Geographically Burlington lies at the western end of Lake Ontario and is part of Halton Region. It abuts the Niagara Escarpment and falls within the Greater Toronto Area.
Main attractions include Canada’s Largest Ribfest, the Sound of Music Festival, Burlington Art Centre, the Centre For Performing Arts, Spencer Smith Park and the Royal Botanical Gardens.
The population according to the 2011 Census was 175,779. It has a diverse economic base due mainly to its proximity to large industries in Souther Ontario and a robust transportation infrastructure. The leading industrial employers include food processing, packaging, electronics, motor vehicle/transportation, business services, chemical/pharmaceutical, and environmental.
Popular shopping malls include Burlington Mall and Mapleview Centre.
There is plenty of convenient public transportation. Burlington Transit criss-crosses the city. There are 3 GO trains stations linked to Toronto: Appleby, Burlington, and Aldershot. In addition to GO trains, the rail lines are also serviced by VIA Rail.