Now Clarington's fourth largest urban community, Orono is attractive to those who prefer a quiet, more rural lifestyle.

The downtown consists of several small shops and a central town hall that are typical of villages throughout Ontario and the northern United States.

The Orono Leafs, the local CC hockey club, began in the late 1990s, and still have a popular program that is successful.

The fair draws nearly 30,000 annually to celebrate the area's agricultural roots and features equestrian events, Livestock shows, School and Children's exhibits, Agricultural Education, Art Show Competition, Pie and Cake Auction, Woodworking, Cooking Demonstrations, Live Entertainment, Truck and Tractor Pulls, Horse Pulls, Demolition Derby and much more.

Notable landmarks include: Producing millions of evergreen seedlings annually for restoring Ontario's forests, the Orono Forestry Station (founded in 1922) was a prominent feature in the town until it closed down in 1996.

Orono is surrounded by several pastoral hamlets, such as Kirby, Kendal, Newtonville, Leskard, Starkville; and larger towns like Newcastle and Bowmanville.