King City, an unincorporated Canadian community in the township of King, Ontario, is located 40 kilometres north of Toronto. As the largest community in King township, it boasts 2,730 dwellings and a population of 8,396 as of the 2021 Canadian census. The settlement, originally known as Springhill, was established in 1836. The arrival of the Ontario, Simcoe and Huron railway in 1853 spurred its expansion. In 1890, the reeve of King township, James Whiting Crossley, incorporated King City by merging the hamlets of Springhill, Kinghorn, Laskay, and Eversley.
King City is characterized by rolling hills and clustered temperate forests in the Eastern Great Lakes lowland forests ecoregion. Numerous kettle lakes and ponds dot the area, and creeks and streams from King City and the surrounding area form the origin for the East Humber River. The community is situated entirely on the southern slope of the central portion of the Oak Ridges Moraine and its watershed. The township occupies a land area of 147.938 square kilometres, and numerous stables and other farms have been established here.
King City is home to the provincially significant King-Vaughan Wetland Complex and the King City Wetland Complex. The King Forest, a 60-hectare forest with steep valleys, supports a variety of vegetation and ground-cover species. The King-Vaughan Forest straddles King City and portions of Vaughan, featuring forest areas on steep valley walls and a variety of species on the flood plain.
King City has a continental climate moderated by the Great Lakes and influenced by warm, moist air masses from the south, and cold, dry air from the north. The Oak Ridges Moraine affects levels of precipitation, causing it to rise as an air mass arrives from Lake Ontario and reaches the elevated ground surface of the moraine.
King City has been a filming location for at least ten movies/TV shows, including the CBC TV show, The Forest Rangers, and the 1972 film, Mahoney's Estate. The community is also the location of Shift, an outdoor sculpture by Richard Serra built between 1970 and 1972.
The King City Community Centre and King City Arena host numerous activities, such as youth hockey league matches and yoga classes. King City Memorial Park offers baseball fields, soccer fields, children's playgrounds, and tennis courts. A portion of the extensive Oak Ridges Trail passes through King City, and the community is creating its own trail network, the King City Trail.
King City is home to several organizations and clubs, including the King City Business and Community Association, King Township Public Library King City Branch, King Township Historical Society, and the Maple Leaf Cricket Club. Hospice King-Aurora provides non-medical palliative care for individuals with a life-threatening illness, and Hike Ontario promotes hiking and walking in Ontario.
Attractions in King City include Eaton Hall, located on the King Campus of Seneca College, Kingbridge Centre, a conference venue, King Heritage & Cultural Centre, formerly the King Township Museum, Marylake Augustinian Monastery, and a public Skateboard Park at the King City Community Centre and Arena.
As a small town, King City's primary business sectors are construction, which employs 34% of the workforce, and education, which employs 16% of the workforce. Retail establishments are small, family-run businesses, with the exception of financial and realty services. A new mall, approved by municipal council in March 2013, is currently under construction.
King City has daily GO train service on the Barrie line, with commuters from King Township and parts of the City of Vaughan boarding the train at King City GO Station. Bus service in King City is provided by York Region Transit (YRT). Highway 400, a major vehicular artery linking King City to numerous communities in the vicinity, runs past King City along its western end.
