Trivia Time! How Well do you Know London Ontario

Whether you have lived in your whole life or you just moved here, I’m sure there are things you haven’t learned about our great town yet. Let’s see how many of these fun facts you can guess before you see the answers. No peeking!

1. What year was London Ontario founded and by whom?

2. Where did the name London come from?

3. Which building in is the oldest, and when was it built?

4. Name someone famous that grew up here.

5. How many residents do we currently have living within the city limits?

6. What business is our largest employer?

7. What is known for?

8. How many Kms are we from our Capital?

9. Who are our current Mayor?

10. How many city parks do we have?

11. How many high schools do we have?

12. What is the largest college in London?

13. How far is it to the closest international airport?

14. What is the name of our largest shopping mall?

15. What main highways run through London and in which directions?

Answers:

  1. European settlement in London began in 1793 when then lieutenant-governor John Graves Simcoe selected the Forks of the Thames River as his choice for the future site of the capital of the province. What is now known as the City of London was founded in 1826.
  2. Turns out, Canada’s London was named after our own London. According to the Macmillan Book Of Canadian Place Names, in 1793, British General John Graves Simcoe declared a settlement at the fork of Ontario’s Thames River to be named London, after the English capital.
  3. Eldon House is the oldest continued residence in the city of London. It was inhabited by the family of John and Amelia Harris from 1834 until they gave it to the City of London in 1959.
  4. Rachel McAdams – Actress. (Born in London, ON).
  5. The current metro area population of London in 2024 is 523,000, a 0.77% increase from 2023.
  6. The largest employer in the city is the London Health Sciences Centre, which employs over 15,000 people.
  7. London, Ontario, which is proudly known as The Forest City. It is a hub for higher education, medical research, manufacturing, and technology.
  8. The distance between London and Ottawa is 517 km. The road distance is 625.9 km.
  9. Mayor Josh Morgan.
  10. Nicknamed the Forest City, London is home to more than 4 million trees, 490+ parks and over 330 kms of walking and biking trails.
  11. In London, the public board has 12 high schools and the Catholic board six.
  12. One of the largest colleges in Canada, Fanshawe has approximately 43,000 students and provides over 200 higher education programs.
  13. Right in London! The London International Airport.
  14. Masonville Mall is the largest mall in London with 162 stores and services and 2 floors. White Oaks Mall (also large) has 145 stores and services.
  15. Highway 401 and London’s downtown core. It runs in a north–south direction for most of its length.