New Hamburg is a community of approximately 11,953 (2011 stats) in the township of Wilmot, Ontario, Canada. It is in the far western part of the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, near the regional border with Perth County. It is adjacent to the community of Baden, which sits to its east and is also a part of the township of Wilmot. The nearest cities are Kitchener, Waterloo, and Stratford.
The Nith River winds throughout the town and flows through the downtown core, which is home to a 50-foot waterwheel made of wood, being built in 1990. This wooden wheel was torn down on March 15, 2023, and replaced with a metal recreation of the wheel.
The weekly newspapers serving the community are the Wilmot-Tavistock Gazette and the New Hamburg Independent. The downtown has been designated a Heritage Conservation District.
History
Located on the Nith River just over from Berlin (now Kitchener) this settlement was in an area with rich soil. The settlement was laid out in 1832 and was settled primarily by Germans, both Mennonites and others, direct from Germany. The first name of the community was Cassel and then Hamburgh; by 1840, the name was changed to New Hamburg.
thumb|The [[Grand Trunk Railway station in New Hamburg, 1915.]]
The New Hamburg post office was established by William Scott in 1851. In 1869 the population was 1,400.
New Hamburg became a town in 1966.
Notable landmarks
- New Hamburg hosts the largest Mopar Festival in Canada (in July or August).
- New Hamburg was once home to the largest working wooden waterwheel in North America. it has since been replaced by a metal recreation.
See also
- List of population centres in Ontario