Proven, Not Promised.
152 Simcoe St N, Oshawa(905) 449-4422
The gateway to Durham Region, minutes from the city.
Typical Range
$900K – $1.6M
Housing Style
Detached. Mature south Pickering, newer subdivisions in Seaton and Duffin Heights.
Commute
35 min to Union Station via Pickering GO. 25 min to North York via 407.
The Vibe
Planned growth, family-oriented, commute-friendly, the gateway to Durham.
99,186
Population (2021)
~$118,000
Median household income
20,989
Seaton planned units
40 km west
Distance to Toronto
30–40 min
GO Train to Union
Pickering is the first Durham Region city you hit coming east from Toronto, and for many families it is the sweet spot: close enough to the city that Bay Street is a real commute option, far enough that you get a backyard, a driveway, and a neighbourhood where your kids know every house on the street. The Pickering Town Centre redevelopment, the new city centre tower and casino at Durham Live, and the Pickering Innovation Corridor have transformed the city from a quiet bedroom community into a genuinely planned growth centre.
The Pickering market splits neatly between Liverpool-Rosebank (south of the 401, established tree-lined streets, lakefront access) and the newer subdivisions of Brougham, Seaton, and Duffin Heights (north of the 401, newer build stock, larger floor plans with attached garages and finished basements). South Pickering has the character and the lakefront; north Pickering has the space and the newer homes. Both work, they just serve different buyers.
The reason Pickering commands the prices it does is simple: it is the last Durham city on the Lakeshore East GO line before you hit the 905 premium zones of Ajax and Scarborough. Door-to-Union times of 35-45 minutes are routine. For families where one parent works downtown and the other works in Durham or Markham, the geography is unbeatable.
Pickering is also home to the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station, which quietly supports a stable high-income professional demographic that powers the upper end of the local housing market. And the new casino and Durham Live development at the 401-Church interchange is changing the east side of the city in ways that are still being priced in. If you are looking at Pickering as a buyer, keep an eye on the Seaton area, it is the community most analysts believe will appreciate the fastest over the next decade.
Settled in the late 1700s by United Empire Loyalists and incorporated as a township in 1811, Pickering is named after Pickering in Yorkshire, England. Long an agricultural community, it transformed in the 1970s with the opening of Pickering Nuclear Generating Station, at the time one of the world's largest nuclear facilities. Pickering became a city in 2000 and now sits as the closest Durham Region community to Toronto. The Seaton lands in north Pickering are now one of the largest master-planned developments in Ontario.
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
Ontario's largest living history museum, with 19 restored 19th-century buildings on a beautiful site in Greenwood.
02
Sheltered Lake Ontario harbour popular for sailing, paddling, and waterfront walks. Surrounded by the picturesque Nautical Village.
03
Cape Cod-style waterfront shopping and dining district at Frenchman's Bay, feels more like a Maritime fishing town than a Toronto suburb.
04
Entertainment complex with gaming, dining, hotel, and live theatre at the new Durham Live development just off the 401.
05
Canada's first national urban park stretches into Pickering's western edge, with hiking, beaches, and wildlife minutes from home.
06
Bluff-top park with one of Canada's largest outdoor pools, splash pad, and Waterfront Trail access.
07
13 km wilderness trail along West Duffins Creek through forests, meadows, and historic mill sites.
08
Storybook 1850s village of preserved Ontario Gothic homes, a frequent Hollywood film location for Suits and Hannibal.
09
53-hectare environmentally protected old-growth forest with boardwalks and birding hides in the heart of the city.
Ajax Pickering Hospital (Lakeridge Health)
Lakeridge Health site on Harwood Avenue in Ajax, roughly 10 minutes from central Pickering. Full ER, surgery, maternity, and diagnostic imaging.
Family Health Teams & Clinics
Numerous walk-in clinics, family health teams, and specialist clinics serve Pickering residents across both south and north pockets.
Pine Ridge Secondary School
Well-regarded public high school with strong arts and academic programs, anchoring south Pickering.
Dunbarton High School
Long-standing Pickering high school known for academics and athletics, with one of the best track-and-field programs in Durham.
St. Mary Catholic Secondary School
Top-rated Catholic secondary serving Pickering families on the Fraser Institute's Durham rankings.
Petticoat Creek Conservation Park
TRCA park with one of Canada's largest outdoor pools, hiking trails, and Lake Ontario bluffs, a summer staple for west Pickering families.
Alex Robertson Park
Lakefront park with monarch butterfly habitat and wide-open views of the waterfront.
Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex
City rec hub with pools, arenas, fitness, and squash courts, the busiest indoor facility in Pickering.
Rouge National Urban Park
Canada's first national urban park, with hiking, beaches, and wildlife along Pickering's western edge.
The events that turn a town into a community. Mark these on the calendar before you even unpack.
June
Waterfront festival of competing BBQ pitmasters, live music, and family rides at Esplanade Park.
July 1
Free concerts, midway, and fireworks in the city centre.
June
Outdoor juried art and craft show at Esplanade Park.
October
Lantern-lit costumed historical theatre through the 19th-century village.
December
Holiday light installations and skating at the City Centre.
Towns are shaped by the people who grow up in them. These are some of the names Pickering has sent into the world.
Grammy-nominated pop singer-songwriter, raised in Pickering.
Beloved Canadian children's TV host and longtime resident.
NBA point guard and 2014 NBA Champion with the San Antonio Spurs.
13th Prime Minister of Canada, lived in the Pickering hamlet of Greenwood.
Former NHL forward, Rangers and Stars.
Pickering punches above its weight at the table. The Nautical Village at Frenchman's Bay anchors the lakeside scene with patios for fresh seafood and sunset cocktails. Brock Road and Kingston Road host one of the GTA's deepest South Asian and Sri Lankan corridors, with standouts for biryani, hoppers, and kottu roti, alongside strong Filipino bakeries, Caribbean roti shops, and Hakka Chinese institutions. Brookhouse Doughnuts in Whitevale draws weekend pilgrimages from across Durham, and Pickering Casino Resort brought in upscale concepts including a Lynn Crawford steakhouse. Add farm stands along the Seaton Hiking Trail and you get a food culture that is genuinely diverse, walkable, and unpretentious.
Pickering is the closest Durham Region community to Toronto. Pickering GO Station on the Lakeshore East line offers frequent service to Union Station in 30–40 minutes, the shortest GO commute from Durham. Highway 401 runs through the city with multiple interchanges, and Highway 407 ETR provides a fast east-west alternative across north Pickering. Durham Region Transit provides local bus service.
Pickering detached homes typically range from $950K to $1.5M. Lakefront-adjacent pockets in south Pickering (Liverpool, Rosebank) trade at the higher end. Newer subdivisions in Seaton and Duffin Heights offer newer builds with more square footage.
Pickering is the closest Durham Region city to Toronto. Pickering GO to Union Station takes approximately 35-45 minutes. By car, 401 access is direct; 407 ETR is preferred for North York and Markham commutes at approximately 25-30 minutes.
Durham Live is a large entertainment and development complex at the 401-Church interchange, anchored by Pickering Casino Resort. The surrounding Pickering Innovation Corridor is rapidly adding hotels, retail, and office space, meaningfully reshaping east Pickering.
Seaton is one of the largest master-planned communities under development in Ontario, with thousands of new homes, preserved greenspace, and planned schools and transit. It is widely viewed as one of the highest long-term appreciation plays in Durham Region.
Tell us what you’re looking for. We know the streets, the schools, and the off-market opportunities that never make it to Realtor.ca.
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