Oak Ridges, Ontario

Oak Ridges
Unincorporated community
Oak Ridges aerial view in 2023
Coordinates: 43°56′40.23″N 79°27′17.74″W / 43.9445083°N 79.4549278°W / 43.9445083; -79.4549278
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
Regional Municipality	York Region
Town	Richmond Hill
Government
• MP	Leah Taylor Roy
• MPP	Michael Parsa[1]
• Councillor	Carol Davidson[2]
Elevation	300 m (1,000 ft)
Population  (2016)[3]
• Total	18,520
Forward sortation area	L4E

Oak Ridges is an unincorporated community of Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada, and has been part of the city since 1971. It forms the northern portion of the municipality's boundary, where it borders Aurora. Located about 20 km north of the northern border of Toronto and about 35 km from Downtown Toronto, it has a population of 18,520 (2016).^[4] The community developed around Lake Wilcox, the largest lake in the area, and has continued to expand slowly since its annexation by the Town (now City) of Richmond Hill. In the 1990s, Oak Ridges experienced moderate growth, which spurred environmental action by numerous organizations. Population has grown significantly as a result of development initiatives along Bayview Avenue. The Oak Ridges Community Centre was built and completed in June 2012 to accommodate community demand.^[5]

It is located north of the main urban area of Richmond Hill (which begins just south of Lake Wilcox), east of King City, immediately south of Aurora, and west of Whitchurch-Stouffville.

Oak Ridges can sometimes be considered separate from Richmond Hill, given the differences in current and future development patterns and plans and a large natural area forming a physical separation between Oak Ridges and urban Richmond Hill.