North York is not a separate city from Toronto. It is a district in the north-central part of the City of Toronto, and it has been part of the city since January 1, 1998. Before that date it was a municipality of its own, a status it held as a city from February 14, 1979, according to the City of Toronto Archives.
The question usually comes from the word “Toronto” carrying several meanings at once. This article sets out where North York lies, how it connects to the rest of the city, and what “Toronto” means in addresses, statistics, and everyday speech. The political history of how North York became part of Toronto is told in a separate article on the municipal history of North York, and the district’s own past is in North York: history of the former municipality.
Where North York lies
North York sits north of the old downtown and of the former boroughs of York and East York, and it borders Etobicoke to the west and Scarborough to the east. The Canadian Encyclopedia describes it as an urban community within the city of Toronto, and notes that its name refers to its position north of Toronto proper and to the early name York. Before 1922 the land belonged to York Township in York County, and the township of North York was created on July 18, 1922, per the City Archives.
Institutions that the Canadian Encyclopedia lists in North York include York University, Seneca College, the Ontario Science Centre, and Black Creek Pioneer Village.
Roads and subway stops
Yonge Street is the main north-south spine, and the subway reached North York in stages along it. The City of Toronto’s North York centennial exhibit gives March 1973 for York Mills, March 1974 for Sheppard and Finch, and January 1978 for the Spadina line as far as Wilson. The same exhibit dates completion of the Sheppard line to 2002. Highway 401 also crosses the district.
Anyone planning a trip should use the Toronto Transit Commission’s current maps for station names and routes, since service patterns change.
What “Toronto” means in each context
| Use of the word | What it covers | North York included? |
|---|---|---|
| City of Toronto (municipality) | The single-tier city created on January 1, 1998 from Metro Toronto and its six area municipalities | Yes |
| Toronto census metropolitan area (Statistics Canada) | A statistical area built around the city and its commuting zone; a CMA needs at least 100,000 people in total | Yes |
| Greater Toronto Area (GTA) | A common regional term for the city plus the surrounding regions, not a municipality | Yes |
| Old City of Toronto | The pre-1998 central municipality, which was one of the six | No |
In 2026 the City of Toronto had an estimated 3,358,275 residents. Statistics Canada defines a census metropolitan area as a core plus the municipalities tightly linked to it, with the minimum total population shown above. The GTA has no single legal definition in the sources read for this article, so figures labeled “GTA” should be checked for which municipalities they include.
Mailing addresses
For a street address, “North York” is still widely written after a house number and street name. Whether Canada Post accepts “Toronto” in place of “North York” for a given address could not be confirmed from an official Canada Post document while this article was prepared. The reliable method is to enter the address in Canada Post’s own address lookup and use the postal code it returns. Postal codes beginning with M cover the city; see the article on Toronto postal codes for how they work.
Common questions
Is North York a city?
Not today. It was a city from February 14, 1979, until amalgamation on January 1, 1998. Since then it has been a district of the City of Toronto, and residents still use the name for the area.
Does North York have its own mayor or council?
No. The district is represented on Toronto City Council by councillors elected from wards. Mel Lastman, the last mayor of the City of North York, became the first mayor of the amalgamated city, per the City of Toronto exhibit.
Is North York in the GTA?
Yes. Because it is inside the City of Toronto, it is inside any definition of the Greater Toronto Area.
Should an envelope say Toronto or North York?
Both appear in practice. Use the form returned by Canada Post for the exact address, since that is what its sorting system expects.
Last verified: October 2026
Sources
- City of Toronto Archives, Resources on former municipalities
- The Canadian Encyclopedia, North York
- City of Toronto, Celebrating 100 Years of North York, online exhibit, Mel Lastman page
- Statistics Canada, Census geographic reference, census metropolitan area
- City of Toronto City Planning, 2021 Census Backgrounder: Population and Dwellings
Related reading
- North York: history of the former municipality
- Where Toronto is: location, province and region
- Toronto postal codes and area names
- Toronto area codes 416, 647, 437 and 942
- Toronto facts: location, population, geography and weather
Cite this page
APA: History of Toronto. (2026, October 27). North York and Toronto: where the district sits in the city. https://historyoftoronto.ca/blog/is-toronto-located-in-north-york
MLA: “North York and Toronto: where the district sits in the city.” History of Toronto, 27 Oct. 2026, https://historyoftoronto.ca/blog/is-toronto-located-in-north-york. Accessed .
Chicago: History of Toronto. “North York and Toronto: where the district sits in the city.” Last modified October 27, 2026. https://historyoftoronto.ca/blog/is-toronto-located-in-north-york.
The pages have no named author, so the site is given as the author. Add the date you read the page if your style asks for it.