Editing Essex County, Ontario

{{More citations needed|date=November 2017}}
{{use mdy dates|date=October 2022}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- Basic info-->
| name                            = Essex County
| official_name                   = County of Essex<br>{{native name|fr|Comté d'Essex}}
| other_name                      = 
| settlement_type                 = [[Census divisions of Ontario#Counties|County]] ([[List of municipalities in Ontario#Upper-tier municipalities|upper-tier]])
| image_skyline                   = 
| imagesize                       = 
| image_caption                   = 
| image_flag                      = Essex_County,_Ontario_Flag_(2014_-_present).svg
| flag_size                       = 100x80px
| image_seal                      = 
| seal_size                       = 100x80px
| image_shield                    = 
| shield_size                     = 
| nickname                        = 
| motto                           = <!-- images-->
| image_map                       = Map of Ontario ESSEX.svg
| mapsize                         = 280px
| map_caption                     = Location of Essex County in Ontario
| image_map1                      = 
| mapsize1                        = <!-- Location-->
| coordinates                     = {{coord|42|10|31|N|82|46|50|W|region:CA-ON|notes=<ref>{{Cite web |title=Place names - Essex |url=https://geonames.nrcan.gc.ca/search-place-names/unique?id=FEQRB |accessdate=December 29, 2024 |website=Canadian Geographical Names Database |publisher=[[Natural Resources Canada]]}}</ref>|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type                = Country
| subdivision_name                = Canada
| subdivision_type1               = [[Provinces and territories of Canada|Province]]
| subdivision_type2               = 
| subdivision_name1               = [[Ontario]]
| subdivision_name2               = <!-- Smaller parts (e.g. boroughs of a city) and seat of government -->
| established_title               = Settled
| established_date                = 1749
| established_title2              = <!-- Incorporated (town) -->
| established_date2               = 
| established_title3              = <!-- Incorporated (city) -->
| established_date3               = <!-- Area and population -->
| seat_type                       = [[County seat]]<br>[[Local government]]
| seat                            = [[Essex, Ontario|Town of Essex]]
| parts_type                      = Municipalities
| parts_style                     = <!-- =list (for list), coll (for collapsed list), para (for paragraph format)
                               Default is list if up to 5 items, coll if more than 5-->
| parts                           = <!-- parts text, or header for parts list -->
| p1                              = [[Amherstburg]]
| government_footnotes            = 
| government_type                 = 
| leader_title                    = Warden
| leader_name                     = Hilda McDonald
| leader_title1                   = Deputy Warden<!-- for places with, say, both a mayor and a city manager -->
| leader_name1                    = Joe Bachetti
| area_footnotes                  = <ref name="cp2011">{{cite web |url=http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2011/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CD&Code1=3537&Geo2=PR&Code2=35&Data=Count&SearchText=Essex&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=&TABID=1 |title=Essex County census profile |publisher=Statistics Canada |work=[[Canada 2011 Census|2011 Census of Population]] |access-date=March 28, 2012 |archive-date=August 19, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160819085715/http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2011/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CD&Code1=3537&Geo2=PR&Code2=35&Data=Count&SearchText=Essex&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=&TABID=1 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| area_magnitude                  = 
| area_total_km2                  = 
| area_land_km2                   = {{#expr:1850.90-146.38-41.79}}
| area_water_km2                  = 
| area_water_percent              = 
| area_urban_km2                  = 
| elevation_footnotes             = <!--for references: use <ref> </ref> tags-->
| elevation_m                     = 
| population_total                = {{#expr:422860-229660-230}}
| population_as_of                = 2021
| population_footnotes            = <!-- defined by template:Canada census -->
| population_density_km2          = {{Pop density|{{#expr:398953-217188-235}}|{{#expr:1850.90-146.38-41.79}}}}
| population_urban                = 
| population_density_urban_km2    = <!-- AGeneral information -->
| population_note                 = 
| postal_code_type                = <!-- enter ZIP code, Postcode, Post code, Postal code... -->
| postal_code                     = 
| area_code                       = [[Area codes 519, 226, and 548|519/226/548]]
| unemployment_rate               = 
| website                         = [https://www.countyofessex.ca/ www.countyofessex.ca]
| footnotes                       = 
| p2                              = [[Essex, Ontario|Essex]]
| p3                              = [[Kingsville, Ontario|Kingsville]]
| p4                              = [[Lakeshore, Ontario|Lakeshore]]
| p5                              = [[LaSalle, Ontario|LaSalle]]
| p6                              = [[Tecumseh, Ontario|Tecumseh]]
| p7                              = [[Leamington, Ontario|Leamington]]
<!-- Politics -->| leader_title2                   = 
| leader_name2                    = 
| leader_title3                   = 
| leader_name3                    = 
| leader_title4                   = 
| leader_name4                    = 
| timezone                        = [[Eastern Time Zone|EST]]
| utc_offset                      = -5
| timezone_DST                    = [[Eastern Time Zone|EDT]]
| utc_offset_DST                  = -4
| blank_name                      = 
| blank_info                      = 
| blank1_name                     = 
| blank1_info                     = 
| named_for                       = [[Essex]], [[England]]
}}
'''Essex County''' is a primarily rural county in [[Southwestern]] [[Ontario]], Canada comprising seven municipalities: [[Amherstburg]], [[Kingsville, Ontario|Kingsville]], [[Lakeshore, Ontario|Lakeshore]], [[LaSalle, Ontario|LaSalle]], [[Leamington, Ontario|Leamington]], [[Tecumseh, Ontario|Tecumseh]] and the administrative seat, [[Essex, Ontario|Essex]].

==Administrative divisions==
Essex County is composed of seven municipalities (in order of population):

* Municipality of [[Lakeshore, Ontario|Lakeshore]]
* Town of [[LaSalle, Ontario|LaSalle]]
* Municipality of [[Leamington, Ontario|Leamington]]
* Town of [[Tecumseh, Ontario|Tecumseh]]
* Town of [[Amherstburg]]
* Town of [[Kingsville, Ontario|Kingsville]]
* Town of [[Essex, Ontario|Essex]]

The City of [[Windsor, Ontario|Windsor]] and the Township of [[Pelee, Ontario|Pelee]] are within the Essex census division but are not part of Essex County. The census division had a population of 422,860 as of 2021.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&SearchText=essex&DGUIDlist=2021A00033537&GENDERlist=1,2,3&STATISTIClist=1&HEADERlist=0 |title=Essex, County [Census division] census profile |website=Statistics Canada | date=February 9, 2022 |access-date=September 24, 2022}}</ref>

==Geography==
Essex County is largely composed of clay-based soils, with sandy soils along the beaches and shores. For the most part, Essex County is flat farmland, with some [[woodlot]]s. There is a small 30–50 foot (10–15&nbsp;m) high [[Onondaga (geological formation)|ridge]] near Kingsville and Leamington in the southern part of the county, and large marshland near Hillman Marsh Conservation Area, and [[Point Pelee National Park]]. [[Lake Saint Clair (North America)|Lake St. Clair]] is located north, the [[Detroit River]] to the west, and the western basin of [[Lake Erie]] to the south.

===Adjacent counties and municipalities===
* [[Windsor, Ontario|Windsor]] (north)
* Across [[Lake Saint Clair (North America)|Lake St. Clair]] lies [[Macomb County, Michigan|Macomb County]], [[Michigan]], [[United States|US]] (north)
* [[Chatham-Kent, Ontario|Chatham-Kent]] (east)
* [[Wayne County, Michigan]], US (west and northwest)
* [[Monroe County, Michigan]], US (southwest)
* Across [[Lake Erie]] lie [[Lucas County, Ohio|Lucas]] (southwest), [[Ottawa County, Ohio|Ottawa]] (south), and [[Erie County, Ohio|Erie]] (southeast) counties, [[Ohio]], US

==Climate==
Essex County hosts some of the warmest summer weather in [[Canada]], given that it is the southernmost part of Canada. It has a [[humid continental climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Dfa'') with four distinct seasons and a localized maritime climate from the surrounding Great Lakes.

Average winters are wet and cold with a variety of conditions including [[rain]], [[snow]], [[freezing rain]], [[Ice pellets|sleet]] and [[fog]]. Temperatures and conditions change frequently during the winter months, with short periods of both bitter cold or mild weather. Winter storms are common but usually cause minimal disruption. Essex County resides outside of the [[Snowbelt|Great Lakes snowbelt]] and doesn't experience intense lake-effect snow accumulation like other surrounding areas, although strong westerlies off [[Lake Michigan]] can sometimes push snow squalls into the area.

Summers are hot and humid with an abundance of sunny weather. Like the surrounding [[Midwestern United States]], [[thunderstorms]] and severe weather are more frequent during the spring and summer months.

{{Weather box
|location = Kingsville (1981−2010)
|metric first = Y
|single line = Y
|Jan record high C = 15.0
|Feb record high C = 16.0
|Mar record high C = 24.5
|Apr record high C = 27.0
|May record high C = 31.0
|Jun record high C = 37.5
|Jul record high C = 36.5
|Aug record high C = 36.0
|Sep record high C = 34.5
|Oct record high C = 26.5
|Nov record high C = 20.0
|Dec record high C = 16.0
|year record high C = 37.5
|Jan high C = -0.3
|Feb high C = 1.0
|Mar high C = 5.7
|Apr high C = 12.4
|May high C = 19.0
|Jun high C = 24.3
|Jul high C = 26.8
|Aug high C = 25.8
|Sep high C = 21.8
|Oct high C = 15.1
|Nov high C = 8.3
|Dec high C = 2.3
|year high C = 13.5
|Jan mean C = −3.7
|Feb mean C = −2.5
|Mar mean C = 1.7
|Apr mean C = 7.9
|May mean C = 14.4
|Jun mean C = 19.9
|Jul mean C = 22.5
|Aug mean C = 21.6
|Sep mean C = 17.7
|Oct mean C = 11.1
|Nov mean C = 5.0
|Dec mean C = −0.6
|year mean C = 9.6
|Jan low C = -7.1
|Feb low C = -6.1
|Mar low C = -2.3
|Apr low C = 3.4
|May low C = 9.8
|Jun low C = 15.6
|Jul low C = 18.3
|Aug low C = 17.3
|Sep low C = 13.5
|Oct low C = 7.1
|Nov low C = 1.8
|Dec low C = -3.6
|year low C = 5.6
|Jan record low C = -29.0
|Feb record low C = -26.0
|Mar record low C = -22.0
|Apr record low C = -13.0
|May record low C = -2.0
|Jun record low C = 3.9
|Jul record low C = 6.0
|Aug record low C = 6.0
|Sep record low C = -0.6
|Oct record low C = -5.0
|Nov record low C = -11.5
|Dec record low C = -23.0
|year record low C = -29.0
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 61.2
|Feb precipitation mm = 59.0
|Mar precipitation mm = 65.0
|Apr precipitation mm = 86.7
|May precipitation mm = 84.2
|Jun precipitation mm = 73.3
|Jul precipitation mm = 84.1
|Aug precipitation mm = 81.1
|Sep precipitation mm = 87.9
|Oct precipitation mm = 71.9
|Nov precipitation mm = 79.0
|Dec precipitation mm = 67.3
|year precipitation mm = 900.5
|rain colour = green
|Jan rain mm = 32.9
|Feb rain mm = 36.8
|Mar rain mm = 49.7
|Apr rain mm = 84.3
|May rain mm = 84.2
|Jun rain mm = 73.3
|Jul rain mm = 84.1
|Aug rain mm = 81.1
|Sep rain mm = 87.9
|Oct rain mm = 71.9
|Nov rain mm = 76.4
|Dec rain mm = 51.9
|year rain mm = 814.2
|snow colour = green
|Jan snow cm = 28.3
|Feb snow cm = 22.2
|Mar snow cm = 15.3
|Apr snow cm = 2.4
|May snow cm = 0.0
|Jun snow cm = 0.0
|Jul snow cm = 0.0
|Aug snow cm = 0.0
|Sep snow cm = 0.0
|Oct snow cm = 0.0
|Nov snow cm = 2.5
|Dec snow cm = 15.5
|year snow cm = 86.3
|unit precipitation days = 0.2 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 10.7
|Feb precipitation days = 9.5
|Mar precipitation days = 11.4
|Apr precipitation days = 13.0
|May precipitation days = 12.3
|Jun precipitation days = 10.0
|Jul precipitation days = 9.3
|Aug precipitation days = 8.9
|Sep precipitation days = 9.7
|Oct precipitation days = 10.7
|Nov precipitation days = 11.9
|Dec precipitation days = 12.0
|year precipitation days = 129.3
|unit rain days = 0.2 mm
|Jan rain days = 4.6
|Feb rain days = 5.3
|Mar rain days = 8.5
|Apr rain days = 12.4
|May rain days = 12.3
|Jun rain days = 10.0
|Jul rain days = 9.3
|Aug rain days = 8.9
|Sep rain days = 9.7
|Oct rain days = 10.7
|Nov rain days = 11.3
|Dec rain days = 8.2
|year rain days = 111.1
|unit snow days = 0.2 cm
|Jan snow days = 6.5
|Feb snow days = 4.7
|Mar snow days = 3.8
|Apr snow days = 0.73
|May snow days = 0.0
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.0
|Oct snow days = 0.08
|Nov snow days = 0.96
|Dec snow days = 4.6
|year snow days = 21.4
|source 1 = [[Environment Canada]]<ref name= "climate">{{cite web
| publisher = [[Environment Canada]]
| url = http://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate_normals/results_1981_2010_e.html?stnID=4647&lang=e&dCode=0&province=ONT&provBut=Go&month1=0&month2=12
| title = Kingsville MOE
| work = Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010
| date=October 31, 2011 | access-date = April 9, 2014}}</ref>
|date=August 2010
}}

==History==
===Colonial settlement===
[[File:Lighthousecove(lighthouse).jpg|thumb|Thames River Lighthouse, in Essex County, [[Ontario]], built in 1818.]]

The area that has come to be known as Essex was one of the first counties to be settled by non-indigenous people in [[Upper Canada]], later to become [[Ontario]]. The settlements were mostly established by French settlers in the mid-18th century.  Around 1749, the first permanent settlements began to appear on what is now the south or Canadian side of the [[Detroit River]], across from the French Fort Detroit. They cultivated long, narrow plots of land along the river. Despite the name, this is not a river as such but rather a strait connecting [[Lake Huron]] and the smaller [[Lake Saint Clair]] in the north to [[Lake Erie]] in the south, as part of the [[Great Lakes]].{{Citation needed|reason=All of this information needs a source.|date=April 2018}}

Lower down the river, lands were occupied by native people known as [[Wyandot people|Wyandot]] or Huron, around the Jesuit Catholic Mission of Bois Blanc (French for White Wood), opposite the island of the same name.  The Mission was eventually abandoned and re-established closer to what became [[Sandwich, Ontario|Sandwich Township]] after the British took over the French territory following the Seven Years' War. It was closer to the safety of the British-fortified [[Fort Detroit]].  When farmers arrived, they encountered difficulty in trying to clear the extremely thick forests that covered Essex County. The farmers grew to "hate" the trees, and chopped them down, starved them from nourishment by cutting deep gashes in the bark, and burned them to clear the way to get to the fertile soils underneath. The fires were so intense, that the reddish glow could be seen from [[Chicago, Illinois|Fort Chicago]], 300 miles (500&nbsp;km) away, as millions of cords of wood burned.
[[File:Atlas of the Dominion. Counties of Kent and Essex. Province of Ontario. CTASC.jpg|thumb|Historical map that includes Essex County (1875)]]
Settlement continued southward along the river and was known as Petite Côte (Small Coast), which was a reference to the shorter length of river frontage compared to the Detroit/American side. Landmarks were named for settler  [[La Salle (surname)|LaSalle]] and the local [[Ojibway]], which continue to be in use.  The first road in Ontario was laid out to connect the settlements, which is now over 200 years old and is known as [[Highway 18 (Ontario)|Former King's Highway 18]] (now County Road 20).

When river frontage along the Petite Côte was occupied, settlement began to extend toward [[Lake Saint Clair (North America)|Lake St. Clair]], which became known as the "[[Assumption Settlement]]", for the name of its Catholic church.  In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the French ventured east along the south shore of Lake Saint Clair and settled in the present-day areas of Belle River (Belle-Rivière), Rochester, Tecumseh, Saint-Joachim and Stoney Point (Pointe-aux-Roches). These communities still have a large [[French language|francophone]] population.

[[Amherstburg, Ontario|Amherstburg]] and [[Sandwich, Ontario|Sandwich]] were the first towns established in Essex County, both in 1796 after the British finally ceded and evacuated [[Fort Detroit]] along the [[Detroit River]] under the terms of the "[[Jay Treaty]]". This was negotiated by [[John Jay]], and signed in 1794 following the American Revolutionary War. It was intended to settle the US northern boundary with Canada. It upheld the original boundary lines along the [[Great Lakes]] between the US and [[Upper Canada]] by the [[Treaty of Paris (1783)|Treaty of Paris of 1783]] and the wider set of treaties known as the [[Peace of Paris (1783)|Peace of Paris]], which ended the [[American Revolution]] (1775–1783) and overseas European and multi-continental wars. Britain [[Cession|ceded]] the territory of eastern [[North America]] to be the [[History of the United States|United States]].

The British built [[Fort Malden]] near Amherstburg, opposite [[Bois Blanc Island (Ontario)|Bois Blanc Island]], separating the British military presence from the more heavily populated area of [[Sandwich, Ontario|Sandwich]] upstream, and positioned strategically to control the entrance of the river from [[Lake Erie]] and [[Lake Huron]] to the north.  The populations of both towns were augmented by people immigrating from the southern [[United States]] after the [[American Revolutionary War]] (1775–1783), including from [[Detroit|the new City of Detroit]], who chose to remain [[British subjects]], known as "[[Loyalists]]" or "[[United Empire Loyalists]]".

After the [[American Revolution]], and the [[War of 1812]] (1812–1815), which also was a confrontation over the northern border, some people continued to migrate north to the area. Settlers also arrived from the east seeking land, traveling by [[Lake Ontario]] and the [[St. Lawrence River]] of [[Lower Canada]].  Settlers began to move eastward along the north shore of Lake Erie.

The colonial government purchased land for development from the Indigenous in the southern half of the current county, located in the four townships formerly known as Gosfield North and South, and Colchester North and South.  The British Court made land available for settlement, provided that the colonist complete certain improvements within a year and that it not be used for speculation.  This area became known as the "New Settlement" (as compared to the "Old Settlement" of the towns of Amherstburg and Sandwich.  Settlers in this area included [[Hessian (soldiers)|Hessians]] who fought for the British against the American rebels, (especially known in history at the [[Battle of Trenton]] in [[New Jersey]] on the morning of December 26, 1776) and [[Pennsylvania Dutch]] pacifists (ethnic German [[Mennonites]], many from [[Pennsylvania]]).

===Formation of Essex County===
In 1791, the province of [[Upper Canada]] was formed.  In 1792, Upper Canada was divided into nineteen counties, of which Essex was the eighteenth and part of the [[Western District, Upper Canada|Western District]].  At that time, the eastern boundary of Essex County extended further east into what is now [[Kent County, Ontario|Kent County]].  Settlement continued: on January 1, 1800, an '''Act for the Better Division of the Province''' established the Townships of Rochester, Mersea, Gosfield, Maidstone, Sandwich and Malden.

===Settlement 1820 to 1870===
[[File:"Underground"_routes_to_Canada,_Map_cropped_to_display_Southern_Ontario,_Canada.jpg|thumb|right|A number of settlements of Black slaves in Essex County are identified on this 1898 [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%22Underground%22_routes_to_Canada_(NYPL_b10341074-5365491).jpg map] of ''"Underground" Routes to Canada''.<ref name="Chadwick">{{cite book | last = Chadwick | first = Bruce | title = Traveling the underground railroad : a visitor's guide to more than 300 sites | url = https://archive.org/details/travelingundergr00chad | url-access = registration | publisher = Carol Pub. Group | location = Secaucus, NJ | page=[https://archive.org/details/travelingundergr00chad/page/272 272] |year = 1999 | isbn = 0806520930 }}</ref>]]
Longer roads began to appear in the county after the [[War of 1812]], the first of which followed Indian trails.  [[Thomas Talbot (Upper Canada)|Colonel Thomas Talbot]] contributed to road development, and Talbot Road was named for him.  Talbot Road followed a natural ridge of glacial moraine which stretched from Windsor to [[Point Pelee]].

The establishment of good roads led to further settlement along the 'Middle Road' and in the area of what is now [[Leamington, Ontario|Leamington]]. Settlers of this era were often emigrants from Britain and Ireland; in the 1840s the [[Great Famine (Ireland)|Great Famine]] led to significant immigration.  The village of Maidstone was the centre of the Irish community, and an area known as the "Scotch Colony" appeared along the shore of Lake St. Clair to the north.

In 1854 the [[Great Western Railway (Ontario)|Great Western Railway]] connected the Detroit frontier with the east, crossing Essex County.  The Canadian terminal was in Windsor, which consequently forged ahead of the other towns of the county.  Other railway lines were built that connected settlements in Kingsville, Harrow, Essex and Leamington.

Essex County was also a destination of the [[Underground Railroad]]. In the 19th-century Black Americans came to Essex county by way of [[Point Pelee National Park|Pelee's Point]], Gosfield (now [[Kingsville, Ontario|Kingsville]]), [[Colchester, Ontario|Colchester]], [[Sandwich, Ontario|Sandwich]], and [[Windsor, Ontario|Windsor]].<ref name="Switala">{{cite book | last = Switala | first = William | page=144 |title = Underground railroad in New Jersey and New York | publisher = Stackpole Books | location = Mechanicsburg, PA | year = 2006 | isbn = 9780811746298 }}</ref> Those who stayed in the area settled in the communities of [[Fort Malden]], [[Sandwich, Ontario|Sandwich]], [[New Canaan, Ontario|New Canaan]], [[Leamington, Ontario|Mersea]], and nearby [[Dawn Settlement]] (now [[Dresden, Ontario|Dresden]]), [[Buxton]] (now [[North Buxton, Ontario|North Buxton]] and [[South Buxton, Ontario|South Buxton]]), [[Chatham, Ontario|Chatham]], and [[Elgin, Ontario|Elgin]]. The major settlement areas were [[Amherstburg, Ontario|Amherstburg]] and [[Windsor, Ontario|Windsor]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=The freedom-seekers : Blacks in early Canada|last=G.|first=Hill, Daniel|date=1981|publisher=Book Society of Canada|isbn=0772552835|location=Agincourt, Canada|oclc=8114887|page=48}}</ref><ref name="Switala"/><ref name="Chadwick"/> The [[John Freeman Walls Historic Site]] in Maidstone ([[Lakeshore, Ontario|Lakeshore]]) is testament to this period.  Many of the descendants of the fugitives moved back to the United States to support the Northerners ([[Union Army]]) in the [[American Civil War]], (1861–1865), or to reconnect with family after [[Emancipation Proclamation|emancipation]]. Many families stayed.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Promised Land: History and Historiography of the Black Experience in Chatham-Kent's Settlements and Beyond|last1=de B’béri|first1=Boulou Ebanda|last2=Reid-Maroney|first2=Nina|last3=Wright|first3=Handel Kashope|publisher=University of Toronto Press|year=2014|isbn=9781442667464|location=Toronto}}</ref>

=== Late 19th century===
[[File:Essex_County_Ontario_1881.jpg|thumb|right|Map showing the townships of Essex County in 1881. From the ''Illustrated atlas of the Dominion of Canada''.]]

By the late 19th century Essex County had seen fur trading and logging, land clearing and farming, road building and railway development, saw mills and gristmills, railway stations and water ports.  By this time the forests were being removed to make way for farmland.

Also noticeable in some farmers' fields are [[Pumpjack|oil pumps]], particularly near [[Belle River, Ontario|Belle River]] and [[Leamington, Ontario|Leamington]], in the northern and eastern parts of the county, respectively.  This is from [[oil shale]] within the [[bedrock]] of the [[Marcellus Formation]].

===20th Century===
====Essex County restructuring, 1990s====
[[File:Essex_County,_Ontario_Flag_(pre-2014).svg|thumb|right|Flag of Essex County, in use until 2014.]]
In 1992, discussions began to take place to reduce the number of individual municipalities, which at the time numbered 21 in the county.  This culminated on January 1, 1999, when a Minister's Order by the [[Ontario Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing]] was implemented, putting in place the new municipal structure for the County of Essex.

{| class="wikitable" align="right"
|- bgcolor=#eeeeee
|'''Township'''
|'''Township seat'''
|-
|[[Anderdon Township, Ontario|Anderdon Township]]
|[[Amherstburg, Ontario|Amherstburg]]
|-
|[[Colchester North Township, Ontario|Colchester North]]
|[[Essex, Ontario|Essex]]
|-
|[[Colchester South Township, Ontario|Colchester South]]
|[[Harrow, Ontario|Harrow]]
|-
|[[Gosfield North Township, Ontario|Gosfield North]]
|[[Cottam, Ontario|Cottam]]
|-
|[[Gosfield South Township, Ontario|Gosfield South]]
|[[Kingsville, Ontario|Kingsville]]
|-
|[[Maidstone Township, Ontario|Maidstone]]
|[[Belle River, Ontario|Belle River]]
|-
|[[Malden Township, Ontario|Malden]]
|[[Malden Centre, Ontario|Malden Centre]]
|-
|[[Mersea Township, Ontario|Mersea]]
|[[Leamington, Ontario|Leamington]]
|-
|[[Rochester Township, Ontario|Rochester]]
|[[St. Joachim, Ontario|St. Joachim]]
|-
|[[Sandwich East Township, Ontario|Sandwich East]]
|[[Windsor, Ontario|Windsor]]
|-
|[[Sandwich South Township, Ontario|Sandwich South]]
|[[Tecumseh, Ontario|Tecumseh]]
|-
|[[Sandwich West Township, Ontario|Sandwich West]]
|[[LaSalle, Ontario|LaSalle]]
|-
|[[Tilbury North Township, Ontario|Tilbury North]]
|[[Stoney Point, Ontario|Stoney Point]]
|-
|[[Tilbury West Township, Ontario|Tilbury West]]
|[[Comber, Ontario|Comber]]
|-
|}

Townships:
*[[Anderdon Township, Ontario|Anderdon]] - Now part of Amherstburg
*[[Colchester North Township, Ontario|Colchester North]] - Now part of Essex
*[[Colchester South Township, Ontario|Colchester South]] - Now part of Essex
*[[Gosfield North Township, Ontario|Gosfield North]] - Now part of Kingsville
*[[Gosfield South Township, Ontario|Gosfield South]] - Now part of Kingsville
*[[Maidstone Township, Ontario|Maidstone]] - Now part of Lakeshore
*[[Malden Township, Ontario|Malden]] - Now part of Amherstburg
*[[Mersea Township, Ontario|Mersea]] - Now part of Leamington
*[[Rochester Township, Ontario|Rochester]] - Now part of Lakeshore
*[[Sandwich East Township, Ontario|Sandwich East]] - Parts in Windsor and in Tecumseh
*[[Sandwich South Township, Ontario|Sandwich South]] - Now in Tecumseh
*[[Sandwich West Township, Ontario|Sandwich West]] - Parts in LaSalle and in Windsor
*[[Tilbury North Township, Ontario|Tilbury North]] - Now in Lakeshore
*[[Tilbury West Township, Ontario|Tilbury West]] - Now in Lakeshore

Towns:
*[[Amherstburg, Ontario]] (former town of, now merged with Anderdon Twp. and Malden Twp.)
*[[Belle River, Ontario]]
*[[Essex, Ontario]] (former town of, merged with Colchester N. Twp. and Colchester S. Twp.)
*[[Harrow, Ontario]]
*[[Kingsville, Ontario]] (former town of, merged with Gosfield N. Twp. and Gosfield S. Twp.)
*[[Lasalle, Ontario]] (former part of Sandwich Town)
*[[Leamington, Ontario]] (former town of, merged with Mersea Twp.)
*[[St. Clair Beach, Ontario]]
*[[Tecumseh, Ontario]] (former town of, merged with Sandwich S. Twp)

==Demographics==
{{Historical populations
| title = Historical populations
| type  = Canada
|align       = right
| width       = 17em
| state       = 
| shading     = 
| percentages = 
| footnote    = 
|[[Canada 1996 Census|1996]]|152352
|[[Canada 2001 Census|2001]]|165501 
|[[Canada 2006 Census|2006]]|176642 
|[[Canada 2011 Census|2011]]|177720 
|[[Canada 2016 Census|2016]]|181530
|[[Canada 2021 Census|2021]]|192970
}}

As a [[Census divisions of Canada|census division]] in the [[2021 Canadian census|2021 Census of Population]] conducted by [[Statistics Canada]], Essex County had a population of {{val|422860|fmt=commas}} living in {{val|165787|fmt=commas}} of its {{val|174446|fmt=commas}} total private dwellings, a change of {{percentage|{{#expr:422860-398953}}|398953|1}} from its 2016 population of {{val|398953|fmt=commas}}. With a land area of {{convert|1844.21|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}, it had a population density of {{Pop density|422860|1844.21|km2|sqmi|prec=1}} in 2021.<ref name=2021census>{{cite web | url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810000701 | title=Population and dwelling counts: Canada and census divisions | publisher=[[Statistics Canada]] | date=February 9, 2022 | accessdate=April 2, 2022}}</ref>

==Government==
The County of Essex is governed by a County Council, whose members are the [[mayor]]s and deputy mayors from the seven lower-tier municipalities of the county.  The Head of Council is known as the Warden.  The term of office for County Councillors and the Warden coincides with the frequency of municipal elections in Ontario, in other words a person elected to be Mayor of Leamington, for example, will be a member of County Council for the term that she or he is Mayor.  Hilda MacDonald, Mayor of [[Leamington, Ontario|Leamington]], was chosen to be Warden at the most recent election. A complete list (from 1853 to present) of the past Wardens of Essex County can be found online.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.countyofessex.on.ca/wps/wcm/connect/COE/COE/ABOUT+ESSEX+COUNTY/History+of+Essex+County/Essex+County+Wardens+%281853-2014%29/ |title=County of Essex: Wardens of Essex County (1853-2014) |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 3, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203012119/http://www.countyofessex.on.ca/wps/wcm/connect/COE/COE/ABOUT+ESSEX+COUNTY/History+of+Essex+County/Essex+County+Wardens+%281853-2014%29/ }}</ref>

County government is responsible for issues that include transportation, community and social services (e.g. homes for the aged, child care, social housing), libraries, planning, emergency management coordination and corporate-wide business such as finance and taxation policies, general corporate policy and labour relations.  The County does not have a police force or fire services, for which the seven municipalities are responsible.

==Education==
{{Further|List of secondary schools in Ontario#Essex County}}
English-language public education for kindergarten through secondary school grades in Essex County is administered by the [[Greater Essex County District School Board]], along with the [[Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board]] which oversees English-language Catholic education.

French-language public and Catholic education are overseen by the [[Conseil scolaire Viamonde]] and the [[Conseil scolaire catholique Providence]] respectively.  The scope of all of these organizations includes both the County and the City of Windsor.

Until 1998 the [[Essex County Board of Education]] operated Anglophone secular public schools.

Public post-secondary education is available at the [[University of Windsor]], [[St. Clair College]], and more recently [[Collège Boréal]].

==Infrastructure==
===Health care===
====Emergency medical services====
Essex-Windsor Emergency Medical Services (EMS) provides pre-hospital treatment and transportation to over 45,000 patients per year.  The service operates out of 12 bases, and employs over 260 [[Paramedics in Canada#Primary Care Paramedics|Primary Care Paramedics]].  Essex-Windsor EMS covers all of Essex County, Windsor, and Pelee Island.<ref>{{cite web | title = Essex-Windsor Emergency Medical Services (EMS) | publisher = County of Essex | url = http://www.countyofessex.on.ca/en/residents/ambulance.asp |access-date=December 1, 2015}}</ref>

==Economy==
===Energy===
[[File:Essexcountywindmills.jpg|thumb|[[Wind turbine]]s in Essex County, Ontario, Canada.]]
Essex County is home to Canada's largest [[wind farm]] as of June 2012. This is due to both its ideal wind conditions and abundance of available farmland.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hall|first1=Dave |title=Essex County home to Canada's largest wind farm|url=https://windsorstar.com/business/33698 |access-date=October 14, 2017|work=Windsor Star|date=June 5, 2012}}</ref>

===Agriculture===
Essex County has one of Canada's longest growing seasons at 212 days per year.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-24 |title=Community Profile |url=https://www.countyofessex.ca/en/doing-business/community-profile.aspx |access-date=2024-09-27 |website=www.countyofessex.ca |language=en}}</ref> Leamington, a town in Essex County, has also been known for its [[greenhouse]]s. It now has the largest concentration of commercial greenhouses in all of North America, with nearly 2000 acres of greenhouse vegetable production in the general area.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-01-30 |title=Key Industries |url=https://www.leamington.ca/en/business/utilitiesandrates.aspx#Agriculture |access-date=2024-09-27 |website=www.leamington.ca |language=en}}</ref> Major products of the greenhouse industry, in addition to tomatoes, are [[Capsicum|peppers]], [[cannabis]], [[cucumber]]s, [[rose]]s, and other [[flower]]s.

Major employers include Highbury Canco, [[Aphria Inc.|Aphria]], FortDearborn, Highline Mushrooms, [[ElringKlinger|Elring-Klinger]], Nature Fresh Farms, [[Hub International]], Lakeside Produce and AMCO Farms.

=== Tourism ===
Essex County is home to 13 [[Vintners Quality Alliance|VQA]] [[Winery|wineries]] that are a part of Ontario's southernmost [[appellation]]. At the same latitude as the [[Mediterranean basin|Mediterranean]], the [[Ontario wine|Lake Erie North Shore Region]] provides a unique climate in a continental region.

==Tartan==
[[Image:EssexCountyTartan.jpg|thumb|right|Essex County's Official [[Tartan]].]]
Essex County also has an official [[tartan]].

The tartan's colours correspond to different meanings.

* [[wiktionary:Golden|Golden]]/[[Yellow]] is meant to stand for [[Sunlight|sunshine]], also for the rich agriculture and golden harvests of the many farmed plants ([[grain]]s, [[Maize|corn]], [[soybean]]s, [[barley]], [[oat]]s and [[wheat]]).
* [[Green]] stands for the spring fields around Essex County.
* [[Red]] represents tomatoes, as [[Leamington, Ontario|Leamington]] is the "Tomato Capital of Canada", and for other fruits, such as [[apple]]s.
* [[Blue]] stands for the blue skies and the [[waterway]]s of the county.
* [[Black]] is meant to represent the [[automotive industry]] that fuels [[Windsor, Ontario|Windsor]] and Essex County.
* [[White]] represents the [[salt mine]]s in Windsor and western Essex County, and [[fish]] in the surrounding rivers and lakes.

==Notable people==
{{see also|Amherstburg#Notable people|Leamington, Ontario#Notable people}}
* [[Bruce Crowder]] and [[Keith Crowder]], retired NHL players
* [[Richie Hawtin]], electronic music artist 
* [[Jeff Lemire]], comic book artist
* [[Jack Miner]], naturalist
* [[Luke Willson]], retired NFL player

==See also==
{{Portal|Ontario}}
*[[Essex Tech Center]]
*[[List of municipalities in Ontario]]
*[[List of townships in Ontario]]
*[[List of Underground Railroad sites]]
*[[Kingsville, Ontario|Town of Kingsville]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* John Clarke. ''The Ordinary People of Essex: Environment, Culture, and Economy on the Frontier of Upper Canada'' (McGill-Queen's University Press, 2010)

==External links==
{{Wikivoyage|Essex County (Ontario)}}
{{Commons category}}
*{{Official website}}

{{Geographic location
 | Centre    = Essex County
 | North     = ''[[Lake Saint Clair (North America)|Lake St. Clair]]''
 | East      = [[Chatham-Kent]] (single-tier city)
 | South     = ''[[Lake Erie]]''
 | West      = [[Wayne County, Michigan]] {{flagicon|USA}}
}}
{{Subdivisions of Ontario}}
{{Essex County, Ontario}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Essex County, Ontario| ]]
[[Category:Counties in Ontario]]
[[Category:Lake Erie]]
[[Category:Lake St. Clair]]
[[Category:Southwestern Ontario]]
[[Category:Wine regions of Ontario]]
[[Category:1792 establishments in Upper Canada]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1792]]