Norfolk County (/ˈnɔːrfoʊk/ NOR-fohk) is a rural single-tier municipality on the north shore of Lake Erie in Southwestern Ontario, Canada with a 2023 population of 73,015.

With a mild climate and lengthy growing season, the region has long been the centre of the Ontario tobacco belt.

However, many farmers have begun the process of diversifying their crop selections to include fruits and vegetables, lavender, ginseng, hazelnuts, and wolfberries[7] as tobacco consumption continues to decrease.

A significant natural feature of Norfolk is Long Point, a 40 kilometre (25 mi) spit of land projecting into Lake Erie.

It plays an important part in eastern North American bird migration, and was designated a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1986.

The Princess Point people likely were the first to introduce maize agriculture to Ontario,[9] gradually migrating westward toward the Grand River and its fertile floodplains as they did so.

They erected a cross with the arms of France claiming sovereignty for King Louis XIV over the Lake Erie region on March 23, 1670.

A history of the area written in 1898 indicates an even earlier visit to what is now Norfolk County, in October 1626, by a Recollet priest, Laroche-Daillon with two Frenchmen Grenolle and La Vallee.

[12][11] This was in the first community, the Long Point Settlement (near what is now Port Rowan), where mills were built by United Empire Loyalist settlers.

[18][5] The settlement initially consisted of two distinct areas, Birdtown, named by William Bird who arrived in the early 1800s and the Queensway which grew up around Culver's sawmill and grist mill in the 1820s.

Using boats on the lake, they reached Amherstburg (also in Upper Canada) and then attacked and captured the American Hull's Army at Detroit.

Although no longer political entities, they are still geographic townships that figure in the legal description of lands for surveying purposes, and their areas are still shown on maps for convenience.

This was the Grand River Railway that connected Hespeler, Berlin (later called Kitchener) and Waterloo with connection to Brantford and Port Dover:[12] Probably the most important achievement of recent years in Norfolk has been the introduction of an electric railway service, by which the produce of this rich agricultural region can be speedily transported to urban markets, and which has greatly benefited Norfolk people by the facility with which short distance travelling may now be accomplished.

[citation needed] Norfolk County's main town is Simcoe, which hosts city council and generally serves as the administrative center.

Norfolk County's primary tourist attractions are the ports, towns and villages along Lake Erie, which the municipality promotes as Ontario's Garden.

Agri-tourism is another expanding attraction for tourists coming to Norfolk County, with a few wineries in development and numerous farmgate retailers.

In 2014, it was named one of Norfolk’s Top 10 Amazing Places on a social mapping tool created by Ontario’s UNESCO Biosphere Reserves.

The Simcoe branch, an Ontario Historic Site, was created in 1884 on Peel Street after a mechanics' institute was closed and its property donated for the creation of a free public library.

The Theatre is open year-round and provides a variety of events, including concerts, public meetings, community fund raisers, dance recitals, workshops, band rehearsals and classes.

This restored historic building, built in 1902, includes an auditorium with stage, seating for 180, and provides cultural diversity to the community in its capacity as a venue for musical, artistic and theatrical productions, a meeting hall and rental facility.

More recently, the South Coast Jazz festival has attracted thousands of visitors to the region, featuring since its 2014 inception such artists as Holly Cole,[33] David Sanborn, Oakland Stroke,[34] and Toronto's Shuffle Demons.

The galleries present exhibits on the days of commercial sail as well as Lake Erie shipwrecks, ship building, Long Point, the War of 1812 and other aspects of lakeside life in this community.

The museum is also active in the preservation and presentation of local folklore and living traditions, particularly in the areas of fishing and lakeside history.

Located in downtown Simcoe and operated by Norfolk County, the museum is renowned for its collections of artwork by the late William Edgar Cantelon and Eva Brook Donly.

Here, you can see Dr. Troyer's infamous witch trap, Abigail Becker's gold medal presented to her for having rescued stranded sailors in 1854, an original Van Norman stove and much more.

The museum also has an extensive archival collection of local genealogical historical material, including photographs, diaries, wills, legal papers, obituaries, maps and more.

In addition to traditional agricultural and arts competitions, it features major grandstand shows that include Demo Derbys, Monster Trucks, Tractor Pulls and sold out concerts with artists Big n Rich, Barenaked Ladies, Burton Cummings, Dallas Smith and Carly Rae Jepsen.

In August 2013, Mumford & Sons hosted a 4-day stopover of their travelling music festival, called Gentlemen of the Road, in Norfolk County.

[42] The aim of this tour was to be an economic stimulus for small towns in various parts of the world, where their festival stopovers occurred.

The area is otherwise served by media in Erie (Pennsylvania), Cleveland (Ohio), Buffalo (New York), and some radio stations from Toronto are also often receivable.