Alliston, Ontario, is a charming settlement nestled in Simcoe County in the Canadian province of Ontario. Since 1991, it has been part of the Town of New Tecumseth, following the amalgamation of Alliston and the nearby villages of Beeton, Tottenham, and the Township of Tecumseth. The town's primary downtown area is located along Highway 89, also known as Victoria Street.
Alliston grew as a commercial center for area farmers and is best known as a potato-growing area. This industry is still a major part of the town and is celebrated annually at the Alliston Potato Festival. Honda of Canada Manufacturing operates a large auto manufacturing facility southeast of Alliston, consisting of three major factories. According to the 2016 census, Alliston's population grew by 25% since 2011 to 19,243 residents, making it one of the top 10 fastest-growing communities in Canada. This growth rate is over five times greater than the average growth recorded in Ontario during the same period.
Alliston traces its history back to three brothers: William, John, and Dickson Fletcher. Dissatisfied with life in England, they left for Toronto, working farms in Toronto Gore northwest of the city. In 1821, William purchased Lot 15, Concession 3, Tecumseth Township. He married in 1828, and in 1847, he and his son John scouted locations for the construction of a mill. They chose a location at Lot 1, Concession 1, Essa Township, at the corner where four of the original townships of southern Simcoe County (Adjala, Tosorontio, Essa, and Tecumseth) meet. A larger house, known as Fletcher House, was built in 1849 and still stands at 18 Fletcher Crescent.
In 1853, the Fletchers built a grist mill on the Boyne River, a tributary of the Nottawasaga River which runs to the east. The first child born in the new town was Margaret Grant, who was later mother to Frederick Banting. An Orange Lodge was built in 1856, and the next year the members decided to name the village as Alliston. The precise origin of the name remains in some doubt, but the most common story is that it was named for William Fletcher's birthplace, likely Allerston in North Yorkshire.
Alliston boasts two parks: Riverdale Park to the north along the Boyne River and PPG Park to the south, by the local fire department. Major residential areas are located to the north and to the south, with additional residential and commercial developments made since the mid-1990s in the northwest, north, and southwest. Future developments are expected that could raise the population from 17,000 to 20,000. The urban area stretches from west to east, is nearly 5 km, and from north to south ranges from 300 m, 600 m to 3 km.
As of the 2016 Census, Alliston had a population of 19,247. The town covers an area of 60 km2, with a density of 256.316667 per/km2. The postal code for Alliston is L9R xxx, and the area code is +1-705. The town's elevation is about 200 m (700 ft), and its inhabitants are known as Allistonians.
The nearest communities to Alliston are Angus to the north, CFB Borden to the north, Egbert to the northeast, Cookstown to the east, Beeton to the southeast, Tottenham to the south, Hockley to the southwest, Everett to the northwest, and Baxter to the northeast.
