Windsor-Essex area guide
Living in Leamington, Ontario: The Sun Parlour of Canada
Leamington is the second largest urban centre in Windsor-Essex after Windsor itself, with just under 30,000 people, and it's 45 minutes from the city on Highway 3. It has a marina, a proper beach, a national park inside its own boundaries, and more services than towns this far out usually manage. The water is what moves the market here.
Welcome to Leamington
Waterfront drives value in Leamington: the marina, Seacliff, and the shoreline. That's the engine, and it's a cleaner story than most towns have.
Two nicknames, and both of them earn their keep. Tomato Capital of Canada, from the Heinz plant that opened here in 1908 and ran until 2014, now operating as Highbury Canco. And Sun Parlour of Canada, because the town takes in Point Pelee, the southernmost point of mainland Canada.
The population was 29,680 at the 2021 census, up 7.6 percent from 2016, which is well ahead of the provincial average. Leamington is growing.
The municipality covers about 261 square kilometres and takes in a long list of smaller communities: Albuna, Blytheswood, Seacliffe, Marentette Beach, Mount Carmel, Wigle, and several more. That matters when you're searching, because a listing filtered on Leamington pulls in places that live quite differently from one another. Worth knowing before you start scrolling.
It was incorporated as a village in 1876 and named after Royal Leamington Spa in England. Before that it was called Gainesville, which I'd argue was the weaker choice.
The thing to understand is that Leamington built its waterfront to be used rather than just looked at. A beach with courts on it, an amphitheatre that actually hosts things, a boardwalk connecting the park to the marina, a bike path running out from the town centre. Proximity to all of that is what the market rewards here.
On the ground
Amenities and points of interest.
The waterfront
Seacliff Park is the hub: Seacliff Beach, the Sunset Amphitheatre, a splash pad, playground, pavilion, volleyball and basketball courts, picnic tables and barbecues, and a walking trail through it. A boardwalk runs from the park along to the Leamington Marina, a deep-water facility on Seacliff Drive East with 292 serviced slips taking vessels up to 75 feet. Rick Atkin Park sits beside it. A former rail line has been converted to a bike path running from the town centre out to the marina.
Point Pelee and the marshes
Point Pelee National Park is inside the municipality, and at 15 square kilometres it's Canada's smallest national park as well as the southernmost point of the mainland. Hillman Marsh Conservation Area is about 6 kilometres east of town. Between the two, the birding here draws people internationally, and the monarch migration gathers at Point Pelee in the fall before crossing the lake.
Uptown
Leamington calls its core uptown, not downtown, and it centres on the Erie Street and Talbot Street intersection. The BIA covers more than 200 businesses across those two streets. The Leamington Arts Centre has been at 72 Talbot Street West since 1971 and runs about 10,000 square feet, with exhibition space, an artist market, a café and wine bar, and an art supply store. The Bank Theatre is at 10 Erie Street South. The municipality adopted an Uptown Master Plan in 2018 and has been reconstructing and streetscaping Erie and Talbot toward a walkable, bike-friendly town centre.
Recreation and services
The Nature Fresh Farms Recreation Centre on Sherk Street is a 179,000 square foot facility with a 25-metre pool, two ice pads in the Highbury Canco and Unico arenas, a gymnasium, and a fitness studio. The Highbury Canco pad is home to the Leamington Flyers. Erie Shores HealthCare is here, a real point of difference for a town this far from Windsor. The municipality also runs its own transit service, which is unusual at this size.
Parks beyond the waterfront
William Simpson, Wilhelm, Pearl, Selkirk, Dieppe, Chestnut, Hyatt, Carolina Woods, and Lloyd Wilkinson are all in the mix, plus the Rotary Club leash-free dog park. Kopegaron Woods Conservation Area sits on the edge of town with wooded trails.
The greenhouses
The Leamington area holds the largest concentration of greenhouses in North America, well over 2,000 acres, and growers like Nature Fresh Farms and Great Lakes Greenhouses are among the town's significant employers. It's the economic engine underneath everything else, and you'll see them driving in from any direction.
Wine and the ferry
Pelee Island Winery has its Point Pelee Drive location here. The Pelee Island ferry sails out of Leamington from April through the end of July, with the August through early December departures moving over to Kingsville. There's seasonal service to Sandusky, Ohio, as well.
Things that happen every year
The Tomato Festival in August. Hogs for Hospice, also August, at Seacliff Park. Music on the 42, free waterfront concerts on Saturdays from July into September. The Mill Street Market, monthly through the summer. Live music at the Waterfront Market Plaza on Fridays in July and August. The Leamington Fair at the raceway on Erie Street North. Thiessen Orchards on Talbot Road East opens in the autumn with pick-your-own, a corn maze, and mini golf. There's a seasonal farmers' market as well.
A small piece of history
The Leamington Lighthouse was built in 1879 and stayed in service until 1923. It's in the Seacliffe neighbourhood now, and the west end of Park Street is said to be the best place to see it.
Dated market context
Leamington 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
- $430,000
- Months of inventory
- 3.9 months
- Median days on market
- 14 days
- Homes sold
- 31
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leamington | 31 | 66 | 121 | 3.9 | 47.0% | $430,710 | 97.5% | 14 |
Leamington residential market activity, August 2026. CREA MLS® Residential Market Activity, Windsor-Essex reporting, August 2026.
Leamington
- Sales
- 31
- New listings
- 66
- Active listings
- 121
- Months of inventory
- 3.9
- Sales to new listings
- 47.0%
- Average price
- $430,710
- Sale to list
- 97.5%
- Median days on market
- 14
REALTOR®, 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
Leamington questions, answered straight.
What is Leamington, Ontario known for?
Two things, mostly. It's the Tomato Capital of Canada, from the tomato processing plant that opened in 1908 and still operates as Highbury Canco. And it's the Sun Parlour of Canada, because the municipality takes in Point Pelee National Park, the southernmost point of mainland Canada. It's also the second largest urban centre in Windsor-Essex after Windsor.
How far is Leamington from Windsor?
Roughly 50 kilometres southeast, about 45 minutes by car on Highway 3. Highway 77 runs north from town to the 401.
How big is Leamington?
The population was 29,680 at the 2021 census, across about 261 square kilometres. That was up 7.6 percent from 2016, ahead of the provincial average.
What drives home values in Leamington?
The waterfront. The marina, Seacliff Park and Beach, and proximity to the shoreline are what the market rewards here. It's a more single-minded story than most towns have, largely because Leamington has invested in making its shoreline usable rather than just scenic.
Does Leamington have a beach?
Yes. Seacliff Beach sits at the base of Seacliff Park, with a sandy shoreline, volleyball and basketball courts, a splash pad, and the Sunset Amphitheatre. A boardwalk runs from there along to the marina.
Is there a marina in Leamington?
The Leamington Marina is on Seacliff Drive East, a deep-water facility with 292 serviced slips handling vessels up to 75 feet, with water, power, and WiFi at the slips.
Can you take a ferry to Pelee Island from Leamington?
Yes, from April through the end of July. The August to early December sailings run out of Kingsville instead. There's seasonal service to Sandusky, Ohio, as well.
What is there to do in Leamington?
Seacliff Park and Beach, the marina and the boardwalk between them, and the bike path out to the water. Point Pelee National Park is inside the municipality, Hillman Marsh is about 6 kilometres east, and Kopegaron Woods is on the edge of town. Uptown has the Leamington Arts Centre at 72 Talbot Street West and the Bank Theatre on Erie Street South. The Nature Fresh Farms Recreation Centre covers arenas, a 25-metre pool, and a gymnasium.
What is Leamington's uptown like?
Leamington calls its core uptown rather than downtown. It centres on the Erie Street and Talbot Street intersection, with a BIA representing more than 200 businesses. The municipality adopted an Uptown Master Plan in 2018 and has been reconstructing and streetscaping both streets toward a more walkable, bike-friendly core.
Why are there so many greenhouses around Leamington?
The climate. Leamington sits at the southern end of the country with a long growing season, and the area now holds the largest concentration of greenhouses in North America, well over 2,000 acres. It's the economic base underneath the town, alongside the tomato processing that gave Leamington its nickname.
What smaller communities are part of Leamington?
The municipality takes in Albuna, Blytheswood, Seacliffe, Marentette Beach, Mount Carmel, Wigle, and several others alongside the main town. A search on Leamington will return all of them, and they live quite differently from one another.
Is Leamington growing?
The 2021 census showed 29,680 people, up 7.6 percent from 2016, which was ahead of both the provincial and national averages.
Nearby areas worth a look
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