Proven, Not Promised.
152 Simcoe St N, Oshawa(905) 449-4422
Lakefront living and boutique shopping on Lake Scugog.
Typical Range
$750K – $2M+ (lakefront commands premium)
Housing Style
Detached. Lakefront, heritage, estate lots.
Commute
60+ min to Oshawa, 90+ min to Toronto.
The Vibe
Lakefront, boutique, slower pace, weekend-worthy downtown.
9,553
Population (2021)
21,581
Township of Scugog (2021)
84 km
Distance to Toronto
1850s
Scugog Fair running since
68 km²
Lake Scugog area
Port Perry is the lakefront town Durham residents escape to on weekends and then quietly decide to move to. Queen Street might be the prettiest small-town main street in Ontario: Victorian brick, gabled rooftops, independent shops, century-old hotels, and a working waterfront one block south. People stop their cars to take pictures of it. Locals just call it home.
The lifestyle is the whole point. Sunset walks along the Lake Scugog boardwalk. Saturday-morning coffee at one of the cafes on Queen, then a wander into the Town Hall 1873 for a matinee. Boats on the lake all summer, ice huts in the winter, the Great Blue Heron just over the bridge on Scugog Island, and the Kawartha cottage country forty minutes north. There is a hospital right in town. The schools are solid. Crime is rare. People still wave.
The Port Perry housing market is dominated by lakefront and lake-adjacent homes, downtown heritage properties, and estate-sized lots on the outskirts. Buyers here are typically mid-career professionals downsizing from Toronto or Markham, retirees wanting a slower pace, and families making the trade nobody regrets, accepting a longer commute in exchange for a life that feels three hours away from the GTA but is actually forty-five minutes from the 401. Once you've spent a sunset down at Palmer Park, you understand.
Port Perry sits on the south shore of Lake Scugog in the Township of Scugog, on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation. European settlement began in the 1820s, and the village was named after Peter Perry, a prominent merchant and politician, in 1852. The arrival of the Port Whitby and Port Perry Railway in 1871 spurred growth, and the Victorian-era Queen Street, rebuilt after an 1884 fire, remains a designated heritage downtown that has defined the town's identity for nearly 150 years.
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
Walkable Victorian streetscape with independent shops, cafes, and restored 19th-century facades, easily the most photographed downtown in Durham Region.
02
Public boardwalk, gazebo, and full-service marina on the south shore of Lake Scugog. Sunsets over the lake are the reason a lot of people end up moving here.
03
Restored Victorian performing arts venue hosting live theatre and concerts year-round in the heart of downtown.
04
Entertainment and gaming complex on Scugog Island operated in partnership with the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation.
05
Open-air heritage village preserving 19th-century buildings and Indigenous history just outside town.
06
Lakeside park with the iconic gazebo, summer concerts, splash pad, and sweeping Lake Scugog views.
07
1,120-hectare protected wetland and birding paradise just outside town.
08
Family-run estate winery, cidery, and U-pick orchard in the township.
09
Rail-trail for cycling, walking, and snowshoeing through Scugog farmland.
Lakeridge Health Port Perry
Community hospital on Paxton Street with a 24/7 ER, inpatient beds, surgical services, diagnostic imaging, and dialysis, full hospital care right in town, which is rare for a community this size.
Port Perry Medical Associates
Multiple family health teams and specialist clinics in the area; tertiary care at Lakeridge Health Oshawa, ~25 km south.
Port Perry High School
DDSB public secondary school serving the entire Township of Scugog with strong arts and athletics programs.
R.H. Cornish Public School
Well-regarded DDSB elementary in town, consistently strong on Fraser Institute reports.
Cartwright Central Public School
Rural DDSB elementary serving southern Scugog families on country properties.
Palmer Park
Lakefront park with gazebo, playground, and direct boardwalk access to the marina, the centre of summer life in Port Perry.
Lake Scugog
Shallow Kawartha-chain lake popular for boating, fishing for walleye and bass, and winter ice fishing.
Scugog Community Recreation Centre
Twin-pad arena, indoor walking track, and community programs serving the whole township.
Scugog Memorial Public Library
Heritage building on Queen Street with programs and a stunning lakeview reading room.
The events that turn a town into a community. Mark these on the calendar before you even unpack.
Labour Day weekend
150+ year old agricultural fair with midway, livestock, and demolition derby.
Summer
Traditional dancing, drumming, and crafts hosted by the MSIFN.
Summer
Community race day on Lake Scugog drawing teams from across the region.
Summer
Pipe bands, heavy events, and Celtic culture downtown.
June–August
Live theatre performed at Town Hall 1873.
Towns are shaped by the people who grow up in them. These are some of the names Port Perry has sent into the world.
Actress (Revenge, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Resident), grew up in the Port Perry area.
Celebrity fashion stylist and TV personality, raised in Port Perry.
Founder of chiropractic medicine and the Palmer School of Chiropractic, born in Port Perry in 1845.
Queen Street punches well above its weight for a town of under 10,000. Locals and day-trippers fill patios at spots like Piano Cafe, Hank's Pastries (legendary butter tarts), Old Flame Brewing Co. (Czech-style lager brewed in a restored heritage building), Stone & Sky, and a deep bench of independent bakeries, cafes, and bistros. The surrounding Scugog countryside supplies pick-your-own farms, Ocala Orchards Farm Winery, maple syrup producers, and a busy summer farmers market, so menus skew local and seasonal year-round.
Port Perry has no GO Train station; commuters typically drive Highway 7A and Simcoe Street about 25 minutes south to Whitby GO or Oshawa GO for Lakeshore East service to Toronto. Highway 407 ETR is accessible in about 20 minutes via Simcoe Street or Brock Road. Living in Port Perry is openly a lifestyle choice that trades commute convenience for small-town waterfront living.
Honestly, no. Port Perry is a lifestyle choice. If you commute to Toronto daily, expect 90+ minutes each way by car. It works for hybrid work arrangements and for buyers whose work is 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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