Quick answerToronto is the largest city of Canada, with 2,794,356 people inside the city limits in 2021. The wider metropolitan area had about 6.2 million people in 2021. It is best known for the CN Tower, Canada's financial centre and the Multicultural diversity. Its official language is English and French, and its currency is the Canadian dollar.
Toronto is the largest city in Canada, with 2,794,356 residents in the 2021 census and about 6.2 million in its metropolitan area. It stands on the north-western shore of Lake Ontario. The city is Canada's financial centre and one of the most multicultural cities in the world.
Key facts
| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Population (city) | 2,794,356 (2021) |
| Population (metro) | 6,202,225 (2021) · Statistics Canada Census Metropolitan Area (CMA), 2021 census |
| Time zone | America/Toronto |
| Language | English, French |
| Currency | Canadian dollar (CAD, $) |
| Coordinates | 43.6525° N, 79.3817° W |
Overview
Toronto is the largest city in Canada and the capital of Ontario. It stands on the north-western shore of Lake Ontario, where the city began as the town of York, founded by the British in 1793. Toronto grew as a trading port and a railway hub, and in the 20th century it overtook Montreal as Canada's largest city and its financial centre. The CN Tower, completed in 1976, was the world's tallest free-standing structure for more than 30 years.
About 2.8 million people lived in Toronto in 2021, and about 6.2 million in its metropolitan area. The city is one of the most multicultural in the world: more than half of its residents were born outside Canada, and over 180 languages are spoken here. Toronto is the home of Canada's big banks, the Toronto Stock Exchange and the headquarters of many of the country's largest companies.
The city's best-known sights are the CN Tower, the Royal Ontario Museum and the Art Gallery of Ontario, and the Toronto Islands, a car-free chain of islands a short ferry ride from downtown. The Distillery District, the St. Lawrence Market and the neighbourhoods of Kensington Market and Queen Street West are known for their food, shops and street life, and the Toronto International Film Festival is one of the world's leading film festivals.
What Toronto is known for
- CN Tower
- Canada's financial centre
- Multicultural diversity
- Toronto International Film Festival
- Lake Ontario waterfront
Landmarks
- CN Tower
- Royal Ontario Museum
- Art Gallery of Ontario
- Toronto Islands
- Distillery District
- Ripley's Aquarium of Canada
- Casa Loma
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Toronto?
Toronto had 2,794,356 residents in the 2021 census, according to Statistics Canada, making it the largest city in Canada. Its metropolitan area had 6,202,225 people that year, more than twice the city itself. The wider Golden Horseshoe region around Toronto holds about 9.8 million people.
What is Toronto famous for?
Toronto is famous for the CN Tower, which was the world's tallest free-standing structure for more than 30 years, and for its waterfront on Lake Ontario. It is also known as Canada's financial centre, as one of the most multicultural cities in the world, and for the Toronto International Film Festival.
Where is Toronto located?
Toronto is in southern Ontario, on the north-western shore of Lake Ontario. It is about 350 kilometres south-west of Ottawa and about 550 kilometres north-west of New York City. Its coordinates are 43.65° N, 79.38° W, and its time zone is Eastern Time.
Quick quiz
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Keep exploring
- Canada — the country Toronto is in
- Montreal — another city in Canada
- Ottawa — another city in Canada
- Vancouver — another city in Canada
- All cities in Canada
- All countries — the full list
Sources & last updated
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.