Freelton, Ontario

Freelton, Ontario
Rural community
Looking north up Freelton Road (once King's Highway 6)
Coordinates: 43°24′01″N 80°02′21″W / 43.40028°N 80.03917°W / 43.40028; -80.03917
CountryCanada
ProvinceOntario
MunicipalityHamilton
DistrictFlamborough
Founded1856
Named afterPatrick Freel
Government
  MayorAndrea Horwath
Population
  Estimate 
(2018)
2,500

Freelton is a rural community in the district of Flamborough, within the City of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, formerly a village in the Township of West Flamborough.

Its name is derived from Patrick Freel, an Irish immigrant who ran a tavern and hotel at the intersection of King's Highway 6 (now Freelton Road) and Brock Road (then a toll route to the Town of Dundas). The Freel family grave can be viewed at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church (1877).

In recent years, it has become a popular residential community for commuters to nearby Cambridge, Guelph, Hamilton and the GTA due to its intersection of Highway 6 (which now bypasses the town along its eastern side) with Regional Road 97, and its proximity to Highway 401 to the north. This equidistant centrality was the catalyst for the community’s inception and growth.