto&timeframe=2&Year=1936 |title=Daily Data Report for July 1936 |work=Canadian Climate Data |date=March 27, 2024 |access-date=May 6, 2024 |archive-date=May 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240506212752/https://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate_data/daily_data_e.html?hlyRange=1953-01-01%7C1969-05-31&dlyRange=1840-03-01%7C2017-04-27&mlyRange=1840-01-01%7C2006-12-01&StationID=5051&Prov=ON&urlExtension=_e.html&searchType=stnName&optLimit=specDate&StartYear=1840&EndYear=2024&selRowPerPage=25&Line=0&searchMethod=contains&Month=7&Day=5&txtStationName=toronto&timeframe=2&Year=1936 |url-status=live }}</ref> during the [[1936 North American heat wave]]. The coldest temperature ever recorded was {{convert|-32.8|C|0}} on January 10, 1859.<ref name= "Toronto (City)" />

{{Toronto weatherbox}}

=== Parks ===
{{See also|List of Toronto parks}}
{{More citations needed section|date=July 2016}}
[[File:Finch Meandor with Rouge River.jpg|thumb|[[Rouge National Urban Park]] is a [[National parks of Canada|national park]] in [[Scarborough, Ontario|Scarborough]].]]
[[File:Toronto City Hall (25383892988).jpg|thumb|[[Nathan Phillips Square]] is the city's main square. The square includes a reflecting pool that is converted into an [[ice rink]] during the winter.]]

Toronto has diverse public spaces, from city squares to public parks overlooking ravines. [[Nathan Phillips Square]] is the city's main square in downtown, contains the [[Toronto Sign]],<ref>{{cite web |date=June 21, 2016 |title=Iconic Toronto sign starting to show wear, needs funding to survive |url=https://toronto.citynews.ca/2016/06/21/iconic-toronto-sign-starting-to-show-wear-needs-funding-to-survive/ |access-date=May 3, 2020 |website=CityNews Toronto |archive-date=May 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200517223859/https://toronto.citynews.ca/2016/06/21/iconic-toronto-sign-starting-to-show-wear-needs-funding-to-survive/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and forms the entrance to [[Toronto City Hall|City Hall]]. [[Sankofa Square]], near City Hall, has also gained attention in recent years as one of the busiest gathering spots in the city. Other squares include [[Maple Leaf Square]], next to [[Scotiabank Arena]],<ref>{{Cite news |last=Keenan |first=Edward |date=May 26, 2016 |title=Maple Leaf Square comes into its own as Jurassic Park |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/maple-leaf-square-comes-into-its-own-as-jurassic-park/article_4d7e48ea-2441-5ae9-9545-f05e367c6c79.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=September 18, 2025 |work=[[Toronto Star]]}}</ref> and the civic squares at the former city halls of the defunct Metropolitan Toronto, most notably [[Mel Lastman Square]] in North York.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mel Lastman Square | date=September 16, 2024 |url=https://www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/parks-recreation/places-spaces/parks-and-recreation-facilities/location/?id=956&title=Mel-Lastman-Square |access-date=September 18, 2025 |publisher=[[Municipal government of Toronto|City of Toronto]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Habibinia |first=Mahdis |date=July 1, 2024 |title='We all work together': Canadians new and otherwise gather at Mel Lastman Square |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/we-all-work-together-canadians-new-and-otherwise-gather-at-mel-lastman-square/article_d96b3ba0-d447-11ee-bafb-876c9148b0f6.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240702012123/https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/we-all-work-together-canadians-new-and-otherwise-gather-at-mel-lastman-square/article_d96b3ba0-d447-11ee-bafb-876c9148b0f6.html |archive-date=July 2, 2024 |access-date=September 18, 2025 |work=[[Toronto Star]]}}</ref>

There are many large downtown parks, which include [[Allan Gardens]], [[Christie Pits]], [[Grange Park (Toronto)|Grange Park]], [[Little Norway Park]], [[Moss Park]], [[Queen's Park (Toronto)|Queen's Park]], [[Riverdale Park (Toronto)|Riverdale Park]] and [[Trinity Bellwoods Park]]. An almost-hidden park is the compact [[Cloud Gardens]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Urban Design: Cloud Garden Park |url=http://www.lostrivers.ca/points/cloudgrdnpk.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080308153337/http://www.lostrivers.ca/points/cloudgrdnpk.htm |archive-date=March 8, 2008 |access-date=March 27, 2009 |work=Lost Streams, Toronto, Web site }}</ref> which has both open areas and a glassed-in greenhouse, near Queen Street and Yonge Street. South of downtown are two large parks on the waterfront: Tommy Thompson Park on the [[Leslie Street Spit]], which has a nature preserve and is open on weekends, and the [[Toronto Islands]], accessible from downtown by ferry.
[[File:Spring has arrived at James Gardens! Toronto, May 13th, 2018 (42086291601).jpg|thumb|[[James Gardens]], a botanical garden operated by [[Toronto Parks and Recreation Division]]]]
Large parks in the outer areas managed by the city include [[High Park]], [[Humber Bay Park]], [[Centennial Park (Toronto)|Centennial Park]], [[Downsview Park]], [[Guild Park and Gardens]], [[Sunnybrook Park]] and [[Morningside Park (Toronto)|Morningside Park]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 6, 2017 |title=Parks Listings |url=https://www.toronto.ca/data/parks/prd/facilities/parks/index.html |website=City of Toronto |access-date=October 4, 2020 |archive-date=December 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201216203443/https://www.toronto.ca/data/parks/prd/facilities/parks/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Toronto also operates several public golf courses. Most ravine lands and river bank floodplains in Toronto are public parklands. After [[Hurricane Hazel]] in 1954, construction of buildings on floodplains was outlawed, and private lands were bought for conservation. In 1999, Downsview Park, a former military base in North York, initiated an international design competition to realize its vision of creating Canada's first [[urban park]]. The winner, "Tree City", was announced in May 2000. Approximately {{convert|8000|ha|acre}}, or 12.5 per cent of Toronto's land base, is maintained parkland.<ref name="gnpark">{{cite news |last1=Armstrong |first1=James |last2=McAllister |first2=Mark |date=April 5, 2013 |title=Toronto boasts thousands of hectares of parkland |work=Global News |url=http://globalnews.ca/news/459228/toronto-boasts-thousands-of-hectares-of-parkland/ |url-status=live |access-date=October 1, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151003102200/http://globalnews.ca/news/459228/toronto-boasts-thousands-of-hectares-of-parkland/ |archive-date=October 3, 2015 }}</ref> Morningside Park in Scarborough is the largest park managed by the city, which is {{convert|241.46|ha|acre}} in size.<ref name="gnpark" />

In addition to public parks managed by the municipal government, parts of [[Rouge National Urban Park]], the largest urban park in North America, is in the [[Rouge, Toronto|eastern portion]] of Toronto. Managed by [[Parks Canada]], the [[National parks of Canada|national park]] is centred around the Rouge River and encompasses several municipalities in the Greater Toronto Area.<ref>{{cite web |date=October 22, 2017 |title=Ontario hands over last piece of land for Rouge National Urban Park, but skeptics remain |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/rouge-urban-park-ontario-leases-farms-1.4365896 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180320221548/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/rouge-urban-park-ontario-leases-farms-1.4365896 |archive-date=March 20, 2018 |access-date=March 7, 2018 |work=CBCNews |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation }}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{Main|Demographics of Toronto}}

{{Historical populations
|title = Population history of Toronto
|type = Canada
|align = right
|width = 
|state = 
|shading = 
|percentages = 
|footnote = 
|1834|9252
|1841|14249
|1851|30776
|1861|44821
|1871|56092
|1881|86415
|1891|144023
|1901|238080
|1911|381383
|1921|521893
|1931|856955
|1941|951549
|1951|1176622
|1961|1824481
|1971|2089729
|1976|2124291
|1981|2137395
|1986|2192721
|1991|2275771
|[[1996 Canadian census|1996]]| 2385421
|[[2001 Canadian census|2001]]| 2481494
|[[2006 Canadian census|2006]]| 2503281
|[[2011 Canadian census|2011]]| 2615060
|[[2016 Canadian census|2016]]| 2731571
|[[2021 Canadian census|2021]]| 2794356
|source =<ref>{{cite web |title=Toronto Population |url=https://canadapopulation.org/toronto-population/ |website=Canada Population |access-date=June 3, 2019 |archive-date=June 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190603012705/https://canadapopulation.org/toronto-population/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.9_08070/88?r=0&s=1 |title=Census of Canada, 1890–91 = Recensement du Cana... – Canadiana Online |website=www.canadiana.ca |access-date=January 22, 2021 |archive-date=January 28, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128045203/https://www.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.9_08070/88?r=0&s=1 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.9_08061/422?r=0&s=1 |title=Census of Canada, 1880–81 = Recensement du Canada, 1880–81 |website=canadiana.ca |page=406 |access-date=July 15, 2020 |archive-date=July 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716020847/http://www.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.9_08061/422?r=0&s=1 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.9_01612/46?r=0&s=1 |title=Census of the Canadas, 1860–61 |website=canadiana.com |page=78 |access-date=July 15, 2020 |archive-date=July 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716093346/http://www.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.9_01612/46?r=0&s=1 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.9_01608/65?r=0&s=1 |title=Census of the Canadas, 1851-2 |website=canadiana.ca |page=A38 |access-date=July 15, 2020 |archive-date=July 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716022331/http://www.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.9_01608/65?r=0&s=1 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.9_08059/218?r=0&s=2 |title=Censuses of Canada, 1665 to 1871 : statistics o... – Canadiana Online |website=www.canadiana.ca |access-date=January 22, 2021 |archive-date=January 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210129213124/https://www.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.9_08059/218?r=0&s=2 |url-status=live }}</ref>
}}
In the [[2021 Canadian census|2021 Census of Population]] conducted by [[Statistics Canada]], Toronto had a population of {{val|2794356|fmt=commas}} living in {{val|1160892|fmt=commas}} of its {{val|1253238|fmt=commas}} total private dwellings, a change of {{percentage|{{#expr:2794356-2731571}}|2731571|1|%=&nbsp;per cent}} from its 2016 population of {{val|2731571|fmt=commas}}. With a land area of {{convert|631.1|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}, it had a population density of {{Pop density|2794356|631.1|km2|sqmi|prec=1}} in 2021.<ref name=2021census>{{cite web |url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810000203&geocode=A000235 |title=Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Ontario |publisher=[[Statistics Canada]] |date=February 9, 2022 |access-date=March 27, 2022 |archive-date=May 12, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220512141434/https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810000203&geocode=A000235 |url-status=live }}</ref>

At the [[census metropolitan area]] (CMA) level in the 2021 census, the Toronto CMA had a population of {{val|6202225|fmt=commas}} living in {{val|2262473|fmt=commas}} of its {{val|2394205|fmt=commas}} total private dwellings, a change of {{percentage|{{#expr:6202225-5928040}}|5928040|1|%=&nbsp;per cent}} from its 2016 population of {{val|5928040|fmt=commas}}. With a land area of {{convert|5902.75|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}, it had a population density of {{Pop density|6202225|5902.75|km2|sqmi|prec=1}} in 2021.<ref name=2021censusCMA>{{cite web |url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810000501 |title=Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations |publisher=[[Statistics Canada]] |date=February 9, 2022 |access-date=March 28, 2022 |archive-date=March 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220327085922/https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810000501 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The city is the anchor of the [[Golden Horseshoe#Demographics|Golden Horseshoe]], an urban agglomeration surrounding the western end of [[Lake Ontario]] with a population of 9,765,188 people in 2021 and an estimated population of 11,139,265 people in 2024.<ref name=":3" />

In 2016, persons aged 14 years and under made up 14.5&nbsp;per cent of the population, and those aged 65 and over made up 15.6&nbsp;per cent.<ref name="sc-profile-to"/> The [[median]] age was 39.3 years.<ref name="sc-profile-to"/> The city's gender population is 48 per cent male and 52 per cent female.<ref name="sc-profile-to"/> Women outnumber men in all age groups 15 and older.<ref name="sc-profile-to"/>

The [[2021 Canadian census|2021 census]] reported that [[Immigration to Canada|immigrants]] (individuals born outside Canada) comprise 1,286,145 persons or 46.6&nbsp;per cent of the total population of Toronto. Of the total immigrant population, the top countries of origin were Philippines (132,980 persons or 10.3%), China (129,750 persons or 10.1%), India (102,155 persons or 7.9%), Sri Lanka (47,895 persons or 3.7%), Jamaica (42,655 persons or 3.3%), Italy (37,705 persons or 2.9%), Iran (37,185 persons or 2.9%), Hong Kong (36,855 persons or 2.9%), United Kingdom (35,585 persons or 2.8%), and Portugal (34,360 persons or 2.7%).<ref name="2021censusB"/>

The city's foreign-born persons comprised 47 per cent of the population,<ref name="sc-geo-profile-to"/> compared to 49.9 per cent in 2006.<ref name="2006diversity">{{cite news |author=Francine Kopun |author2=Nicholas Keung |date=December 5, 2007 |title=A city of unmatched diversity |work=Toronto Star |url=https://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/282694 |url-status=dead |access-date=October 7, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081016031301/http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/282694 |archive-date=October 16, 2008 }}</ref> According to the [[United Nations Development Programme]], Toronto has the second-highest percentage of constant foreign-born population among world cities, after [[Miami|Miami, Florida]]. While Miami's foreign-born population has traditionally consisted primarily of [[Cuba]]ns and other Latin Americans, no single nationality or culture dominates Toronto's immigrant population, placing it among the most diverse cities in the world.<ref name="2006diversity"/> In 2010, it was estimated over 100,000 immigrants arrived in the Greater Toronto Area each year.<ref>{{cite news |date=October 7, 2010 |title=A few frank words about immigration |work=The Globe and Mail |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/time-to-lead/multiculturalism/a-few-frank-words-about-immigration/article1746816 |url-status=live |access-date=February 8, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140220200025/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/time-to-lead/multiculturalism/a-few-frank-words-about-immigration/article1746816/ |archive-date=February 20, 2014 }}</ref>

===Race and ethnicity===
In 2016, the three most commonly reported ethnic origins overall were [[Chinese Canadians|Chinese]] (332,830 or 12.5 per cent), [[English Canadians|English]] (331,890 or 12.3 per cent) and [[Canadian ethnicity|Canadian]] (323,175 or 12.0 per cent).<ref name="sc-geo-profile-to"/> Common regions of ethnic origin were European (47.9 per cent), Asian (including Middle-Eastern – 40.1 per cent), African (5.5 per cent), Latin/Central/South American (4.2 per cent), and North American aboriginal (1.2 per cent).<ref name="sc-geo-profile-to"/>
[[File:Toronto Population Pyramid, 2021.png|thumb|upright=1.3|Population pyramid of Toronto from the [[2021 Canadian census]]]]
In 2016, 51.5 per cent of the residents of the city proper belonged to a [[visible minority]] group, compared to 49.1 per cent in 2011,<ref name="sc-geo-profile-to"/><ref name="www12.statcan.gc.ca">{{cite web |url=http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/nhs-enm/2011/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=3520005&Data=Count&SearchText=Toronto&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&A1=All&B1=All&GeoLevel=PR&GeoCode=3520005&TABID=1 |title=National Household Survey (NHS) Profile, 2011 |website=statcan.gc.ca |date=May 8, 2013 |publisher=Government of Canada |access-date=April 18, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140409105927/http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/nhs-enm/2011/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=3520005&Data=Count&SearchText=Toronto&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&A1=All&B1=All&GeoLevel=PR&GeoCode=3520005&TABID=1 |archive-date=April 9, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> and 13.6 per cent in 1981.<ref>"[http://www.ceris.metropolis.net/wp-content/uploads/pdf/research_publication/working_papers/wp6.pdf Toronto in Transition: Demographic Change in the Late Twentieth Century] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120310180425/http://www.ceris.metropolis.net/wp-content/uploads/pdf/research_publication/working_papers/wp6.pdf |date=March 10, 2012 }}". ([[PDF]]). CERIS – The Ontario Metropolis Centre.</ref> The largest visible minority groups were [[South Asian Canadians|South Asian]] (Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan at 338,960 or 12.6 per cent), [[East Asian Canadians|East Asian]] ([[Chinese Canadians|Chinese]] at 332,830 or 12.5 per cent), and [[Black Canadians|Black]] (239,850 or 8.9 per cent).<ref name="sc-geo-profile-to"/> Visible minorities are projected to increase to 63 per cent of the city's population by 2031.<ref name="Visible minority">{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/777547--visible-minority-will-mean-white-by-2031 |work=Toronto Star |date=March 10, 2010 |title=Visible Minority Will Mean White by 2013 |first=Noor |last=Javed |access-date=September 17, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023080550/http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/777547--visible-minority-will-mean-white-by-2031 |archive-date=October 23, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref>

This diversity is reflected in Toronto's ethnic neighbourhoods, which include the Chinatowns, [[Corso Italia (Toronto)|Corso Italia]], [[Greektown, Toronto|Greektown]], [[Kensington Market]], [[Koreatown, Toronto|Koreatown]], [[Gerrard India Bazaar|Little India]], [[Little Italy, Toronto|Little Italy]], [[Little Jamaica]], [[Little Portugal, Toronto|Little Portugal]] and [[Roncesvalles, Toronto|Roncesvalles]] (Polish community).<ref>{{cite map |author=Jeff Clark |year=2013 |title=Toronto Visible Minorities |url=http://neoformix.com/Projects/DotMaps/TorontoVisMin.html |website=Neoformix |access-date=September 12, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151109062730/http://neoformix.com/Projects/DotMaps/TorontoVisMin.html |archive-date=November 9, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible"
|+[[Panethnicity|Panethnic]] groups in the City of Toronto (2001−2021) 
! rowspan="2" |[[Panethnicity|Panethnic]] group
! colspan="2" |2021<ref>{{Cite web |last=Government of Canada |first=Statistics Canada |date=February 9, 2022 |title=Profile table, Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population - Toronto, City (C) [Census subdivision], Ontario |url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/index.cfm?Lang=E |access-date=September 6, 2023 |website=www12.statcan.gc.ca |archive-date=February 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220209134619/https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/index.cfm?Lang=E |url-status=live }}</ref>
! colspan="2" |2016
! colspan="2" |2011
! colspan="2" |2006
! colspan="2" |2001
|-
![[Population|<abbr>Pop.</abbr>]]
!<abbr>%</abbr>
!<abbr>Pop.</abbr>
!<abbr>%</abbr>
!<abbr>Pop.</abbr>
!<abbr>%</abbr>
!<abbr>Pop.</abbr>
!<abbr>%</abbr>
!<abbr>Pop.</abbr>
!<abbr>%</abbr>
|-
|[[European Canadians|European]]
|1,201,075
|43.5%
|1,282,750
|47.66%
|1,292,365
|50.17%
|1,300,330
|52.51%
|1,394,310
|56.75%
|-
|[[South Asian Canadians|South Asian]]
|385,440
|13.96%
|338,965
|12.59%
|317,100
|12.31%
|298,370
|12.05%
|253,920
|10.34%
|-
|[[East Asian Canadians|East Asian]]
|351,625
|12.73%
|354,510
|13.17%
|327,930
|12.73%
|329,260
|13.3%
|301,060
|12.25%
|-
|[[Black Canadians|Black]]
|265,005
|9.6%
|239,850
|8.91%
|218,160
|8.47%
|208,555
|8.42%
|204,075
|8.31%
|-
|[[Southeast Asia]]n
|224,260
|8.12%
|194,360
|7.22%
|179,270
|6.96%
|140,050
|5.66%
|120,330
|4.9%
|-
|[[Middle Eastern Canadians|Middle Eastern]]
|111,360
|4.03%
|96,355
|3.58%
|79,155
|3.07%
|65,240
|2.63%
|59,560
|2.42%
|-
|[[Latin American Canadians|Latin American]]
|92,455
|3.35%
|77,160
|2.87%
|71,205
|2.76%
|64,855
|2.62%
|54,350
|2.21%
|-
|[[Indigenous peoples in Canada|Indigenous]]
|22,925
|0.83%
|23,065
|0.86%
|19,265
|0.75%
|13,605
|0.55%
|11,370
|0.46%
|-
|Other/[[Multiracial people|Multiracial]]
|107,135
|3.88%
|84,650
|3.14%
|71,590
|2.78%
|56,295
|2.27%
|57,840
|2.35%
|-
!Total: Visible minority
!1,537,280
!55.7%
!1,385,850
!51.5%
!1,264,410
!49.1%
!1,162,625
!47%
!1,062,505
!42.8%
|-
!Total responses
!2,761,285
!98.82%
!2,691,665
!98.54%
!2,576,025
!98.51%
!2,476,565
!98.93%
!2,456,805
!99.01%
|-
!Total population
!2,794,356
!100%
!2,731,571
!100%
!2,615,060
!100%
!2,503,281
!100%
!2,481,494
!100%
|-
| colspan="15" |Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses
|}

=== Religion===
According to the [[2021 Canadian census|2021 census]], religious groups in Toronto included:<ref name="2021censusB">{{Cite web |last=Government of Canada |first=Statistics Canada |date=October 26, 2022 |title=Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population |url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&GENDERlist=1,2,3&STATISTIClist=1&HEADERlist=0&DGUIDlist=2021A00053520005&SearchText=toronto |access-date=November 9, 2022 |website=www12.statcan.gc.ca |archive-date=November 11, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221111073641/https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&GENDERlist=1,2,3&STATISTIClist=1&HEADERlist=0&DGUIDlist=2021A00053520005&SearchText=toronto |url-status=live }}</ref>
*[[Christianity in Canada|Christianity]] (1,274,450 persons or 46.2%)
*[[Irreligion in Canada|No religion and secular perspectives]] (845,615 persons or 30.6%)
*[[Islam in Canada|Islam]] (264,155 persons or 9.6%)
*[[Hinduism in Canada|Hinduism]] (171,980 persons or 6.2%)
*[[Judaism in Canada|Judaism]] (99,390 persons or 3.6%)
*[[Buddhism in Canada|Buddhism]] (62,475 persons or 2.3%)
*[[Sikhism in Canada|Sikhism]] (21,545 persons or 0.8%)
*[[Mythologies of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Indigenous Spirituality]] (935 persons or <0.1%)
*Other (20,730 persons or 0.8%)

===Language===
English is the predominant language spoken by Torontonians, with approximately 95 per cent of residents having proficiency in it, although only 54.7 per cent of Torontonians reported English as their mother tongue.<ref name=langcen>{{cite web |url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=3520005&Geo2=PR&Code2=35&SearchText=Toronto&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=Language&TABID=1&type=0 |title=Census Profile, 2016 Census – Toronto – Ontario – Language Profile |website=statcan.gc.ca |publisher=Stats Canada |access-date=September 7, 2019 |date=August 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200114033112/https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=3520005&Geo2=PR&Code2=35&SearchText=Toronto&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=Language&TABID=1&type=0 |archive-date=January 14, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> Multicultural Toronto English, or simply [[Toronto slang]], is a dialect of English found primarily among young people in the Greater Toronto Area.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Denis |first1=Derek |last2=Elango |first2=Vidhya |last3=Kamal |first3=Nur Sakinah Nor |last4=Prashar |first4=Srishti |last5=Velasco |first5=Maria |date=2023-02-08 |title=Exploring the Vowel Space of Multicultural Toronto English |journal=[[Journal of English Linguistics]] |volume=51 |issue=1 |pages=30–65 |doi=10.1177/00754242221145164 |issn=0075-4242|doi-access=free }}</ref> English is one of two [[Official bilingualism in Canada|official languages of Canada]], with the other being French. Approximately 1.6 per cent of Torontonians reported French as their mother tongue, although 9.1 per cent reported being bilingual in both official languages.<ref name=langcen/> In addition to services provided by the federal government, provincial services in Toronto are available in both official languages as a result of the ''[[French Language Services Act (Ontario)|French Language Services Act]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90f32 |title=French Language Services Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. F.32 |publisher=Queen's Printer for Ontario |year=2019 |website=ontario.ca |access-date=September 7, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190623122731/https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90f32 |archive-date=June 23, 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Approximately 4.9 per cent of Torontonians reported having no knowledge in either of the official languages of the country.<ref name=langcen/>

Because the city is also home to many other languages, municipal services, most notably its [[911 (emergency telephone number)|9-1-1]] [[emergency telephone number|emergency telephone service]],{{efn|9-1-1 is the phone number for local emergency services, although GSM providers will also redirect phone calls made to [[112 (emergency telephone number)|1-1-2]] to local emergency services.}} is equipped to respond in over 150 languages.<ref name="911service">{{cite web |title=9-1-1 = EMERGENCY in any language |website=toronto.ca |publisher=[[Municipal government of Toronto|City of Toronto]] |url=http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=4e142140f1c8f310VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD&vgnextchannel=163307ceb6f8e310VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD |access-date=January 5, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141028143249/http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=4e142140f1c8f310VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD&vgnextchannel=163307ceb6f8e310VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD |archive-date=October 28, 2014 }}</ref><ref name=lan3>[http://www12.statcan.ca:80/english/census06/data/topics/RetrieveProductTable.cfm?ALEVEL=3&APATH=3&CATNO=&DETAIL=0&DIM=&DS=99&FL=0&FREE=0&GAL=0&GC=99&GK=NA&GRP=1&IPS=&METH=0&ORDER=1&PID=89189&PTYPE=88971&RL=0&S=1&SUB=0&ShowAll=No&StartRow=1&Temporal=2006&Theme=70&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF=&GID=838003 Various Languages Spoken – Toronto] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200408053330/https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/tbt/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&APATH=3&DETAIL=0&DIM=0&FL=A&FREE=0&GC=0&GID=838003&GK=0&GRP=1&PID=89189&PRID=0&PTYPE=88971,97154&S=0&SHOWALL=0&SUB=0&Temporal=2006&THEME=70&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF= |date=April 8, 2020 }} [[Census metropolitan area|CMA]], Statistics Canada (2006); retrieved September 9, 2009.</ref> In the [[2001 Canadian census]], the collective [[varieties of Chinese]] and [[Italian language|Italian]] are the most widely spoken languages at work after English.<ref name=lan>[http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census01/products/highlight/LanguageWork/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo=CMA&View=2&Table=1&Code=535&Sort=2&B1=&B2=1 Language used at work by mother tongue in Toronto] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080421124848/http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census01/products/highlight/LanguageWork/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo=CMA&View=2&Table=1&Code=535&Sort=2&B1=&B2=1 |date=April 21, 2008 }} [[Census metropolitan area|CMA]], Statistics Canada (2001). Retrieved December 5, 2006.</ref><ref name=lang2>[http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census01/products/highlight/LanguageWork/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo=CSD&View=4&Code=3520005&Table=1&StartRec=1&Sort=5&B1=Toronto&B2=1 Language used at work by mother tongue (City of Toronto)] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080421122342/http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census01/products/highlight/LanguageWork/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo=CSD&View=4&Code=3520005&Table=1&StartRec=1&Sort=5&B1=Toronto&B2=1 |date=April 21, 2008 }}, Statistics Canada (2001); retrieved December 5, 2006.</ref> Approximately 55 per cent of respondents who reported proficiency in a Chinese language reported knowledge of [[Mandarin Chinese|Mandarin]] in the 2016 census.<ref name=langcen/>

==Economy==
{{Main|Economy of Toronto}}

[[File:Toronto from above at night.jpg|thumb|View looking towards Toronto's [[Financial District, Toronto|Financial District]]]]
Toronto is an international centre for business and finance. Generally considered the financial and industrial capital of Canada, Toronto has a high concentration of banks and brokerage firms on [[Bay Street]] in the [[Financial District, Toronto|Financial District]]. The [[Toronto Stock Exchange]] is the world's [[List of major stock exchanges|seventh-largest]] stock exchange by market capitalization.<ref>[http://www.investinontario.com/resources/documents/media/MEDT_Ad_Collection.pdf Market Statistics] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100209041853/http://www.investinontario.com/resources/documents/media/MEDT_Ad_Collection.pdf |date=February 9, 2010 }} Toronto Stock Exchange (2006). Retrieved May 11, 2007.</ref> The five largest financial institutions of Canada, collectively known as the [[Big Five banks of Canada|Big Five]], all have their global corporate headquarters in Toronto, alongside Canada's major insurance giants.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://blog.equinix.com/blog/2015/04/13/inside-the-big-five-its-all-about-interconnection-in-downtown-toronto/ |title=Inside the Big Five: It's All About Interconnection in Downtown Toronto |last=Schwartzmann |first=Phil |date=April 13, 2015 |website=The Equinix Blog |access-date=August 13, 2023 |archive-date=August 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230813174902/https://blog.equinix.com/blog/2015/04/13/inside-the-big-five-its-all-about-interconnection-in-downtown-toronto/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1977/06/19/archives/in-canadian-banking-bid-five-dominate-the-action-big-five-in.html |title=In Canadian Banking, Big Five Dominate the Action |last=Oram |first=Roderick |date=January 19, 1977 |website=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=August 13, 2023 |archive-date=August 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230813175214/https://www.nytimes.com/1977/06/19/archives/in-canadian-banking-bid-five-dominate-the-action-big-five-in.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:Frozen Toronto harbour (4675522485).jpg|thumb|[[Lake freighter]]s moored in the [[Port of Toronto]]]]
The city is an important centre for the media, publishing, telecommunication, information technology and film production industries; it is home to [[Bell Media]], [[Rogers Communications]], and [[Torstar]]. Other prominent Canadian corporations and Canadian subsidiaries of international corporations in the Greater Toronto Area include [[Magna International]], [[Pizza Pizza]], [[Mr. Sub]], [[Celestica]], [[Manulife]], [[Sun Life Financial]], [[Toyota Canada Inc.]] the [[Hudson's Bay Company]], and major hotel companies and operators, such as [[Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts|Four Seasons Hotels]] and [[Fairmont Hotels & Resorts]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://profitworks.ca/small-business-sales-and-marketing-resources/blog/other-blog-articles/577-largest-employers-in-toronto-area-mississauga-brampton-hamilton-oakville-scarborough-markham.html |title=Largest Employers in Toronto Area |website=www.profitworks.ca |publisher=Profit Works |access-date=February 18, 2024 |archive-date=February 18, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240218224233/https://profitworks.ca/small-business-sales-and-marketing-resources/blog/other-blog-articles/577-largest-employers-in-toronto-area-mississauga-brampton-hamilton-oakville-scarborough-markham.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Although much of the region's manufacturing activities occur outside the city limits, Toronto continues to be a wholesale and distribution point for the industrial sector. The city's strategic position along the [[Quebec City–Windsor Corridor]] within the [[Great Lakes megalopolis]] and its road and rail connections help support the nearby production of motor vehicles, iron, steel, food, machinery, chemicals and paper. The completion of the [[St. Lawrence Seaway]] in 1959 gave ships access to the [[Great Lakes]] from the [[Atlantic Ocean]].

Toronto's unemployment rate was 6.7 per cent as of July 2016.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://srv129.services.gc.ca/ei_regions/eng/toronto.aspx?rates=1 |title=EI Economic Region of Toronto |website=services.gc.ca |publisher=Government of Canada |access-date=July 16, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820160127/http://srv129.services.gc.ca/ei_regions/eng/toronto.aspx?rates=1 |archive-date=August 20, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> According to the website Numbeo, Toronto's cost of living plus rent index was second highest in Canada (of 31 cities).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/country_result.jsp?country=Canada |title=Cost of Living in Canada |website=Numbeo |access-date=November 4, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170928005451/https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/country_result.jsp?country=Canada |archive-date=September 28, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The local purchasing power was the sixth lowest in Canada, mid-2017.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/region_rankings.jsp?title=2017-mid&region=019 |title=America: Cost of Living Index by City 2017 Mid-Year |website=Numbeo |access-date=November 4, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107004809/https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/region_rankings.jsp?title=2017-mid&region=019 |archive-date=November 7, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The average monthly social assistance caseload for January to October 2014 was 92,771. The number of impoverished seniors increased from 10.5 per cent in 2011 to 12.1 per cent in 2014. Toronto's 2013 child poverty rate was 28.6 per cent, the highest among large Canadian cities of 500,000 or more residents.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://torontosvitalsigns.ca/main-sections/gap-between-rich-and-poor/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160319134352/http://torontosvitalsigns.ca/main-sections/gap-between-rich-and-poor/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 19, 2016 |title=Are We Making Any Progress in Reducing Poverty in Toronto? |website=TorontoVitalSigns.ca |access-date=September 27, 2017 }}</ref>

=== Bay Street ===
[[File:Toronto Financial District August 2017.jpg|thumb|Buildings in the [[Financial District, Toronto|Financial District]], including the operational headquarters of three major Canadian banks]]

The [[Financial District, Toronto|Financial District]] in Toronto centres on [[Bay Street]], the equivalent to [[Wall Street]] in New York.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.blogto.com/city/2021/05/toronto-fastest-growing-financial-centre-north-america/ |title=Toronto is now the fastest-growing financial centre in North America |last=O'Neil |first=Lauren |date=May 19, 2021 |website=blogto.com |access-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240101224911/https://www.blogto.com/city/2021/05/toronto-fastest-growing-financial-centre-north-america/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The city hosts the headquarters of all five of Canada's largest banks, [[Royal Bank of Canada]], [[Toronto-Dominion Bank]], [[Scotiabank]], [[Bank of Montreal]] and [[Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce]], and was ranked as the safest banking system in the world between 2007 and 2014 according to the World Economic Forum.<ref name=":0" /> Toronto's economy has seen a steady growth boom thanks to many corporations relocating their Canadian headquarters into the city and Canada's growing cultural significance, resulting in several companies setting up shop in Toronto.

=== Media and entertainment ===
{{Main|Media in Toronto}}

[[File:Omni-City-33Dundas.jpg|thumb|[[33 Dundas Street East]] is a former studio complex used by [[Citytv]] and [[Omni Television]].]]
Toronto is Canada's largest media market,<ref>[http://www.mediajobsearchcanada.com/mjsc_press.asp Media Job Search Canada] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150414113224/http://www.mediajobsearchcanada.com/mjsc_press.asp|date=April 14, 2015}} Media Job Search Canada (2003). Retrieved May 8, 2007.</ref> and has four conventional dailies, two [[Alternative newspaper|alt-weeklies]], and three free commuter papers in a greater metropolitan area of about 6&nbsp;million inhabitants. The ''[[Toronto Star]]'' and the ''[[Toronto Sun]]'' are the prominent daily city newspapers, while national dailies ''[[The Globe and Mail]]'' and the ''[[National Post]]'' are also headquartered in the city.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thestar.com/site/about/ |title=About the Star |website=[[Toronto Star]] |access-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240101185034/https://www.thestar.com/site/about/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The ''Toronto Star'', ''The Globe and Mail'', and ''National Post'' are broadsheet newspapers. Several magazines and local newspapers cover Toronto, including ''[[Now (newspaper)|Now]]'' and ''[[Toronto Life]]'', while numerous magazines are produced in Toronto, such as ''[[Canadian Business]]'', ''[[Chatelaine (magazine)|Chatelaine]]'', ''[[Flare (magazine)|Flare]]'' and ''[[Maclean's]]''. [[Daily Hive]], Western Canada's largest online-only publication, opened its Toronto office in 2016 after acquiring Torontoist from Gothamist.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Powell |first1=Chris |title=Vancity Buzz launches in Toronto and Montreal |url=http://marketingmag.ca/media/vancity-buzz-launches-in-toronto-and-montreal-175695 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180809215405/http://marketingmag.ca/media/vancity-buzz-launches-in-toronto-and-montreal-175695/ |archive-date=August 9, 2018 |access-date=January 28, 2019 |language=en-US }}</ref> Toronto contains the headquarters of the major English-language Canadian television networks [[CBC Television|CBC]], [[CTV Television Network|CTV]], [[Citytv]], [[Global Television Network|Global]], [[The Sports Network]] (TSN) and [[Sportsnet]]. [[Much (TV channel)|Much (formerly MuchMusic)]], [[M3 (Canadian TV channel)|M3 (formerly MuchMore)]] and [[MTV (Canadian TV channel)|MTV Canada]] are the main [[music television]] channels based in the city and have a national viewership. However, they no longer primarily show [[music video]]s as a result of [[channel drift]] amid a shift in adolescent and young adult demographics.

==== Film production ====
{{See also|Hollywood North}}
[[File:The Boys Season 12 filmed at Pecaut Square Toronto.jpg|thumb|Film production for ''[[The Boys (TV series)|The Boys]]'' at [[Pecaut Square]]]]
Toronto is one of the centres of [[Cinema of Canada|Canada's film and television industry]] due in part to the lower cost of production in Canada. The city's streets and landmarks are seen in a variety of films, mimicking the scenes of American cities such as [[Chicago]] and [[New York City|New York]]. The city provides diverse settings and neighbourhoods to shoot films, with production facilitated by Toronto's Film and Television Office. Toronto's film industry has extended beyond the [[Greater Toronto Area#Toronto CMA|Toronto CMA]] into adjoining cities such as [[Hamilton, Ontario|Hamilton]] and [[Oshawa]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-film-tv-production-levels-record-high-1.6788133 |title=Ontario reaches record high levels of film, TV production in 2022 |website=CBC.ca |access-date=December 29, 2023 |archive-date=December 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231230031747/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-film-tv-production-levels-record-high-1.6788133 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Real estate ===
Real estate is a major force in the city's economy; Toronto is home to some of the nation's—and the world's—most expensive real estate, especially since the [[Canadian property bubble]]. The Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB), formerly the Toronto Real Estate Board, is a non-profit professional association of registered [[real estate]] brokers and salespeople in Toronto, and parts of the [[Greater Toronto Area]].<ref name="who_we_are">{{cite web |title=Who We Are |url=http://trreb.ca/index.php/about-treb/who-we-are |access-date=August 19, 2020 |website=trreb.ca |ref=who_we_are |archive-date=August 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200818012703/http://trreb.ca/index.php/about-treb/who-we-are |url-status=live }}</ref> TRREB was formed in 1920.<ref name="who_we_are" /> Many large [[real estate investment trust]]s are based in Toronto.

===Technology and biotech===
Toronto is a large hub of the Canadian and global technology industry, generating $52&nbsp;billion in revenues annually. In 2017, Toronto tech firms offered almost 30,000 jobs, which is higher than the combination of San Francisco Bay area, Seattle and Washington, D.C.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Silagadze |first=Mike |date=August 15, 2018 |title=Toronto's Tech Scene Is Having A Moment, But Not For The Reason You'd Think |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2018/08/15/torontos-tech-scene-is-having-a-moment-but-not-for-the-reason-youd-think/#2872862f5871 |journal=Forbes |access-date=August 5, 2021 |archive-date=August 5, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210805112727/https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2018/08/15/torontos-tech-scene-is-having-a-moment-but-not-for-the-reason-youd-think/#2872862f5871 |url-status=live }}</ref> The area bound between the Greater Toronto Area, the [[Regional Municipality of Waterloo|region of Waterloo]] and the city of [[Hamilton, Ontario|Hamilton]] was termed a "digital corridor" by the Branham Group,<ref>{{Cite web |title=York Region an Integral Leader in Digital Corridor - Techvibes.com |url=http://www.techvibes.com/blog/york-region-an-integral-leader-in-digital-corridor-2014-09-08 |access-date=November 18, 2015 |website=www.techvibes.com |date=September 8, 2014 |archive-date=November 19, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151119203247/http://www.techvibes.com/blog/york-region-an-integral-leader-in-digital-corridor-2014-09-08 |url-status=live }}</ref> a region highly concentrated with technology companies and jobs similar to [[Silicon Valley]] in California.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.investontario.ca/spotlights/toronto-ranked-north-americas-fastest-growing-tech-market |title=Toronto rises to 3rd in the CBRE's 2019 Scoring Tech Talent report based on strong job growth and low costs, Ottawa placed 19th, while Hamilton and Waterloo rank among North America's top three-up and coming tech markets |date=November 3, 2022 |website=Invest Ontario |access-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-date=August 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230813180018/https://www.investontario.ca/spotlights/toronto-ranked-north-americas-fastest-growing-tech-market |url-status=live }}</ref> Toronto is home to a large startup ecosystem and is the third-largest center for information and communications technology in North America, behind [[New York City]] and the Silicon Valley.<ref name=NYTTechHub2022/> In 2023, the city was ranked as the 17th best startup scene in the world.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Genome |first=Startup |title=Startup Genome |url=https://startupgenome.com/report/gser2023 |access-date=November 1, 2023 |website=Startup Genome |language=en |archive-date=November 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231101221810/https://startupgenome.com/report/gser2023 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Tourism ===
{{Main|Tourism in Toronto}}

{{See also|Hotels in Toronto}}
[[File:Kensington Market Toronto August 2017 01.jpg|thumb|[[Kensington Market]], a neighbourhood that is also partly an outdoor market]]
In 2018, 27.5&nbsp;million tourists visited Toronto, generating $10.3&nbsp;billion (~${{Format price|{{Inflation|index=US-GDP|value=10300000000|start_year=2018}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US-GDP}}) in economic activity.<ref>{{cite web |date=2018 |title=Toronto's Visitor Economy |url=https://assets.simpleviewinc.com/simpleview/image/upload/v1/clients/toronto/Toronto_Visitor_Economy_final_0aefb93e-80ac-42ad-8434-599a5761139d.pdf |publisher=Tourism Economics |access-date=March 12, 2022 |archive-date=March 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220328223213/https://assets.simpleviewinc.com/simpleview/image/upload/v1/clients/toronto/Toronto_Visitor_Economy_final_0aefb93e-80ac-42ad-8434-599a5761139d.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Toronto Eaton Centre]] receives over 47 million visitors per year.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Toronto Eaton Centre {{!}} Tourism Toronto |url=http://www.seetorontonow.com/listings/toronto-eaton-centre/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702174603/http://www.seetorontonow.com/listings/toronto-eaton-centre/ |archive-date=July 2, 2018 |access-date=January 23, 2016 |website=www.seetorontonow.com }}</ref> Other commercial areas popular with tourists include the [[Path (Toronto)|Path]] network, which is the world's largest<ref>{{Cite web |title=PATH – Toronto's Downtown Underground Pedestrian Walkway – Getting Here & Around – Visitor Information Services {{!}} City of Toronto |url=http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=f537b454b35a2410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD&vgnextchannel=04708b7a29891410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140620023017/http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=f537b454b35a2410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD&vgnextchannel=04708b7a29891410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD |archive-date=June 20, 2014 |access-date=January 23, 2016 |language=en-CA }}</ref> underground shopping complex, as well as [[Kensington Market]] and [[St. Lawrence Market]].<ref>[http://www.toronto.ca/attractions/attraction_highlights.htm City of Toronto, Attractions] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607043251/http://www.toronto.ca/attractions/attraction_highlights.htm |date=June 7, 2011 }}, City of Toronto. Retrieved on December 3, 2006.</ref> The [[Toronto Islands]] are close to downtown Toronto and do not permit private motor vehicles beyond the airport. Other tourist attractions include the CN Tower, [[Casa Loma]], Toronto's theatres and musicals, Sankofa Square, and [[Ripley's Aquarium of Canada]].

The Royal Ontario Museum is a museum of world culture and [[natural history]]. The [[Toronto Zoo]]<ref name="aboutzoo">{{cite web |title=About the Toronto Zoo |url=http://www.torontozoo.com/AboutTheZoo/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070911054227/http://www.torontozoo.com/AboutTheZoo/ |archive-date=September 11, 2007 |access-date=October 11, 2007 |website=torontozoo.com |publisher=[[Toronto Zoo]] }}</ref><ref name="zoo">{{cite news |last=Buhasz |first=Laszlo |date=May 7, 2003 |title=Uncaging the zoo |work=Globe and Mail |location=Toronto |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20030507.TRCOVE7/TPStory/Travel |url-status=dead |access-date=October 11, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080411144754/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20030507.TRCOVE7/TPStory/Travel |archive-date=April 11, 2008 }}</ref> is home to over 5,000 animals representing over 460 distinct species. The Art Gallery of Ontario contains an extensive collection of Canadian, European, African and [[contemporary art]]work. Also, it hosts exhibits from museums and galleries from all over the world. The [[Gardiner Museum]] of ceramic art is the only museum in Canada entirely devoted to ceramics, and the Museum's collection contains more than 2,900 ceramic works from Asia, the Americas, and Europe. The city also hosts the [[Bata Shoe Museum]] and [[Textile Museum of Canada]]. The [[Ontario Science Centre]] is being relocated from its original Don Mills location within Toronto.
[[File:Art Gallery of Ontario (38637506756).jpg|thumb|left|The southern façade of the [[Art Gallery of Ontario]]]]
Other prominent art galleries and museums include the [[Design Exchange]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.designexchangetoronto.com/#about-anchor |title=Design Exchange – Toronto's Best Private Events Venue |website=designexchangetoronto.com |access-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240101183047/https://www.designexchangetoronto.com/#about-anchor |url-status=live }}</ref> the [[TIFF Lightbox]], the [[Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto Canada]], the [[Institute for Contemporary Culture]], the [[Toronto Sculpture Garden]], the [[CBC Museum]], the [[Redpath Sugar Museum]], the [[University College, Toronto|University of Toronto Art Centre]], [[Hart House (University of Toronto)|Hart House]], the TD Gallery of Inuit Art, [[Little Canada (attraction)|Little Canada]] and the [[Aga Khan Museum]]. The city also runs its own museums, which include the [[Spadina House]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/history-art-culture/museums/spadina-museum/ |title=Toronto History Museums – Spadina Museum |website=Toronto.ca |date=November 23, 2017 |access-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-date=December 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231206012708/https://www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/history-art-culture/museums/spadina-museum/ |url-status=live |last1=Toronto |first1=City of }}</ref> The [[Don Valley Brick Works]] is a former industrial site that opened in 1889 and was partly restored as a park and heritage site in 1996, with further restoration being completed in stages since then. The [[Canadian National Exhibition]] ("The Ex") is held annually at Exhibition Place and is the oldest annual fair in the world. The Ex has an average attendance of 1.25&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite web |year=2006 |title=CNE – About Us] |url=http://www.cnedirect.com/contact-us/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120509183034/http://www.cnedirect.com/contact-us/ |archive-date=May 9, 2012 |access-date=December 29, 2006 |website=cnedirect.com |publisher=[[Canadian National Exhibition]] }}</ref>

City shopping areas include the Yorkville neighbourhood, [[Queen Street (Toronto)|Queen West]], [[Harbourfront, Toronto|Harbourfront]], the [[Toronto Entertainment District|Entertainment District]], the Financial District, and the St. Lawrence Market neighbourhood.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.destinationtoronto.com/things-to-do/shopping/districts/queen-west/?view=list&sort=qualityScore&bounds=false |title=Shopping in Queen West |website=Destination Toronto |access-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240101182338/https://www.destinationtoronto.com/things-to-do/shopping/districts/queen-west/?view=list&sort=qualityScore&bounds=false |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://10best.usatoday.com/destinations/canada/toronto/harbourfront/ |title=Find the best things to do in Harbourfront |last=Faba |first=Neil |date=June 20, 2018 |website=USA Today 10 Best |access-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240101182728/https://10best.usatoday.com/destinations/canada/toronto/harbourfront/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Toronto Eaton Centre|Eaton Centre]] is Toronto's most popular tourist attraction with over 52&nbsp;million visitors annually.<ref>{{cite web |author=City of Toronto |year=2007 |title=Who uses the square (Demographics)] |url=http://www.ydsquare.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=22&Itemid=27 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090109115721/http://www.ydsquare.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=22&Itemid=27 |archive-date=January 9, 2009 |access-date=April 12, 2008 |website=Yonge Dundas Square }}</ref>
[[File:Hockey_Hall_of_Fame_building,_Toronto,_South_view_20170417_1.jpg|thumb|The [[Hockey Hall of Fame]] is a museum dedicated to [[ice hockey]], as well as a [[List of halls and walks of fame|Hall of Fame]].]]
Toronto is also home to Casa Loma, the former estate of [[Henry Pellatt|Sir Henry Pellatt]], a prominent Toronto financier, industrialist and military man. Other notable neighbourhoods and attractions in Toronto include [[The Beaches, Toronto|The Beaches]], the Toronto Islands, [[Kensington Market]], Fort York, and the [[Hockey Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hhof.com/visit/ticketsandvisitorinfo.html |title=The Official site of the Hockey Hall of Fame – Tickets & Visitor Info |website=hhof.com |access-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240101183856/https://www.hhof.com/visit/ticketsandvisitorinfo.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.destinationtoronto.com/neighbourhoods/eastside/the-beaches/ |title=Neighbourhood: The Beaches |website=Destination Toronto |access-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240101184100/https://www.destinationtoronto.com/neighbourhoods/eastside/the-beaches/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Education ==
{{Main|Education in Toronto}}

=== Primary and secondary education ===
{{Further|List of secondary schools in Ontario#City of Toronto}}
[[File:TorontoDistrictSchoolBoardEducationCentre - 2015May30.jpg|thumb|Headquarters for the [[Toronto District School Board]], one of four public school boards that operate in the city]]
There are four [[state school|public]] [[school board]]s that provide [[primary education|elementary]] and [[secondary education]] in Toronto, the [[Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir]], the [[Conseil scolaire Viamonde]] (CSV), the [[Toronto Catholic District School Board]] (TCDSB), and the [[Toronto District School Board]] (TDSB). CSV and TDSB are [[secular education|secular]] public school boards, whereas MonAvenir and TCDSB are [[separate school|separate]] public school boards. CSV and MonAvenir are French [[first language]] school boards, whereas TCDSB and TDSB are English first language school boards.

TDSB operates the most schools among the four Toronto-based school boards, with 451 elementary schools, 105 secondary schools, and five [[adult high school|adult learning centres]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Us |url=http://www.tdsb.on.ca/AboutUs.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161128043258/http://www.tdsb.on.ca/AboutUs.aspx |archive-date=November 28, 2016 |access-date=November 26, 2016 |website=tdsb.on.ca |publisher=Toronto District School Board }}</ref> TCDSB operates 163 elementary schools, 29 secondary schools, three combined institutions, and one adult learning centre. CSV operates 11 elementary schools, and three secondary schools in the city.<ref>{{cite web |year=2019 |title=Secteur de Toronto |url=https://csviamonde.ca/nos-ecoles/trouver-une-ecole/?tx_viamondeschools_area%5Barea%5D=4&tx_viamondeschools_area%5Baction%5D=show&tx_viamondeschools_area%5Bcontroller%5D=Area&cHash=3e7636f44c8807bb8ffa92aa67cbb792 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190223131423/https://csviamonde.ca/nos-ecoles/trouver-une-ecole/?tx_viamondeschools_area%5Barea%5D=4&tx_viamondeschools_area%5Baction%5D=show&tx_viamondeschools_area%5Bcontroller%5D=Area&cHash=3e7636f44c8807bb8ffa92aa67cbb792 |archive-date=February 23, 2019 |access-date=February 22, 2019 |publisher=Conseil scolaire Viamonde |language=fr }}</ref> MonAvenir operates nine elementary schools,<ref>{{cite web |year=2019 |title=Écoles |url=https://www.cscmonavenir.ca/ecole/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190223074323/https://www.cscmonavenir.ca/ecole/ |archive-date=February 23, 2019 |access-date=February 22, 2019 |publisher=Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir |language=fr }}</ref> and three secondary schools in Toronto.<ref>{{cite web |year=2019 |title=Nos écoles secondaires |url=https://www.cscmonavenir.ca/secondaire/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190223074616/https://www.cscmonavenir.ca/secondaire/ |archive-date=February 23, 2019 |access-date=February 22, 2019 |publisher=Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir |language=fr }}</ref>

=== Postsecondary education ===
There are several public universities and colleges based in Toronto. The city is also home to several [[supplementary school]]s, [[seminary|seminaries]], and [[vocational school]]s. Examples of such institutions include [[The Royal Conservatory of Music]], which includes [[the Glenn Gould School]]; the [[Canadian Film Centre]], a media training institute founded by filmmaker [[Norman Jewison]]; and [[Tyndale University]], a Christian post-secondary institution and Canada's largest seminary.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tyndale.ca/about/history |title=History Overview – Tyndale University |website=Tyndale.ca |access-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240101012358/https://www.tyndale.ca/about/history |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://cfccreates.com/about/ |title=Who we are – Canadian Film Centre |website=cfccreates.com |access-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240101173943/https://cfccreates.com/about/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rcmusic.com/ggs/about/why-study-at-the-glenn-gould-school |title=Why Study at The Glenn Gould School? |website=rcmusic.com |access-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240101174149/https://www.rcmusic.com/ggs/about/why-study-at-the-glenn-gould-school |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rcmusic.com/about-us |title=About us – Royal Conservatory of Music |website=rcmusic.com |access-date=January 1, 2023 |archive-date=December 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206205303/https://www.rcmusic.com/about-us |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Universities====
[[File:University College at UofT, October 10 2025 (04).jpg|thumb|[[University College, Toronto|University College]] at the [[University of Toronto]]'s St. George campus. University College is one of eleven constituent colleges at the University of Toronto.]]
Five [[public university|public universities]] are based in Toronto. Four of these universities are based in downtown Toronto: [[OCAD University]], [[Toronto Metropolitan University]], the [[Université de l'Ontario français]], and the main [[St. George campus]] of the [[University of Toronto]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-universities |title=ONtario universities |access-date=December 25, 2023 |date=December 15, 2023 |website=www.ontario.ca |publisher=King's Printer for Ontario |archive-date=November 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231128033912/https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-universities |url-status=live }}</ref> The University of Toronto is the largest [[Higher education in Canada|post-secondary institution]] in Canada and has three campuses, the other two of which are located in the city's eastern district of [[University of Toronto Scarborough|Scarborough]] and the neighbouring city of [[University of Toronto Mississauga|Mississauga]] respectively.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.utoronto.ca/about-u-of-t |title=About U of T |website=utoronto.ca |access-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240101010741/https://www.utoronto.ca/about-u-of-t |url-status=live }}</ref> [[York University]] is the only Toronto-based university not situated in downtown Toronto, maintaining a [[Keele Campus|primary campus]] in the northwestern portion of North York and a [[Glendon College|secondary campus]] in midtown Toronto.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.yorku.ca/about/ |title=About York: Join our community |website=yorku.ca |access-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240101054623/https://www.yorku.ca/about/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Several other public universities based elsewhere in Ontario also operate satellite campuses or facilities in Toronto, including [[Queen's University at Kingston]], the [[University of Ottawa]], the [[University of Western Ontario]], [[Wilfrid Laurier University]], and the [[University of Guelph]].<ref name=ttceligsch>{{cite web |url=https://www.ttc.ca/Fares-and-passes/Fare-information/Eligible-Post-Secondary-Schools |title=Eligible Post-Secondary Schools |publisher=Toronto Transit Commission |website=www.ttc.ca |year=2023 |access-date=December 25, 2023 |archive-date=December 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231225185841/https://www.ttc.ca/Fares-and-passes/Fare-information/Eligible-Post-Secondary-Schools |url-status=live }}</ref> The latter operates a satellite campus in northwestern Etobicoke together with [[Humber Polytechnic]], called the [[University of Guelph-Humber]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.guelphhumber.ca/about/our-story |title=Our Story |publisher=University of Guelph-Humber |access-date=December 25, 2023 |website=www.guelphhumber.ca |date=February 11, 2014 |archive-date=December 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231225185839/https://www.guelphhumber.ca/about/our-story |url-status=live }}</ref> In addition to public universities, Toronto also holds a satellite campus for [[Northeastern University]], a [[private university]] based in [[Boston]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://toronto.northeastern.edu/ |website=toronto.northeastern.edu |publisher=Northeastern University |title=Northeastern in Toronto |access-date=December 25, 2023 |archive-date=December 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231225185839/https://toronto.northeastern.edu/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Colleges====
There are four public [[college (Canada)|colleges]] based in Toronto: [[Centennial College (Canada)|Centennial College]], [[George Brown College]], Humber Polytechnic (formerly Humber College), and [[Seneca Polytechnic]] (formerly Seneca College). The four institutions operate several campuses throughout the city.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-colleges |website=www.ontario.ca |title=Ontario colleges |publisher=King's Printer for Ontario |access-date=December 25, 2023 |date=July 6, 2023 |archive-date=December 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231225185839/https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-colleges |url-status=live }}</ref> Several public colleges based elsewhere in Ontario also operate satellite facilities and campuses in Toronto, including [[Cambrian College]], [[Canadore College]], [[Collège Boréal]], [[Collège La Cité]], [[Fleming College]], [[Georgian College]], [[Lambton College]], [[Loyalist College]], [[Niagara College]], [[St. Clair College]], and [[Sault College]].<ref name=ttceligsch/>

== Human resources ==

===Public health===
{{Main|Health in Toronto}}

{{See also|List of hospitals in Toronto}}
[[File:Toronto - ON - Toronto General Hospital.jpg|thumb|[[Toronto General Hospital]] is a major [[teaching hospital]] in downtown Toronto.]]
Toronto is home to twenty public hospitals, including [[The Hospital for Sick Children (Toronto)|The Hospital for Sick Children]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sickkids.ca/en/about/about-sickkids/ |title=About Sickkids |website=sickkids.ca |access-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240101192953/https://www.sickkids.ca/en/about/about-sickkids/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Mount Sinai Hospital (Toronto)|Mount Sinai Hospital]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sinaihealth.ca/about-sinai-health/sinai-health-system-history/mount-sinai-hospital-history/ |title=Mount Sinai Hospital History |website=sinaihealth.ca |access-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240101193157/https://www.sinaihealth.ca/about-sinai-health/sinai-health-system-history/mount-sinai-hospital-history/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[St. Michael's Hospital (Toronto)|St. Michael's Hospital]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://unityhealth.to/about-unity-health/who-we-are/ |title=Who we are – St Michaels Hospital |website=unityhealth.to |access-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240101110654/https://unityhealth.to/about-unity-health/who-we-are/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[North York General Hospital]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nygh.on.ca/about-us/overview/history-and-founding-partners |title=History and Founding Partners |website=nygh.on.ca |access-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240101193552/https://www.nygh.on.ca/about-us/overview/history-and-founding-partners |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Toronto General Hospital]], [[Toronto Western Hospital]], [[Etobicoke General Hospital]], [[St. Joseph's Health Centre]], [[Scarborough General Hospital (Toronto)|Scarborough General Hospital]], [[Birchmount Hospital]], [[Centenary Hospital]], [[Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre]], [[Centre for Addiction and Mental Health]] (CAMH), and [[Princess Margaret Cancer Centre]], many of which are affiliated with the [[Temerty Faculty of Medicine]] of the [[University of Toronto]].

Specialized hospitals include the [[Baycrest Health Sciences]] geriatric hospital, the [[Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital]] for children with disabilities, and [[Casey House (Toronto)|Casey House]], which cares for people living with, or at risk of contracting, AIDS.

Toronto's [[Discovery District]]<ref name="district">[http://www.torontodiscoverydistrict.ca/Page.asp?IdPage=5760&WebAddress=DiscoveryDistrict/ Toronto Discovery District FAQ] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928063259/http://www.torontodiscoverydistrict.ca/Page.asp?IdPage=5760&WebAddress=DiscoveryDistrict%2F|date=September 28, 2007}}, Toronto Discovery District (2006). Retrieved December 5, 2006.</ref> is a centre of research in [[biomedicine]]. It is on a {{convert|2.5|km2|acre|adj=on}} research park that is integrated into Toronto's downtown core. It is also home to the [[MaRS Discovery District]],<ref name="mars">{{cite web |year=2006 |title=Medical and Related Sciences Centre |url=http://www.marsdd.com/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061205040951/http://marsdd.com/ |archive-date=December 5, 2006 |access-date=December 5, 2006 |website=marsdd.com |publisher=Medical and Related Sciences Centre }}</ref> which was created in 2000 to capitalize on the research and innovation strength of the province of Ontario. Another institute is the McLaughlin Centre for Molecular Medicine (MCMM).<ref name="mole">{{cite web |year=2006 |title=McLaughlin Centre for Molecular Medicine (MCMM) |url=http://www.mclaughlin.utoronto.ca/Page4.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100901141613/http://www.mclaughlin.utoronto.ca/Page4.aspx |archive-date=September 1, 2010 |access-date=December 5, 2006 |website=mclaughlin.utoronto.ca }}</ref>
[[File:MaRSfromCollege.jpg|thumb|MaRS Discovery District building at College Street. The organization is a medical research trust.]]
Toronto is also host to a wide variety of health-focused non-profit organizations that work to address specific illnesses for Toronto, Ontario and Canadian residents. Organizations include [[Crohn's and Colitis Canada]], the [[Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada]], the [[Canadian Cancer Society]], the [[Alzheimer Society of Canada]], and [[Alzheimer Society of Ontario]], all located in the same office at [[Yonge–Eglinton]], the [[Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada]], the [[Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation]], the [[Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research]], [[Cystic Fibrosis Canada]], the [[Canadian Mental Health Association]], and the [[ALS Society of Canada]].

In 2022, 187 homeless people died in Toronto, with 47 per cent dying of drug toxicity, the leading cause.<ref>{{cite news |last=Mehrabi |first=Kimia Afshar |date=March 17, 2023 |title=Shocking number of people experiencing homelessness died on Toronto streets in 2022 |url=https://www.blogto.com/city/2023/03/people-experiencing-homelessness-died-toronto-2022/ |work=blogTO |access-date=March 17, 2023 |archive-date=March 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230317220508/https://www.blogto.com/city/2023/03/people-experiencing-homelessness-died-toronto-2022/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Toronto Public Health]] described it as an "urgent public health issue", and has responded by opening supervised drug consumption sites, and by advocating for the allowance of personal drug possession.<ref>{{cite web |title=Toronto Public Health releases 2022 data for deaths of people experiencing homelessness |publisher=Toronto Public Health |date=March 17, 2023 |url=https://www.toronto.ca/news/toronto-public-health-releases-2022-data-for-deaths-of-people-experiencing-homelessness/ |access-date=March 17, 2023 |archive-date=March 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230317220509/https://www.toronto.ca/news/toronto-public-health-releases-2022-data-for-deaths-of-people-experiencing-homelessness/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2024 the Community Care and Recovery Act was passed by the Ontario government and Toronto Public Health was directed to close its [[Supervised injection site|supervised consumption sites]]. As of April 1, 2025, Toronto Public Health no longer offers supervised consumption services. Some supervised consumption sites, not operated by Toronto Public Health, remain open.<ref>https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/health-wellness-care/health-programs-advice/supervised-injection-services/</ref>

=== Public library ===
{{Main|Toronto Public Library}}

[[File:TorontoReferenceLibrary8.jpg|thumb|The [[Toronto Reference Library]], the largest branch operated by [[Toronto Public Library]] and the de facto main branch of the library system]]
Toronto Public Library is the largest public library system in Canada. In 2008, it averaged a higher circulation per capita than any other public library system internationally, making it the largest neighbourhood-based library system in the world.<ref>{{cite web |date=April 16, 2013 |title=The Great Equalizer: Toronto Public Library |url=http://citiesofmigration.ca/good_idea/the-great-equalizer-toronto-public-library/ |publisher=Cities of Migration |access-date=August 5, 2021 |archive-date=December 25, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151225054128/http://citiesofmigration.ca/good_idea/the-great-equalizer-toronto-public-library/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Within North America, it also had the highest circulation and visitors when compared to other large urban systems.<ref name="An2009">{{cite web |title=2009 Annual Performance Measures and Strategic Plan Update |url=http://beta.torontopubliclibrary.ca/content/about-the-library/pdfs/board/meetings/2010/may10/17.pdf |access-date=June 4, 2010 |publisher=Toronto Public Library |archive-date=January 10, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160110102253/http://beta.torontopubliclibrary.ca/content/about-the-library/pdfs/board/meetings/2010/may10/17.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

Established as the library of the [[Toronto Mechanics' Institute|Mechanics' Institute]] in 1830, the Toronto Public Library now consists of 100 branch libraries<ref name="100branches">{{cite news |last=Pelley |first=Lauren |date=May 20, 2015 |title=Toronto Public Library opens 100th branch in Scarborough |newspaper=[[Toronto Star]] |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/05/20/toronto-public-library-opens-100th-branch-in-scarborough.html |access-date=May 20, 2015 |archive-date=May 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524000005/http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/05/20/toronto-public-library-opens-100th-branch-in-scarborough.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and has over 12 million items in its collection.<ref name="An2009" /><ref name="kupferman">{{cite journal |last=Kupferman |first=Steve |date=May 28, 2014 |title=Fort York gets the ultimate condo amenity: a flashy new public library |url=http://www.torontolife.com/informer/toronto-real-estate/2014/05/28/fort-york-gets-a-new-public-library/ |url-status=dead |journal=[[Toronto Life]] |publisher=Toronto Life Publishing Company |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140529191514/http://www.torontolife.com/informer/toronto-real-estate/2014/05/28/fort-york-gets-a-new-public-library/ |archive-date=May 29, 2014 |access-date=May 29, 2014 }}</ref><ref name="coll">{{cite web |year=2000 |title=Message from the Mayor |url=http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/content/about-the-library/news-publications/strat-plan/strat-plan-2000.pdf |access-date=August 7, 2011 |work=Toronto Public Library Strategic Plan 2000–2008 |publisher=Toronto Public Library Board |page=4 |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303215158/http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/content/about-the-library/news-publications/strat-plan/strat-plan-2000.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="hist">{{cite web |year=2011 |title=History of Toronto Public Library |url=http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/about-the-library/library-history/ |access-date=August 7, 2011 |publisher=Toronto Public Library |archive-date=May 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190509110407/https://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/about-the-library/library-history/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Culture and contemporary life==
{{Main|Culture in Toronto}}

{{See also|Annual events in Toronto|List of festivals in Toronto|Recreation in Toronto}}
[[File:TIFF comes in Toronto (29465981882).jpg|thumb|Crowds walk past the [[Royal Alexandra Theatre]] during the [[Toronto International Film Festival]].]]
Toronto's theatre and [[performing arts]] scene has more than fifty ballet and dance companies, six opera companies, two symphony orchestras, [[List of music venues in Toronto|many music venues]], and a host of theatres. The city is home to the [[National Ballet of Canada]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://national.ballet.ca/Meet/About-National-Ballet |title=About The National Ballet of Canada |website=national.ballet.ca |access-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-date=April 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200402205837/https://national.ballet.ca/Meet/About-National-Ballet |url-status=live }}</ref> the [[Canadian Opera Company]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.coc.ca/about-the-coc |title=About The COC |website=coc.ca |access-date=January 1, 2023 |archive-date=January 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127192812/https://www.coc.ca/about-the-coc |url-status=live }}</ref> the [[Toronto Symphony Orchestra]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tso.ca/ |title=The Official website of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra |website=tso.ca |access-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-date=June 29, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120629015506/http://www.tso.ca/About-The-TSO/About-the-TSO.aspx//Despr%C3%A9s |url-status=live }}</ref> the [[Canadian Electronic Ensemble]], and the [[Canadian Stage Company]]. Notable performance venues include the [[Four Seasons Centre|Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts]], [[Roy Thomson Hall]], the [[Princess of Wales Theatre]], the [[Royal Alexandra Theatre]], [[Massey Hall]], the [[Meridian Arts Centre]] (formerly the Toronto Centre for the Arts), the [[Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres]], and the [[Meridian Hall (Toronto)|Meridian Hall]] (originally the "O'Keefe Centre" and formerly the "Hummingbird Centre" and the "Sony Centre for the Performing Arts").

[[File:OntarioPlaceCinesphere.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Cinesphere]] at [[Ontario Place]]]]
[[Ontario Place]] features the world's first permanent [[IMAX]] movie theatre, the [[Cinesphere]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.imax.com/corporate/history/ |website=IMAX.com |title=Corporate History |access-date=December 3, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121115235504/http://www.imax.com/corporate/history/ |archive-date=November 15, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> as well as the [[RBC Amphitheatre]] (formerly Molson Amphitheatre and later Budweiser Stage), an open-air venue for music concerts. In the spring of 2012, Ontario Place closed after declining attendance. Although the Budweiser Stage and harbour still operate, the park and Cinesphere are no longer in use. There are ongoing plans to revitalise Ontario Place.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.torontosun.com/2014/07/31/ontario-place-revitalization-plans |title=$100M revitalization plan for Ontario Place |newspaper=Toronto Sun |access-date=July 16, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916160115/http://www.torontosun.com/2014/07/31/ontario-place-revitalization-plans |archive-date=September 16, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Rogers Stadium (Toronto)|Rogers Stadium]] is a major concert venue located in Downsview Park.

[[Canada's Walk of Fame]] acknowledges the achievements of successful Canadians with a series of stars on designated blocks of sidewalks along King Street and Simcoe Street.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zarum |first=Lara |date=June 27, 2025 |title=Canada's Walk of Fame |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/canadas-walk-of-fame |access-date=July 27, 2025 |website=[[The Canadian Encyclopedia]]}}</ref>

The production of domestic and foreign film and television is a major local industry. As of 2011, Toronto ranks as the third-largest production centre for film and television after [[Los Angeles]] and [[New York City]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2012/ed/bgrd/backgroundfile-45805.pdf |title=Film and Television Industry: 2011 Year in Review |website=toronto.ca |publisher=City of Toronto |date=September 1, 2012 |access-date=September 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304050038/http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2012/ed/bgrd/backgroundfile-45805.pdf |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> sharing the nickname "[[Hollywood North]]" with Vancouver.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=Sarasota Herald-Tribune |first=Vernon |last=Scott |page=12B |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=DkUfAAAAIBAJ&dq=toronto%20hollywood%20north&pg=4458%2C1049685 |title=Toronto Now Called Hollywood of North |access-date=June 10, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904071434/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=DkUfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mmcEAAAAIBAJ&dq=toronto%20hollywood%20north&pg=4458%2C1049685 |archive-date=September 4, 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Accessing City Hall">{{cite web |url=http://wx.toronto.ca/inter/it/newsrel.nsf/0/a196b48a551afa4285256df600461208?OpenDocument |title=New numbers confirm Toronto's rank as Hollywood North |website=toronto.ca |publisher=City of Toronto |access-date=January 1, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930033459/http://wx.toronto.ca/inter/it/newsrel.nsf/0/a196b48a551afa4285256df600461208?OpenDocument |archive-date=September 30, 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/in-brief-sars-costs-for-hollywood-north-and-more-1.468842 |title=SARS costs for 'Hollywood North' and more |work=CBC News |date=March 9, 2004 |access-date=January 1, 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080330145114/http://www.torontoisms.com/guide/crime.htm |archive-date=March 30, 2008 }}</ref> The [[Toronto International Film Festival]] is an annual event celebrating the international film industry.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/tiff-23-economic-impact-1.6965715 |title=TIFF generates big bucks for Toronto, Will the Hollywood actor's strike change that? |last=Cheese |first=Tyler |date=September 15, 2023 |website=[[CBC News]] |access-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240101175531/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/tiff-23-economic-impact-1.6965715 |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Caribana 2010.jpg|thumb|The grand parade for the [[Caribana]] festival on [[Lake Shore Boulevard]]]]
Toronto's [[Caribana]] (formerly known as Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival) takes place from mid-July to early August of every summer.<ref name=Caribana>[http://www.caribana.com/ Toronto Caribbean Carnival (Caribana) Festival 2006] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090209010245/http://caribana.com/ |date=February 9, 2009 }}, WORD Magazine (2006). They were retrieved on December 11, 2006.</ref> Primarily based on the [[Trinidad and Tobago Carnival]], the first Caribana took place in 1967 when the city's Caribbean community celebrated [[Canadian Centennial|Canada's Centennial]]. More than forty years later, it has grown to attract one million people to Toronto's [[Lake Shore Boulevard]] annually. Tourism for the festival is in the hundreds of thousands, and each year, the event generates over $400&nbsp;million in revenue for Ontario's economy.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/article/803506 |title=The Caribana success story |work=Toronto Star |date=May 3, 2010 |access-date=June 1, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100510041950/http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/article/803506 |archive-date=May 10, 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref>

One of the most significant events in the city, [[Pride Toronto|Pride Week]], takes place in late June and is one of the largest [[LGBTQ]]+ festivals in the world.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://dailyhive.com/toronto/toronto-national-geographic-pride-2018 |title=Toronto named one of the world's best places to celebrate Pride |last=Smith |first=Ainsley |date=June 11, 2018 |website=Daily Hive |language=en |access-date=March 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181019021624/http://dailyhive.com/toronto/toronto-national-geographic-pride-2018 |archive-date=October 19, 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Food===
{{main|List of Michelin-starred restaurants in Toronto}}

== Sports ==
{{Main|Sports in Toronto}}

{{See also|Amateur sport in Toronto|List of sports teams in Toronto}}
{{More citations needed section|date=July 2016}}
[[File:Toronto Island Queen City Yacht Club.jpg|thumb|Queen City Yacht Club facilities and piers on the Toronto Islands]]
Toronto is represented in five [[Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada|major league sports]], with teams in the [[National Hockey League]] (NHL), [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB), [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA), [[Canadian Football League]] (CFL), and [[Major League Soccer]] (MLS). It was formerly represented in a sixth and seventh; the [[USL W-League (1995–2015)|USL W-League]] that announced on November 6, 2015, that it would cease operation ahead of the 2016 season and the [[Canadian Women's Hockey League]] ceased operations in May 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |title=News from wleaguesoccer.com |url=http://wleaguesoccer.com/home/899334.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151119110213/http://wleaguesoccer.com/home/899334.html |archive-date=November 19, 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Equalizer Soccer – USL W-League, once top flight, folds after 21 seasons |url=http://equalizersoccer.com/2015/11/06/usl-w-league-folds-21-seasons/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160316112548/http://equalizersoccer.com/2015/11/06/usl-w-league-folds-21-seasons/ |archive-date=March 16, 2016 |access-date=June 7, 2016 |website=Equalizersoccer.com }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=March 31, 2019 |title=The Canadian Women's Hockey League to Discontinue Operations |url=http://www.thecwhl.com/the-canadian-womens-hockey-league-to-discontinue-operations |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190502221143/http://www.thecwhl.com/the-canadian-womens-hockey-league-to-discontinue-operations |archive-date=May 2, 2019 |access-date=May 8, 2019 |publisher=[[Canadian Women's Hockey League]] }}</ref> The city's major sports venues include the [[Scotiabank Arena]] (formerly Air Canada Centre), [[Rogers Centre]] (formerly SkyDome), [[Coca-Cola Coliseum]] (formerly Ricoh Coliseum), and [[BMO Field]]. Toronto is one of five North American cities (alongside [[Sports in Chicago|Chicago]], [[Sports in Los Angeles|Los Angeles]], [[Sports in Washington, D.C.|Washington, D.C.]], and [[Sports in the New York metropolitan area|the New York Tri-state area]]) to have won titles in its five major leagues (MLB, NHL, NBA, MLS and either NFL or CFL), and the only one to have done so in the Canadian Football League.

Historic sports clubs of Toronto include the [[Granite Club]] (established in 1836), the [[Royal Canadian Yacht Club]] (established in 1852), the [[Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club|Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club]] (established before 1827), the [[Argonaut Rowing Club]] (established in 1872), the [[Toronto Lawn Tennis Club]] (established in 1881), and the Badminton and Racquet Club (established in 1924).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://rcyc.ca/about/RCYC_Story |title=RCYC Story: Over a Century And A Half of Leadership |website=rcyc.ca |access-date=December 31, 2023 |archive-date=December 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231231160455/https://rcyc.ca/about/RCYC_Story |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.graniteclub.com/guestinfo |title=Guest Information – Granite Club |website=graniteclub.com |access-date=December 31, 2023 |archive-date=December 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231231160713/https://www.graniteclub.com/guestinfo |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Professional sports ===
[[File:The Blue Jays host the Orioles in the AL Wild Card Game (30243609331).jpg|thumb|The [[2016 American League Wild Card Game]] played at [[Rogers Centre]]. The Toronto Blue Jays use the stadium.]]
Toronto is home to the [[Toronto Maple Leafs]], one of the NHL's [[Original Six]] clubs, and has also served as home to the Hockey Hall of Fame since 1958.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nhl.com/mapleleafs/team/history |title=Toronto Maple Leafs History |publisher=[[National Hockey League]] |access-date=December 31, 2023 |archive-date=April 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220415084441/https://www.nhl.com/mapleleafs/team/history |url-status=live }}</ref> The city had a rich history of [[ice hockey|hockey]] championships. Along with the Maple Leafs' 13 [[Stanley Cup]] titles, the [[Toronto Marlboros]] and [[St. Michael's College School]]-based [[Ontario Hockey League]] teams, combined, have won a record 12 [[Memorial Cup]] titles.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/TOR/history.html |title=Toronto Maple Leafs Historical Statistics and All-Time Leaders |publisher=Hockey-Reference.com |access-date=December 31, 2023 |archive-date=December 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231231161012/https://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/TOR/history.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Toronto Marlies]] of the [[American Hockey League]] also play in Toronto at Coca-Cola Coliseum and are the farm team for the Maple Leafs. The [[Toronto Six]], the first Canadian franchise in the [[Premier Hockey Federation|National Women's Hockey League]], began play with the 2020–21 season.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/pwhl/first-pwhl-game-jan-1-toronto-ny-1.7070386 |title=History in the making: PWHL's Toronto vs New York begins new era in women's hockey |last=Donkin |first=Karissa |date=December 29, 2023 |website=[[CBC Sports]] |access-date=December 31, 2023 |archive-date=December 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231231044930/https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/pwhl/first-pwhl-game-jan-1-toronto-ny-1.7070386 |url-status=live }}</ref> However, the National Women's Hockey League folded. Its successor, the [[Professional Women's Hockey League]], has the [[Toronto Sceptres]].

The city is home to the [[Toronto Blue Jays]] MLB baseball team. The team has won two [[World Series]] titles ([[1992 World Series|1992]], [[1993 World Series|1993]]), though they lost the [[2025 World Series]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://torontosun.com/sports/baseball/toronto-blue-jays/simmons-blue-jays-92-world-series-team-was-one-for-the-ages |title=Simmons: Blue Jays' 92 World Series team was one for the ages |last=Simmons |first=Steve |date=October 22, 2022 |newspaper=[[Toronto Sun]] |access-date=August 11, 2023 |archive-date=October 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221022222716/https://torontosun.com/sports/baseball/toronto-blue-jays/simmons-blue-jays-92-world-series-team-was-one-for-the-ages |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-10-24-sp-49239-story.html |title=World Series: Toronto Blue Jays vs Philadelphia Phillies; Carter Sends Everyone Home; Blue Jays Repeat Crown on Homer in Ninth, 8-6 |last=Nightendale |first=Bob |date=October 24, 1993 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=December 31, 2023 |archive-date=December 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231231162129/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-10-24-sp-49239-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The Blue Jays play their home games at the Rogers Centre in the downtown core. Toronto has a long history of minor-league professional baseball dating back to the 1800s, culminating in the [[Toronto Maple Leafs (International League)|Toronto Maple Leafs]] baseball team, whose owner first proposed an MLB team for Toronto.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Toronto Blue Jays Timeline |url=https://www.mlb.com/bluejays/history/timeline |access-date=November 3, 2017 |website=BlueJays.com |publisher=MLB Advanced Media |archive-date=June 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190620125715/https://www.mlb.com/bluejays/history/timeline |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[Toronto Raptors]] basketball team entered the NBA in 1995 and has since earned eleven playoff spots and five [[Atlantic Division (NBA)|Atlantic Division]] titles in 24 seasons.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/TOR/ |title=Toronto Raptors Team Encyclopedia |publisher=[[Basketball-Reference.com]] |access-date=December 31, 2023 |archive-date=July 28, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120728024002/http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/TOR/ |url-status=live }}</ref> They won their first NBA title in [[2019 NBA Finals|2019]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Holcombe |first=Madeline |date=June 14, 2019 |title=The Toronto Raptors win Canada's first NBA championship |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2019/06/14/sport/nba-finals-game-6-raptors-warriors-trnd/index.html |access-date=November 8, 2020 |publisher=[[CNN]] |archive-date=September 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920115849/https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2019/06/14/sport/nba-finals-game-6-raptors-warriors-trnd/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The Raptors are the only NBA team with their own television channel, [[NBA TV Canada]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nba.com/raptors/nbatvcanada/schedule |title=NBATV Canada Latest Schedule |date=June 3, 2014 |last=Lopez |first=Torj |website=NBA.com |access-date=December 31, 2023 |archive-date=December 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231230235523/https://www.nba.com/raptors/nbatvcanada/schedule |url-status=live }}</ref> They play their home games at Scotiabank Arena, which is shared with the Maple Leafs. In 2016, Toronto hosted the [[2016 NBA All-Star Game|65th NBA All-Star game]], the first to be held outside the United States.<ref name="Toronto hosts 2016 All Star game">{{cite web |title=Toronto to host 2016 All-Star Game |url=http://www.allstarweekendtoronto.com/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160215105101/http://www.allstarweekendtoronto.com/ |archive-date=February 15, 2016 |access-date=February 13, 2016 |work=AllStarweekendToronto }}</ref> The [[Toronto Tempo]] of the [[WNBA]] will begin play in 2026.
[[File:Scotiabank Arena summer 2022.jpg|thumb|[[Scotiabank Arena]] from Bremner Boulevard. The [[National Basketball Association|NBA]]'s Toronto Raptors and the [[National Hockey League|NHL]]'s Toronto Maple Leafs play their home games at the arena.]]
The city is represented in [[Canadian football]] by the CFL's [[Toronto Argonauts]], which was founded in 1873.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://argoalumni.com/team-history/ |title=Argonauts Team History |website=Toronto Argonauts Alumni Association |date=January 18, 2016 |access-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-date=January 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240101185630/https://argoalumni.com/team-history/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The club has won 19 [[Grey Cup]] Canadian championship titles, with the most recent victory in 2024. The club's home games are played at BMO Field.
[[File:Bmo Field 2016 East Stand.jpg|thumb|View of [[BMO Field]] from the grandstands. The [[Canadian Football League|CFL]]'s Toronto Argonauts and [[Major League Soccer|MLS]]' Toronto FC play their home games at the outdoor stadium.]]
Toronto is represented in soccer by the [[Toronto FC]] MLS team, who have won seven [[Canadian Championship]] titles, as well as the [[MLS Cup]] in [[MLS Cup 2017|2017]] and the [[Supporters' Shield]] for best regular season record, also in [[2017 Major League Soccer season|2017]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Canada – Toronto FC – Results, fixtures, squad, statistics, photos, videos and news – Soccerway |url=https://us.soccerway.com/teams/canada/toronto-fc/7977/trophies/ |publisher=Soccerway |access-date=March 29, 2020 |archive-date=February 6, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180206002459/https://us.soccerway.com/teams/canada/toronto-fc/7977/trophies/ |url-status=live }}</ref> They share BMO Field with the Toronto Argonauts. Toronto has a high level of participation in soccer across the city at several smaller stadiums and fields. Toronto FC entered the league as an expansion team in 2007.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ozanian |first=Mike |date=May 21, 2013 |title=David Beckham To Earn Huge Windfall From New York's MLS Expansion |work=[[Forbes]] |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2013/05/21/david-beckham-to-earn-huge-windfall-from-new-yorks-mls-expansion/ |access-date=November 23, 2013 |archive-date=November 23, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131123151325/http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2013/05/21/david-beckham-to-earn-huge-windfall-from-new-yorks-mls-expansion/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=May 12, 2007 |title=Toronto vs. Chicago Fire 3–1 |publisher=Soccerway |url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2007/05/12/united-states/mls/toronto-fc/chicago-fire/437620/ |access-date=November 13, 2014 |archive-date=July 30, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180730083441/https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2007/05/12/united-states/mls/toronto-fc/chicago-fire/437620/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[AFC Toronto]] of the [[Northern Super League]] play at [[York Lions Stadium]].

The [[Toronto Rock]] is the city's [[National Lacrosse League]] team. They won five [[National Lacrosse League Cup]] titles in seven years in the late 1990s and the first decade of the 21st century, appearing in an NLL-record five straight championship games from 1999 to 2003, and are first all-time in the number of Champion's Cups won. The Rock formerly shared the Scotiabank Arena with the Maple Leafs and the Raptors. However, the Toronto Rock moved to the nearby city of [[Hamilton, Ontario|Hamilton]] while retaining its Toronto name.

The [[Toronto Wolfpack]] became Canada's first professional [[rugby league]] team and the world's first transatlantic professional sports team when they began play in the [[Rugby Football League]]'s [[RFL League One|League One]] competition in 2017.<ref>{{cite web |last=W. |first=T.A. |date=March 8, 2017 |title=Rugby league's Toronto Wolfpack are the first transatlantic sports team |url=https://www.economist.com/blogs/gametheory/2017/03/crossing-pond |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170311225015/http://www.economist.com/blogs/gametheory/2017/03/crossing-pond |archive-date=March 11, 2017 |access-date=March 12, 2017 |website=economist.com }}</ref> Due to COVID-19 restrictions on international travel the team withdrew from the [[Super League]] in 2020 with its future uncertain.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Toronto Wolfpack pull out of Super League season as relegation is cancelled {{pipe}} Toronto Wolfpack {{pipe}} The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/jul/20/toronto-wolfpack-exit-super-league-season-casting-doubt-on-clubs-future |website=amp.theguardian.com |date=July 20, 2020 |access-date=December 25, 2020 |archive-date=December 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201216054003/https://amp.theguardian.com/sport/2020/jul/20/toronto-wolfpack-exit-super-league-season-casting-doubt-on-clubs-future |url-status=live |last1=Bower |first1=Aaron }}</ref> The rugby club's ownership changed in 2021, now 'Team Wolfpack' will play in the newly formed [[North American Rugby League]] tournament.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Toronto Wolfpack news |url=https://www.torontowolfpack.com/pack-is-back |website=torontowolfpack.com/ |publisher=Team Wolfpack |access-date=May 4, 2021 |archive-date=May 12, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512203921/https://www.torontowolfpack.com/pack-is-back/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Toronto is home to the [[Toronto Rush]], a semi-professional ultimate team that competes in the [[American Ultimate Disc League]] (AUDL).<ref>{{cite news |last=Hall |first=Joseph |date=October 30, 2015 |title=Toronto Rush takes flight with American Ultimate Disc League |newspaper=The Star |url=https://www.thestar.com/sports/localsports/article/1292212--american-ultimate-disc-league-gets-toronto-franchise |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130204130716/http://www.thestar.com/sports/localsports/article/1292212--american-ultimate-disc-league-gets-toronto-franchise |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 4, 2013 |access-date=October 30, 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=American Ultimate Disc League |url=http://theaudl.com/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151021064303/http://theaudl.com/ |archive-date=October 21, 2015 |access-date=October 30, 2015 }}</ref> [[Ultimate frisbee|Ultimate (disc)]], in Canada, has its beginning roots in Toronto, with 3300 players competing annually in the Toronto Ultimate Club (League).<ref>{{cite web |title=History of the TUC |url=http://tuc.org/history/tuc |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303220133/http://tuc.org/history/tuc |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |access-date=October 30, 2015 }}</ref>

Toronto has hosted several [[National Football League]] (NFL) exhibition games at the Rogers Centre. [[Edward S. Rogers Jr.|Ted Rogers]] [[Bills Toronto Series|leased the Buffalo Bills]] from [[Ralph Wilson]] for the purposes of having the Bills play eight home games in the city between 2008 and 2013.
<!--Please don't add e-sports teams to this article per talk page; add them to [[Sports in Toronto]] and [[List of sports teams in Toronto]], though in both cases, reliable non-primary sources are needed-->
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="border:1px solid #ddd; background:#fefefe; padding:3px; margin:0; margin:auto;"
|+ Professional sports teams in Toronto
! scope="col" | Club
! scope="col" | League
! scope="col" | Sport
! scope="col" | Venue
! scope="col" | Established
! scope="col" | Championships
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: left;" | [[Scarborough Shooting Stars]]
| [[Canadian Elite Basketball League|CEBL]]
| [[Basketball]]
| [[Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre]]
| 2021
| 1 (last in 2023)
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: left;" | [[AFC Toronto]]
| [[Northern Super League|NSL]]
| [[Soccer]]<!--Don't bypass redirect per [[WP:NOTBROKEN]]-->
| [[York Lions Stadium]]
| 2025
| 0
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: left;" | [[Toronto Argonauts]]
| [[Canadian Football League|CFL]]
| [[Canadian football]]
| [[BMO Field]]
| 1873
| 19 (last in [[111th Grey Cup|2024]])
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: left;" | [[Toronto Blue Jays]]
| [[Major League Baseball|MLB]]
| [[Baseball]]
| [[Rogers Centre]]
| 1977
| 2 (last in [[1993 World Series|1993]])
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: left;" | [[Toronto FC]]
| [[Major League Soccer|MLS]]
| [[Association football|Soccer]]
| [[BMO Field]]
| 2007
| 1 (last in [[MLS Cup 2017|2017]])
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: left;" | [[Toronto Maple Leafs]]
| [[National Hockey League|NHL]]
| [[Ice hockey|Hockey]]
| [[Scotiabank Arena]]
| 1917
| 13 (last in [[1967 Stanley Cup Finals|1967]])
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: left;" | [[Toronto Marlies]]
| [[American Hockey League|AHL]]
| [[Ice hockey|Hockey]]
| [[Coca-Cola Coliseum]]
| 2005
| 1 (last in [[2018 Calder Cup playoffs|2018]])
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: left;" | [[Toronto Raptors]]
| [[National Basketball Association|NBA]]
| [[Basketball]]
| [[Scotiabank Arena]]
| 1995
| 1 (last in [[2019 NBA Finals|2019]])
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: left;" | [[Toronto Rock]]
| [[National Lacrosse League|NLL]]
| [[Box lacrosse]]
| [[TD Coliseum]]
| 1998
| 6 (last in [[2011 NLL season|2011]])
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: left;" | [[Toronto Sceptres]]
| [[Professional Women's Hockey League|PWHL]]
| [[Ice hockey|Hockey]]
| [[Coca-Cola Coliseum]]
| 2024
| 0
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: left;" | [[Toronto Tempo]]
| [[Women's National Basketball Association|WNBA]]
| [[Basketball]]
| [[Coca-Cola Coliseum]]
| 2026
| 0
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: left;" | [[Toronto Wolfpack]]
| [[North American Rugby League|NARL]]
| [[Rugby league]]
| [[Lamport Stadium]]
| 2017
| 1 (in [[2017 League 1]])
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: left;" | [[York United FC]]
| [[Canadian Premier League|CPL]]
| [[Soccer]]<!--Don't bypass redirect per [[WP:NOTBROKEN]]-->
| [[York Lions Stadium]]
| 2018
| 0
|}<!--Please don't add e-sports teams to this article per talk page; add them to [[Sports in Toronto]] and [[List of sports teams in Toronto]], though in both cases, reliable non-primary sources are needed-->

=== Collegiate sports ===
[[File:2017 Red and Blue Bowl.jpg|thumb|A Canadian football game between the [[Toronto Varsity Blues]] and the [[York Lions]] at [[Alumni Field (York University)|York's Alumni Field]]]]
The [[University of Toronto]]'s [[St. George campus]] in downtown Toronto was where the first recorded [[college football]] game was held in November 1861.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bernstein |first=Mark F. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n3i4KOu7MiEC |title=Football: The Ivy League Origins of an American Obsession |date=September 19, 2001 |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press |isbn=978-0-8122-3627-9 |language=en }}</ref> Many post-secondary institutions in Toronto are members of [[U Sports]] or the [[Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association]], the former for universities and the latter for colleges.

Toronto was home to the [[International Bowl]], an [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] sanctioned post-season college football game that pitted a [[Mid-American Conference]] team against a [[Big East Conference (1979–2013)|Big East Conference]] team. From 2007 to 2010, the game was played at Rogers Centre annually in January.

=== Events ===
[[File:Queen Elizabeth at the Queen's Plate.jpg|thumb|Arrival of [[Elizabeth II]] at the 2010 [[King's Plate|Queen's Plate]] at [[Woodbine Racetrack]]]]
Toronto, along with Montreal, hosts an annual [[tennis]] tournament called the [[Canadian Open (tennis)|Canadian Open]] (not to be confused with the [[Canadian Open (golf)|identically named golf tournament]]) between the months of July and August. In odd-numbered years, the men's tournament is held in Montreal, while the women's tournament is held in Toronto, and vice versa in even-numbered years.

The city hosts the [[Toronto Waterfront Marathon]] annually, one of the [[World Athletics Label Road Races]].<ref>{{cite web |title=World Athletics Label Road Races |url=https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-label-road-races/calendar-results |access-date=November 13, 2022 |website=World Athletics |archive-date=December 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20221218202650/https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-label-road-races/calendar-results |url-status=live }}</ref> Toronto also hosts the annual [[Grand Prix of Toronto]] car race (officially named Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto and formerly Honda Indy Toronto), part of the [[IndyCar Series]] schedule, held on a street circuit at Exhibition Place.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.indycar.com/Schedule/2023/IndyCar-Series/Toronto |title=Honda Indy Toronto |publisher=[[IndyCar Series]] |access-date=December 31, 2023 |archive-date=September 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230924131128/https://www.indycar.com/Schedule/2023/IndyCar-Series/Toronto |url-status=live }}</ref> It was known previously as the [[Champ Car World Series|Champ Car]]'s Molson Indy Toronto from 1986 to 2007. Both [[thoroughbred]] and [[standardbred]] [[horse racing]] events are conducted at [[Woodbine Racetrack]] in [[Rexdale]], most notably the [[King's Plate]].
[[File:2018 Honda Indy Toronto at Exhibition Place.jpg|thumb|The 2018 [[Grand Prix of Toronto]], an annual [[IndyCar Series]] race held at [[Exhibition Place]]]]
Toronto hosted the [[2015 Pan American Games]] in July 2015 and the [[2015 Parapan American Games]] in August 2015. It beat the cities of [[Lima]], Peru, and [[Bogotá]], Colombia, to win the rights to stage the games.<ref>{{cite web |title=Toronto 2015 Pan American Games Bid Officially Launched |url=http://www.gamesbids.com/eng/commonwealth_games_bids/1216133774.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081019025828/http://www.gamesbids.com/eng/commonwealth_games_bids/1216133774.html |archive-date=October 19, 2008 |website=GameBids.com }}</ref> The games were the largest [[multi-sport event]] ever to be held in Canada (in terms of athletes competing), double the size of the [[2010 Winter Olympics]] in [[Vancouver]], British Columbia.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cayley |first1=Shawn |date=August 12, 2014 |title=Countdown is on to Pan American and Parapan American Games in Durham Region |work=durhamregion.com |publisher=[[Metroland Media Group]] |url=http://www.durhamregion.com/news-story/4754402-countdown-is-on-to-pan-american-and-parapan-american-games-in-durham-region/ |url-status=dead |access-date=August 31, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903120851/http://www.durhamregion.com/news-story/4754402-countdown-is-on-to-pan-american-and-parapan-american-games-in-durham-region/ |archive-date=September 3, 2014 }}</ref>

Toronto was a candidate city for the [[1996 Summer Olympics|1996]] and [[2008 Summer Olympics]], which were awarded to [[Atlanta]] and [[Beijing]] respectively.<ref>{{cite news |last=Byers |first=Jim |date=July 10, 2007 |title=Third time lucky for T.O. Games bid? |url-access=subscription |work=The Star |location=Toronto |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2007/07/10/third_time_lucky_for_to_games_bid.html |url-status=live |access-date=May 25, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100305073654/http://www.thestar.com/News/article/234164 |archive-date=March 5, 2010 }}</ref>

Toronto was named as one of 16 cities in North America (and one of two Canadian cities) to host matches for the [[2026 FIFA World Cup]].<ref name="Toronto selected as host site for 2026 FIFA World Cup | CTV News">{{cite news |last=Fox |first=Chris |date=June 16, 2022 |title=Toronto selected as host site for 2026 FIFA World Cup |work=[[CTV News]] |location=Toronto, Ontario, Canada |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/toronto/article/toronto-selected-as-host-site-for-2026-fifa-world-cup/ |access-date=August 7, 2022 |archive-date=August 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220808021457/https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/toronto-selected-as-host-site-for-2026-fifa-world-cup-1.5949487 |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Government and politics ==
{{Main|Municipal government of Toronto}}

{{see also|Politics of Toronto|Public services in Toronto}}

=== Government ===
Toronto is a [[single-tier municipality]] governed by a [[Mayor–council government|mayor–council system]]. The structure of the municipal government is outlined the ''[[City of Toronto Act]]''. The mayor of Toronto is elected by direct popular vote to serve as the [[Head of government|chief executive]] of the city. The [[Toronto City Council]] is a [[unicameralism|unicameral]] legislative body, comprising 25 councillors, since the [[2018 Toronto municipal election|2018 municipal election]], representing geographical [[Ward (electoral subdivision)|wards]] throughout the city.<ref name=":4" /><ref name="Council Members" /> The mayor and members of the city council serve four-year terms without [[term limit]]s. (Until the [[2006 Toronto municipal election|2006 municipal election]], the mayor and city councillors served three-year terms.)
[[File:Cityhalltoronto1.JPG|thumb|left|[[Toronto City Hall]] is the seat of the [[municipal government of Toronto]].]]
At the beginning of each term, mayor forms a striking committee which recommends the composition of other committees. The mayor appoints deputy mayors, committee chairs and vice chairs, and remaining committee members are appointed by council on the recommendation of the striking committee. An executive committee is formed by the chairs of each standing committee, the mayor, the deputy mayor and four other councillors. There are four standing committees, three special committees as well as other bodies which govern agencies such as the Board of Health, the Toronto Transit Commission Board and the [[Toronto Police Services Board|Toronto Police Service Board]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Toronto City Council |title=Striking Committee (2022-2026) |url=https://secure.toronto.ca/council/#/committees/2463/26708 |access-date=2025-09-07 |website=City of Toronto}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=McGoldrick |first=Hayley |date=2023-08-10 |title=Olivia Chow appoints new city hall chairs and vice-chairs of executive committees |url=https://toronto.citynews.ca/2023/08/10/chow-city-hall-committees/ |access-date=2025-09-07 |website=CityNews Toronto |language=en}}</ref>

Administratively, the city is divided into four districts: North ([[North York]]), South ([[Old Toronto|Toronto]] and [[East York]]), West ([[Etobicoke]] and [[York, Ontario|York]]) and East ([[Scarborough, Ontario|Scarborough]]) City council has four community councils which have delegated decision-making authority on local, routine matters, and make recommendations to the city council on issues such as planning and zoning within their respective districts. Each city councillor is a member of the community council their ward is in.<ref name="TCC">{{cite web |title=Toronto City Council and Committees |url=http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/decisionBodyList.do?function=prepareDisplayDBList |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160708052705/http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/decisionBodyList.do?function=prepareDisplayDBList |archive-date=July 8, 2016 |access-date=July 17, 2016 |publisher=City of Toronto}}</ref>

There are about 40 subcommittees and advisory committees appointed by the city council. These bodies are made up of city councillors and private citizen volunteers. Examples include the Pedestrian Committee, Waste Diversion Task Force 2010, and the [[Task Force to Bring Back the Don]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Directory of committees, task forces and round tables |url=http://www.toronto.ca/committees/directory.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070403113800/http://www.toronto.ca/committees/directory.htm |archive-date=April 3, 2007 |access-date=March 18, 2007 |publisher=City of Toronto }}</ref>

The City of Toronto had an approved operating budget of {{CAD|13.53 billion}} in 2020 and a ten-year capital budget and plan of {{CAD|43.5 billion}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Toronto city council approves 2020 budget, homeowners to see 4.24% property tax increase |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/6568733/toronto-council-budget-meeting/ |date=February 19, 2020 |first1=Matthew |last1=Bingley |access-date=June 13, 2020 |website=Global News |language=en |archive-date=June 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613121400/https://globalnews.ca/news/6568733/toronto-council-budget-meeting/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The city's revenues include subsidies from the [[Government of Canada]] and the Government of Ontario (for programs mandated by those governments), 33 per cent from property tax, 6 per cent from the land transfer tax and the rest from other tax revenues and user fees.<ref name="cot-chart">{{cite web |title=Budget 2017 Charts |url=https://www1.toronto.ca/City%20Of%20Toronto/Strategic%20Communications/City%20Budget/2017/PDFs/Where%20the%20money%20goes%202017%20CA.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170726105036/https://www1.toronto.ca/City%20Of%20Toronto/Strategic%20Communications/City%20Budget/2017/PDFs/Where%20the%20money%20goes%202017%20CA.pdf |archive-date=July 26, 2017 |access-date=September 13, 2017 |publisher=City of Toronto }}</ref> The city's largest operating expenditures are the Toronto Transit Commission at {{CAD|2.14 billion}},<ref>{{Cite web |title=TTC seeks to raise fares by 10 cents in 2020 budget proposal |url=https://toronto.citynews.ca/2019/12/13/ttc-fare-increase-2020-budget-proposal/ |access-date=June 13, 2020 |website=CityNews Toronto |date=December 13, 2019 |archive-date=June 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613121358/https://toronto.citynews.ca/2019/12/13/ttc-fare-increase-2020-budget-proposal/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and the [[Toronto Police Service]], {{CAD|1.22 billion}}.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fox |first=Chris |date=June 10, 2020 |title=Tory says he won't support 'arbitrary' cuts to the $1.22B police budget |url=https://www.cp24.com/news/tory-says-he-won-t-support-arbitrary-cuts-to-the-1-22b-police-budget-1.4977626 |access-date=June 13, 2020 |website=CP24 |language=en |archive-date=June 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613030940/https://www.cp24.com/news/tory-says-he-won-t-support-arbitrary-cuts-to-the-1-22b-police-budget-1.4977626 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Crime===
{{Main|Crime in Toronto}}

{{See also|Crime in Canada|Gun politics in Canada}}

The historically low [[crime statistics|crime rate]] in Toronto has resulted in the city having a reputation as one of the safest major cities in North America.<ref name="crime">{{cite web |author1=Statistics Canada |author2=The Daily |date=July 21, 2006 |title=Crime statistics |url=http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/050721/d050721a.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081024034909/http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/050721/d050721a.htm |archive-date=October 24, 2008 |access-date=March 5, 2007 }}</ref><ref name="crime1">{{cite web |title=Crime and Safety |url=http://www.torontoisms.com/guide/crime.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080330145114/http://www.torontoisms.com/guide/crime.htm |archive-date=March 30, 2008 |website=Torontoisms }}</ref><ref name="crime2">{{cite web |date=December 26, 2007 |title=Despite rise, police say T.O. murder rate 'low' |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/despite-rise-police-say-t-o-murder-rate-low-1.268936 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091227131358/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20071226/toronto_murderrate_071226/20071226?hub=TopStories |archive-date=December 27, 2009 |access-date=April 17, 2010 |website=Ctv.ca }}</ref> For instance, in 2007, the [[homicide]] rate for Toronto was 3.43 per 100,000 people, compared with Atlanta (19.7), Boston (10.3), Los Angeles (10.0), New York City (6.3), Vancouver (3.1), and Montreal (2.6). Toronto's robbery rate also ranks low, with 207.1 robberies per 100,000 people, compared with Los Angeles (348.5), Vancouver (266.2), New York City (265.9), and Montreal (235.3).<ref>{{cite web |title=FBI statistics 2008 |url=https://www.fbi.gov/ucr/08aprelim/table_4.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100412045124/http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/08aprelim/table_4.html |archive-date=April 12, 2010 |access-date=April 17, 2010 |website=Fbi.gov }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Topping |first=David |date=July 22, 2008 |title=Metrocide: A History of Violence |url=http://torontoist.com/2008/07/metrocide_historical_homicides.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100420012605/http://torontoist.com/2008/07/metrocide_historical_homicides.php |archive-date=April 20, 2010 |access-date=April 17, 2010 |website=Torontoist }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=March 15, 2009 |title=Story – News |url=https://vancouversun.com/news/Vancouver+murder+rate+North+American+standards/1494291/story.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090418193156/http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Vancouver%2Bmurder%2Brate%2BNorth%2BAmerican%2Bstandards/1494291/story.html |archive-date=April 18, 2009 |access-date=April 17, 2010 |work=Vancouver Sun |location=Canada }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Bilan chiffres A new |url=http://www.spvm.qc.ca/upload/documentations/Bilan_chiffres_Anglais.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724121111/http://www.spvm.qc.ca/upload/documentations/Bilan_chiffres_Anglais.pdf |archive-date=July 24, 2011 |access-date=April 17, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Vancouver.ca |url=http://vancouver.ca/police/Planning/StatsDistrict/2007/20022007AnnualSummary.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190701231530/https://vancouver.ca/police/Planning/StatsDistrict/2007/20022007AnnualSummary.pdf |archive-date=July 1, 2019 |access-date=April 17, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=2007annrep_draft_daily_2008_03_26.xlsm |url=http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/publications/files/reports/2007statsreport.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100415053927/http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/publications/files/reports/2007statsreport.pdf |archive-date=April 15, 2010 |access-date=April 17, 2010 |website=torontopolice.on.ca }}</ref>{{excessive citations inline|date=September 2023}} Toronto has a comparable rate of [[motor vehicle theft|car theft]] to various U.S. cities, although it is not among the highest in Canada.<ref name="crime" />

In 2005, Toronto media coined the term "Year of the Gun" because of a record number of gun-related homicides, 52 out of 80 homicides in total.<ref name="crime2" /><ref>{{cite web |title=CTV Toronto – Toronto sets a new record for gun-related carnage – CTV News, Shows and Sports – Canadian Television |url=http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20051227/homicide_year_051227/20051227?hub=TorontoHome |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091227130849/http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20051227/homicide_year_051227/20051227?hub=TorontoHome |archive-date=December 27, 2009 |access-date=April 17, 2010 |website=Toronto.ctv.ca }}</ref> The total number of homicides dropped to 70 in 2006; that year, nearly 2,000 people in Toronto were victims of a violent gun-related crime, about one-quarter of the national total.<ref>{{cite web |title=Gun crime in Metro Vancouver highest per capita in Canada |url=http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?k=19079&id=4b651ab1-e729-44a9-86d3-79a1ddc84689 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090214043459/http://www2.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?k=19079&id=4b651ab1-e729-44a9-86d3-79a1ddc84689 |archive-date=February 14, 2009 }}</ref> 86 homicides were committed in 2007, roughly half of which involved guns. Gang-related incidents have also been on the rise; between 1997 and 2005, over 300 gang-related homicides have occurred. As a result, the Ontario government developed an anti-gun strategy.<ref>{{cite web |date=October 25, 2005 |title=Ministry of the Attorney General – Backgrounder |url=http://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/english/news/2005/20051025-gunviolence-bg.asp |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090701105835/http://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/english/news/2005/20051025-gunviolence-bg.asp |archive-date=July 1, 2009 |access-date=April 17, 2010 |website=Attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=June 11, 2011 |title=Toronto Police Service :: To Serve and Protect |url=http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/statistics/ytd_stats.php |access-date=September 15, 2023 |archive-date=June 11, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611112116/http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/statistics/ytd_stats.php }}</ref> In 2011, Toronto's murder rate plummeted to 51 murders—nearly a 26% drop from the previous year. The 51 homicides were the lowest number the city has recorded since 1999 when there were 47.<ref>{{cite news |last=Doucette |first=Chris |date=December 31, 2011 |title=Toronto murder rate plummets in 2011 |newspaper=Toronto Sun |url=http://www.torontosun.com/2011/12/31/toronto-murder-rate-plummets-in-2011 |url-status=live |access-date=February 18, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120403220644/http://www.torontosun.com/2011/12/31/toronto-murder-rate-plummets-in-2011 |archive-date=April 3, 2012 }}</ref> While subsequent years did see a return to higher rates, it remained nearly flat line of 57–59 homicides in from 2012 to 2015. 2016 went to 75 for the first time in over eight years. 2017 had a drop off of 10 murders to close the year at 65, with a homicide rate of 2.4 per 100,000 population.<ref name="TPS2015YTD">{{cite web |date=November 23, 2015 |title=TPS Crime Statistics – {{resize|Year to Date Shootings & Homicides}} |url=http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/statistics/ytd_stats.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151126002330/http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/statistics/ytd_stats.php |archive-date=November 26, 2015 |website=torontopolice.on.ca |publisher=[[Toronto Police Service]] }}</ref>

The total number of homicides in Toronto reached a record 98 in 2018; the number included 14 fatalities from the [[2018 Toronto van attack|Toronto van attack]] and the [[2018 Toronto shooting|Danforth shooting]], which gave the city a homicide rate of around 3.6 per 100,000 people. The record year for murders was previously 1991, with 89, at a rate of 3.9 murders per 100,000 people.<ref>{{cite news |last=Rankin |first=Jim |date=November 18, 2018 |title=What Toronto's Homicide Record Means — And What We Can Do About It |work=Toronto Star |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/analysis/2018/11/18/what-torontos-homicide-record-means-and-what-we-can-do-about-it.html |url-status=live |access-date=November 22, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181122100648/https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/analysis/2018/11/18/what-torontos-homicide-record-means-and-what-we-can-do-about-it.html |archive-date=November 22, 2018 }}</ref><ref name="Major Crime Indicators">{{Cite web |title=Major Crime Indicators |url=https://data.torontopolice.on.ca/pages/major-crime-indicators |access-date=September 15, 2023 |website=data.torontopolice.on.ca |language=en-us |archive-date=August 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230811085819/https://data.torontopolice.on.ca/pages/major-crime-indicators |url-status=live }}</ref> The 2018 homicide rate was higher than in [[Winnipeg]], [[Calgary]], [[Edmonton]], Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal, [[Hamilton, Ontario|Hamilton]], New York City, [[San Diego]], and [[Austin, Texas|Austin]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Beattie |first=Samantha |date=November 20, 2018 |title=Toronto Blows Past Winnipeg For Highest Homicide Rate In Canada |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2018/11/20/toronto-homicide-rate-murder_a_23594924/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181121183909/https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2018/11/20/toronto-homicide-rate-murder_a_23594924/ |archive-date=November 21, 2018 |access-date=March 27, 2019 |website=HuffPost Canada |language=en }}</ref> Homicides in 2019 dropped to 80 (a rate of 2.9 per 100,000 people) [[List of United States cities by crime rate|below the rate of most US cities]], but still higher than the Canadian average of 1.8.<ref>{{Cite web |last=admin |date=January 9, 2019 |title=Toronto 2019 Homicide Victim List - Homicide Canada |url=https://homicidecanada.com/toronto-2019-homicide-victim-list/ |access-date=September 15, 2023 |website=homicidecanada.com |language=en-US |archive-date=October 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002100655/https://homicidecanada.com/toronto-2019-homicide-victim-list/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Shooting incidents also increased to an all-time high of 492 in 2019, even outpacing gun incidents that occurred in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Shootings |url=https://data.torontopolice.on.ca/pages/shootings |access-date=September 15, 2023 |website=data.torontopolice.on.ca |language=en-us |archive-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824150430/https://data.torontopolice.on.ca/pages/shootings |url-status=live }}</ref> 2020 saw another decrease in homicides with the city having a total of 71 murders for the year (a rate of around 2.6 per 100,000 people).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Homicide |url=https://data.torontopolice.on.ca/pages/homicide |access-date=September 15, 2023 |website=data.torontopolice.on.ca |language=en-us |archive-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824150429/https://data.torontopolice.on.ca/pages/homicide |url-status=live }}</ref> However, in 2021, the city saw an increase in homicides, with the city murders increasing to 85, giving Toronto a homicide rate of 3.04 per 100,000 people.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://data.torontopolice.on.ca/pages/homicide |title=Homicide Overview |access-date=September 15, 2023 |archive-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824150429/https://data.torontopolice.on.ca/pages/homicide |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/1317685/homicide-rate-toronto-canada/ |title=Homicide rate in Toronto, Ontario in Canada between 2000 and 2021 |access-date=October 10, 2023 |archive-date=December 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221220142740/https://www.statista.com/statistics/1317685/homicide-rate-toronto-canada/ |url-status=live }}</ref> A decrease in murders happened the following year with 71 being reported in 2022 (a murder rate of 2.5 per 100,000), which was then followed by a slight increase in homicides with 73 being reported in 2023, giving the city a murder rate of 2.6 per 100,000 people, along with a record 12,143 reports of auto theft in the year.<ref name="Major Crime Indicators"/> 2024 saw another increase in homicides with 85 being reported in the year, giving the city a homicide rate of around 3.04 per 100,000 people.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Homicide |url=https://data.torontopolice.on.ca/pages/homicide |access-date=January 7, 2025 |website=data.torontopolice.on.ca |language=en-us |archive-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824150429/https://data.torontopolice.on.ca/pages/homicide |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Shooting and Firearm Discharge |url=https://data.torontopolice.on.ca/pages/shootings |access-date=January 7, 2025 |website=data.torontopolice.on.ca |language=en-us |archive-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824150430/https://data.torontopolice.on.ca/pages/shootings |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Transportation ==
{{Main|Transportation in Toronto}}

[[File:Toronto Bike Lanes (Sherbourne Street) Bandes cyclables de Toronto (rue Sherbourne) (38301287985).jpg|thumb|A roadway with [[bike lane]]s. A public bus service operated by the [[Toronto Transit Commission]] is visible in the background.]]
Toronto is a central transportation hub for road, rail, and air networks in Southern Ontario. The city has many forms of transport, including [[400-series highways|highways]] and [[public transportation in Toronto|public transit]]. Toronto also has an extensive [[Cycling in Toronto|network of bicycle lanes]] and multi-use trails and paths.

=== Public transportation ===
{{Main|Public transportation in Toronto}}
<!--Please do not insert subway map-->
Toronto's primary public transportation system is operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC).<ref name="autogenerated1" /> The backbone of its public transport network is the [[Toronto subway]] system, which includes three heavy-rail rapid transit lines spanning the city, including the U-shaped [[Line 1 Yonge–University|Line 1]], east–west [[Line 2 Bloor–Danforth|Line 2]], and the short east–west [[Line 4 Sheppard|Line 4]] with Line 1 extending as far beyond city limits as [[Vaughan Metropolitan Centre]].
[[File:Flexity_Outlook_(Toronto_streetcar);_September_2019.jpg|thumb|A [[Toronto streetcar system|TTC streetcar]] on King Street. The streetcar system is the largest and busiest such system in North America.]]
The TTC also operates an extensive network of [[Toronto Transit Commission bus system|buses]] and [[Toronto streetcar system|streetcars]] (and previously [[Trolley buses in Toronto|trolley buses]]), with streetcars serving the downtown core and buses serving many parts of the city not served by the sparse subway network. TTC buses and streetcars use the same fare system as the subway, and many subway stations offer a fare-paid area for transfers between rail and surface vehicles.
[[File:TTC Rosedale Station in Toronto - (20180909173532).jpg|thumb|A [[Toronto subway|TTC subway]] for [[Line 1 Yonge–University]] at [[Rosedale station (Toronto)|Rosedale station]]]]
There have been numerous plans to extend the subway and implement light-rail lines, but budgetary concerns have thwarted many efforts. By November 2011, construction on [[Line 5 Eglinton]] began. Line 5 was scheduled to finish construction by 2024.<ref name="CityNews-2023-05-16">{{Cite web |first=Michael |last=Ranger |url=https://toronto.citynews.ca/2023/05/16/eglinton-crosstown-metrolinx-ttc-crosslinx/ |title=Eglinton Crosstown won't open until 2024, construction group to take legal action: Metrolinx |website=CityNews |date=May 16, 2023 |access-date=May 16, 2023 |archive-date=May 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230516163903/https://toronto.citynews.ca/2023/05/16/eglinton-crosstown-metrolinx-ttc-crosslinx/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2015, the Ontario government promised to fund [[Line 6 Finch West]], which was to be completed by 2024, but was opened in 2025. In 2019, the Government of Ontario released a transit plan for the Greater Toronto Area which includes a new {{convert|16|km|adj=on}} [[Ontario Line]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ontario Line – Projects {{!}} Metrolinx |url=http://www.metrolinx.com/en/greaterregion/projects/ontario-line.aspx |access-date=July 21, 2020 |website=www.metrolinx.com |archive-date=June 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200617170215/http://www.metrolinx.com/en/greaterregion/projects/ontario-line.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> Line 1 extension to [[Richmond Hill Centre Terminal|Richmond Hill Centre]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Metrolinx: For a Greater Region – Yonge Subway Extension |url=http://www.metrolinx.com/en/greaterregion/projects/yonge-subway-extension.aspx |access-date=July 21, 2020 |website=www.metrolinx.com |archive-date=April 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417165641/http://www.metrolinx.com/en/greaterregion/projects/yonge-subway-extension.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> a Line 2 extension to Sheppard Avenue / McCowan Road to replace [[Line 3 Scarborough|Line 3]], and an extension for Line 5 Eglinton to Toronto Pearson Airport.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Spurr |first1=Ben |date=April 19, 2018 |title=Finch LRT delayed another year {{!}} The Star |language=en |newspaper=The Toronto Star |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/transportation/2018/04/19/finch-lrt-delayed-another-year.html |url-status=live |access-date=September 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190904032429/https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/transportation/2018/04/19/finch-lrt-delayed-another-year.html |archive-date=September 4, 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Eglinton Crosstown West Extension – Projects {{!}} Metrolinx |url=http://www.metrolinx.com/en/greaterregion/projects/eglinton-crosstown-west.aspx |access-date=July 21, 2020 |website=www.metrolinx.com |archive-date=March 10, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200310090152/http://www.metrolinx.com/en/greaterregion/projects/eglinton-crosstown-west.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref>

Toronto's century-old [[Union Station (Toronto)|Union Station]] is also getting a major renovation and upgrade which would be able to accommodate more rail traffic from [[GO Transit rail services|GO Transit]], [[Via Rail]], [[Union Pearson Express|UP Express]] and [[Amtrak]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Metrolinx: For a Greater Region – Union Station |url=http://www.metrolinx.com/en/greaterregion/projects/unionstation.aspx |access-date=July 21, 2020 |website=www.metrolinx.com |archive-date=August 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200812042759/http://www.metrolinx.com/en/greaterregion/projects/unionstation.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> Construction on a new [[Union Station Bus Terminal]] is also in the works with an expected completion in 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Metrolinx: For a Greater Region – The new Union Station Bus Terminal |url=http://www.metrolinx.com/en/greaterregion/projects/unionstation-bus-terminal.aspx |access-date=July 21, 2020 |website=www.metrolinx.com |archive-date=July 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200721072121/http://www.metrolinx.com/en/greaterregion/projects/unionstation-bus-terminal.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> Toronto's public transit network also connects to other municipal networks such as [[York Region Transit]], [[Viva Rapid Transit|Viva]], [[Durham Region Transit]], [[Brampton Transit]], and [[MiWay]].

The Government of Ontario operates a [[Commuter rail|regional rail]] and bus transit system called [[GO Transit]] in the Greater Toronto Area. GO Transit carries over 250,000 passengers every weekday (2013) and 57&nbsp;million annually, with a majority of them travelling to or from Union Station.<ref name="GO Numbers">{{cite web |title=Info to GO |url=http://www.gotransit.com/public/en/docs/publications/Info%20To%20GO_2011.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306013516/http://www.gotransit.com/public/en/docs/publications/Info%20To%20GO_2011.pdf |archive-date=March 6, 2012 |access-date=May 24, 2011 |website=GO Transit }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Lewington |first1=Jennifer |last2=McLeod |first2=Lori |date=November 2007 |title=Underground mall in store for Union Station makeover |work=Globe and Mail |location=Toronto |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/underground-mall-in-store-for-union-station-makeover/article698642/ |url-status=live |access-date=November 3, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151103221038/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/underground-mall-in-store-for-union-station-makeover/article698642/ |archive-date=November 3, 2015 }}</ref> [[Metrolinx]] is currently implementing [[GO Transit Regional Express Rail|Regional Express Rail]] into its GO Transit network and plans to electrify many of its rail lines by 2030.<ref>{{cite web |title=Metrolinx Regional Express Rail |url=http://www.metrolinx.com/en/regionalplanning/rer/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150408080943/http://www.metrolinx.com/en/regionalplanning/rer/ |archive-date=April 8, 2015 |access-date=May 1, 2015 |website=www.metrolinx.com |publisher=Metrolinx }}</ref>
[[File:Skyscrapers by railway station (Unsplash).jpg|thumb|The [[Union Station Rail Corridor]] at [[Union Station (Toronto)|Union Station]]. The corridor is used by [[commuter rail|commuter]] and [[intercity rail]] services.]]

=== Intercity transportation ===
[[Union Station (Toronto)|Toronto Union Station]] serves as a hub for VIA Rail's intercity services in Central Canada and includes services to various parts of Ontario, ''Corridor'' services to Montreal and national capital Ottawa, and long-distance services to Vancouver and New York City.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://torontounion.ca/visit/ |title=Visit – Toronto Union Station |website=Torontounion.ca |date=May 16, 2019 |access-date=December 29, 2023 |archive-date=December 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231230031416/https://torontounion.ca/visit/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

GO Transit provides intercity bus services from the Union Station Bus Terminal and other bus terminals in the city to destinations within the Golden Horseshoe. Long-distance [[intercity coach service]]s by multiple companies also operated from the Union Station Bus Terminal and provide a network of services to further cities in Ontario, neighbouring provinces, and the United States. The [[Toronto Coach Terminal]] formerly served as the city's intercity coach hub from 1931 to 2021, when the terminal was decommissioned.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/toronto-s-bay-street-bus-terminal-reaches-the-end-of-the-line/article_de501ce7-8020-5984-8ed6-64b43addc019.html |website=www.thestar.com |date=June 9, 2021 |last=Spurr |first=Ben |title=Toronto's Bay Street bus terminal reaches the end of the line |publisher=Toronto Star Newspaper |access-date=September 24, 2023 |archive-date=October 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002101051/https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/toronto-s-bay-street-bus-terminal-reaches-the-end-of-the-line/article_de501ce7-8020-5984-8ed6-64b43addc019.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Airports ===
[[File:Pearson International.JPG|thumb|Interior of [[Toronto Pearson International Airport]]'s Terminal 1. Toronto Pearson serves as the [[international airport]] for the [[Greater Toronto Area]].]]

Canada's busiest airport, [[Toronto Pearson International Airport]] ([[IATA airport code|IATA]]: YYZ), straddles the city's western boundary with the suburban city of Mississauga. The Union Pearson Express (UP Express) train service provides a direct link between Pearson International and Union Station. It began carrying passengers in June 2015.<ref>{{Cite web |last=King |first=Robin Levinson |date=2015-06-06 |title=Union Pearson Express (UPX) opens to the public |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/union-pearson-express-upx-opens-to-the-public/article_0838b463-6166-5e2e-9752-e966825dd706.html |access-date=2025-07-29 |website=[[Toronto Star]]}}</ref>

Limited commercial and passenger service to nearby destinations in Canada and the United States is offered from the [[Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport]] (IATA: YTZ) on the Toronto Islands, southwest of downtown. [[Downsview Airport]] (IATA: YZD), was located near the city's north end, and was owned by [[de Havilland Canada (1928–1986)|de Havilland Canada]] serving as the [[Bombardier Aviation]] aircraft factory. The airport permanently ceased operations in April 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NAV CANADA 2024-05-16 Downsview |url=https://www.navcanada.ca/en/flight-planning/service-notices/2024-05-16-downsview.aspx |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=www.navcanada.ca |language=en}}</ref>

Within a few hours' drive, Hamilton's [[John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport|John C. Munro International Airport]] (IATA: YHM) and Buffalo's [[Buffalo Niagara International Airport]] (IATA: BUF) serve as alternate airports for the Toronto area in addition to serving their respective cities. A [[Pickering Airport Lands|secondary international airport]], to be located northeast of Toronto in [[Pickering, Ontario|Pickering]], has been planned by the Government of Canada.

The city is also serviced by a [[List of airports in the Greater Toronto Area|number of private heliports]], most of which are attached to local hospitals and exclusively used for [[Medical evacuation|medevac]] flights.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Canada Flight Supplement. Effective 0901Z 20 February 2025 to 0901Z 17 April 2025 |date=2025-02-20 |publisher=NavCanada}}</ref>

=== Streets and highways ===
[[File:Highway 401 Densification.jpg|thumb|[[Ontario Highway 401|Highway 401]] is a [[400-series highways|400-series highway]] that passes west to east through Greater Toronto. Toronto's portion of Highway 401 is the busiest highway in North America.]]
The grid of major city streets was laid out by a [[concession road]] system, in which major [[arterial road]]s are {{convert|6600|ft|km|1|abbr=on}} apart (with some exceptions, particularly in Scarborough and Etobicoke, as they used a different survey). Major east-west arterial roads are generally parallel with the Lake Ontario shoreline, and major north–south arterial roads are roughly perpendicular to the shoreline, though slightly angled north of Eglinton Avenue. This arrangement is sometimes broken by geographical accidents, most notably the Don River ravines. Toronto's grid north is approximately 18.5° to the west of true north. Many arterials, particularly north–south ones, due to the city originally being within the former [[York County, Ontario|York County]], continue beyond the city into the [[Area code 905|905 suburbs]] and further into the rural countryside.

There are several municipal [[limited-access road|expressways]] and [[Ontario Provincial Highway Network|provincial highways]] that serve Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. In particular, [[Ontario Highway 401|Highway 401]] bisects the city from west to east, bypassing the downtown core. It is the busiest road in North America,<ref name="fhwa">{{cite report |url=https://international.fhwa.dot.gov/pubs/pl07027/llcp_07_02.cfm |title=Long-Life Concrete Pavements in Europe and Canada |last=Maier |first=Hanna |date=October 9, 2007 |publisher=Federal Highway Administration |quote=The key high-volume highways in Ontario are the 400-series highways in the southern part of the province. The most important of these is the 401, the busiest highway in North America, with an average annual daily traffic (AADT) of more than 425,000 vehicles in 2004, and daily traffic sometimes exceeding 500,000. |access-date=May 1, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527124628/http://international.fhwa.dot.gov/pubs/pl07027/llcp_07_02.cfm |archive-date=May 27, 2010 |url-status=live |website=[[Federal Highway Administration|Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)]] |section=Chapter 2 }}</ref>
and one of the busiest highways in the world.<ref>{{cite web |date=August 6, 2002 |title=Ontario government investing $401&nbsp;million to upgrade Highway 401 |url=http://ogov.newswire.ca/ontario/GPOE/2002/08/06/c0057.html?lmatch=&lang=_e.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070914064434/http://ogov.newswire.ca/ontario/GPOE/2002/08/06/c0057.html?lmatch=&lang=_e.html |archive-date=September 14, 2007 |access-date=March 18, 2007 |website=ogov.newswire.ca |publisher=[[Ministry of Transportation (Ontario)|Ontario Ministry of Transportation]] |quote=Highway 401 is one of the busiest highways in the world and represents a vital link in Ontario's transportation infrastructure, carrying more than 400,000 vehicles per day through Toronto. }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Brian Gray |date=April 10, 2004 |title=GTA Economy Dinged by Every Crash on the 401 – North America's Busiest Freeway |newspaper=[[Toronto Sun]], transcribed at Urban Planet |url=http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=3459 |url-status=live |access-date=March 18, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091227131438/http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=3459 |archive-date=December 27, 2009 |quote=The "phenomenal" number of vehicles on Hwy. 401 as it cuts through Toronto makes it the busiest freeway in the world... }}</ref> Other provincial highways include [[Ontario Highway 400|Highway 400]], which connects the city with Northern Ontario and beyond and [[Ontario Highway 404|Highway 404]], an extension of the [[Don Valley Parkway]] into the northern suburbs. The [[Queen Elizabeth Way]] (QEW), North America's first divided intercity highway, terminates at Toronto's western boundary and connects Toronto to [[Niagara Falls]] and [[Buffalo, New York|Buffalo]]. The main municipal expressways in Toronto include the [[Gardiner Expressway]], the Don Valley Parkway, and, to some extent, [[Allen Road]]. Toronto's traffic congestion is one of the highest in North America, and is the second highest in Canada after Vancouver.<ref>{{cite web |title=TomTom Congestion Index: North America |url=https://www.tomtom.com/en_gb/trafficindex/list?citySize=LARGE&continent=NA&country=ALL |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170616060403/https://www.tomtom.com/en_gb/trafficindex/list?citySize=LARGE&continent=NA&country=ALL |archive-date=June 16, 2017 |access-date=September 13, 2017 |website=tomtom.com }}</ref>

== Sister cities ==
{{Main|Sister cities of Toronto}}

===Partnership cities===
{{col div}}
* [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]], United States (1991)<ref name="relationships">{{Cite web |url=https://www.toronto.ca/business-economy/business-operation-growth/international-alliance-program/ |title=International Alliance Program |date=July 14, 2017 |website=City of Toronto |language=en-CA |access-date=June 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190623170347/https://www.toronto.ca/business-economy/business-operation-growth/international-alliance-program/ |archive-date=June 23, 2019 |url-status=live |last1=Toronto |first1=City of }}</ref>
* [[Chongqing]], China (1986)<ref name="relationships"/>
* [[Frankfurt]], Germany (1989)<ref name="relationships"/>
* [[Milan]], Italy (2003)<ref name="relationships"/>
{{col div end}}

===Friendship cities===
{{col div}}
* [[Ho Chi Minh City]], Vietnam (2006)<ref name="relationships"/>
* [[Kyiv]], Ukraine (1992)<ref name="relationships"/>
* [[Quito]], Ecuador (2006)<ref name="relationships"/>
* [[Rio de Janeiro]], Brazil (2015)<ref name="relationships"/>
* [[Sagamihara]], Japan (1991)<ref name="relationships"/>
* [[Warsaw]], Poland (1990)<ref name="relationships"/>
{{col div end}}

==Notable people==
{{Main|List of people from Toronto}}

==See also==
{{portal|border=no|Ontario|Cities|Canada}}
* {{annotated link|Great Lakes megalopolis}}
* [[Largest cities in the Americas]]
* [[List of metropolitan areas in the Americas]]
* {{annotated link|Outline of Toronto}}
<!-- Do not add Greater Toronto Area or Golden Horseshoe, since both are linked many times in the article itself -->

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em |refs=
<ref name="sc-geo-profile-to">{{cite web |publisher=Statistics Canada |url=http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2016/as-sa/fogs-spg/Facts-CSD-eng.cfm?TOPIC=7&LANG=eng&GK=CSD&GC=3520005 |title=Focus on Geography Series, 2016 Census: Toronto, City (CSD) – Ontario: Immigration and Ethnocultural diversity |access-date=October 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171108124945/http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2016/as-sa/fogs-spg/Facts-CSD-eng.cfm?TOPIC=7&LANG=eng&GK=CSD&GC=3520005 |archive-date=November 8, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name="sc-profile-to">{{cite web |url=http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=3520005&Geo2=PR&Code2=01&Data=Count&SearchText=3520005&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=&TABID=3 |title=Census Profile, 2016 Census: Toronto, City [Census subdivision], Ontario and Canada [Country] |access-date=October 31, 2017 |publisher=Statistics Canada}}{{Dead link|date=January 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
}}

===Bibliography===
{{refbegin|30em}}
*{{cite book |first=Keith |last=Dinnie |title=City Branding: Theory and Cases |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dW69d3qY9h8C&pg=PA21 |year=2011 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |isbn=978-0-230-24185-5}}
* {{cite book |first=Hazel |last=Duffy |year=2004 |title=Competitive Cities: Succeeding in the Global Economy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y9wIBVb8Q9AC&pg=PA154 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-0-203-36231-0 |access-date=February 21, 2016 |archive-date=September 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230914171843/https://books.google.com/books?id=Y9wIBVb8Q9AC&pg=PA154 |url-status=live}}
*{{cite book |editor1-last=Firth |editor1-first=Edith G. |title=The Town of York 1793–1815: A Collection of Documents of Early Toronto (Ontario Series) |date=1962 |publisher=The Publications of the Champlain Society |doi=10.3138/9781442617940 |isbn=978-1-4426-1794-0}}
* {{cite book |last=Gibson |first=Sally |title=Toronto's Distillery District: history by the lake |year=2008 |publisher=Cityscape Holdings Inc. and Dundee Distillery District (GP) Commercial Inc. |isbn=978-0-9809905-0-8}}
*{{cite book |title=Pioneer Settlements in Upper Canada |last=Guillet |first=Edwin C. |publisher=[[University of Toronto Press]] |orig-year=1933 |date=1969 |isbn=978-0802061102}}
* {{cite book |last=Hounsom |first=Eric Wilfrid |year=1970 |title=Toronto in 1810 |publisher=Ryerson Press |location=Toronto |isbn=978-0-7700-0311-1}}
* {{cite book |last=Johansen Aase |first=Emily |year=2014 |title=Cosmopolitanism and Place: Spatial Forms in Contemporary Anglophone Literature |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |location=New York City, NY, USA |isbn=978-1-137-40266-0}}
* {{cite book |first1=James Keith |last1=Johnson |first2=Bruce G. |last2=Wilson |title=Historical Essays on Upper Canada: New Perspectives |publisher=McGill-Queen's Press |year=1989 |isbn=978-0-88629-070-2}}
* {{cite book |first1=Barbara |last1=Myrvold |first2=Curtis |last2=Fahey |title=The people of Scarborough : a history |publisher=Scarborough Public Library Board |location=Scarborough, Ont. |year=1997 |isbn=978-0-9683086-0-8}}
* {{Cite book |last=Robertson |first=John Ross |year=1894 |title=Robertson's Landmarks of Toronto: A Collection of Historical Sketches of the Old Town of York from 1792 Until 1837, and of Toronto from 1834 to 1894 |publisher=J. Ross Robertson |location=Toronto}}
*{{cite book |last=Schmalz |first=Peter S. |title=The Ojibwa of Southern Ontario |year=1991 |publisher=University of Toronto Press{{!}} |location=Toronto |isbn=978-0-8020-6778-4 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/ojibwaofsouthern0000schm}}
*{{cite book |editor-first=R. F. |editor-last=Williamson |title=Toronto: An Illustrated History of its First 12,000 Years |location=Toronto, Ontario |publisher=James Lorimer |year=2008}}
*{{cite web |url=http://geonames.nrcan.gc.ca/education/toronto_e.php |title=The real story of how Toronto got its name |publisher=[[Natural Resources Canada]] |access-date=April 17, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109063329/http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/earth-sciences/geography-boundary/geographical-name/geoname-origins/5697 |archive-date=November 9, 2013 |ref={{harvid|Natural Resources Canada}}}}
*{{cite web |url=http://geonames.nrcan.gc.ca/education/cap_e.php |title=Canada, Provinces & Territories: The naming of their capital cities |publisher=Natural Resources Canada |access-date=April 25, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111211051722/http://geonames.nrcan.gc.ca/education/cap_e.php |archive-date=December 11, 2011 |ref={{harvid|Natural Resources Canada: Canada, Provinces & Territories: The naming of their capital cities}}}}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite book |first1=Howard |last1=Akler |first2=Sarah |last2=Hood |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9INeDSqwJ1MC&q=Toronto&pg=PA1 |title=Toronto: The Unknown City |publisher=Arsenal Pulp Press |year=2003 |isbn=978-1-55152-146-6 |access-date=October 21, 2020 |archive-date=September 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230914171915/https://books.google.com/books?id=9INeDSqwJ1MC&q=Toronto&pg=PA1 |url-status=live}}
* {{cite encyclopedia |last=Careless |first=J.M.S. |author-link=J. M. S. Careless |url=http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0008050 |title=Toronto |encyclopedia=[[The Canadian Encyclopedia]] |publisher=Historica Foundation of Canada |access-date=December 3, 2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060103123419/http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0008050 |archive-date=January 3, 2006}}
* {{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7V5-PlPhwnAC&q=Toronto&pg=PP1 |title=Toronto to 1918: An Illustrated History |first=J. M. S |last=Careless |publisher=J. Lorimer and National Museum of Man |year=1984 |isbn=978-0-88862-665-3 |access-date=October 21, 2020 |archive-date=September 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230914171844/https://books.google.com/books?id=7V5-PlPhwnAC&q=Toronto&pg=PP1 |url-status=live}}
* {{cite web |year=2007 |title=Ultimate Inline Skating Guide to Toronto v1.5 |url=https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&output=nl&msid=105047441964785653381.0000011358da39f6cf7dd |format=Google Earth |access-date=July 7, 2007 |archive-date=October 25, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071025025337/http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&output=nl&msid=105047441964785653381.0000011358da39f6cf7dd |url-status=live}}
* {{cite book |author-link=Mike Filey |last=Filey |first=Mike |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ToQcKz0DFM4C&q=Toronto&pg=PP1 |title=Toronto: the way we were |publisher=[[Dundurn Press]] |year=2008 |isbn=978-1-55002-842-3 |access-date=October 21, 2020 |archive-date=September 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230914172344/https://books.google.com/books?id=ToQcKz0DFM4C&q=Toronto&pg=PP1 |url-status=live}}
* {{Cite book |last=Fulford |first=Robert |year=1995 |title=Accidental city: the transformation of Toronto |publisher=Macfarlane, Walter & Ross |location=Toronto |isbn=978-0-921912-91-0 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/accidentalcitytr00fulf}} Also {{ISBN|1-55199-010-5}} (paperback).
* {{cite book |first=Richard |last=Harris |title=Unplanned Suburbs: Toronto's American Tragedy, 1900 to 1950 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EF2uN3v0i9gC |date=October 7, 1999 |publisher=JHU Press |isbn=978-0-8018-6282-3 |access-date=July 2, 2015 |archive-date=September 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230914172344/https://books.google.com/books?id=EF2uN3v0i9gC |url-status=live}}
* The novel "[[In the Skin of a Lion]]" by [[Michael Ondaatje]] depicts Toronto in the 1920s, giving prominence to the construction of Toronto landmarks, such as the [[Prince Edward Viaduct]] and the [[R. C. Harris Water Treatment Plant]], and focusing on the lives of the immigrant workers.
* {{Cite book |last1=Phillips |first1=Robert |last2=Bram |first2=Leon |last3=Dickey |first3=Norma |year=1971 |title=Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia |publisher=Funk & Wagnalls |location=New York |volume=23 |isbn=978-0-8343-0025-5}}
* {{Cite book |last=Rayburn |first=Alan |year=2001 |title=Naming Canada: stories about Canadian place names |publisher=University of Toronto Press |location=Toronto |edition=2nd |isbn=978-0-8020-8293-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aiUZMOypNB4C&q=Naming%20Canada%3A%20stories%20about%20Canadian%20place%20names&pg=PP1 |access-date=October 21, 2020 |archive-date=September 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230914172345/https://books.google.com/books?id=aiUZMOypNB4C&q=Naming%20Canada%3A%20stories%20about%20Canadian%20place%20names&pg=PP1 |url-status=live}}
* {{cite web |author=Statistics Canada |year=2003 |url=http://www12.statcan.ca/english/profil01/CP01/Details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=3520005&Geo2=PR&Code2=35&Data=Count&SearchText=toronto&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom= |title=Toronto |work=Statistics Canada. 2002. 2001 Community Profiles. |publisher=[[Statistics Canada]] Catalogue no. 93F0053XIE |access-date=December 3, 2005 |archive-date=October 22, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171022220053/http://www12.statcan.ca/english/profil01/CP01/Details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=3520005&Geo2=PR&Code2=35&Data=Count&SearchText=toronto&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom= |url-status=dead}}
* {{Cite web |author=City of Toronto |url=http://www.toronto.ca/economic_profile/index.htm |title=Toronto's Economic Profile |publisher=City of Toronto |access-date=May 30, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060619141654/http://www.toronto.ca/economic_profile/index.htm |archive-date=June 19, 2006}}
* {{Cite book |first=Carolyn |last=Whitzman |title=Suburb, slum, urban village: transformations in Toronto's Parkdale neighbourhood, 1875–2002 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dcyQvnb0EiEC |year=2009 |publisher=UBC Press |isbn=978-0-7748-1535-2 |access-date=July 2, 2015 |archive-date=September 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230914172345/https://books.google.com/books?id=dcyQvnb0EiEC |url-status=live}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links|Toronto|v=no|n=Portal:Toronto, Ontario|voy=Toronto|s=no|b=no}}
* {{Official website}}
* {{OSM relation|324211}}

{{Geographic location
|Center=Toronto
|North=[[Vaughan]], [[Markham, Ontario|Markham]]
|Northeast=
|East=[[Pickering, Ontario|Pickering]]
|Southeast=
|South=''[[Lake Ontario]]''
|Southwest=
|West=[[Mississauga]]
|Northwest=[[Brampton]]
}}
{{Toronto}}
{{Navboxes|list =
{{Greater Toronto Area}}
{{Subdivisions of Ontario}}
{{Canada capitals}}
{{Toronto landmarks}}
{{Toronto Neighbourhoods}}
{{Museums and galleries in Toronto}}
{{Paralympic Summer Games Host Cities}}
{{Pan American Games host cities}}
{{Great Lakes Megalopolis}}
}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Toronto}}
[[Category:Toronto| ]]
[[Category:1834 establishments in Canada]]
[[Category:Cities in Ontario]]
[[Category:Former colonial capitals in Canada]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1793]]
[[Category:Populated places on Lake Ontario in Canada]]
[[Category:Port settlements in Ontario]]
[[Category:Single-tier municipalities in Ontario]]