The Regional Municipality of Halton encompasses all of the earlier Halton County, which officially ceased to exist as a political sub-division on January 1, 2001. It is comprised of four municipalities: The City of Burlington and the Towns of Halton Hills, Milton and Oakville. It covers over 232,000 acres of land, including 25 kms of waterfront on Lake Ontario. It has a population of 375,229 (2001) and is expected to reach 439,000 in 2006, making it one of the fastest growing regions in the country.