What Aylmer is like
Aylmer has been a market town for its farm country since the 1800s: settled in 1817, named for Lord Aylmer in 1835, and a town since 1887. Talbot Street is the main street, the Old Town Hall houses the library branch and a theatre in the old opera house, and the fair, the heritage festival and the Santa Claus Parade are the big dates on the calendar.
It is also a town of several communities. Aylmer is a centre for Low German-speaking Mennonite families, many of whom came from Mexico, and an Old Order Amish community has farmed east of town since 1953.
How far is everything?
Straight-line distances from our office on Talbot Street, measured on the map. Driving distances are longer; test the drive at the times you would make it.
| Place | Distance | Why you would go |
|---|---|---|
| St. Thomas | about 16 km | Hospital, shopping, Highway 4 |
| Port Bruce beach | about 15 km | Day-use provincial park on Lake Erie |
| Tillsonburg | about 23 km | Hospital, Broadway, Highway 19 to the 401 |
| Port Stanley | about 23 km | Blue Flag beach, harbour, theatre |
| London (downtown) | about 32 km | Jobs, university, airport, VIA Rail |
Where people live
Inside town you are on municipal water and sewers, with older homes near Talbot Street and newer streets on the edges. Step outside the town line and you are in Malahide, with country homes, hobby farms and the villages of Springfield and Lyons, or in Bayham toward Straffordville and Port Burwell. Country living means a well and a septic system; read the rural buying guide.
Aylmer itself is a small market, so only a limited number of homes are for sale at once. Set up an alert, and see homes for sale in Aylmer.
The outdoors
Each late February and March, people come from all over to see the tundra swans stop over at the Aylmer Wildlife Management Area on Hacienda Road, on the old RCAF station north of town. Lake Erie's beaches at Port Bruce, Port Stanley and Port Burwell are all close, and Springwater Conservation Area is in Malahide.
Schools, hospitals and work
Public schools are run by the Thames Valley District School Board and Catholic schools by the London District Catholic School Board; confirm the schools for any address with the boards. The hospitals nearest to Aylmer are St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital and Tillsonburg District Memorial Hospital. The Ontario Police College, just east of town in Malahide, is a major local employer.
Before you move ahead
- Drive to work at rush hour before you buy
- Decide town (municipal services) or country (well and septic)
- Confirm schools with the boards' locators
- Set up an Aylmer and Malahide listing alert
- Visit in winter as well as summer
General information for Ontario buyers and sellers, current as of September 26, 2026. It is not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules and rates change, so confirm the details for your own purchase or sale with your lawyer, lender or accountant.