Vaughan
Introduction
Vaughan is a city in York Region, directly north of Toronto, with Peel Region to the west, King to the north, and Richmond Hill and Markham to the east.
It grew from historic villages, among them Woodbridge, Kleinburg, Maple, Concord and Thornhill. Vaughan became a township in 1850. In 1971, the Township of Vaughan and the Village of Woodbridge joined to form the Town of Vaughan, and the old village of Thornhill was divided between Vaughan and Markham. Vaughan became a city on January 1, 1991.
Real estate overview
Vaughan has historic village centres, many neighbourhoods of newer homes, and a new downtown growing around the subway at Highway 7 and Jane Street: the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, or VMC. The City plans the VMC as its downtown, with homes, offices, shops, parks and public spaces around the transit hub.
City Council adopted a new Official Plan in October 2025, including new plans for the VMC and for the area around Weston Road and Highway 7 ("Weston 7"), and sent it to the Province for approval. The plan guides where new housing goes, and also protects natural areas and farmland.
Neighbourhood highlights
- Woodbridge. Grew around mills on the Humber River. Rowland Burr, who arrived in 1837 and is credited as its founder, built mills there, and the settlement, first called Burwick, was renamed Woodbridge in 1855. Its historic core is one of Vaughan's four Heritage Conservation Districts.
- Kleinburg. A historic village on a narrow, hilly strip of land between two branches of the Humber River, which grew around a sawmill and a grist mill built after 1848. The Binder Twine Festival is held there every September. The McMichael Canadian Art Collection is just south of the village core. Kleinburg-Nashville is a Heritage Conservation District.
- Maple. Grew around Major Mackenzie Drive and Keele Street, and was once called Noble's Corner and then Rupertsville. Vaughan City Hall is at 2141 Major Mackenzie Drive, with the Civic Centre Resource Library next door. Maple's historic core is also a Heritage Conservation District.
- Vaughan Metropolitan Centre (VMC). The new downtown at Highway 7 and Jane Street, where the TTC subway, the Viva rapidway and a regional bus terminal connect. It has the VMC Library at 200 Apple Mill Road and Vaughan Studios & Event Space, a City recreation venue with a rooftop terrace.
- Thornhill. Vaughan's southeast corner, along Yonge Street, is part of historic Thornhill, which Vaughan shares with Markham. Thornhill's historic core is a Heritage Conservation District too.
Types of housing
Homes in Vaughan include detached and semi-detached houses, townhouses (freehold and condominium) and condominium apartments. Most new high-rise condominium buildings are in the VMC and along major roads such as Highway 7.
Some homes are inside Heritage Conservation Districts, where owners need a heritage permit for additions, alterations or demolition. Ask before you buy if you plan to renovate.
Lifestyle and amenities
Parks and trails. North Maple Regional Park, at 11085 Keele Street, is a 900-acre (364-hectare) site that the City is developing in phases. In 2026, more than 80 hectares are open, with sports fields, cricket grounds, an event lawn, and trails and woodlots at the headwaters of the Don River. A family recreation area around the park's largest pond is being added. The William Granger Greenway runs 8.9 kilometres from Bindertwine Park to Boyd Conservation Park, with a side trail to the McMichael and Kleinburg's main street.
Conservation areas. The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority runs Boyd Conservation Park at 8739 Islington Avenue and the Kortright Centre for Conservation at 9550 Pine Valley Drive, which has more than 16 kilometres of trails.
Recreation centres. City community centres include Al Palladini, Carrville, Chancellor, Dufferin Clark, Father E. Bulfon, Garnet A. Williams, Maple, North Thornhill, Rosemount and Vellore Village, plus Woodbridge Pool & Memorial Arena.
Library and culture. Vaughan Public Libraries has 13 branches, including resource libraries at the Civic Centre in Maple, Pierre Berton in Woodbridge and Bathurst Clark in Thornhill. The McMichael Canadian Art Collection, at 10365 Islington Avenue in Kleinburg, is a public gallery of Canadian and Indigenous art, including works by Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven.
Hospital. Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital (Mackenzie Health) is at 3200 Major Mackenzie Drive West, at Jane Street; it opened fully in June 2021. Canada's Wonderland, an amusement park, is just south of it.
Getting around
Subway. TTC Line 1 has two stations in Vaughan, Highway 407 and Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, open since December 2017, with trains to downtown Toronto.
GO Transit. Maple GO Station, at 30 Station Street, and Rutherford GO Station, at 699 Westburne Drive, are on the Barrie GO line to Union Station in Toronto. Maple GO and the line are being upgraded, including work for a second track.
YRT and Viva. Viva buses run in their own lanes along Highway 7 through Vaughan, towards Richmond Hill and Markham. A York Region Transit bus terminal next to Vaughan Metropolitan Centre Station connects local buses with the subway.
Roads. Highways 400, 407 and 427 run through Vaughan, and Highway 427 now continues north to Major Mackenzie Drive. Highway 7, Rutherford Road and Major Mackenzie Drive are main east–west roads.
Schools
Four school boards serve Vaughan: the York Region District School Board and the York Catholic District School Board (English), and Conseil scolaire Viamonde and Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir (French). School boundaries can change, so check each address with the board before you buy or rent.
Homes for sale in Vaughan
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