Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
Wine country, history
and an hour from home.
Where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario: a heritage Old Town, five distinct communities and vineyards in every direction, about an hour from Oakville.
Our Take
Niagara-on-the-Lake,an hour from home.
Wine country, the Shaw Festival and one of the best-preserved heritage towns in Canada, about an hour from Oakville along the QEW.
“For buyers who want small-town heritage and wine country within an easy drive of the GTA, Niagara-on-the-Lake is hard to beat.”
Lauren & DonnaOld Town or the villages
Heritage homes and walkable Queen Street in Old Town, or newer homes and family streets in Virgil, St. Davids and Glendale. Each feels very different.
Heritage rules matter
Much of Old Town sits in a heritage conservation district, so renovation plans can need extra approvals. We’ll help you understand what applies before you buy.
Plan for the commute and schools
There’s no GO station or high school in town. GO trains run from St. Catharines and Niagara Falls, and high school students attend nearby. We’ll factor that in from day one.
A small town with
a very long story.
Niagara-on-the-Lake sits at the tip of the Niagara Peninsula, where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario, across the river from New York State. Its five communities, Old Town, Virgil, St. Davids, Queenston and Glendale, run from the lakeshore south to the foot of the Niagara Escarpment.
Niagara-on-the-Lake — 131 km² of wine country
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39 Wineries
VQA Ontario counts 39 wineries in the Niagara-on-the-Lake appellation, known for Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Riesling and icewine.
The Shaw Festival
Founded in 1962 with eight performances in the Court House, it now stages 800+ performances a year from April to December.
25 Blocks of History
The Old Town National Historic District holds 90+ buildings from 1815 to 1859, which Parks Canada calls the best collection from that period in Canada.
56 km of Riverside Trail
The Niagara River Recreation Trail runs from Fort Erie to Fort George, past wineries, fruit stands and historic sites.
Golf Since 1875
The nine-hole Niagara-on-the-Lake Golf Club, on Lake Ontario, is described as the oldest golf course on its existing site in North America.
About an Hour to Oakville
Via the QEW, with Toronto about 90 minutes away. GO trains run from nearby St. Catharines and Niagara Falls.
Population (19,088), land area and median age from the 2021 Census of Population (Statistics Canada). The town grew 9.0% between 2016 and 2021. Drive times are approximate and depend on traffic.
What People Love
Why people move here
and then stay.
Ask anyone who has moved here why they chose it, and you’ll hear some version of these six answers.
Fourteen places to call home,
and what each one is like.
From heritage streets in Old Town to newer homes in Virgil, St. Davids and Glendale, every corner of Niagara-on-the-Lake has its own pace. Choose one to see the schools, parks and housing mix.
Historic core · Queen Street
The heritage heart of town
The original lakeside town, laid out on a late-1700s grid with wide, tree-lined streets. Queen Street is the shopping and dining spine, and the Shaw Festival theatres are close by.
Schools
Crossroads PS and St. Michael CES (both in Virgil)
Parks & Green Space
Simcoe Park, Queen’s Royal Park and Beach, Memorial Park
Getting Around
Walk or bike to Queen St; Niagara Stone Rd to the QEW
Walkability
Very walkable
Housing
Heritage homes from the early 1800s, plus infill homes
Old Town · Lakeside
Cottage streets by the lake
A lakeside pocket of Old Town that grew out of the Canadian Chautauqua summer assembly, first held in 1887. Some of the original cottages still stand.
Schools
Crossroads PS and St. Michael CES (both in Virgil)
Parks & Green Space
Chautauqua Park, Ryerson Park on the waterfront
Getting Around
Bike or a short drive to Queen St
Walkability
Walkable
Housing
Original and renovated cottages, plus newer homes
Old Town · Riverfront
The old working waterfront
The riverfront where the Niagara Harbour and Dock Company once built ships. Some workers’ homes from that era remain, a short walk from Queen Street.
Schools
Crossroads PS and St. Michael CES (both in Virgil)
Parks & Green Space
Queen’s Royal Park, Pumphouse Arts Centre grounds
Getting Around
Walk to Queen St and the river
Walkability
Very walkable
Housing
Historic cottages and riverfront homes
Near Old Town
A planned neighbourhood near Old Town
A planned residential neighbourhood close to Old Town, with its own village green, tennis and basketball courts, and easy access to Queen Street.
Schools
Crossroads PS and St. Michael CES (both in Virgil)
Parks & Green Space
Garrison Village Green Park, Dietsch Park
Getting Around
Bike to Old Town; Niagara Stone Rd to the QEW
Walkability
Somewhat walkable
Housing
Newer detached homes and bungalows
Niagara Stone Road
A walkable, master-planned community
A master-planned neighbourhood begun in 1996, with homes close to the sidewalk and most garages on rear lanes. Georgian-inspired designs give it a classic feel.
Schools
Crossroads PS and St. Michael CES (both in Virgil)
Parks & Green Space
Village’s Park
Getting Around
Niagara Stone Rd to Old Town and the QEW
Walkability
Walkable within the neighbourhood
Housing
Condo suites, townhomes, semis and detached homes
Niagara Stone Road · Four Mile Creek
The town’s everyday hub
The agricultural and service centre of Niagara-on-the-Lake, with about 3,000 residents, everyday shops along Niagara Stone Road and the town’s sports parks.
Schools
Crossroads PS, St. Michael CES
Parks & Green Space
Centennial Sports Park, Virgil Sports Park (splash pad)
Getting Around
Niagara Stone Rd to the QEW and Old Town
Walkability
Somewhat walkable along Niagara Stone Rd
Housing
Bungalows, two-storeys, newer subdivisions and some townhomes
Four Mile Creek Rd · York Rd
A historic village near the Escarpment
A village at Four Mile Creek and York Roads with homes dating back to around 1815, plus newer streets. American forces burned it in July 1814.
Schools
St. Davids PS
Parks & Green Space
St. Davids Lions Park (pool, tennis), Lowrey Park
Getting Around
York Rd and Hwy 405; QEW nearby
Walkability
Car-oriented
Housing
Heritage homes, newer subdivisions and semis
St. Davids
Newer homes in St. Davids
A newer, sought-after subdivision around Cannery Drive in St. Davids, with its own park and quick access to wineries on the St. David’s Bench.
Schools
St. Davids PS
Parks & Green Space
Cannery Park
Getting Around
York Rd and Hwy 405; QEW nearby
Walkability
Car-oriented
Housing
Newer semi-detached raised bungalows and detached homes
Niagara Escarpment · Niagara River
History on the Escarpment
A small historic village on the Escarpment, across the river from Lewiston, NY. Home to Queenston Heights, the Laura Secord Homestead and the southern end of the Bruce Trail.
Schools
Confirm by address with the DSBN or NCDSB
Parks & Green Space
Queenston Heights Park, Queenston Common Park
Getting Around
Niagara Pkwy and Hwy 405
Walkability
Walkable village core, few services
Housing
Historic homes and estate lots
Glendale Ave · QEW
Where the town is growing
The growth area around the Glendale Avenue exit off the QEW, home to the Outlet Collection at Niagara, the Niagara College campus and newer residential streets.
Schools
Confirm by address with the DSBN or NCDSB
Parks & Green Space
Niagara-on-the-Green Park
Getting Around
Right at the QEW (Glendale Ave)
Walkability
Car-oriented
Housing
Newer subdivisions, with more planned
Glendale
A newer subdivision by the QEW
A residential subdivision in the Glendale area with its own Town park, close to shopping, Niagara College and the highway.
Schools
Confirm by address with the DSBN or NCDSB
Parks & Green Space
Niagara-on-the-Green Park
Getting Around
Glendale Ave to the QEW
Walkability
Car-oriented
Housing
Newer detached homes and townhomes
Lakeshore Rd · West of Old Town
A quiet rural hamlet
A rural hamlet out Lakeshore Road toward St. Catharines, with 19th-century homes, farms and Christ Church at Lakeshore and McNab.
Schools
Confirm by address with the DSBN or NCDSB
Parks & Green Space
Lake Ontario shoreline nearby
Getting Around
Lakeshore Rd to Old Town or St. Catharines
Walkability
Car-dependent
Housing
Rural heritage homes, farms and lakeshore lots
Lake Ontario · West of Old Town
Country living by the lake
A rural corridor along Lake Ontario west of Old Town, with farms, estate homes and Niagara Shores Park, about 14 hectares of protected lakeside forest.
Schools
Confirm by address with the DSBN or NCDSB
Parks & Green Space
Niagara Shores Park
Getting Around
Lakeshore Rd to Old Town; Niagara Stone Rd to the QEW
Walkability
Car-dependent
Housing
Lakefront and estate homes, farms
The concession “Lines”
Vineyards and country estates
Vineyards, orchards and farms along the concession Line roads between the villages, spanning the Four Mile Creek, St. David’s Bench, Niagara River and Niagara Lakeshore sub-appellations.
Schools
St. Michael CES, Crossroads PS
Parks & Green Space
Vineyard country in every direction
Getting Around
Car or bike; Niagara Stone Rd to the QEW
Walkability
Rural
Housing
Farm and estate properties, country homes
Neighbourhood boundaries vary between sources, and school catchments change — always confirm the catchment for a specific address with the District School Board of Niagara or the Niagara Catholic District School Board. There is no high school in Niagara-on-the-Lake; secondary students attend schools in St. Catharines or Niagara Falls.
Fun Facts
Nine things you probably
didn’t know about Niagara-on-the-Lake.
A first capital, a first newspaper and one of the oldest golf courses in North America.
The town began as a settlement for United Empire Loyalists after the American Revolution, and was incorporated in 1792.
Parliament met here, at Navy Hall, from 1792 until the capital moved to York (Toronto). The town was called Newark at the time.
Retreating American forces burned the town during the War of 1812. Only a few houses are reported to have survived.
The Upper Canada Gazette printed its first edition here on April 18, 1793. A plaque marks the spot in Queen’s Royal Park.
The 1793 Act Against Slavery, passed here, was the first legislation in the British Empire to limit slavery. It did not free those already enslaved.
Butler’s Barracks honours Col. John Butler’s Loyalist unit. The grounds later trained troops for both World Wars and Korea as Camp Niagara.
Brock’s Monument at Queenston Heights is the resting place of Maj.-Gen. Sir Isaac Brock, killed in battle there on October 13, 1812.
The Niagara-on-the-Lake Golf Club is one of the oldest golf courses in North America, with Fort Mississauga as its backdrop.
The Shaw Festival’s first season in 1962 was eight performances of two plays in the old Court House on Queen Street.
Sources include Parks Canada, the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, the Ontario Heritage Trust, the Shaw Festival, the NOTL Museum, the Canadian Encyclopedia and Statistics Canada.
