# Northumberland County, Ontario

Northumberland County is a county situated on the north shore of Lake Ontario, east of Toronto in Central Ontario, Canada. The Northumberland County headquarters are located in Cobourg.

## Municipalities

Northumberland County consists of seven municipalities:
| Municipality | Population (2021) | Area (km²) | Population density (per km²) | Major population centres |
| Town of Cobourg | 20,519 | 22.41 | 915.7 | |
| Municipality of Port Hope | 17,294 | 278.8 | 62.0 | Port Hope |
| Municipality of Trent Hills | 13,861 | 513.85 | 27.0 | Campbellford, Warkworth, Hastings |
| Municipality of Brighton | 12,108 | 223.24 | 54.2 | Brighton |
| Township of Hamilton | 11,059 | 256.03 | 43.2 | |
| Township of Alnwick/Haldimand | 7,473 | 398.25 | 18.8 | Roseneath |
| Township of Cramahe | 6,509 | 202.22 | 32.2 | Colborne |
The Alderville First Nation is geographically located within the County and is a part of the Northumberland census division, but, as an Indian reserve, it is independent of county administration.

## History

The County was first established in 1792, and was organized alongside neighbouring Durham County into the Newcastle District of Upper Canada in 1802. The County was initially settled by a mix of Irish, Scottish, and English immigrants, as well as by Americans immigrating north from New England.
In 1850, the Newcastle District was reorganized into the United Counties of Northumberland and Durham, an arrangement which lasted until 1973. Effective January 1, 1974, the majority of Durham County was amalgamated with Ontario County to create the Regional Municipality of Durham. The Township of Hope and the Town of Port Hope were transferred to Northumberland, which reverted to a standalone county.

## Demographics

As a census division in the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Northumberland County had a population of 89,365 living in 37,328 of its 40,638 total private dwellings, a change of 4.4% from its 2016 population of 85,598. With a land area of 1,907.4 km$^2$ (736.5 sq mi), it had a population density of 46.9/km$^2$ (121.3/sq mi) in 2021.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1976 | 64,441 | — |
| 1981 | 64,966 | +0.8% |
| 1986 | 67,704 | +4.2% |
| 1991 | 78,224 | +15.5% |
| 1996 | 81,792 | +4.6% |
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 2001 | 77,497 | −5.3% |
| 2006 | 80,963 | +4.5% |
| 2011 | 82,126 | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 85,598 | +4.2% |
| 2021 | 89,365 | +4.4% |
Population counts are not adjusted for boundary changes. Source: Statistics Canada :
Panethnic groups in Northumberland County (2001−2021) :
| Panethnic group | 2021 | 2021 | 2016 | 2016 | 2011 | 2011 | 2006 | 2006 | 2001 | 2001 |
| Panethnic group | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % |
| European | 80,305 | 92.01% | 78,215 | 93.82% | 75,835 | 95.23% | 75,710 | 95.75% | 73,210 | 96.41% |
| Indigenous | 3,095 | 3.55% | 2,275 | 2.73% | 1,885 | 2.37% | 1,630 | 2.06% | 1,420 | 1.87% |
| African | 925 | 1.06% | 835 | 1% | 355 | 0.45% | 380 | 0.48% | 380 | 0.5% |
| East Asian | 810 | 0.93% | 690 | 0.83% | 460 | 0.58% | 495 | 0.63% | 540 | 0.71% |
| South Asian | 715 | 0.82% | 495 | 0.59% | 400 | 0.5% | 310 | 0.39% | 100 | 0.13% |
| Southeast Asian | 545 | 0.62% | 320 | 0.38% | 250 | 0.31% | 195 | 0.25% | 65 | 0.09% |
| Latin American | 245 | 0.28% | 200 | 0.24% | 150 | 0.19% | 105 | 0.13% | 85 | 0.11% |
| Middle Eastern | 240 | 0.27% | 80 | 0.1% | 85 | 0.11% | 95 | 0.12% | 65 | 0.09% |
| Other | 400 | 0.46% | 250 | 0.3% | 210 | 0.26% | 145 | 0.18% | 65 | 0.09% |
| Total responses | 87,280 | 97.67% | 83,365 | 97.39% | 79,635 | 96.97% | 79,070 | 97.66% | 75,940 | 97.99% |
| Total population | 89,365 | 100% | 85,598 | 100% | 82,126 | 100% | 80,963 | 100% | 77,497 | 100% |
| Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses |||||||||||

## Recreation

There are two provincial parks in Northumberland County: Presqu'ile Provincial Park in Brighton, and Ferris Provincial Park in Campbellford. There are also several other protected natural areas and forests, including Ganaraska Forest, Northumberland County Forest, Goodrich-Loomis Conservation Area, and Peter's Woods. Waterfront campsites and cottages are located along Lake Ontario and Rice Lake.
Northumberland County has various cycling, hiking and other outdoor trails. The Waterfront Trail along Lake Ontario passes through Northumberland County, as does the Trans-Canada Trail. The Northumberland portion of the Trans-Canada Trail spans from Hastings to Hoard's Station in Campbellford, following an abandoned rail line. Halfway through Campbellford, the trail joins the 6 km long Rotary Trail situated alongside the Trent River. There are five signed bike routes: Glorious Ganaraska, Rice Lake Ramble, Shelter Valley, Presqu’ile Promise and Trent River Truckin'. The Northumberland County Forest offers various trails available for hiking, cycling, horseback riding, ATVing, off-road motorcycling, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing as well as a 3.2 km, accessible Universal Trail. The Ganaraska Hiking Trail starts in Port Hope and goes north towards the Bruce Trail.
There are three theatres in Northumberland County: Westben in Campbellford, the Capitol Theatre in Port Hope, and the Park Theatre & Performing Arts Centre in Cobourg. Festivals in Northumberland include the Warkworth Maple Syrup and Float Your Fanny Down the Ganny festivals in early spring, the Cobourg Sandcastle Festival and Incredible Edibles Festival in the summer, and the Cultivate Food and Vintage Film Festivals in the fall.