North Dumfries includes the following communities: Ayr, Branchton, Clyde (formerly from Beverley Township, Wentworth County), Reidsville and Roseville.

Galt was founded on the east bank of the Grand River by Absalom Shade on behalf of William Dickson of Niagara.

The other two settlements, Jedburgh to the east and Nithvale to the west, were not yet a part of Ayr but received their mail at the single post office.

In 1847 or 1848, the John Watson Manufacturing Company (later Ayr Machinery Works) had opened and became very successful, shipping iron implements across the country by 1870.

At about the same time Dumfries Township was divided, the City of Galt was extracted from it as an autonomous municipality within the new Waterloo County.

[12] The ethnic makeup of the township is 97.5% White, 1% Aboriginal and 1.5% visible minorities, of which the largest groups are Black (0.4%), South Asian and Latin American (0.3% each).

Mother tongues spoken are:[13] Population trend:[14] The citizens of North Dumfries are represented by the mayor and four township councillors.