Kingsville, a town located in Essex County in southwestern Ontario, Canada, is the southernmost municipality in the country with town status. According to the Canada 2016 Census, the town had a population of 21,552, a slight increase from 21,362 in the 2011 Census.
Kingsville was officially incorporated as a town in 1901. On the first day of 1999, the town underwent a significant change when it was amalgamated with the adjoining Township of Gosfield North and Township of Gosfield South, forming an expanded municipality.
Kingsville is situated west of the Municipality of Leamington, south of the Town of Lakeshore, southeast of the Town of Essex, and north of Lake Erie. The geography of Kingsville is typical of most of Essex County, characterized by flat terrain and glacial drift, a mixture of various rocks, sand, and clay. The town stands approximately 570 feet above sea level.
Apart from the primary settlement at Kingsville, the municipality also encompasses smaller communities such as Cedar Beach, Cedar Island, Cedarhurst Park, Cottam, Klondyke, Linden Beach, North Ridge, Olinda, Ruthven, and Union. The community of Albuna is located on the boundary between Kingsville and Leamington, while the communities of Arner and Elford are situated on the boundary between Kingsville and Essex.
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Kingsville recorded a population of 22,119 living in 8,285 of its 8,635 total private dwellings. This represented a 2.6% increase from its 2016 population of 21,552. With a land area of 246.08 km2 (95.01 sq mi), the town had a population density of 89.9/km2 (232.8/sq mi) in 2021.
Kingsville is home to the Jack Miner Bird Sanctuary, a testament to the conservation efforts of Jack Miner, who was awarded The Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his achievements in conservation in the British Empire by King George VI, as King of Canada, on June 23, 1943. Miner is considered "the father of the conservation movement on the continent".
Another notable attraction is Colasanti's Tropical Gardens, which draws visitors from all over Ontario. The gardens boast a wide variety of tropical plants and animals.
Kingsville also hosts the Kingsville Folk Festival, directed by Michelle Law. The festival, which began in early August 2014, features headliners such as Bruce Cockburn and aims to continue annually.
