Windsor-Essex area guide
Living in Harrow and Colchester, Ontario: A Country Town on Lake Erie
Harrow is a small rural town centre in the Town of Essex, and six kilometres south of it Colchester sits on the north shore of Lake Erie with a marina, a public beach, and a good stretch of waterfront. Two quite different things in one search, and both are worth understanding before you start looking.
Welcome to Harrow
Two drivers in one search: in Colchester it's the Lake Erie waterfront, the clearest driver of value in this part of the county, and in Harrow it's the small rural town centre and the country around it.
Harrow is small on purpose. About 2,562 people across less than three square kilometres, a main street on County Road 20 with shops and a well-earned reputation among people who hunt antiques, and a farming community around it that the town has served for a very long time.
It was called Munger's Corners once, after John Munger, the first postmaster. In 1857 it was renamed after Harrow School in London, which is a bit of imported grandeur for a country town in Essex County and has never stopped being funny.
The Harrow Fair has run every Labour Day weekend for close to 160 years. It's one of the oldest country fairs in Ontario and it has stayed exactly what it always was, which is a fair about farming. If you want to understand this community in one weekend, that's the weekend.
Harrow is also home to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's research centre for greenhouse vegetables and field crops, which places it at the centre of the industry that drives this whole region.
Then there's Colchester, and that's where the waterfront is. Colchester sits six kilometres south of Harrow on the north shore of Lake Erie. It has a marina, a public beach, restaurants, and several hundred year-round residents in a community of around 900, in homes that range from converted cottages to newer builds. There is a lot of waterfront here, and it's the clearest driver of value in this part of the county.
It is also the southernmost settlement on mainland Canada, Point Pelee excepted, and County Road 50 running through it is the southernmost road on the mainland. Colchester was established in 1792, one of the earliest villages in Upper Canada west of Niagara, and its history runs through the Proclamation of 1792, the War of 1812, and the Underground Railroad.
On the ground
Amenities and points of interest.
Colchester harbour and beach
The marina and the public beach are the centre of Colchester. The Walleye Derby runs in early June and brings the harbour to life. The Lake Erie Waterfront Trail passes through, and the community is a regular stop for cyclists working the wine route.
Wine country
This is the heart of it. Colio Estate Wines is in Harrow, Oxley Estate is in Colchester, and the surrounding area holds a good share of the Lake Erie North Shore vineyards, with Cooper's Hawk, Sprucewood Shores, and Viewpointe all close by.
Golf
Oxley Beach Golf Course is in Colchester, near the lake.
John R. Park Homestead
A restored nineteenth-century farmstead and conservation area on the lakeshore, with historic buildings, trails, and programming through the year.
Harrow's main street
County Road 20 runs through the middle of it, with local shops, services, and antique dealers.
The Harrow Fair
Labour Day weekend, going on 160 years, and still built around the products of local farms.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
The federal research centre for greenhouse vegetables and field crops is here.
Trails and the country
The Chrysler Canada Greenway runs through the wider municipality, and the concession roads out of Harrow are some of the better cycling in the county.
Dated market context
Harrow residential activity, August 2026
These figures describe the homes reported sold during the period. They do not value a particular address and may be volatile when the sample is small.
- Median price
- $522,500
- Months of inventory
- 5.0 months
- Median days on market
- 10 days
- Homes sold
- 13
CREA MLS® Residential Market Activity, Windsor-Essex reporting, August 2026
| Area | Sales | New listings | Active listings | Months of inventory | Sales to new listings | Average price | Sale to list | Median days on market |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harrow and Colchester | 13 | 34 | 65 | 5.0 | 38.2% | $605,923 | 99.9% | 10 |
Harrow residential market activity, August 2026. CREA MLS® Residential Market Activity, Windsor-Essex reporting, August 2026.
Harrow and Colchester
- Sales
- 13
- New listings
- 34
- Active listings
- 65
- Months of inventory
- 5.0
- Sales to new listings
- 38.2%
- Average price
- $605,923
- Sale to list
- 99.9%
- Median days on market
- 10
Data scope: This is the board reporting district covering Harrow and the Colchester shoreline, not Harrow alone.
See the full Windsor-Essex market dataREALTOR®, MLS®, and associated marks are controlled by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify members of CREA. Market information is general and should be verified before making a decision.
People also ask
Harrow questions, answered straight.
What is Harrow, Ontario known for?
The Harrow Fair, which has run every Labour Day weekend for nearly 160 years and is one of Ontario's oldest country fairs. It's also a wine country town, home to Colio Estate Wines, and the location of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's research centre for greenhouse vegetables and field crops.
Where is Colchester?
On the north shore of Lake Erie, about six kilometres south of Harrow. It's the southernmost settlement on mainland Canada apart from Point Pelee, and County Road 50 through it is the southernmost road on the mainland.
Is Harrow part of Essex?
Yes. Harrow and Colchester are both communities within the Town of Essex, along with Essex Centre and McGregor. The Town of Essex was formed in 1999 by amalgamating the former towns of Essex and Harrow with the townships of Colchester North and Colchester South.
What drives home values in Harrow and Colchester?
Two things. In Colchester it's the Lake Erie waterfront, which is the clearest driver in this part of the county. In Harrow it's the small rural town centre and the country around it.
Is there a beach in Colchester?
Yes, a public beach beside the harbour, along with the marina, restaurants, and access to the Lake Erie Waterfront Trail.
How big is Harrow?
The 2021 census counted 2,562 people in Harrow across about 2.9 square kilometres. Colchester has a population of roughly 900, several hundred of whom live there year-round.
When is the Harrow Fair?
Labour Day weekend, every year, as it has been for close to 160 years.
Is Harrow in wine country?
It's in the middle of it. Colio Estate Wines is in Harrow and Oxley Estate is in Colchester, with the Lake Erie North Shore appellation surrounding the area and Cooper's Hawk, Sprucewood Shores, and Viewpointe all close by. Colchester is a regular stop on the wine route for cyclists.
Is there golf in Harrow or Colchester?
Oxley Beach Golf Course is in Colchester, close to the lake.
What is the John R. Park Homestead?
A restored nineteenth-century farmstead and conservation area on the Lake Erie shoreline, with historic buildings, trails, and programming.
How old is Colchester?
It was established in 1792, making it one of the earliest villages in Upper Canada west of Niagara. Its history takes in the Proclamation of 1792, the War of 1812, and the Underground Railroad.
Nearby areas worth a look
Two next steps
See what's for sale, or check your own value.
No pressure. One clear step.
Start with a private Harrow range and the assumptions behind it.
Home Equity Check
Get a local, property-specific range before you decide whether moving now makes sense.
The Prep Plan
A professional cleaning, a pre-listing inspection, and a decluttering and packing plan, finished with a confirmed price before the home goes live.
The Listing Launch
Matt walks the house with you and you leave with what to prepare, what to price it at, and how it stacks up against what's actually competing with it right now.