Vaughan#Demographics

The township was named after Benjamin Vaughan, a British commissioner who signed a peace treaty with the United States in 1783.

In the late pre-contact period, the Huron-Wendat people populated what is today Vaughan. The Skandatut ancestral Wendat village overlooked the east branch of the Humber River (Pine Valley Drive) and was once home to approximately 2,000 Huron in the sixteenth century.Salvage excavations of nationally significant Huron sites in Vaughan continue into 2010. Cf., Gail Swainson, Toronto Star, [https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/854119--first-nations-want-say-in-the-preservation-of-important-archaeological-sites-in-ontario First Nations want say in the preservation of important archaeological sites in Ontario] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022032158/http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/854119--first-nations-want-say-in-the-preservation-of-important-archaeological-sites-in-ontario |date=2012-10-22 }}, Aug. 29, 2010; [https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/856282--thousands-of-native-remains-being-held-in-u-of-t-storage U of T basements hold thousands of remains] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022032302/http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/856282--thousands-of-native-remains-being-held-in-u-of-t-storage |date=2012-10-22 }}, Sept. 3, 2010; [https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/859013--first-nation-battles-for-history-in-court First Nation battles for history in court] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022061251/http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/859013--first-nation-battles-for-history-in-court |date=2012-10-22 }}, Sept. 10, 2010. See also Archaeological Services, Inc., "[http://www.iasi.to/web.nsf/resources/Site+Reports/$file/Baker+Site+Report.pdf Stage 4 Salvage Excavation of the Baker Site] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110193324/http://www.iasi.to/web.nsf/resources/Site+Reports/$file/Baker+Site+Report.pdf |date=2013-11-10 }}, June 2006. The site is close to a Huron ossuary (mass grave) uncovered in Kleinburg in 1970, and one kilometre north of the Seed-Barker Huron site.University of Toronto, Anthropology Dept., [http://anthropology.utoronto.ca/Exhibit/seedbark.htm Seed-Barker Site] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120229234300/http://anthropology.utoronto.ca/Exhibit/seedbark.htm |date=2012-02-29 }}.

The first European to pass through Vaughan was the French explorer Étienne Brûlé, who traversed the Humber Trail in 1615. However, it was not until townships were created in 1792 that Vaughan began to see European settlements, as it was considered to be extremely remote and the lack of roads through the region made travel difficult.

Despite the hardships of pioneer life, settlers came to Vaughan in considerable numbers. The population grew from 19 men, 5 women, and 30 children in 1800 to 4,300 in 1840. The first people to arrive were mainly Pennsylvania Germans, with a smaller number of families of English descent and a group of French Royalists. This migration from the United States was by 1814 superseded by immigrants from Britain. While many of their predecessors had been agriculturalists, the newer immigrants were highly skilled tradespeople, useful for a growing community.

Among the facilities established by this group were a number of hamlets, the oldest of which was Thornhill, where a sawmill was erected in 1801, a grist mill in 1815, and had a population of 300 by 1836. Other such enclaves included Kleinburg, Coleraine, Rupertville{{cite news|url=http://images.ourontario.ca/Partners/RHPL/RHPL003215301pf_0002.pdf|title=Historical Notes on Maple|last=Rumble|first=Mrs. Arnold|date=1948-10-28|work=The Liberal|access-date=2018-12-14|location=Richmond Hill, Ontario|page=1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181218020521/http://images.ourontario.ca/Partners/RHPL/RHPL003215301pf_0002.pdf|archive-date=2018-12-18|url-status=live}}(Maple), Richmond Hill, Teston, Claireville, Pine Grove, Carrville, Patterson, Burlington, Concord, Edgeley, Fisherville, Elder's Mills, Elgin Mills, Jefferson, Nashville, Purpleville, Richvale, Sherwood, Langstaff, Vellore, and Burwick (Woodbridge).{{Cite book|title=A History of Vaughan Township Churches|last1=Somerville|first1=Patricia|last2=Macfarlane|first2=Catherine|publisher=Vaughan Township Historical Society|year=1984|isbn=0-9692207-0-7|location=Maple, Ontario}}

In 1846, the Township was primarily agricultural but had a population of 4,300. There were six grist mills and 25 saw mills.{{cite book |last=Smith |first=Wm. H. |date=1846 |title=SMITH'S CANADIAN GAZETTEER - STATISTICAL AND GENERAL INFORMATION RESPECTING ALL PARTS OF THE UPPER PROVINCE, OR CANADA WEST |url=https://archive.org/details/smithscanadianga00smit |location=Toronto |publisher=H. & W. ROWSELL |page=[https://archive.org/details/smithscanadianga00smit/page/199 199] |access-date=2018-03-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160403155457/https://archive.org/details/smithscanadianga00smit |archive-date=2016-04-03 |url-status=live }} By 1935, there were 4,873 residents.

However, World War II sparked an influx of immigration, and by 1960, the population stood at 15,957. The ethnocultural composition of the area began to change with the arrival of different groups such as Italians, Jews and Eastern Europeans.

Incorporated in 1850 as Vaughan Township, a municipal government was established, and meetings were held at the "Township Hall" (Vaughan Memorial Hall) in Vellore. Vaughan Road was a historic road constructed in 1850 that linked Vaughan Township with Toronto. It incorporated parts of present-day Dufferin Street north of Eglinton Avenue in Toronto, though all that remains of it today is the separate alignment farther south, running through the eastern half of the former City of York.{{cite web

|url=http://www.lostrivers.ca/points/vaughanrd.htm

|title=History of Vaughan Road

|work=The Tollkeepers Cottage and Early Roads such as Vaughan Road

|access-date=2008-02-19

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207151702/http://www.lostrivers.ca/points/vaughanrd.htm

|archive-date=2012-02-07

|url-status=live

}} Highway 7 was built from Vaughan to Thornhill between 1928 and 1932, and Highway 400 to Barrie completed in 1951. Starting in the late 1950s, major municipal roads including Bathurst, Dufferin, Jane and Keele Streets that had been gravel were starting to be paved in the municipality.{{cite book |last=Reaman |first=G. E. |author-link= |date=1971 |title=A History of Vaughan Township |url= |location= |publisher=University of Toronto Press |page=83 |isbn=}}

In 1971, the new regional government of York Region was established, acquiring policing and welfare services from the communities it served; simultaneously, the township merged with the Village of Woodbridge to form the Town of Vaughan. In 1991, it changed its legal status to City of Vaughan.{{Cite book

|title=Bulletin #4: Settlement, Education, Social and Political History

|publisher=City of Vaughan Archives, Cultural Services Division

|year=1992}}

Two F2 tornadoes tore through the city of Vaughan during the Southern Ontario Tornado Outbreak on August 20, 2009. Premier Dalton McGuinty and Mayor Linda Jackson toured the destruction the next day and reported 200 homes in critical shape and as many as 600 additional homes likely to be demolished. The tornadoes also ripped up trees, flipped cars, and left thousands of people without electricity. Vaughan declared a state of emergency because of the widespread damage.{{cite news|title='Miracle no one killed' by Vaughan tornado, mayor says|url=http://www.yorkregion.com/article/95771|date=2009-08-20|newspaper=Vaughan Citizen|access-date=2009-08-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090826192658/http://www.yorkregion.com/article/95771|archive-date=2009-08-26|url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2009/08/21/10543561-sun.html |title=Relief and disbelief in Vaughan |publisher=Cnews.canoe.ca |access-date=2012-01-02 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120709030803/http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2009/08/21/10543561-sun.html |archive-date=2012-07-09 |url-status=usurped }} No deaths were reported from the tornadoes, but one man who was injured in the storms suffered a heart attack the following morning.{{cite news|url=http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/toronto/archive/2009/08/21/vaughan-man-suffers-heart-attack-after-tornado-injuries-mcguinty-visits-damaged-neighbourhood.aspx|title=Vaughan man suffers heart attack after tornado injuries; McGuinty visits damaged neighbourhood|last=Roberts|first=Rob|date=2009-08-21|newspaper=National Post|access-date=2009-08-21}}{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

North American telephone customers placing calls to Vaughan may not recognize the charge details on their billings. Although Vaughan has been a single municipality since 1971, the local incumbent local exchange carrier, Bell Canada, splits the city into three historical rate centres–Kleinburg, Maple and Woodbridge. Part of the Thornhill rate centre extends into Vaughan. Indeed, Vaughan does not even appear in the telephone book.

File:VaughanCityHall17.jpg

Vaughan is governed by a ten-member council comprising a mayor, four regional councillors, and five local councillors. The mayor, elected at large, is the head of the council and a representative on York Region Council. The four regional councillors are also elected at large, and serve on both the city council and York Regional Council. Five local councillors are also elected, one from each of Vaughan's five wards, to represent those wards on Vaughan Council.

City councillors meet at Vaughan City Hall, located in Maple. The city's City Hall was opened on September 25, 2011, and is named in memory of late Mayor Lorna Jackson. The new Civic Centre is one of the first in Canada to conform to a LEED Gold Standard, the second highest environmental classification available.{{cite web

|url = http://www.city.vaughan.on.ca/newscentre/2006/news06-079.cfm

|title = Vaughan Highlights Environmental Partnerships at 2006 Smog Summit

|date = 2006-06-07

|access-date = 2008-02-19

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070928071247/http://www.city.vaughan.on.ca/newscentre/2006/news06-079.cfm

|archive-date = 2007-09-28

|url-status = dead

}}

Vaughan is the first municipality in Ontario to have a Youth City Councillor. The youth city councillor is appointed as a non-voting member of Council every six months to represent the youth of Vaughan. Vaughan council originally rejected the proposal of a youth councillor but, after the Vaughan Youth Cabinet amended its proposal, Council accepted the recommendation.{{cite web |url=http://www.amm.mb.ca/PDF/Magazine/Fall2005/diversity.pdf |title=Youth in Politics Article |access-date=2012-01-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205010827/http://www.amm.mb.ca/PDF/Magazine/Fall2005/diversity.pdf |archive-date=2012-02-05 |url-status=dead }}

After serving as mayor for nine years, Lorna Jackson saw the Town of Vaughan become incorporated as the City of Vaughan.{{Cite news|url=https://news.livingrealty.com/2016/09/city-of-vaughan-celebrates-25th-anniversary/|title=City of Vaughan Celebrates 25 Years since Incorporation|date=2016-09-27|work=GTA Real Estate News {{!}} Presented by Living Realty|access-date=2018-02-04|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180204182315/https://news.livingrealty.com/2016/09/city-of-vaughan-celebrates-25th-anniversary/|archive-date=2018-02-04|url-status=live}} Following the death of Mayor Lorna Jackson in 2002, Michael Di Biase was appointed mayor by Vaughan council by virtue of his position as one of two regional councillors representing Vaughan, Joyce Frustaglio was the other regional councillor. Gino Rosati, a Vaughan local councillor, was subsequently appointed by Vaughan Council to fill Di Biase's position as regional councillor and a by-election was held to fill Rosati's local councillor's position which was won by Linda Jackson, the daughter of Mayor Jackson. Di Biase first became involved in the city's politics in 1985, when he was elected as a local councillor in 1985. Di Biase retained the mayorship in the 2003 municipal election, defeating challenger Robert Craig.

In the municipal election on November 13, 2006, Di Biase was narrowly defeated by Linda Jackson, who was sworn in as mayor on December 4, 2006. On June 18, 2008, an audit of Jackson's 2006 campaign finances found that the politician exceeded her legal spending limit of $120,419 by at least $12,356, or 10 per cent. The auditors, LECG Canada Ltd., say that amount could almost double if what they believed to be unreported contributions in kind at various election events but couldn't prove are later verified.[https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/vaughan-mayor-to-face-election-financing-charges-1.738818 Vaughan mayor to face election-financing charges] CBC News 25 June 2008

They also found other apparent contraventions of the Canada Elections Act, including at least five instances where associated companies made donations that exceeded the normal $750 donation limit per company.

On June 24, 2008, Vaughan Council voted unanimously to hire a special prosecutor to consider laying charges against Mayor Linda Jackson under the Municipal Elections Act in reaction to the auditors' report. Council hired Timothy Wilkin, "an expert in municipal law" to decide what if any charges are to be laid.[https://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/448803 Vaughan mayor faces charges over election] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021011017/http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/448803 |date=2012-10-21 }} Phinjo Gombu, Toronto Star 25 June 2008. If Jackson is charged and found guilty, she would face punishments ranging from fines to removal from office.{{Update inline|date=July 2019|reason=}}

Subsequently, an audit was conducted on former Mayor Di Biase's 2006 election campaign funds. This exposed 27 contraventions under the Elections Act, along with a $155,000 anonymous cash payment made to his lawyer to cover his legal fees. Di Biase has refused to disclose who made this payment.[http://www.yorkregion.com/article/96804 Former Vaughan mayor Di Biase faces 27 election-related charges] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120222073048/http://www.yorkregion.com/article/96804 |date=2012-02-22 }} Caroline Grech, Yorkregion.com 17 Sept 2009

On 25 October 2010, longtime MP Maurizio Bevilacqua was elected mayor and he assumed office in December 2010.

On 24 October 2022, former Ontario Liberal Party leader Steven Del Duca was elected mayor; he assumed office on November 15, 2022. Del Duca is the architect of the Protecting Vulnerable Social Infrastructure By-law, which prohibits nuisance demonstrations within 100 metres of the property line of child-care centres, congregate care facilities, hospitals, schools and places of worship. The bylaw was unanimously approved by Vaughan Council on June 25, 2024, making it the first municipality in Canada to adopt such legislation.{{Cite web |title=Protecting Vulnerable Social Infrastructure By-law {{!}} City of Vaughan |url=https://www.vaughan.ca/residential/by-laws-and-enforcement/protecting-vulnerable-social-infrastructure-by-law |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=www.vaughan.ca}}

Vaughan is bounded by Caledon and Brampton to the west, King and Richmond Hill to the north, Markham and Richmond Hill to the east, and Toronto — in the dissolved cities of Etobicoke and North York, to the south.

The city is made up of nearly a dozen historic communities. Likely as a result of the municipality being established when it was still largely a rural area with scattered settlements, most residents (and even non-residents) identify more with the larger communities than they do with the city as a whole and have greatly expanded their areas, and the City officially designates five in the urban area as major communities, with all of the built-up areas of the city considered as being within one of them. This includes corporations such as Bell Canada, which uses the original community rate centres and lists them separately in the phone book, resulting in local calling areas being different throughout the city.

• Woodbridge: North/South - Major Mackenzie{{cite web|url=http://www.elections.ca/res/cir/maps2/mapprov.asp?map=35111|title=Vaughan–Woodbridge - Maps Corner - Elections Canada Online|website=www.elections.ca|access-date=2015-08-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924010545/http://www.elections.ca/res/cir/maps2/mapprov.asp?map=35111|archive-date=2015-09-24|url-status=live}}/Steeles, East/West - Hwy 400/Hwy 50
• Maple: North/South - King Vaughan Line/Rutherford, East/West - Bathurst/Hwy 400
• Thornhill: North/South - Hwys. 7 and 407 (Major Mackenzie for the area west of Bathurst)/Steeles, East/West - Yonge/Dufferin
• Concord: North/South - Rutherford/Steeles, East/West - Dufferin/Hwy 400
• Kleinburg: North/South - King Vaughan Line/Major Mackenzie, East/West - Hwy 400/Hwy 50

File:Vaughan Metropolitan Centre aerial view 2022.jpg

The Vaughan Metropolitan Centre is a new 179-hectare (442 acre) city centre under development around the intersection of Highway 7 and Jane Street, at the site of the former hamlet of Edgeley.

When the Township of Vaughan officially became a town in 1971, it was made up four historic communities (Maple, Kleinburg, Thornhill and Woodbridge) large enough to have their own village or town centres. Vaughan committed to building a new business and commercial core distinct from all of them. This commitment became policy in 1998 when Official Plan Amendment 500 called for the Vaughan Corporate Centre, as it was then branded, to become a focal point for business activity and major commercial development.{{Cite web|url=https://www.vaughan.ca/services/business/official_plans/OPA/OPAs%20500%20-%20599/OPA%20500.pdf|title=Vaughan Corporate Centre OPA No. 500|date=March 30, 1998}}

It is served by the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre subway station, which is the northwestern terminus of Line 1 Yonge–University of the Toronto subway system. It is also a major transit hub for York Region Transit (YRT), as well as Viva and Züm bus rapid transit services.{{Cite web|title = First Look: New TTC Map - Vaughan Metropolitan Centre|url = http://www.vaughanmetrocentre.ca/ttc-map/|website = Vaughan Metropolitan Centre|access-date = September 1, 2019|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190926064543/http://www.vaughanmetrocentre.ca/ttc-map/|archive-date = September 26, 2019|url-status = live}}

Vaughan, like much of the Greater Toronto Area, features a continental climate Dfb and has four distinct seasons.

{{Vaughan weatherbox}}

Vaughan was the largest city in Canada without a hospital{{cite web |url=http://www.canhealth.com/News589.html |title=Ontario starts planning for new hospital in Vaughan |publisher=Canhealth.com |access-date=2012-01-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120229233920/http://www.canhealth.com/News589.html |archive-date=2012-02-29 |url-status=dead }} until the 2021 opening of Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital on Major Mackenzie Drive north of Canada's Wonderland.{{cite news|url=http://www.vaughantoday.ca/story.php?id=1705|title=Where is our hospital?|date=May 28, 2009 |first=Alexis|last=Dobranowski |publisher=Vaughan Today|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101028182541/http://www.vaughantoday.ca/story.php?id=1705|archive-date=October 28, 2010}} Its planning began in 2007.{{Cite web |url=http://www.city.vaughan.on.ca/vaughan/council/ward_5/pdf/newsletter%20special%20edition%20-%20hosptial%20announcement%20April%2027%202007.pdf |title=City of Vaughan Hospital Announcement |work=Councillor Alan Shefman's Ward 5 - Thornhill Update |date=April 27, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100401031502/http://www.city.vaughan.on.ca/vaughan/council/ward_5/pdf/newsletter%20special%20edition%20-%20hosptial%20announcement%20April%2027%202007.pdf |archive-date=2010-04-01 |url-status=dead }} The provincial government of Ontario approved construction of the hospital in July 2011, and a tender for bids to construct it was issued in 2014 or 2015.{{cite news|url=http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/July2011/21/c6740.html|title=York Central Hospital Receives Approval to Build New Hospital in Vaughan|location=Vaughan|agency=Canada NewsWire|publisher=CNW Group Ltd.|date=21 July 2011|access-date=2011-07-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723055415/http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/July2011/21/c6740.html|archive-date=2011-07-23|url-status=dead}} Land preparation for construction began in the summer of 2014.{{cite web|url=http://mackenziehealth.ca/about_news_story.php?id=568|title=Early Work Preparation to Begin on Site of New Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital|first=Catalina|last=Guran|website=mackenziehealth.ca|access-date=2016-01-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304041536/http://mackenziehealth.ca/about_news_story.php?id=568|archive-date=2016-03-04|url-status=dead}} Construction on the grounds began in October 2016. The expected date of completion was late 2020.{{cite news|url=https://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/8990264-mackenzie-vaughan-hospital-reaches-for-the-top-2-months-ahead-of-schedule/|title=Mackenzie Vaughan hospital reaches for the top 2 months ahead of schedule|last=Kelly|first=Tim|newspaper=Vaughan Citizen|date=26 October 2018|access-date=24 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190924193645/https://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/8990264-mackenzie-vaughan-hospital-reaches-for-the-top-2-months-ahead-of-schedule/|archive-date=24 September 2019|url-status=live}} It is part of a regional hospital system with a "single governance, administration and medical staff" managed by Mackenzie Health. Officially opened on 6 June 2021, the hospital is 1.2 million square feet and has 350 beds.{{Cite web |title=Quick Facts |url=https://www.mackenziehealth.ca/about-us/cortellucci-vaughan-hospital/quick-facts |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=Mackenzie Health |language=EN}} Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital is Canada's first smart hospital, with technology that lets medical systems and devices communicate with each other to maximize information exchange and improve patient care.{{Cite web |title=Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital |url=https://www.mackenziehealth.ca/about-us/cortellucci-vaughan-hospital |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=Mackenzie Health |language=EN}}

{{Main|Vaughan Fire and Rescue Services}}

{{Main|Transportation in Vaughan}}

Vaughan offers a complex transportation infrastructure, which includes highways, public transit, regional roads, municipality-funded roads, and train services.

{{Historical populations

|title = Historical populations

|type = Canada

|align = right

|width =

|state =

|shading =

|percentages =

|footnote = {{cite web|url = http://www.york.ca/Departments/Planning+and+Development/Long+Range+Planning/popstat3.htm|title = York Region Population Growth 1971 to 2006|publisher = York Region|access-date = 2007-12-11|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120225221300/http://www.york.ca/Departments/Planning+and+Development/Long+Range+Planning/popstat3.htm|archive-date = 2012-02-25|url-status = dead}}{{cite web|url = https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/english/Profil01/CP01/Details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=3519028&Geo2=PR&Code2=35&Data=Count&SearchText=vaughan&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=|title = Community Highlights for Vaughan|work=2001 Community Profiles|publisher = Statistics Canada|date = January 2, 2007}}{{cite web|url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/prof/92-591/details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=3519028&Geo2=PR&Code2=35&Data=Count&SearchText=vaughan&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=|title=Community highlights for Vaughan|work=2006 Community Profiles|publisher=Statistics Canada|date=2007-03-13|access-date=2007-03-13}}{{cite web|url=http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/hlt-fst/imm/Table.cfm?Lang=E&T=34&Geo=3519028&SO=4D|title=Immigration and Ethnocultural Diversity Highlight Tables|date=25 October 2017 |publisher=Statistics Canada|access-date=2017-10-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171028163420/http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/hlt-fst/imm/Table.cfm?Lang=E&T=34&Geo=3519028&SO=4D|archive-date=2017-10-28|url-status=live}}

|1971|16,189

|1976|18,120

|1981|30,386

|1986|67,595

|1991|115,477

|1996|132,549

|2001|182,022

|2006|238,866

|2011|288,301

|2016|306,233

|2021|323,103

}}

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Vaughan had a population of {{val|323103|fmt=commas}} living in {{val|103914|fmt=commas}} of its {{val|107159|fmt=commas}} total private dwellings, a change of {{percentage|{{#expr:323103-306233}}|306233|1}} from its 2016 population of {{val|306233|fmt=commas}}. With a land area of {{convert|272.44|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}, it had a population density of {{Pop density|323103|272.44|km2|sqmi|prec=1}} in 2021.{{cite web | url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810000203&geocode=A000235 | title=Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Ontario | publisher=Statistics Canada | date=February 9, 2022 | accessdate=March 27, 2022}}

Median age as of 2021 was 41.6, on par with the Ontario median age of 41.6.

According to the 2021 Census, English is the mother tongue of 45.2% of the residents of Vaughan. Italian is the mother tongue for 9.8% of the population, followed by Russian (6.0%) and Mandarin (4.0%). Each of Spanish, Persian, Cantonese, Urdu, Punjabi, Hebrew, Tagalog (Filipino), Vietnamese, Portuguese, and Korean have a percentage ranging from 2.9% to 1.3%, signifying Vaughan's high linguistic diversity.

As of 2021, most reported religion among the population was Christianity (53.1%), with Catholicism (38.6%) making up the largest denomination. This was followed by Judaism (13.2%), Islam (7.4%), Hinduism (4.8%), Buddhism (2.4%) and Sikhism (1.8%). 17.0% of the population did not identify with a particular religion.

As of 2021, visible minorities make up 35.4% of the population.

The total crime against persons in 2017 was 619.43 per 100,000 population, with 1.49 per 100,000 being violations causing death.{{cite web|url=https://www.yrp.ca/en/about/resources/2017_Annual_Statistical_Report_Final.pdf|title=Statistics Report January-December 2017|publisher=York Regional Police|access-date=2019-02-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190202041709/https://www.yrp.ca/en/about/resources/2017_Annual_Statistical_Report_Final.pdf|archive-date=2019-02-02|url-status=live}} Organized crime also has a notable presence in Vaughan.{{cite web|url=http://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/6212860-organized-crime-continues-to-be-huge-problem-in-vaughan/|title=Organized crime continues to be huge problem in Vaughan - YorkRegion.com|first=Jeremy|last=Grimaldi|date=30 December 2015|access-date=3 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170404171846/http://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/6212860-organized-crime-continues-to-be-huge-problem-in-vaughan/|archive-date=4 April 2017|url-status=live}} Notable incidents include mob shootings outside the Terrace Banquet Hall in July 2013 resulting in two deaths, one of which was mobster Salvatore Calautti{{cite web|url=http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/alleged-mobsters-shot-to-death-at-vaughan-stag-party-1.1364080|title=Alleged mobsters shot to death at Vaughan stag party|date=July 12, 2013|publisher=CTV News Toronto|access-date=April 3, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170404045230/http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/alleged-mobsters-shot-to-death-at-vaughan-stag-party-1.1364080|archive-date=April 4, 2017|url-status=live}} and the Regina Sports Café in April 2014 resulting in the death of Carmine Verduci,{{cite web |title=Rizzuto revenge suspected in murder of GTA mobster Carmine Verduci in Woodbridge |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2014/04/25/suspected_mob_hitman_gunned_down_in_woodbridge.html |publisher=Toronto Star |website=thestar.com |date=25 April 2014 |access-date=2017-07-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170728113900/https://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2014/04/25/suspected_mob_hitman_gunned_down_in_woodbridge.html |archive-date=2017-07-28 |url-status=live }} as well as the Woodbridge Cafe shooting at Islington Avenue and Highway 7 in June 2015.{{cite web|url=http://globalnews.ca/news/2072644/double-murder-in-vaughan-close-to-2-other-cafe-murders-over-last-year/|title=Double murder in Vaughan close to 2 other café murders over last year|publisher=Global News Toronto|date=June 24, 2015|first=James|last=Armstrong|access-date=July 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180911020529/https://globalnews.ca/news/2072644/double-murder-in-vaughan-close-to-2-other-cafe-murders-over-last-year/|archive-date=September 11, 2018|url-status=live}} Three killings in March 2017; on March 14, a 28-year-old Vaughan woman was shot as she sat in a car parked outside of a lighting business on Caster Avenue, on March 23, a shooting of a 26-year-old Ajax man at Jane Street and Highway 7,{{cite web|url=http://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/7205020-second-vaughan-killing-in-nine-days-man-shot-on-hwy-7-near-jane/|title=Second Vaughan killing in nine days; man shot on Hwy. 7 near Jane - YorkRegion.com|first=Tim|last=Kelly|date=23 March 2017|access-date=3 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170326130408/http://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/7205020-second-vaughan-killing-in-nine-days-man-shot-on-hwy-7-near-jane/|archive-date=26 March 2017|url-status=live}} and on March 30, a private social club shooting near Martin Grove Road and Highway 7.{{cite web|url=http://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/7220647-update-police-identify-man-killed-outside-vaughan-private-club/|title=UPDATE: Police identify man killed outside Vaughan private club - YorkRegion.com|first=Tim|last=Kelly|date=1 April 2017|access-date=3 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170402204149/http://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/7220647-update-police-identify-man-killed-outside-vaughan-private-club/|archive-date=2 April 2017|url-status=live}} In April 2017, Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua spoke after the third March murder, stating people "should not live in fear".{{cite web|url=http://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/7221349-vaughan-mayor-maurizio-bevilacqua-speaks-after-third-recent-murder/|title=Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua speaks after third recent murder - YorkRegion.com|first=Tim|last=Kelly|date=2 April 2017|access-date=3 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170402170019/http://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/7221349-vaughan-mayor-maurizio-bevilacqua-speaks-after-third-recent-murder/|archive-date=2 April 2017|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.cp24.com/news/vaughan-mayor-urges-residents-not-to-live-in-fear-after-3-deadly-shootings-1.3350968|title=Vaughan mayor urges residents not to 'live in fear' after 3 deadly shootings|first=Chris|last=Herhalt|date=1 April 2017|access-date=3 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170403111205/http://www.cp24.com/news/vaughan-mayor-urges-residents-not-to-live-in-fear-after-3-deadly-shootings-1.3350968|archive-date=3 April 2017|url-status=live}}

On July 18, 2019, the York Regional Police announced the largest organized crime bust in Ontario, part of an 18-month long operation called Project Sindicato that was also coordinated with the Italian State Police.{{cite web|url=https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/largest-mafia-bust-in-ontario-history-15-arrests-35-million-worth-of-homes-seized-1.4513261|publisher=toronto.ctvnews.ca|date=July 18, 2019|title=Largest mafia bust in Ontario history: 15 arrests, $35 million worth of homes seized|access-date=July 19, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190718174002/https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/largest-mafia-bust-in-ontario-history-15-arrests-35-million-worth-of-homes-seized-1.4513261|archive-date=July 18, 2019|url-status=live}} York Regional Police had arrested 15 people in Canada and seized $35 million worth of homes, sports cars and cash in a major trans-Atlantic probe targeting the most prominent wing of the 'Ndrangheta in Canada (the Siderno Group), allegedly headed by Angelo Figliomeni of Vaughan. On July 14 and 15, approximately 500 officers raided 48 homes and businesses across the GTA, seizing 27 homes worth $24 million, 23 cars, including five Ferraris, and $2 million in cash and jewelry.{{cite web|url=https://www.yrp.ca/en/Modules/News/index.aspx?newsId=c94c9faa-fe0c-4971-a310-7448e82659ef|title=CHARGES LIST- ORGANIZED CRIME CHARGES LAID AND PROCEEDS OF CRIME SEIZED|publisher=yrp.ca|date=July 18, 2019|access-date=September 6, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190718174049/https://www.yrp.ca/en/Modules/News/index.aspx?newsId=c94c9faa-fe0c-4971-a310-7448e82659ef|archive-date=July 18, 2019|url-status=live}} The charges laid included tax evasion, money laundering, defrauding the government and participating in a criminal organization.{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/figliomeni-crime-family-ndrangheta-vaughan-york-police-1.5216270|title=Project Sindacato ends in arrests of 9 members of alleged crime family in Vaughan|publisher=cbc.ca|date=July 18, 2019|access-date=July 19, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190719084248/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/figliomeni-crime-family-ndrangheta-vaughan-york-police-1.5216270|archive-date=July 19, 2019|url-status=live}} The investigation was motivated by a series of violent incidents in Vaughan in 2017 according to CBC News, "including an attempted murder, drive-by shootings and arsons". The charges laid included tax evasion, money laundering, defrauding the government and participating in a criminal organization.{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/figliomeni-crime-family-ndrangheta-vaughan-york-police-1.5216270|title=Project Sindacato ends in arrests of 9 members of alleged crime family in Vaughan|publisher=CBC|date=July 18, 2019|access-date=July 19, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190719084248/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/figliomeni-crime-family-ndrangheta-vaughan-york-police-1.5216270|archive-date=July 19, 2019|url-status=live}}{{cite news|title=Following dirty money leads police to alleged Mafia clan north of Toronto living life of luxury|date=18 July 2019|url=https://nationalpost.com/news/following-dirty-money-leads-police-to-alleged-mafia-clan-north-of-toronto-living-life-of-luxury|work=National Post |access-date=19 July 2019}}{{cite news|title=dal Siderno Group al Crimine in Canada|date=18 July 2019|url=https://www.corrieredellacalabria.it/regione/reggio-calabria/item/194620-il-new-deal-dei-clan-dal-siderno-group-al-crimine-in-canada/|work=Corriere del la Calabria|access-date=19 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190719144326/https://www.corrieredellacalabria.it/regione/reggio-calabria/item/194620-il-new-deal-dei-clan-dal-siderno-group-al-crimine-in-canada/|archive-date=19 July 2019|url-status=live}}

In response to increasing hate crimes, on June 5, 2024, Vaughan became the first municipality in Ontario to introduce a "bubble zone" bylaw that prohibits demonstrations within 100 metres of vulnerable social infrastructure, such as religious institutions, schools, child care centres, hospitals and assisted living facilities.{{Cite web |title=Protecting Vulnerable Social Infrastructure By-law {{!}} City of Vaughan |url=https://www.vaughan.ca/residential/by-laws-and-enforcement/protecting-vulnerable-social-infrastructure-by-law |access-date=2025-05-03 |website=www.vaughan.ca}}

File:Yukon Striker and Vortex at Canada's Wonderland, May 2019.jpg

• Baitul Islam Mosque, headquarters of the Canadian Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
• Bayview Golf & Country Club,[https://www.bayviewclub.com/ Bayview Golf & Country Club] located in Thornhill
• Boyd Conservation Area, park located east of Islington Avenue, south of Rutherford Road
• Cam Lo Vuong Buddhist Community Temple,[https://longthien.org/ Cam Lo Vuong Buddhist Community Temple] at Keele Street and Teston Road
• Canada's Wonderland, Canada's largest amusement park, located on the east side of Highway 400 between Rutherford Road and Major Mackenzie Drive
• Cinplex Cinemas Vaughan,[https://www.cineplex.com/theatre/cineplex-cinemas-vaughan Cinplex Cinemas Vaughan] located near Highway 7 and Weston Road
• City Playhouse Theatre,[https://www.vaughan.ca/explore-vaughan/city-playhouse-theatre City Playhouse Theatre] located at Bathurst Street and New Westminister Drive
• Copper Creek Golf Club,[https://www.coppercreek.ca/ Copper Creek Golf Club] located in Kleinburg
• Dave & Buster's[https://www.daveandbusters.com/us/en/about/locations/canada-vaughan Dave & Buster's] located near highways 400 and 7
• Eagles Nest Golf Club,[https://www.eaglesnestgolf.com/ Eagles Nest Golf Club] near Dufferin Street and Major Mackenzie Drive West
• J. E. H. MacDonald House
• Kortright Centre for Conservation, located between Rutherford Road and Major Mackenzie Drive east of Islington Avenue
• Maple Downs Golf & Country CLub,[https://mapledowns.com/ Maple Downs Golf & Country CLub] near Dufferin Street and Elgin Mills Road West
• McMichael Canadian Art Collection, located in Kleinburg
• Promenade Shopping Centre, near Bathurst Street and Clark Avenue in Thornhill
• Putting Edge],[https://www.puttingedge.com/locations/vaughan/ Putting Edge] located near Weston Road and Highway 7
• Reptilia Zoo, a {{cvt|25,000|sqft|order=flip}} Reptile Zoo and Education Centre located near Vaughan Mills and Canada's Wonderland
• SilverCity Richmond Hill Cinemas.[https://www.cineplex.com/theatre/silvercity-richmond-hill-cinemas SilverCity Richmond Hill Cinemas] located near Yonge Street and Highway 7
• The National Golf Club of Canada, located in Woodbridge
• Vaughan Mills, a large shopping mall opened in 2004, which includes Legoland Discovery Centre{{Cite web|url=https://toronto.legolanddiscoverycentre.ca/|title=LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre Toronto {{!}} The Ultimate Indoor LEGO Playground|website=Toronto|language=en|access-date=2019-04-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190411091023/https://toronto.legolanddiscoverycentre.ca/|archive-date=2019-04-11|url-status=live}}

Vaughan is home to many amateur sports teams for a variety of sports, with an organization running a league for each of the four major sports. There are also rep and select levels of these sports where the Vaughan Rangers, Vaughan Panthers, and Vaughan Kings represent the city in youth hockey,{{Cite web|url=https://vaughanhockey.com/Pages/5140/About_Us/|title=About Us (City of Vaughan Hockey)|website=vaughanhockey.com|access-date=2018-02-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180203130110/https://vaughanhockey.com/Pages/5140/About_Us/|archive-date=2018-02-03|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.vaughankings.com/page/show/1646531-home|title=Home|website=Vaughan Kings|language=en-us|access-date=2018-02-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180203180955/http://www.vaughankings.com/page/show/1646531-home|archive-date=2018-02-03|url-status=live}} the Vaughan Vikings represent the city in baseball,{{Cite web|url=http://www.vaughanvikings.com/mission-rules/|title=Mission & Rules – Vaughan Vikings|website=www.vaughanvikings.com|language=en-US|access-date=2018-02-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180204000936/http://www.vaughanvikings.com/mission-rules/|archive-date=2018-02-04|url-status=live}} the Vaughan Rebels represent the city in football,{{Cite web|url=http://vaughanfootball.com/index.php|title=Vaughan Football|website=vaughanfootball.com|access-date=2018-02-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180204070320/http://vaughanfootball.com/index.php|archive-date=2018-02-04|url-status=live}} and the Vaughan Panthers represent the city in basketball.{{Cite web|url=http://vaughanpanthersbasketball.com/|title=Vaughan Panthers Basketball {{!}} Rep Basketball|website=vaughanpanthersbasketball.com|language=en-US|access-date=2018-02-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180204124103/http://vaughanpanthersbasketball.com/|archive-date=2018-02-04|url-status=live}} Vaughan also has a high softball following, with the Vaughan Vikings and Woodbridge Warriors offering house league and rep opportunities, as well as and adult World Series Slo Pitch league.{{Cite web|url=http://vwssl.com/|title=Vaughan World Series Slo-Pitch {{!}} ..: the sunday night league :..|website=vwssl.com|language=en-US|access-date=2018-02-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180204000830/http://vwssl.com/|archive-date=2018-02-04|url-status=live}} The city also hosts the Vaughan Flames, a youth organization exclusively for woman's hockey.{{Cite web|url=http://vaughan.goalline.ca/index.php|title=Vaughan Girls Hockey Association powered by GOALLINE.ca|website=vaughan.goalline.ca|language=en|access-date=2018-02-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180203123306/http://vaughan.goalline.ca/index.php|archive-date=2018-02-03|url-status=live}} The name also belonged to the former CWHL hockey team that folded in 2010. Additionally, the Vaughan Vipers formerly played in the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League. In 2012, the Vipers were decommissioned and withdrew from their league.{{Cite news|url=https://www.yorkregion.com/sports-story/1434827-ojhl-decomissions-vaughan-vipers/|title=OJHL decomissions Vaughan Vipers|last=Hayakawa|first=Michael|date=2012-03-09|work=YorkRegion.com|access-date=2018-02-03|language=en-CA|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180203125119/https://www.yorkregion.com/sports-story/1434827-ojhl-decomissions-vaughan-vipers/|archive-date=2018-02-03|url-status=live}}

The city is also home to numerous golf and country clubs. These include The National Golf Club of Canada, one of Canada's highest ranking golf clubs.{{Cite news|url=https://www.golfdigest.com/story/ranking-best-courses-in-canada|title=2017-18 Ranking: Top 30 Courses in Canada - Golf Digest|work=Golf Digest|access-date=2018-02-04|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180204081454/https://www.golfdigest.com/story/ranking-best-courses-in-canada|archive-date=2018-02-04|url-status=live}}

Vaughan SC, Woodbridge SC and Kleinburg Nobleton SC offer house league and rep programs for youth soccer, as players for Vaughan Azzurri Woodbridge Strikers KNSC Lions respectively. These team names are also used for the city's two League1 Ontario teams. Additionally, Vaughan is home to the Ontario Soccer Association, the largest sports organization in Canada.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ontariosoccer.net/contact-us|title=Contact Us|website=www.ontariosoccer.net|language=en-us|access-date=2018-02-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180203123234/http://www.ontariosoccer.net/contact-us|archive-date=2018-02-03|url-status=live}} The OSA has over 400,000 registered players, and runs leagues across the entire province.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ontariosoccer.net/who-we-are|title=Who We Are|website=www.ontariosoccer.net|language=en-us|access-date=2018-02-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180203064859/http://www.ontariosoccer.net/who-we-are|archive-date=2018-02-03|url-status=live}} Vaughan is also home to the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum.{{Cite news|url=https://www.yorkregion.com/whatson-story/1438547-canadian-soccer-hall-of-fame-vaughan/|title=Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame, Vaughan|date=2007-06-28|work=YorkRegion.com|access-date=2018-02-02|language=en-CA|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180203064504/https://www.yorkregion.com/whatson-story/1438547-canadian-soccer-hall-of-fame-vaughan/|archive-date=2018-02-03|url-status=live}} Vaughan is also home to the semi-professional York Region Shooters from the Canadian Soccer League.

Prior to 2018, Vaughan also played home to Toronto FC II, the United Soccer League affiliate team for Toronto FC.{{cite web|url=http://www.yorkregion.com/sports-story/6495109-toronto-fc-ii-aims-to-take-strong-start-into-home-opener/|title=Toronto FC II Aims to Take Strong Start Into Home Opener|last=Kelly|first=Tim|date=April 15, 2016|publisher=YorkRegion.com|access-date=November 10, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180203065142/https://www.yorkregion.com/sports-story/6495109-toronto-fc-ii-aims-to-take-strong-start-into-home-opener/|archive-date=February 3, 2018|url-status=live}} Because the stadium's expansion to include more seating fell through, the team announced it would be moving to play in BMO Field/Lamport Stadium for the 2018 season.{{Cite news|url=https://www.torontofc.ca/post/2018/01/26/toronto-fc-ii-announce-2018-home-venues|title=Toronto FC II announce 2018 home venues|date=2018-01-26|work=Toronto FC|access-date=2018-02-03|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180203194152/https://www.torontofc.ca/post/2018/01/26/toronto-fc-ii-announce-2018-home-venues|archive-date=2018-02-03|url-status=live}}

Vaughan's weekly newspaper the Vaughan Citizen was first published in 2001 and has a circulation of roughly 59,000. The neighbourhood of Thornhill has its own weekly paper, the Thornhill Liberal. From 1878 to 2000 Vaughan's news was covered by The Liberal published in Richmond Hill.{{Cite web|url=https://www.yorkregion.com/news-static/1491353-york-region-about-us/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170425031118/https://www.yorkregion.com/news-static/1491353-york-region-about-us/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2017-04-25|title=York Region : About Us {{!}} YorkRegion.com|date=2017-04-25|access-date=2018-02-18}}

Lo Specchio is an Italian-language newspaper published in Vaughan since 1984.{{Cite web|url=https://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/6259896-in-memoriam-sergio-tagliavini-80-co-founder-co-editor-of-lo-specchio/|title=In Memoriam: Sergio Tagliavini, 80: co-founder, co-editor of Lo Specchio|last=Kelly|first=Tim|date=February 2, 2016|website=Vaughan Citizen|access-date=December 4, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181205103344/https://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/6259896-in-memoriam-sergio-tagliavini-80-co-founder-co-editor-of-lo-specchio/|archive-date=December 5, 2018|url-status=live}}

City Life is a Vaughan-specific lifestyle magazine published bi-monthly by Dolce Publishing since 2003.{{Cite web|url=http://www.citylifemagazine.ca/about/publications/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170721022408/http://www.citylifemagazine.ca/about/publications/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2017-07-21|title=Publications {{!}} City Life Magazine Vaughan Woodbridge|date=2017-07-21|access-date=2018-02-18}}

Kleinburg was once home to the Cinespace Film Studios, a centre for television and motion picture production. The popular children's TV show The Forest Rangers, starring Gordon Pinsent, was filmed here between 1963 and 1965. In 2006, the movie The Sentinel was filmed at the McMichael Art Gallery.

More recently, Vaughan City Hall has served as a film location, when it was used as the new Red Center (the Rachel and Leah Center) in season 2 of Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale. It also served as the United Federation of Planets building and Office of the President in the season 1 finale of Star Trek: Discovery.

York University in North York, Ontario lies on the Toronto side of the Toronto-Vaughan border. It is a major comprehensive university, with more than 55,000 students enrolled in 11 faculties. The York University School of Medicine will open its door in the Vaughan Healthcare Centre Precinct just right beside Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital in 2028.

There are also a number of elementary and high schools in Vaughan, which operate under the York Region District School Board, the York Catholic District School Board, Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir (French-language Catholic schools) and Conseil scolaire Viamonde (French-language public schools). There is also a Waldorf school, the Toronto Waldorf School, which offers early childhood, elementary and accredited high school programs.

The American private Catholic Niagara University runs a branch campus in Vaughan, its first university in the city.{{cite web |url=https://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/9135243-niagara-university-campus-opens-doors-to-300-students-in-vaughan/ |title=Niagara University campus opens doors to 300 students in Vaughan |publisher=yorkregion.com |date=21 January 2019|access-date=22 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190419065331/https://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/9135243-niagara-university-campus-opens-doors-to-300-students-in-vaughan/|archive-date=19 April 2019|url-status=live}} The Ontario branch of Niagara University opened a 12,000 square foot facility at Expo City in downtown Vaughan. This campus will offer Master of Science in Education and Bachelor of Professional Studies in Education programs.

{{Unreferenced section|date=August 2022}}

Within the Greater Toronto Area, Vaughan is the third-largest employment center, after Toronto and Mississauga. With a real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $20.6 billion in 2018, it is the largest contributor (35%) to York Region's economy.

In 2018, the city was home to 12,105 businesses employing more than 222,000 people. Between 2008 and 2018, Vaughan's average annual employment growth was 3.2% and its business growth was 2.9%, exceeding provincial and national rates.

Manufacturing continues to dominate the local economy, accounting for 22% of total employment, followed by Construction (13%), Retail Trade (12%), Wholesale Trade (10%) and Transportation and Warehousing (6%). Small businesses with fewer than 20 employees account for 81% of all business establishments.

In 2018, the Accommodation and Food Services industry accounted for $295 million of Vaughan's real gross domestic product. Vaughan currently has 12 hotels and four motels with a total of 1,845 rooms. Development applications have been submitted that have the potential to add another 1,200 rooms to current supply in the coming years. Major tourism operators include Canada's Wonderland, Vaughan Mills, the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, the Kortright Centre for Conservation, LEGOLAND Discovery Centre, Reptilia, the mainstreet and village cores of Kleinburg, Thornhill, and Woodbridge.

File:Entrance to McMichael Gallery in Kleinburg, Ontario, Canada (8203976920).jpg

Construction activity, as measured by value of building permits, has exceeded the $1 billion mark in eight of the last ten years.

As of 2018, the largest employers in Vaughan are:

• Canada's Wonderland
• United Parcel Service (UPS) Canada
• Canadian National Railway
• KPMG
• Bondfield Construction
• Ganz
• NPL Canada Ltd.
• Condrain Company Ltd.
• Ozz Electric
• Rollstamp Manufacturing

Vaughan is home to 184 Canadian or regional headquarters, including:

• Adidas Canada
• GFL Environmental
• Recipe Unlimited
• St. Joseph Communications
• Toys "R" Us
• Yum! Brands

The Seed-Barker archeological site is a 16th-century Iroquois village on the Humber River in Vaughan. It has been used as a summer school field trip site since 1976 by the Boyd archeological field summer school for high school students. The school is sponsored by the York Region district school board in co-operation with the Royal Ontario Museum and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA). In 1895, a local farmer began finding Iroquoian artifacts in the area. In 1895, Roland Orr recognized the classic ecological features favoured by the Iroquoian people for their villages: floodplains along a river, an easily defensible plateau and nearby forests. The Iroquois used the floodplains to plant maize, beans and squash,{{rp|1}} known as the three sisters. In the 1950s, University of Toronto professor Norman Emerson and the students excavated artifacts from the Seed-Baker site. Since 1975, more than a million artifacts were discovered and nineteen longhouses were excavated revealing that the village was occupied by the Iroquois from c. 1500 - 1550 AD.{{cite journal |first1=Bob |last1=Burgar |first2=Cathy |last2=Crinnion |title=The "dirt" on the TRCA's archaeology program |journal=Arch Notes |date=June 2005 |volume=10 |issue=3 |pages=14–15 |url=https://www.ontarioarchaeology.org/Resources/ArchNotes/anns10-3.pdf |access-date=July 28, 2019 |publisher=Ontario Archaeological Society |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190728142335/https://www.ontarioarchaeology.org/Resources/ArchNotes/anns10-3.pdf |archive-date=July 28, 2019 |url-status=live }}

{{Main|List of people from Vaughan}}

In 2016, to celebrate the city's 25th anniversary, Mayor Bevilacqua introduced the Order of Vaughan. This award is meant to be the highest honour bestowed by the city.{{Cite web|url=https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/vaughan-celebrates-25-years-598650791.html|title=Vaughan celebrates 25 years|website=www.newswire.ca|language=en|access-date=2018-01-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180130145543/https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/vaughan-celebrates-25-years-598650791.html|archive-date=2018-01-30|url-status=live}} Initially, 25 recipients were given the award as a reflection of the anniversary; however, the city announced in 2017 that up to ten new individuals would receive the award each year thereafter.{{Cite news|url=https://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/6919432-city-reveals-25-who-make-cut-for-order-of-vaughan/|title=City reveals 25 who make cut for Order of Vaughan|last=Kelly|first=Tim|date=2016-10-21|work=YorkRegion.com|access-date=2018-01-30|language=en-CA|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180130204150/https://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/6919432-city-reveals-25-who-make-cut-for-order-of-vaughan/|archive-date=2018-01-30|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.vaughan.ca/news/Pages/Ten-residents-invested-with-the-Order-of-Vaughan.aspx|title=Ten residents invested with the Order of Vaughan|website=www.vaughan.ca|language=en-us|access-date=2018-01-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180130145557/https://www.vaughan.ca/news/Pages/Ten-residents-invested-with-the-Order-of-Vaughan.aspx|archive-date=2018-01-30|url-status=live}} The award is meant to recognize people in the categories of: accessibility, arts and entertainment, athletics, business, education, environment and spirituality, equity and diversity, health and wellness, media and communications, not-for-profit, philanthropy, public service, and science and technology.{{Cite web|url=https://www.vaughan.ca/news/Pages/Vaughan-introduces-the-Order-of-Vaughan.aspx|title=Vaughan introduces the Order of Vaughan|website=www.vaughan.ca|language=en-us|access-date=2018-01-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180130145609/https://www.vaughan.ca/news/Pages/Vaughan-introduces-the-Order-of-Vaughan.aspx|archive-date=2018-01-30|url-status=live}}

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{{cite web | title = City of Vaughan Economic Development Strategy | publisher = Millier Dickinson Blais | date = August 18, 2010 | url = https://www.vaughan.ca/business/General%20Documents/EDS_C7_InternationalRelations.pdf | access-date = September 28, 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150607090327/http://www.vaughan.ca/business/General%20Documents/EDS_C7_InternationalRelations.pdf | archive-date = June 7, 2015 | url-status = live }}

• Sora, Italy (1992)
• Ramla, Israel (1993)
• Sanjō, Japan (1993)
• Yangzhou, China (1995)
• Baguio, Philippines (1997)
• Delia, Italy (1998)
• Lanciano, Italy (2002)

• List of townships in Ontario
• List of settlements in the Greater Toronto Area

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{{Commons category|Vaughan}}

{{Spoken Wikipedia|En-vaughanon.ogg|date=2006-02-26}}

• {{Official website}}
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• {{OSM relation|324212}}

{{Geographic Location (8-way)

| Centre = Vaughan

| North = King

| Northeast = Richmond Hill

| East = Markham

| Southeast =

| South = Toronto

| Southwest = Mississauga

| West = Brampton

| Northwest = Caledon

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{{Communities of Vaughan}}

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Category:Cities in Ontario

Category:Lower-tier municipalities in Ontario

Category:Populated places established in 1792