It was established on January 1, 1998, through the amalgamation of is composed of Oxford-on-Rideau Township, South Gower Township, and the Town of Kemptville. In 2003, a motion of the municipal council adopted the designation of 'municipality'.
The largest community in North Grenville is Kemptville, with a population of 3,532 in the 2011 census, down from 3,667 in the Canada 2001 Census.[2][3] It is located on the Kemptville Creek (historically South Branch of the Rideau River) in close proximity to Ottawa, sitting midway between suburban Ottawa and the Prescott-Ogdensburg bridge along Highway 416.