Fergus is the largest community in Centre Wellington, a township within Wellington County. Fergus was an independent town until 1999 when the Township was formed by amalgamating the Town of Fergus, the Village of Elora, and the Townships of Nichol, Pilkington, West Garafraxa, and part of Eramosa. Fergus is located north-northwest of Guelph and sits on the Grand River. It is near many natural settings such as the Elora Gorge and Conservation Area, and Belwood Lake. Fergus is a mostly residential community filled with streets lined with trees, many stone buildings, modern schools, and attractive parklands. It is laid out on a rectangular grid, with the Grand River flowing through the downtown heritage centre, its limestone riverbanks surrounding it.