Orono
Homes for Sale.
A historic Clarington village with quiet streets and country character.
Typical Range
$550K – $900K
See the live report for Orono for this month’s median sale price, days on market and sales count.
Housing Style
Detached, heritage, rural acreage in surrounding areas.
Commute
Not practical for daily Toronto commute. ~90 min by car.
The Vibe
Genuine village, quiet, affordable, hidden Clarington gem.
Buying rather than selling? Read the Clarington buyer guide for homes for sale, a 90-day sales snapshot and what to expect on an offer.
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~1,800
Population
1832
Founded
1852
Orono Fair since
1898
Town Hall built
~30,000
Annual fair attendance
What it’s actually like
to live in Orono.
Orono is a genuine historic village tucked into the rolling countryside of north Clarington, the kind of place that makes people who have never heard of it suddenly understand why anyone would leave the city. Main Street is preserved Victorian brick storefronts. The Orono Fair has been running every September since 1852. The whole village feels fifty years removed from the pressure of the GTA and roughly five minutes from anything you actually need.
Life here is shaped by the land. The Orono Crown Lands, four hundred hectares of mature forest with trails in every direction, start at the edge of the village. The Ganaraska Forest, one of the largest in southern Ontario, is a five-minute drive north. The Wilmot Creek runs right through Orono Park, with its ball diamond busy on summer evenings. The 401 is ten minutes south at Newcastle, the hospital is fifteen minutes away in Bowmanville, and the cottage country of the Kawarthas is forty-five minutes up Highway 35.
The Orono housing market is small but surprisingly stable. A century property on a tree-lined village street here costs less than a townhouse in north Toronto, and the village will know your name by Christmas.
Photos: Dillan Payne (CC BY-SA 2.0); Drozwik Drones (CC BY 3.0). Cropped to fit.
How Orono
got here.
Orono was settled in the 1830s along Wilmot Creek in former Clarke Township, growing as a mill village powered by the creek. Named after Orono, Maine, it developed grist and saw mills, and by the late 1800s its Main Street was lined with brick Victorian storefronts that still define the village today. The Orono Crown Lands, originally a provincial tree nursery established in 1923, became a defining green space. The Orono Fair, running every September since 1852, remains one of Ontario's oldest continuous agricultural fairs.
The reasons people
stay in Orono.
Every community has the things you find in the brochure and the things you only find by living here. Here are the ones worth knowing about before you fall in love.
01
Orono Fair
Historic September agricultural fair running since 1852, one of the oldest in Ontario and the cornerstone of village life every fall.
02
Orono Crown Lands
Roughly 400 hectares of trails through mature forest, former provincial tree nursery now beloved by hikers, runners, and mountain bikers.
03
Main Street Heritage District
Preserved Victorian-era brick storefronts housing independent shops, cafes, and the Apple Blossom Shop, feels frozen in the best way.
04
Ganaraska Forest
One of southern Ontario's largest forests, minutes north for hiking, cycling, and cross-country skiing.
05
Orono Park
Village park along Wilmot Creek with playground, picnic areas, and the ball diamond where the village comes together on summer weekends.
06
Jungle Cat World
Family-run zoological park on the north side of the village, home to big cats, wolves, and primates with overnight 'Night Safari' stays.
07
Orono Town Hall (1898)
Restored heritage hall that doubled as a filming location in David Cronenberg's The Dead Zone (1983).
08
Brimacombe Ski Hill
Full-service ski and snowboard area minutes north, with views over the Oak Ridges Moraine.
09
Sidney B. Rutherford Woods Walk
Quiet wooded trail right in the centre of the village, threading along Wilmot Creek.
10
Film & TV location
Orono's preserved streetscape has hosted Anne with an E, American Gods, and Hollywood productions starring Meryl Streep and Mads Mikkelsen.
Healthcare
Lakeridge Health Bowmanville
Full-service community hospital approximately 15 km southwest, 15–20 minutes by car.
Northumberland Hills Hospital, Cobourg
Secondary option about 30 km east, useful for residents in eastern Clarington.
Schools
Orono Public School
Public elementary school, Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board, JK to grade 6. 171 Church Street, Orono.
Clarke High School
Public secondary school, Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board, grades 9 to 12. 3425 Hwy 35/115, R.R. #8, Newcastle.
St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Elementary School
Catholic elementary school, Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board, JK to grade 8. 1774 Rudell Rd, Newcastle.
Orono is in Clarington, where public schools are run by the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board (KPRDSB) and Catholic schools by the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board (PVNCCDSB). Conseil scolaire Viamonde also serves Clarington with French-language schools. School names, boards and grades were checked on October 29, 2026 against the school boards' own directories and the Ontario Ministry of Education school lists.
Boundaries are set by the boards and can change. Confirm the school for a specific address with the board's own locator: KPRDSB Find a School, PVNCCDSB School Finder, Viamonde school finder (in French).
Parks & Recreation
Orono Park
Village park along Wilmot Creek, playground, picnic, and the heart of summer evenings in Orono.
Orono Crown Lands
Roughly 400 hectares of trails through mature forest, popular with hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians.
Ganaraska Forest
One of southern Ontario's largest multi-use forests, on the Oak Ridges Moraine just north of the village.
Orono Arena & Community Centre
Local hub for hockey, skating, and community events through the winter.
Year-round in Orono,
things to look forward to.
The events that turn a town into a community. Mark these on the calendar before you even unpack.
First weekend after Labour Day
Orono Fair
One of Ontario's longest-running agricultural fairs (since 1852), drawing nearly 30,000 for livestock shows, equestrian events, midway, and homecraft competitions.
Early autumn
Orono Chili Cook-Off
Main Street tasting event with local restaurants and home cooks.
Fall
Antique Festival weekends
Main Street draws collectors to the Antique Mall and the village's vintage shops.
Early December
Santa Claus Parade
Small-village holiday tradition down Main Street, one of Clarington's five.
December
Brimacombe ski opening
Nearby Kirby ski hill kicks off winter on the Oak Ridges Moraine.
People who came
from Orono.
Towns are shaped by the people who grow up in them. These are some of the names Orono has sent into the world.
Bryan Bickell
Former NHL forward and Stanley Cup champion with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Dan O'Toole
TSN SportsCentre anchor.
Bev Oda
Former federal MP and Cabinet Minister.
Rachel Bonnetta
NFL Network host.
Where Orono
eats out.
Orono punches above its weight for a village of under 2,000. Main Street is anchored by independent shops including the beloved Apple Blossom Shop, the Orono Antique Mall, a long-running bakery and butcher, family-run cafes, and seasonal farm stands tied to the surrounding apple orchards and dairy farms of Clarington's countryside. It is the kind of downtown where shopkeepers know your name by the second visit, and where Saturday mornings still mean coffee on the sidewalk and a stroll past Victorian brick storefronts.
Transit & commute.
Orono sits at the junction of Highways 35/115 and Regional Road 2, with Highway 401 access roughly 10 km south at Newcastle or Bowmanville. The Bowmanville GO Bus terminal is about 20 minutes away, and the future Bowmanville GO Train extension will further improve commute times. This is a true country commute (expect to drive), but with quick access to the 401, the 407 via Highway 418, and cottage country to the north.
Orono,
the real story.
What is Orono like?
A small historic Clarington village with a tiny walkable downtown, community events like the Orono Fair, and some of the most affordable detached homes in Durham Region. It is a lifestyle choice, not a commute choice.
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