London, Ontario

London
City of London
From top, left to right: Downtown London skyline, Budweiser Gardens, Victoria Park, Financial District, London Normal School
From top, left to right: Downtown London skyline, Budweiser Gardens, Victoria Park, Financial District, London Normal School
Coat of arms of London
Nickname: 
"The Forest City"
Motto(s): 
Labore et Perseverantia  (Latin)
"Through Labour and Perseverance"
Map
London is located in Ontario
London
London
Coordinates: 42°58′03″N 81°13′57″W / 42.96750°N 81.23250°W / 42.96750; -81.23250[1]
CountryCanada
ProvinceOntario
Settled1826 (as village)
Incorporated1855 (as city)
Named forLondon, England
Government
 • BodyLondon City Council
 • MayorJosh Morgan
 • MPs
 • MPPs
Area
 • City (single-tier)437.08 km2 (168.76 sq mi)
 • Land420.50 km2 (162.36 sq mi)
 • Urban
232.48 km2 (89.76 sq mi)
 • Metro
2,662.40 km2 (1,027.96 sq mi)
Population
 • City (single-tier)422,324 (15th)
 • Density913.1/km2 (2,365/sq mi)
 • Metro
543,551 (11th)
Gross Metropolitan Product
 • London CMACA$27.9 billion (2020) [7]
Time zoneUTC−05:00 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−04:00 (EDT)
Forward sortation area
Area codes519, 226, and 548
Websitelondon.ca Edit this at Wikidata

London (/ˈlʌndən/) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River and North Thames River, approximately 200 km (120 mi) from both Toronto and Detroit; and about 230 km (140 mi) from Buffalo, New York. The city of London is politically separate from Middlesex County, though it remains the county seat.

London and the Thames were named in 1793 by John Graves Simcoe, who proposed the site for the capital city of Upper Canada. The first European settlement was between 1801 and 1804 by Peter Hagerman.[8] The village was founded in 1826 and incorporated in 1855. Since then, London has grown to be the largest southwestern Ontario municipality and Canada's 11th largest metropolitan area, having annexed many of the smaller communities that surround it.

London is a regional centre of healthcare and education, being home to the University of Western Ontario (which brands itself "Western University"), Fanshawe College, and three major hospitals: Victoria Hospital, University Hospital and St. Joseph's Hospital. The city hosts a number of musical and artistic exhibits and festivals, which contribute to its tourism industry, but its economic activity is centered on education, medical research, manufacturing, financial services, and information technology. London's university and hospitals are among its top ten employers. London lies at the junction of Highways 401 and 402, connecting it to Toronto, Windsor, and Sarnia. These highways also make the Detroit-Windsor, Port Huron-Sarnia, and Niagara Falls border crossings with the United States easily accessible. The city also has train stations and bus stations and is home to the London International Airport.

  1. ^ "London". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada.
  2. ^ "London (City) community profile". 2006 Census data. Statistics Canada. 13 March 2007. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
  3. ^ "London (Census metropolitan area) community profile". 2006 Census data. Statistics Canada. 13 March 2007. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
  4. ^ "London (City) community profile". 2016 Census data. Statistics Canada. Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  5. ^ "Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population, City of London". Statistics Canada. 9 February 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  6. ^ "Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population, City of London". Statistics Canada. 9 February 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  7. ^ "Statistics Canada. Table 36-10-0468-01 Gross domestic product (GDP) at basic prices, by census metropolitan area (CMA) (x 1,000,000)". Statistics Canada.
  8. ^ St-Denis, Guy (1985). Byron:Pioneer Days in Westminster Township. Crinklaw Press. pp. 21–22. ISBN 0-919939-10-4.