A portion of Dufferin’s economy still depends on agriculture but tourism is becoming more important as the county takes a more positive role in attracting visitors.

Dufferin County is the highest plateau immediately south of Georgian Bay, and as such forms the watershed divide between the four lakes: Huron, Erie, Ontario and Simcoe.

Four rivers — Saugeen, Grand, Credit and Nottawasaga — take their rise in Dufferin or in adjacent townships and drain through the county.

It is largely a rural county with three urban settlement areas, namely Grand Valley, Orangeville and Shelburne.

The Conseil scolaire de district catholique Centre-Sud (CSDCCS) Archived 1999-10-11 at the Wayback Machine operates Catholic Francophone schools serving the area.