District Municipality of Muskoka

Muskoka
Regional municipality (upper-tier)
District Municipality of Muskoka
Muskoka Bay at Gravenhurst
Map showing Muskoka District Municipality location in Ontario
Coordinates: 45°10′N 79°20′W / 45.167°N 79.333°W / 45.167; -79.333
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
Territorial District of Muskoka	1868
Municipality of the District of Muskoka	1873
Provisional Judicial District of Muskoka	1899
District Municipality of Muskoka	1971
Seat	Bracebridge
Government
• District Chair	Jeff Lehman
• Governing Body	Muskoka District Council
Area [1]
• Land	3,839.47 km2 (1,482.43 sq mi)
Population  (2021)[1]
• Total	66,674
• Density	17.4/km2 (45/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (Eastern (EDT))
Website	www.muskoka.on.ca

The District Municipality of Muskoka, more generally referred to as the District of Muskoka or Muskoka, is a regional municipality in Central Ontario, Canada. It extends from Georgian Bay in the west, to the northern tip of Lake Couchiching in the south, to the western border of Algonquin Provincial Park in the east. A two-hour drive north of Toronto, it spans 6,475 km² (2,500 sq mi). It has some 1,600 lakes, making it a popular cottaging destination.

This region, which, along with Haliburton, Kawartha Lakes, and Peterborough County is referred to as "cottage country", has over 2.1 million visitors annually. Muskoka is populated with several villages and towns, farming communities, lakeside vacation hotels and resorts near golf courses, country clubs, and marinas. Its regional government seat is Bracebridge and its largest population centre is Huntsville.

Muskoka is geographically within the Central Ontario region of the province, although it is treated as part of Northern Ontario and even Eastern Ontario^[2][3] by some government programs due to its status as a transitional area between the geographic regions.

Muskoka is a summer destination for Toronto residents and was the #1 most searched Canadian destination for vacation rentals in 2017.^[4] It was ranked #1 for Best Trips of 2011 by National Geographic, and was a finalist for the same distinction in 2012.

The municipality's name derives from a First Nations chief of the 1850s. Lake Muskoka was then the hunting grounds of a troop led by Chief Yellowhead or Mesqua Ukie or Musquakie. He was revered by the government, who built a home for him in Orillia where he lived until his death at age 95.

Muskoka has 60,000 permanent residents, but an additional 100,000 seasonal property owners spend their summers there, making it a major summer colony. Due to the region's popularity and high property costs, hundreds of Muskoka properties are available for short-term rental through online platforms.^[4]

Many of Muskoka's seasonal properties are large summer estates, some of which have been passed down through families for generations. Most of these properties can be found along the shores of Muskoka's four major lakes: Lake Muskoka, Lake Rosseau, Lake Joseph and Lake of Bays. In recent years, various Hollywood and sports stars have built retreats in Muskoka, including Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Mike Weir,^[5] Martin Short, Harry Hamlin, Cindy Crawford, and Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell.