List of north–south roads in Toronto
The following is a list of the north–south arterial thoroughfares in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The city is organized in a grid pattern dating back to the plan laid out by Augustus Jones between 1793 and 1797. Most streets are aligned in the north–south or east–west direction, based on the shoreline of Lake Ontario. In other words, major north–south roads are generally perpendicular to the Lake Ontario shoreline and major east–west roads are generally parallel to the lake's shoreline. The Toronto road system is also influenced by its topography as some roads are aligned with the old Lake Iroquois shoreline, or the deep valleys. Minor streets with documented history or etymology are listed in a separate section.
Expressways
Allen Road
William R. Allen Road, known more commonly as Allen Road, The Allen Expressway and The Allen, is a short expressway that travels from Eglinton Avenue West in the south to Kennard Avenue in the north. The portion south of Sheppard Avenue is the completed section of the proposed Spadina Expressway. Allen Road is named after the late Metro Toronto Chairman William R. Allen and maintained by the City of Toronto. Landmarks along the road include the Lawrence Allen Centre, the Yorkdale Shopping Centre and Downsview Park.Don Valley Parkway
The Don Valley Parkway is a controlled-access six-lane expressway in Toronto connecting the Gardiner Expressway in downtown Toronto with Highway 401. North of Highway 401, the expressway continues as Highway 404 to Newmarket. The parkway runs through the parklands of the Don River valley, after which it is named. It is patrolled by the Toronto Police Service, has a maximum speed limit of and is in length.The parkway was the second expressway to be built by Metropolitan Toronto. Planning for it began in 1954, the year of Metro's formation; the first section opened in 1961 and the entire route was completed by the end of 1966. South of Bloor Street, the expressway was constructed over existing roadways. North of Bloor Street, the expressway was built on a new alignment through the valley, requiring the removal of several hills, the rerouting of the Don River and the clearing of green space. North of Eglinton Avenue, the expressway follows the former Woodbine Avenue right-of-way north to Highway 401.
The parkway operates well beyond its intended capacity of 60,000 vehicles per day and is known for its daily traffic jams; some sections carry an average of 100,000 vehicles a day. Planned as part of a larger expressway network within Toronto, it was one of the few expressways built before the public opposition that cancelled many of the others.
Highway 404
King's Highway 404, colloquially referred to as the four-oh-four, is a provincially maintained extension to the Don Valley Parkway, north of the junction with Highway 401. Highway 404 was opened from Sheppard Avenue East to Steeles Avenue East in 1979 and extended north of the Metro Toronto limits shortly thereafter.Highway 427
Most of King's Highway 427 travels within Toronto from Browns Line to Steeles Avenue, but it has been extended beyond current city limits to Highway 7. It was intitially constructed to Highway 401 from 1953 to 1956 as the Toronto Bypass, then extended to Pearson Airport as the Airport Expressway from 1964 to 1971, and finally designated as Highway 427 in 1972. The section to Steeles Avenue West was completed in 1984.Arterial roads
Avenue Road
There are several stories relating to the origin of Avenue Road. The most popular legend retells that of an early surveying team travelling west along what is now Bloor Street. Upon reaching the location of the intersection with Avenue Road today, the lead surveyor, a Scotsman, pointed north and proclaimed "Let's 'ave a new road here". But this is almost certainly apocryphal; the street was probably named for its tree-lined character.Avenue Road is also a short residential street that runs from Edgar Avenue north to Weldrick Road connecting the communities of Richvale and Yongehurst in Richmond Hill, Ontario. Although the Toronto section can align with the Richmond Hill sections if connected, the latter is a newer street not officially part of the historic Toronto roadway, unlike the disconnected York Region portions of its counterparts Kipling Avenue, Leslie Street and Woodbine Avenue.
Bathurst Street
Bathurst Street is named after Henry Bathurst, 3rd Earl Bathurst, who was British Secretary of War during the reign of George IV. Henry's contributions to Toronto include organizing the successive waves of British settlers following the War of 1812, and granting the charter to the first university in the city, King's College. Bathurst originally only referred to the section south of Queen Street. In 1870, the section north of Queen Street became part of Bathurst Street. It was known until then as Crookshank's Lane, after Honourable George Crookshank. The road acted as a driveway to his farm.Bay Street
Bay Street, is formerly known as Bear Street, supposedly a reference to a "noted chase given to a bear" by settlers in that area. It is the centre of Toronto's Financial District and is often used as a metonym to refer to Canada's financial industry, similar to New York City's Wall Street in the United States. Within the legal profession, the term Bay Street is also used colloquially to refer to the large, full-service business law firms of Toronto, particularly the top-tier law firms known as the Seven Sisters. The street was officially named when the land it occupies was annexed by the first expansion of York. Bay travelled from Lake Ontario to Lot Street, now Queen Street West. North of Queen Street and travelling to College Street was Teraulay Street. Several disconnected side streets existed north of there to Davenport Road. In 1922, By-Law 9316 joined these streets together as far north as Scollard Street.By-Law 9884, enacted on January 28, 1924, changed the name of Ketchum Avenue to Bay Street, officially extending it to Davenport Road.
The bend in Bay Street south of Old City Hall reflects this history, serving as a terminating vista.
Bayview Avenue
Bayview Avenue, formerly East York Avenue, was named in 1930 after the estate of Dr. James Stanley McLean, Bay View. The McLean House forms a part of the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre today. Several notable estates were built along Bayview in the early 20th century, many of which still exist since converted to a variety of public uses.Beare Road
Beare Road is named for the Beare family, who were prominent farmers in the Hillside community of northeastern Scarborough.Bellamy Road
Bellamy Road, previously Secord Road, is named for American author Edward Bellamy, who wrote Looking Backwards 2000–1887, about a utopian society. Settlers approached Scarborough Township for a parcel of land to start their own utopia. Although the request was not granted, the road along which they sought to establish their society came to be known as Bellamy Road. The CN grade separation on Eglinton, built in the early 1960s, split Bellamy Road into two unconnected sections. Consequently, the township of Scarborough renamed the sections as North and South on May 29, 1964.Bellamy Road South begins at Kingston Road and proceeds north to just short of Eglinton Avenue. It is entirely a minor residential street. Bellamy Road North resumes opposite the southern section, just north of the CN tracks. The road becomes Corporate Drive at Progress Avenue, proceeding towards the Scarborough Town Centre. Most of the northern section is residential, though the section between Ellesmere Road and Progress Avenue consists solely of multi-unit warehousing, many of which have been converted into places of worship.
Beverley Street
Beverley Street is located a few metres east of St. George Street, of which it is a continuation. It passes by the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Italian Consulate in Chinatown.Birchmount Road
Birchmount Road began as a concession line laid out by the surveyors of Upper Canada. For a long time, it remained a rural and little used route. In the 1920s, it was little more than a dirt path.The southern part of Birchmount was one of the first parts of Toronto to see suburban development. This development was in the years immediately before and after the Second World War, and was thus not reflective of the car-centred design of much of Scarborough. Birchmount is notable for being the terminus of the only TTC streetcar route ever to travel into Scarborough. The Birchmount Loop was for several decades the turning loop for the Kingston Road streetcar. The first lines in the region were built by the Toronto and Scarboro' Electric Railway, Light and Power Company. They were taken over by the TTC, which ran streetcars to Birchmount until 1954. The loop remained in place until 1985, when a condominium was built on the site.
By the 1960s, Birchmount had been transformed into its current role as one of the main arterial roads for Scarborough.
Beyond Toronto, Birchmount Road continues firstly as a residential street to Denison Street, then from Denison to Highway 407 it cuts through commercial business parks. In 2011, the road was extended past 407 to Enterprise Boulevard to provide future access for the Downtown Markham residential community. A bridge has been built by developers of the residential project in the area to complete the road between Enterprise Boulevard and Highway 7 at Village Parkway.
Black Creek Drive
Black Creek Drive was originally constructed as a southward extension of Highway 400. However, it was built as an arterial road instead, due to the opposition to extending the Spadina Expressway south of Eglinton Avenue, which in turn led to the cancellation of other expressway extensions in Toronto. The street has few intersections at Lawrence Avenue, Trethewey Drive, Todd Baylis Boulevard, Eglinton Avenue and it ends at Weston Road. The street is not served by any TTC routes. The road is named for the nearby waterway of Black Creek.Brimley Road
Brimley Road is of unknown origin. Beginning at Bluffer's Park at the foot of the Scarborough Bluffs, Brimley runs through Scarborough, past Steeles Avenue and ends at 14th Avenue in Markham. The Scarborough portion is mainly residential with small strip plazas interspersed along the route. North of Finch Avenue is Brimley Forest, a small patch of unaltered land. North of Steeles, Brimley weaves through the residential areas of the Milliken community of Markham, then ends at 14th Avenue and becomes Beckenridge Drive, which is a residential road.The section south of Sheppard was once interrupted at Highway 401 but was a through road way prior to the mid 1950s. An $11 million overpass and partial interchange of the freeway was built and opened on October 18, 1987 over the objections of many area residents concerned with increased traffic volume. In an attempt to address these concerns, it was initially restricted to transit buses and emergency vehicles.
After widely reported public pressure, Scarborough City Council voted February 18, 1988 to open the overpass to general traffic.
Proposals to modify the interchange are currently being examined as part of a larger analysis of Highway 401 through Scarborough.
Broadview Avenue
Broadview Avenue, known as the Mill Road or Don Mills Road until 1884, was constructed in 1798 by Timothy Skinner, owner of several mills in Todmorden. The name is a reference to the broad view from the crest overlooking Riverdale Park. When the section south of Queen became Broadview, the street to west was renamed from Smith Street to Scadding. The northern end at city limits was a toll booth next to the then northly section of Winchester Street. The road was extended in 1913 and 1922 by absorbing parts of Don Mills Road as far north as O'Connor Drive. By 1912, sections south of Eastern Avenue where lost when Lever Brothers expanded their soap factory.In Toronto's East Chinatown, there are two signs at Gerrard Street East with the Chinese name of the street "百樂匯街".
Brown's Line
Brown's Line was once the name by which the trail running north from Lake Ontario to Highway 9 was known. It originated as a trail, which had been blazed to define the western boundary of the 1805 Toronto Purchase. The trail was eventually referred as "Brown's Line" as the northern terminus was a small town, now known as Schomberg, but originally called Brownsville. Since the hamlet's main inhabitant was known by the surname of Brown (Yorkshire born Joseph and Mary Brown came to the area in 1831 and acquired a 100 arces at Lot 11 Concession 3. It seemed logical that the road which transported persons to Brown's Town should be referred to as Brown's Line. There was, however, another Brownsville just south of Ingersoll, Ontario, also named for the family in that town. Since there was obviously confusion in the mail system, the logic required a name change, and Schomberg was created likely for Meinhardt Schomberg, 3rd Duke of Schomberg, a general under King William III of England. Before the construction of Highway 427, Brown's Line was part of Highway 27. Today, Brown's Line is a small southern portion of the road, which has grown into Highway 427 from the Queen Elizabeth Way to Highway 401, and carries on as Highway 27, past Highway 9, and continues north to Barrie.Caledonia Road
Caledonia Road is a collector road that is primarily residential south of Eglinton and between Glencairn and Lawrence, but primarily industrial between Eglinton and Glencairn and north of Lawrence. Caledonia Road has very steep valleys between Rogers Road and Eglinton Avenue. It will be served by Caledonia station of both Line 5 Eglinton and GO Barrie Line beginning in 2022.Carlingview Drive
Carlingview Drive is named for the former Carling O'Keefe brewery found at the south terminus. The road is not directly named for John Carling the founder of Carling Brewery and predecessor to the Carling O'Keefe. The road winds through industrial properties in Etobicoke to the northern terminus at Woodbine Racetrack. It was also referred to as Fourth Line. The southern end of Carlingview is actually a series of highway ramps:- northbound traffic flows from an offramp from westbound Highway 401
- southbound traffic enters the eastbound Highway 401.
Centennial Road
Christie Street
The street is named for William Mellis Christie, founder of Christie & Brown Cookie Company. The street is also home to many of Toronto's Korean restaurants and stores. Christie Pits is a city park and baseball park is located at Christie Street and Bloor Street West. The Intercounty Baseball League Toronto Maple Leafs play at that baseball diamond. The area is served by Christie subway station.Church Street
Church Street is so named because where St. James Cathedral sits upon today, at King Street and Church, was the site of the first church in York, a wooden building built in 1807 and referred to simply as "the church". Three incarnations sat on the site of the current cathedral; the dedication to St. James came in 1828, four years before the construction of a new stone church. This building burnt shortly after becoming a cathedral. A new cathedral was constructed, only to burn down in the Great Fire of 1849. John Strachan, first Anglican Bishop of Toronto after 1839, rebuilt the present cathedral in 1853 in a Gothic Revival style. The St. James Cathedral was the tallest structure in Toronto until the Royal York Hotel was completed in 1927.At the corner of Church and Wellesley Streets is an LGBT-oriented enclave in Toronto. The area of Church Street and Wellesley Street is home to the annual Pride Toronto celebration.
Conlins Road
Conlins Road was named for the Conlins family, prominent for their gravel company located in Highland Creek.Coxwell Avenue
Coxwell Avenue is named after Charles Coxwell Small, clerk of Upper Canada's Privy Council and a resident of the Berkeley House. The stretch between the intersections with both sections of Gerrard Street features shops that cater to Toronto's Indian and Pakistani communities.Don Mills Road
Don Mills Road, known by various names over time including The Mill Road and the Don Independent Road, is named for the many saw and grist mills that established near the Forks of the Don in the early 19th century. At the time the road began at Winchester Street and Parliament Street and crossed the Don River at Riverdale Park. The road rose onto the table lands along what is now the entrance to the northbound Don Valley Parkway and followed Broadview north and O'Connor east before joining with the present-day Don Mills Road. The road ended at the Mills for a time, until farmers to the north on the land between the river valleys opened a new road to provide an easier route to carry their yields to the St. Lawrence Market. The new road cut through established parcels of land, and came to be known as the Don Independent Road. This road extended as far north as York Mills Road.After the formation of Metropolitan Toronto, Don Mills was designated as part of the municipal network of major roads. It was widened to four lanes, then extended north over Highway 401 to Sheppard in 1964. The "peanut" was constructed shortly thereafter, and Don Mills was extended north of Steeles alongside suburban development in the 1970s. In 1987, the road was widened to six lanes alongside a recommendation to extend Leslie Street south of Eglinton to the Bayview Extension, and a proposal to try new high-occupancy vehicle lane. While Leslie Street was not extended, the HOV lanes were implemented between Overlea Blvd and Finch Avenue East.
Donlands Avenue
Donlands Avenue was renamed from Leslie Street on February 22, 1915, as the two were disconnected. Donlands Avenue begins at Danforth Avenue and ends at the foot of the Leaside Bridge. On the opposite side of the bridge, drivers continue on Millwood Road.Dufferin Street
Dufferin Street, known as the Side Line until 1876, was renamed in honour of Governor General Frederick Temple Blackwood, Lord Dufferin. Dufferin served as Governor General between 1872 and 1878, and presided over the opening of the first Canadian National Exhibition in 1878. Dufferin Street begins at Exhibition Place and travels north into Vaughan. The road is interrupted between Wilson Avenue and Sheppard Avenue West by Downsview Park. Dufferin was disjointed at Queen Street West by a railway, a detour famously known as the Dufferin Jog. Following decades of negotiation, construction began in 2007 on removing the jog by excavating a tunnel beneath the active tracks. This tunnel was completed and opened to traffic on November 10, 2010.East Avenue
Galloway Road
The road is named for the Galloway family and settler Ignatius Galloway who began farming in the area along Concession Road D.Greenwood Avenue
Greenwood Avenue, originally Greenwood Lane, was named after the Greenwood family, who were market gardeners and carriage makers. John and Kate Greenwood were owners of the Puritan Tavern at the corner of Queen Street and Greenwood Lane. The area was home to over a dozen brickmaking factories in the 19th century, including one whose excavations can still be detected at Greenwood Subway Yard and in Greenwood Park at the intersection with Dundas Street.Highway 27
Islington Avenue
Islington Avenue is named for the village it passed at Dundas Street. The village of Islington used to be known as Mimico, and was often confused with a second village of that name in Etobicoke on Lake Ontario and which had obtained a post office called Mimico in 1857. In 1859, in order to obtain their own post office, residents of the Mimico on Dundas Street held a meeting to select a new name in Thomas Smith's Inn When the attendees could not reach unanimous agreement on a new name, they invited Smith's wife, Elizabeth, into the meeting and asked her to rename the village. She selected Islington, after her birthplace near London, England.Islington Avenue begins at Lake Shore Boulevard West in New Toronto, and progresses north to Steeles Avenue West, where it crosses into Vaughan in York Region as York Regional Road 17 and prior to 1998 as York Regional Road 7. The road is mostly suburban in nature, passing through largely residential sections of Etobicoke.
Jameson Avenue
Jameson Avenue is named for Robert Sympson Jameson, Attorney General for Upper Canada in the late 1830s. Jameson bought land south of Queen Street between the second and third concession sideroads in the late 1840s. Jameson Avenue was built through his property when it was subdivided by the growing city. The road begins at Lake Shore Boulevard West, where access is provided to the Gardiner Expressway. The road crosses the expressway and travels north through Parkdale between rows of apartment buildings. Jameson Avenue ends at Queen Street West; the traffic signal is coordinated with the southern terminus of Lansdowne Avenue, nearby to the east.Jane Street
Jane Street is a north–south thoroughfare in western Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that begins at Bloor Street and continues north into Vaughan to near the Holland River in King Township.It was named after Jane Barr by her husband James. They immigrated from Glasgow in 1907, and a few years later, James became a real estate developer north of Toronto. James named numerous streets in the development after his children, but the most important was named after his wife Jane.
The Toronto Transit Commission operates Jane subway station at Jane and Bloor Street on Line 2 Bloor–Danforth. Before the subway opened, this intersection was the western terminus of the Bloor streetcar line. Proposed in the 2007 Transit City plan is the Jane LRT, a light rail line to run entirely along Jane through the city from the Jane subway Station and north into Vaughan. North of Steeles in Vaughan, the Line 1 Yonge–University subway parallels the street up to Highway 7, with stations at Highway 407 and Highway 7 This section of the line is the only part of the subway system located outside of Toronto.
Vaughan Mills and Canada's Wonderland are on Jane Street in Vaughan.
The title character of the Barenaked Ladies song "Jane" is Jane St. Clair, and is named after the intersection of Jane and St. Clair Avenue. Steven Page recalls that co-writer Stephen Duffy saw the intersection on a map and remarked that it sounded like the most beautiful intersection in the world; "I didn't have the heart to tell him it wasn't".
One of Toronto's most notable suburban intersections is Jane and Finch.
Jarvis Street
Jarvis Street recognizes the Jarvis family, who lived on land north of Queen Street and centred on Jarvis Street between 1824 and 1846. William Jarvis was Provincial Secretary and Registrar of Records between 1792 and his death in 1817. His son, Samuel Jarvis, won the last duel held in Toronto when he mortally wounded his neighbour and rival John Ridout. He was arrested as a result, but later acquitted, after which he took over his father's position. The increasing debt of the family led Samuel to sell off the property beginning in 1846. His house, Hazel Burn, was demolished to make way for Jarvis Street. Mutual Street was established at the same time on the property line between the former rivals.Jarvis Street begins at Queen's Quay north of the Lake Ontario shoreline. It travels north to one block south of Bloor Street, where most traffic is siphoned on to Mount Pleasant Road. Jarvis previously extended to Bloor Street, but was truncated on August 26, 2009. The section between Charles Street and Bloor Street was renamed Ted Rogers Way.
Keele Street
Keele Street is named for lawyer William Keele. William owned land across the road from John Scarlett at Dundas and Keele Streets, gradually expanding his acreage in the mid-19th century. William opened the Carleton Race Course in 1857, which held the first Queen's Plate in 1860.Keele Street has two jogs within Toronto: one between St. Clair Avenue and Rogers Road and another one block north of Eglinton Avenue.
Kennedy Road
Kennedy Road is named for the Kennedy family, one of the many early farming settlers in the 18th and 19th centuries, who settled along the early concession road. According to Robert Bonis, the road is named for settler and friend of David Thomson named James Kennedy. It is also linked to Private John Kennedy of the 3rd Regiment of the York Militia who was granted of land near Kennedy Road and Ellesmere Road. Later Kennedys acquired land further north and Lyman Kennedy became Reeve of Scarborough Township from 1896 to 1901.The Toronto section of the road is mainly residential with high-rise apartment buildings. However, there is a section between Lawrence Avenue East and north of Sheppard Avenue East, which is dominated by commercial plazas and malls, including Kennedy Commons.
North of Steeles Avenue, Kennedy Road continues as York Regional Road 3 north to the shore of Lake Simcoe. Sections from Steeles Avenue East to north of Denison Street and north of Highway 407 to just south of 16th Avenue were diversions from the original roadway. The latter was created due to opposition to proposed widening of the section running in historic Unionville in the 1960s, which is now referred to as Main Street Unionville. The former is now called Old Kennedy Road and Fresno Court. The road is cut off north of Davis Drive in Newmarket, Ontario due to the Bendor and Grave Tract, resuming north of Herald Road to Lake Drive East on the shore of Lake Simcoe in Georgina.
The road was mentioned in the song "Energy" by rapper Drake. It lends its name to two transit stations, Kennedy TTC station on Lines 2 and 3, and Kennedy GO Station on the Stouffville commuter line. It was also mentioned in his 2016 album Views.
Kipling Avenue
Kipling Avenue is rumoured to be named after Rudyard Kipling, author of The Jungle Book. Kipling was scheduled to read at the Woodbridge fair in 1907, but was forced to cancel at the last moment for reasons of health; it is said that the road to Woodbridge, thereto referred to as Mimico Street, was named in honour of the anticipated author. The road was named by 1908, but may have been named earlier in honour of a local farmer with that last name.Laird Drive
The source of the origin of Laird Drive is disputed.One theory is that the street takes its name from Robert Laird Borden, Prime Minister of Canada between 1911 and 1920. Borden, whose middle name is his mother's maiden name, led the country through the First World War.
Another theory is that the name comes from Alexander Laird, a Scottish-born banker, and general manager of the Canadian Bank of Commerce in 1907. He played a large role in the creation of Leaside, where Laird Dr. is found.
Lansdowne Avenue
Lansdowne Avenue formerly known as North Jameson Avenue. It was renamed by the Parkdale village council in 1883 to honour the new Governor General, Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne, who served between 1883 and 1888.Lansdowne Avenue begins at Queen Street West, a short distance east of the northern terminus of Jameson Avenue. It passes beneath the Kitchener GO line, meets Dundas Street West and College Street, then passes Lansdowne Subway Station at Bloor Street West. The road continues north past Dupont Street, then passes beneath the CPR Midtown line before ending at St. Clair Avenue West. A short segment of Lansdowne Avenue runs between Wingold Avenue and Glengrove Avenue approximately grid north of the rest of Lansdowne Avenue.
Leslie Street
Leslie Street was the second concession line, laid about 13,200 ft east of Yonge Street.Leslie Street was named for nursery owner George Leslie, who owned a store, Toronto Nurseries, on Queen Street in Leslieville.
Leslie Street, which has four separate sections, begins at Lake Ontario at the foot of the Leslie Street Spit. Just north at Lake Shore Boulevard East was the former eastern terminus of the Gardiner Expressway. It continues north to the railway tracks north of Gerrard Street East, where the first segment ends. Donlands Avenue, which runs from the north side of the railway tracks to north of O'Connor Drive, used to be another segment of Leslie Street. The second segment is represented by a one-block stretch of road between Wicksteed Avenue and Vanderhoof Avenue in the Leaside Industrial land area. It is separated from the third segment by the Ernest Thompson Seton parklands.
The third segment begins at Eglinton Avenue near E.T. Seton and Wilket Creek Park. It travels north through commercial and residential neighbourhoods in Don Mills and the Don Valley. A proposed extension from Eglinton Avenue south to Bayview Avenue never came to fruition.
A section of Leslie was re-routed from Highway 401 to Sheppard Avenue East and resulted in short stub called Old Leslie Street located northwest from Esther Shiner Drive to just north of Sheppard Avenue.
It exits Toronto and enters York Region at Steeles Avenue. North of there, Leslie Street is a local road and ends shortly thereafter north of Waterloo Court in Wycliffe Park. A partial section exists as a walkway north to John Street within German Mils Settlers Park. The fourth segment continues as an arterial road north of John Street in Markham, where Don Mills Road becomes Leslie Street, briefly interrupted at Stouffville Road and continues all the way to just south of Keswick where it becomes The Queensway South north of Ravenshoe Road.
Main Street
Main Street used to be the central street of the independent town of East Toronto. The Toronto Transit Commission's Main Street subway station is located at its intersection with Danforth Avenue as well as GO Transit's Danforth GO Station on the Lakeshore East line.Manse Road
Markham Road
Originally the Markham and Scarborough Plank Road, the concession line that led to the town of Markham was an early plank road. Existing first between the Danforth Road and the town, it was later extended south to Kingston Road and north to Stouffville. Alongside the construction of the Toronto Bypass, Highway 48 was extended south, from near Beaverton, to where Markham Road would intersect the new "superhighway". It was originally intended to be upgraded to a freeway that would wrap around the eastern side of Lake Simcoe and end in Orillia or north of Sutherland. However, with the construction of the Don Valley Parkway, Woodbine Avenue would be chosen in its place, becoming Highway 404. The Toronto Transit Commission's 102 Markham Rd provides service along the length of the road. It operates from Warden station on Line 2 Bloor–Danforth and terminates at Steeles Avenue in Toronto, and on its 102D branch terminates at Major Mackenzie Drive in Markham. The Markham Rd. name continues into York Region where it ends at Major Mackenzie Drive.Markham Road begins at Hill Crescent, south of Kingston Road. It proceeds through Scarborough to Steeles Avenue East, but continues into York Region, where it is also designated as York Regional Road 68. Between Eglinton Avenue and Lawrence Avenue, the road crosses the Highland Creek ravine; one of the only crossings of the ravine not bypassed by a high-level bridge. South of Sheppard Avenue, most of the route is abutted by a mix of apartments and commercial strip plazas. North of Sheppard is occupied entirely by expanses of industrial land. North of Steeles and south of Highway 407 is occupied by big box stores and plazas. North of Highway 407, it is named Main Street Markham in Markham Village, that city's historic, original downtown.
Marlee Avenue
Marlee Avenue used to be known as Lyon Avenue and Woodmount Avenue. The name was changed in 1953 at the request of Bernice Stein, who lived at 184 Woodmount Avenue. It is named for Mrs. Stein's niece. In addition, after the name change, both segments were connected and straightened. Marlee Avenue connects Eglinton Avenue West with Lawrence Avenue West to the west of Allen Road. At its northern end, it has a terminating vista of Lawrence Allen Centre.Martin Grove Road
Martin Grove Road is an artery commencing at Bloor Street West but not becoming a major road until intersecting with Burnhamthorpe Road. It continues north until terminating at Highway 27, north of the city.McCowan Road
McCowan Road is named after James McCowan, the first of the McCowan family who immigrated from Scotland, who established the McCowan family farm near the Scarborough Bluffs in 1833. The street, the former Lot 22, and later McCowan's Sideroad, was officially renamed McCowan Road by Scarborough Township in 1956.McCowan Road begins at Kingston Road and briefly breaks north of Eglinton Avenue, before continuing again at the north end of Danforth Road and extending north to Steeles Avenue and into York Region as Regional Road 67. The brief break north of Eglinton Avenue is because of Highland Creek and is occupied by McCowan Park and John McCrae Public School. Through traffic is carried by Danforth Road for a greater distance, about, between a point south of Lawrence Avenue and Eglinton Avenue. When the Scarborough Town Centre complex was opened in 1973, an interchange with Highway 401 was constructed. The Line 3 Scarborough rapid transit line, which opened in 1985, crosses McCowan on an elevated guideway at the complex. North of Sheppard Avenue, the Canadian Pacific Railway Toronto marshalling yards extend to McCowan at the west, and stretch east of Markham Road.
Meadowvale Road
Meadowvale Road is primarily a residential route in Scarborough. It is the site of the Toronto Zoo north of Sheppard Avenue. North of the zoo, Meadowvale Road crosses through Toronto's only rural region, which includes farmland, large section of plain fields, forests, and wildlife.Middlefield Road
The concession occupied by Bellamy Road is interrupted by Highway 401 and the CP Agincourt Marshalling Yard. Streets such as Havenview Road and Shortling Road form a part of the original alignment; however, they themselves are also discontinuous. The concession resumes south of Finch Avenue as Middlefield Road turning west to avoid the railyard towards McCowan Road where it continues as Huntingwood Drive west to Victoria Park Avenue. The CPR Yard built from 1959 to 1964 has permanently ended any connecting of Bellamy Road with Middlefield Road.Midland Avenue
Midland Avenue was known as Church Street until 1882, when it was renamed for the Midland Railway Company in 1882. Only two years later, the Midland Railway would be purchased by the Grand Trunk RailwaySchools serve in the area are John A. Leslie Jr. Public School, Scarborough Centre for Alternative Studies, Jean Vanier Catholic Secondary School, St. Albert Catholic School, Bendale Business and Technical Institute, Agincourt Collegiate Institute, and Monsignor Fraser College Midland Campus.
North of Steeles, Midland now ends in a cul-de-sac next to the former Miliken Public School, but the City of Markham has already planned to extend the road in a northwest direction to end on Old Kennedy Road at Sunrise Drive to provide improve traffic flow and future re-development of the area.
Morningside Avenue
Morningside Avenue is a suburban arterial road within Scarborough. It runs north from Scarborough Bluffs overlooking Lake Ontario to McNicoll Avenue near the Rouge River valley.Morrish Road
Morrish Road is a residential street that is about 2 km long. The southernmost part intersects with Kingston Road while the northernmost part is cut off by Highway 401. Morrish Road is likely linked to William D. Morrish, who operated the William D. Morrish General Store at Morrish Road and Kingston Road. Morrish is the father of former Toronto City Councillor Ken Morrish.Mount Pleasant Road
Mount Pleasant Road was named after the cemetery which it passes through when it was constructed in the late 1910s. The road follows the course of several earlier streets, many of which it assumed, including Kinsman Avenue, Sidmouth Avenue and Hilda Avenue. In the late 1940s, Mount Pleasant Road was extended south to its current terminus. This was initially referred to as the Clifton Road Extension, and is considered Toronto's first expressway.Mount Pleasant Road begins at the northern terminus of Jarvis Street, one block south of Bloor Street East. It passes through the communities of Rosedale, Moore Park and Lawrence Park and crosses the Rosedale Ravine, Yellow Creek and Blythwood Ravine. The road ends near the Doncrest bus loop at Glen Echo Drive.
Neilson Road
Neilson Road was likely named for the settler Alexander Neilson, who arrived in Scarborough in 1824.Oakwood Avenue
Oakwood Avenue is named for the settlement that grew just north of its intersection with St. Clair Avenue West.Orton Park Road
Orton Park Road was named by Evelyn J. Lea and his wife, Constance Nicholson, after the Nicholson estate near Cumberland, England, which was also named Orton Park.Ossington Avenue
Ossington Avenue is named for the estate of the Denison family in Nottinghamshire.John Denison moved to York and built Brookfield House at a corner on Dundas Street, which is now the intersection of Queen Street West and Ossington Avenue. Dundas Street then followed what is now Queen Street West and then Ossington Avenue, obstructed by the valley of Garrison Creek. Ossington Avenue was later built north from the present corner of Ossington and Dundas to Bloor Street West. The section between Bloor Street and Davenport Road was formerly known as Lancaster Road. South of Dundas, the street has become a popular destination for nightlife, and it is particularly popular amongst the hipster subculture.
Pape Avenue
Pape Avenue is a road that begins at Eastern Avenue, and continues north to Gerrard Square, where it is interrupted. It resumes on the opposite side of Gerrard Square and continues north, crossing Danforth Avenue and ending at an intersection with Donlands avenue at the south side of the Leaside Bridge. This road has HOV lanes north of Danforth Avenue. Named of Joseph Pape, market gardener who came to Canada in 1853. Son James Pape owned land south of Gerrard Street and what was then Robinson and was alderman for St. Lawrence Ward.Parkside Drive
Parkside Drive was a portion of Keele Street until 1921, when it was renamed by the City of Toronto. John Howard sold his estate to the city in 1873 to use as a public park. The road was renamed on June 13, 1921, by order of Bylaw 8663.Parkside Drive begins at Lake Shore Boulevard West. Passing beneath the Gardiner Expressway and The Queensway, the road travels north alongside High Park, which lies to the west. At Bloor Street West, Parkside Drive becomes Keele Street. The entirety of the road is residential, with houses to the east side of the road.
Parliament Street
Parliament Street was the site of the original Parliament Buildings of Upper Canada, constructed on Front Street between Berkeley and Parliament by 1797 under the orders of John Graves Simcoe. The buildings, planned as one building with two wings, were not completed and in 1813 were destroyed by the invading American army. Parliament Street begins at Lake Shore Boulevard East, where it continues southwest as Queen's Quay, and travels north along the eastern outskirts of downtown Toronto. The road ends at Bloor Street East between the Rosedale and Sherbourne phases of the Prince Edward Viaduct. Prior to the construction of the viaduct, Parliament Street ended at Hayter Street.Pharmacy Avenue
Pharmacy Avenue likely takes its name from a local pharmacy, beyond which no information is available. The road weaves through Toronto as would any other road. The road is cutoff at Ontario Highway 401 in the 1950s but as a sideroad for farms the roadway was connected.North of Steeles in Markham, the road becomes Esna Park Drive, then the road turns and runs west at Alden Road until meeting Woodbine Ave, after which it becomes John Street. After its turn west, when continuing north it becomes Rodick Road, which it continues as until after 16th Avenue where it turns west and ends on Woodbine Avenue.
Queen's Park
Queen's Park is a very short but important arterial street forming the link between University Avenue and Avenue Road. The street begins at the northern convergence of the east and west arms of Queen's Park Crescent, which together form two one-way streets around the namesake Queen's Park, and the Ontario Legislative Building. The Royal Ontario Museum is located on the street.Reesor Road
Reesor Road is a small single lane road that travels north from Old Finch Avenue on the north end of Toronto Zoo north into farmland, woodlots, private homes and parts of Rouge National Urban Park to Steeles Avenue East. Reesor is named after the Reesor family that settled and farmed the area along the road in Scarborough and Markham. Thomas Reesor, son of Christian Reesor and Esther Hoover was born in Scarborough and became involved in settling Russian Mennonites in Manitoba.Roncesvalles Avenue
Roncesvalles Avenue was named by or in honour of Colonel Walter O'Hara, who fought in the Peninsular War and owned large land grants that were eventually subdivided to form Parkdale. The name originates from a village in northern Spain near the border with France, where O'Hara fought a battle against Napoleon I. Roncesvalles begins at an intersection with The Queensway, Queen Street and King Street and travels north to Dundas Street West.Runnymede Road
Runnymede Road is named for the house of John Scarlett, built at the corner of Dundas and Keele in 1838. Runnymede is a field in England, southwest of London, where the Magna Carta was signed in 1215.St. George Street
Scarborough Golf Club Road
Scarborough Golf Club Road was named after the Scarboro Golf and Country Club, a club started in 1912, which is along the Highland Creek valley astride the road, with a spelling change to the correct full name of the former city. Scarborough Golf Club begins at Hill Crescent and travels north to Ellesmere Road.Sewells Road
Sewells Road is a small single-lane road that travels north from Old Finch Avenue through farmland, woodlots and private homes to Steeles Avenue East. The street is named for Joseph Sewell, an early pioneer in the Hillside area of Scarborough.Sherbourne Street
Sherbourne Street was named by Samuel Ridout in 1845 after the town in Dorset, England; the Ridout family emigrated from Sherborne. Sherbourne has Cycle tracks on the south side of Bloor Street West to Front Street West, and has bike lanes between Bloor Street West and Elm street.Spadina Avenue/Spadina Road
Spadina Avenue, and its extension north of Bloor Street, Spadina Road, originally pronounced "spa-dee-nuh", are named after the estate of Dr. William Baldwin. After a fire and two complete reconstructions, this estate has since become the Spadina House. The Baldwins held many important positions in the early government of York, having several streets named after them. William planned Spadina Avenue as the driveway to his new estate in 1818, and laid the street in 1836 with the unusual width of two chains, double the width of any street laid to that date. It was eventually extended north and over the Nordheimer Ravine to the village of Forest Hill, and thereafter to Eglinton Avenue. Its southern terminus is at the edge of Lake Ontario.Spadina has been transformed many times, once almost to a depressed expressway known as the Spadina Expressway, which was cancelled by Ontario Premier Bill Davis in 1971 after extensive protesting. Casa Loma was built next to the Spadina House in the early 20th century.
Port Union Road
Port Union Road is a residential street that carries traffic from Sheppard Avenue East at Kingston Road southwards to south of Lawrence Avenue East into Port Union Waterfront Park. It was named after the former village of Port Union, south-east of the current neighbourhood that bears the same name.Renforth Drive
Renforth Drive name's origin is unknown, but was part of the Fourth Concession that now also includes parts of Carlingview Drive and Humberline Drive. The section near Highway 401 incorporates the southern terminus of the former Indian Line.Royal York Road
Royal York Road was named for the original destination of the drive, which was the Royal York Golf Course, now St. George's. The course was built as an added attraction for the hotel guests. The entrance to the Club was changed to Islington Avenue after the Royal York Hotel sold the course.Scarborough-Pickering Townline
Scarborough-Pickering Townline, also known as Toronto-Pickering Townline, serves as one of the eastern boundaries between Toronto and Pickering. The road is managed by the City of Pickering and not the City of Toronto. The road is a still a rural route for local traffic due to the shortness of the road. The entire length is single lane in each direction with no curbs and unpaved shoulders. The only traffic light is found at the junction with Steeles Avenue East and Taunton Road and stop signs at Finch Avenue East; these are the only controlled intersections on the length of the road. Toronto-Pickering Townline continues north of Steeles as York-Durham Line.Scarlett Road
Scarlett Road is named for John Scarlett, who moved to Upper Canada in 1808 and owned several square kilometres of property northwest of Bloor and Keele Streets. "Scarlett's Road" was opened along the route of the Toronto Carrying-Place Trail north of his property. The road begins at Dundas Street West immediately south of the CPR crosstown rail line. It connects with the western terminus of St. Clair Avenue, then progresses north alongside the Humber River to north of Lawrence Avenue West, where it curves to the west and becomes Dixon Road.University Avenue
University Avenue shares its origins with College Street as one of the two private entrances to King's College opened in 1829. King's College was chartered by Henry Bathurst, 3rd Earl Bathurst two years earlier. Both roads were known as College Avenue. In an attempt to create a stately elegant driveway to the college, the road was cut 120 feet wide and lined with chestnut trees and ornamental fences. A gatehouse designed by John Howard sat at the entranceway at present-day Queen and University. The road quickly became an obstacle to the growing city, and the gates surrounding it were torn down in 1859.As part of a depression relief program, University was extended south of Queen Street to meet York Street at Front beginning in 1929.
Victoria Park Avenue
Victoria Park Avenue was named after a park which once ran alongside the road. The park was named in honour of Queen Victoria. Until the 1960s, Victoria Park Avenue only extended as far north as Danforth Avenue; the swamps of Taylor-Massey Creek blocked further progress until they were drained during the construction of Line 2 Bloor–Danforth. The road north of St. Clair Avenue formed part of Dawes Road until then. Victoria Park Avenue begins at Queen Street East, north of the R. C. Harris Water Treatment Plant. It climbs the western edge of the Scarborough Bluffs and travels through a residential neighbourhood to Gerrard. North of Gerrard, the density of the surrounding development increases; though detached homes exist throughout the length of the road, businesses and apartment blocks are far more common. Victoria Park ends north of Steeles Avenue East at Denison Avenue in Markham.Warden Avenue
Warden Avenue, formerly Wardin Avenue, is an arterial road in Scarborough. The original spelling of Wardin refers to the Wardin Park subdivision built in 1912 Scarborough. Warden begins south of Kingston Road at the former Toronto Hunt Club and travels north to Steeles Avenue East, where it continues into Markham as York Regional Road 65. Although the section south of Danforth Avenue is mostly detached residential housing, the majority of Warden Avenue north of Danforth is industrial or commercial.Weston Road
Weston Road is a north–south route from St. Clair Street north-west to the north of Highway 401 where it then proceeds directly north into Vaughan. The road was first cleared in the early 1800s to connect Toronto to Weston, then further north-west. It was a toll road from the 1840s. The village of Weston was built where the road met the Humber River and industry was built along the shores.Willowdale Avenue
Named for the area of Willowdale, Toronto, which was originally the postal village of Willow Dale. The area's name was provided by David Gibson, who was one of the original settlers in the area and influenced by Willow trees in the area when petitioning for the creation of the post village designation.Woodbine Avenue
Woodbine Avenue is an arterial road laid out in the 1830s at about the time Toronto was founded. It begins just north of Lake Ontario in the Beaches district of Toronto. It proceeds north ending at O'Connor Avenue at the Don River valley. Another section exists north of Toronto from Steeles Avenue into York Region. A section north of Lawrence Avenue to Steeles Avenue was built but replaced by the Don Valley Parkway and Ontario Highway 404. The Woodbine Racetrack existed near its southern terminus for over a century and held numerous Queen's Plates until a new Woodbine track was built in Etobicoke. The track continued as Greenwood Raceway and eventually closed. William J. Howell, owner of the original track had a hotel, Woodbine House, on Yonge Street and likely origin of the street's name. Part of its site of the old track is now today Woodbine Park, while another section is housing.Yonge Street
Governor John Graves Simcoe named the road Yonge Street, after Sir George Yonge, secretary of war in the British Cabinet and a family friend.North of Steeles, Yonge continues through York Region, as the border of Markham and Vaughan south of Highway 407. North of the highway, it is now a road in Richmond Hill with one of its busiest intersections at Highway 7.
Other notable roads
John Street
John Street is one of several in the area named after the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada and founder of York, Upper Canada, John Graves Simcoe. The street begins on Front just north of Metro Toronto Convention Centre and north to Stephanie Street. North of Stephanie, the street becomes a pedestrian walkway towards Grange Park and the Art Gallery of Ontario. South of Front, John becomes a pedestrian walkway between the Rogers Centre and the CN Tower.Bond Street
A short street from Gould Street to Queen Street East, it is home to many historic buildings and associations with many historical figures of the city:Mackenzie House - 82 Bond Street home to the first Mayor of Toronto William Lyon Mackenzie 70 Bond Street was home to Canadian operations of publishing houses, including Macmillan Publishers and Doubleday Publishing and visited by many Canadian writers like Alice Munro, Morley Callaghan, Grey Owl Oakham House - home to architect William Thomas of St. Michael's Cathedral Basilica, St. Lawrence Hall First Evangelical Church of Toronto c. 1897 - home to many German Torontonians 105 Bond Street - former home of Macmillan, Doubleday Canada St. George's Greek Orthodox Church - 115 Bond Street was formerly home to Holy Blossom Temple c. 1897 and linked to Toronto's oldest Jewish congregation Kerr Hall, Ryerson University - site of Toronto Normal School O'Keefe House - 137 Bond Street home of early Toronto brewer Eugene O'Keefe, founder of O'Keefe Brewery Company of Toronto Limited St. Michael's Cathedral and Boys Choir School.
Ellis Avenue
Named for an old Indian trail that lead to the home of lithographer and engraver John Ellis. Ellis was neighbour of John George Howard. Ellis was responsible for engraving the 1858 Plan of Toronto and other engravings in 19th Century Toronto. Ellis Avenue is a residential street in Swansea, Toronto.Rees Street
Rees Street is named for Dr William Rees, a physician who provided health services to immigrants to the city in the 19th Century, as well as being an advocate for social reform and public services. Rees established at public bath on wharf, which was informally named Rees Wharf at the foot of Peter/John Street. After Rees' death, the wharf became the Water Works, a water pumping station.Leader Lane
Leader's Lane is a short street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The street was part of the former city of York, Upper Canada. It runs from Wellington Street to King Street, crossing Colborne Street. The street was renamed Leader's Lane after the Toronto Leader, a newspaper whose offices were located there from 1852 to 1878.Draper Street
Draper Street is a street in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is a north–south street located to the west of Spadina Avenue, from Front Street West north to Wellington Street. Draper Street is notable for its collection of 28 19th Century Second Empire-styled row cottages. The houses were designated by the City of Toronto in the 1990s to have heritage status. The entire street is designated as a Heritage Conservation District as a way to preserve its heritage for posterity.The street is named after William Henry Draper, a lawyer, judge, and politician in Upper Canada later Canada West. The street was laid out in an 1856 plan of subdivision by J. Stoughton Dennis of lands that were part of the 1794 Garrison Reserve. Draper and Charles Jones are listed as the property owners of the lots to be subdivided for development. The street is narrow; it is only 32 feet -wide. The lots are all 88 feet deep and vary in width from 22 feet to 32 feet wide. The neighbourhood near Reggae Lane was recognized as a centre for Reggae recording as early as the late 1960s.
Simcoe Street
Named for first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada John Graves Simcoe. From Queen's Quay to Front Street West it is called Lower Simcoe Street connecting via Simcoe Street Tunnel beneath tracks west of Union Station. This section was result of infilling of harbour south of Front.From Front Street West north to Queen Street West is a southbound road only, then briefly north it is a pedestrian only to Michael Sweet Avenue behind Canada Life Building, Ontario Superior Court of Justice and close to US Consulate. Prior to mid 1850s it was called Graves Street.
North of Michael Sweet Avenue to Elm Street is a northbound road.
The section north of Queen Street was previously called William Street until 1870s.
York Street
York Street is a short run street from Queen Street West and merges with University Avenue at Front Street West then continues south under the tracks of Union Station to Queens Quay where it continues at a short driveway Harbour Square to Harbour Square Park. From Queen to Front the street runs through Toronto's Financial District and are all office towers. South of Bremner Boulevard, York Street is flanked by residential condos.Sections south of Front Street was extended by infilling of Toronto Harbour. Northbound at Queen the street results in a terminating vista. The street first appeared following the 1796-1797 survey of York with the town's boundaries extending west to York Street.
Like the city's former name, it is likely named for Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany.