One of the first planned communities in Canada, Guelph was founded in 1827 by John Galt of the Canada Company. When a railway first went through Guelph in 1856, it became a town; and it became a city in 1879.
Several grandiose buildings were erected in Guelph in the late 19th Century, as part of the European-style plan for the city.
The city is home to the University of Guelph.