Regional Municipality of Durham
| Durham Region | ||
|---|---|---|
| Regional municipality (upper-tier) | ||
| Regional Municipality of Durham | ||
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| Motto: "A Great Place to Grow" | ||
 Map showing Durham Region's location in Ontario |
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| Coordinates: 43°55′N 78°56′W / 43.917°N 78.933°WCoordinates: 43°55′N 78°56′W / 43.917°N 78.933°W | ||
| Country |
 Canada
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| Province |
 Ontario
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| Established | 1792 (County) | |
| Established | January 1, 1974 (Regional Municipality) | |
| Seat | Whitby | |
| Government | ||
| • Chair Governing Body |
Roger Anderson Durham Regional Council |
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| Area | ||
| • Land | 2,523.62 km2 (974.38 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 91.3 m (299.5 ft) | |
| Population (2011) | ||
| • Total | 608,124 | |
| • Density | 241.0/km2 (624/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) | |
| • Summer (DST) | Eastern (EDT) (UTC-4) | |
| Website | www.durham.ca | |
The Regional Municipality of Durham, informally referred to as Durham Region, is a regional municipality located in Southern Ontario east of Toronto and the Regional Municipality of York, forming the east end of the Greater Toronto metropolitan area. It has an area of approximately 2,500 square kilometres. The regional government is headquartered in Whitby.
The southern portion of the region, on Lake Ontario is primarily suburban in nature, forming the eastern end of the 905 belt of suburbs around Toronto. The northern area comprises rural areas and small towns. The city of Pickering, town of Ajax and the township of Uxbridge are considered part of Toronto's Census Metropolitan Area, while the communities of Oshawa, Whitby, and Clarington are part of the Oshawa's Census Metropolitan Area.
Durham Region consists of the following municipalities:
It also contains one First Nations reserve: Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation.
West Rouge (including Port Union) was transferred from Pickering over to Scarborough, Ontario prior to creation of Durham Region in 1974 and now part of Toronto.
The Region of Durham was established in 1974 as one of several new regional governments in the Province of Ontario, primarily in fast-growing urban and suburban areas. It encompasses areas that had been part of Ontario County and the United Counties of Northumberland and Durham, and was the culmination of a series of studies into municipal governance in the "Oshawa-Centred Region" that had begun in the late 1960s. The boundaries of the region were different than had been anticipated and from those announced in late 1972; for example, it was widely expected that Pickering would be annexed to Metropolitan Toronto, which residents had expressed preference for in a ballot question. In addition, the region was proposed to extend further east to include Hope Township and the town of Port Hope, and did not include the northern townships of Scott, Brock and Thorah.
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