Stouffville, Ontario, is a vibrant urban area nestled within the town of Whitchurch-Stouffville in York Region, Canada. As part of the Greater Toronto Area and the inner ring of the Golden Horseshoe, Stouffville is a thriving community that has seen significant growth over the years.
Stouffville was founded in 1804 by Abraham Stouffer, who initially named it Stoufferville. Stouffer established a sawmill and grist-mill on the banks of Duffin's Creek in the 1820s. The community's name was shortened to Stouffville when its first post office opened in 1832.
In 1877, Stouffville became an incorporated village. On January 1, 1971, the Village of Stouffville amalgamated with Whitchurch Township and was designated a community within the larger town of Whitchurch-Stouffville.
In 2003, a significant archaeological discovery was made in Stouffville. A large 16th-century Huron village, known as the Mantle Site, was uncovered during land development. This site, which once housed approximately 2000 people, included a palisade and more than 80 longhouses, yielding tens of thousands of artifacts.
Stouffville stretches approximately 4.5 km from the York-Durham Line to Highway 48 and is approximately 2.7 km wide. The community is bounded by farmland, a golf course, and is located on the Oak Ridges Moraine and the Rouge River watershed.
Stouffville is well-served by public transportation. GO Transit's Stouffville line passes through the community, with commuter trains stopping at the Stouffville GO Station in the downtown core. When no trains are scheduled, a bus service from Toronto serves the town. York Region Transit's bus#15 travels around the community of Stouffville and along the Stouffville Road to Yonge Street in Richmond Hill.
Between 2006 and 2011, the population of Stouffville grew 100.5% from 12,411 to 24,886. The 2021 census recorded a population of 36,753, marking a growth of 8.8% from the 2016 population of 32,634.
Stouffville's growth was further fueled by the connection to a massive new sewage system and a water pipe from Lake Ontario. The first of the new subdivisions were south of Main Street along Hoover Park Drive and north of Main Street along Millard Street west of Ninth Line.
Stouffville is situated in the southeast corner of the town of Whitchurch-Stouffville. Neighbouring communities within the town include Ringwood and Gormley to the east, and Bloomington to the north. Claremont, Uxbridge, and the ghost town of Altona (part of Pickering) lie to the east. Stouffville is bordered on the south by the city of Markham.
Stouffville is home to several historic buildings, including the Bloomington Gospel Church, Bogarttown Public School, and the James Brown Homestead. The Lebovic Centre for Arts & Entertainment – Nineteen on the Park is a Romanesque Revival market/concert hall that adds to the town's cultural richness.
The town was home to the Farmers Country Market, which sold a variety of produce, prepared foods, live animals, and household items. While once a popular town attraction, the market closed in 2016 after years of decline. The land was sold in 2001 and was slated for re-development during the decade after the sale.
Stouffville, Ontario, is a community that beautifully blends history and modernity. Its rich past, thriving present, and promising future make it a must-visit destination in the Greater Toronto Area.
