Bolton, Ontario, an unincorporated town, is the most populous community in the town of Caledon. As of 2021, it boasts a population of 26,795 residents living in 9,158 dwellings. Nestled beside the Humber River in the Region of Peel, Bolton is approximately 50 kilometres northwest of Toronto. In regional documents, Bolton is often referred to as a 'Rural Service Centre'. The downtown area, historically defining the village, is situated in a valley through which the Humber River flows. The village extends on either side of the valley to the north and south.
Bolton, Ontario, is characterized by its conservation lands' forests, which dominate a large part of the north and the east, including along the Humber valley. These conservation lands have created several recreational areas, including parts of the Humber Valley Heritage Trail. The landscape surrounding the village is dominated by farmland and the protected Oak Ridges Moraine.
Bolton is conveniently located near two 400-series highways, including Highway 427, about 9 km southeast, and Highway 400, about 14 km east. To the northwest is the community of Glasgow, which pays homage to an earlier planned settlement also called Glasgow. Established in 1855, the older settlement merged into Bolton in 1872. Initially intended to house mill workers, it later served as a summer getaway for Toronto’s Jewish community from 1925 to 1950, and then home to Edelweiss Ski Club. The planned community has naturalized again and now exists as Edelweiss Park and Humber Valley Heritage Trail.
Bolton, Ontario, formerly known as Bolton Mills, was founded around 1822 when James Bolton helped build a flour mill for his relative George Bolton. By 1857, Bolton was a village with a population of 700 in the Township of Albion in Peel County. George Evans was a prominent early settler in the area. Bolton was established on the Humber River, on the line of the proposed Toronto, Grey and Bruce Railway. There were stages to and from Weston. The average price of land was $40 to $50 per acre.
According to the 2021 census, the top three ethnic groups in Bolton, Ontario, are Italian (11,480; 43.4%), English (3,540; 13.4%) and Canadian (3,120; 11.8%).
Bolton, Ontario, is home to several organizations, including Freemasonry and the Kinsmen Club of Bolton, which was chartered in 1964.
