Quick answerMontreal is a city in Canada, with 1,762,949 people inside the city limits in 2021. The wider metropolitan area had about 4.3 million people in 2021. It is best known for the French language and culture, the Old Montreal and the Mount Royal. Its official language is English and French, and its currency is the Canadian dollar.
Montreal is the second-largest city in Canada, with 1,762,949 residents in the 2021 census and about 4.3 million in its metropolitan area. It stands on an island in the St. Lawrence River in Quebec. Montreal is the largest French-speaking city in North America.
Key facts
| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Population (city) | 1,762,949 (2021) |
| Population (metro) | 4,291,732 (2021) · Statistics Canada Census Metropolitan Area (CMA), 2021 census |
| Time zone | America/Toronto |
| Language | English, French |
| Currency | Canadian dollar (CAD, $) |
| Coordinates | 45.5089° N, 73.5542° W |
Overview
Montreal is the second-largest city in Canada and the largest city in Quebec. It stands on an island in the St. Lawrence River, where the river meets the Ottawa River. The city was founded as a French settlement in 1642, and it was the centre of the fur trade before it became an industrial city in the 19th century. Montreal is the largest French-speaking city in North America, and French is the everyday language of most of its residents.
About 1.76 million people lived in Montreal in 2021, and about 4.29 million in its metropolitan area. The city is known for its old town, Vieux-Montréal, with its cobbled streets and the Notre-Dame Basilica, and for Mount Royal, the hill at the city's heart, laid out as a park by Frederick Law Olmsted, who designed Central Park in New York.
Montreal is famous for its food — bagels, smoked meat and poutine — and for its festivals, including the Montreal International Jazz Festival and Just for Laughs. The city hosted the 1976 Summer Olympics and the 1967 World's Fair, Expo 67, and it is home to McGill University and the Université de Montréal.
What Montreal is known for
- French language and culture
- Old Montreal
- Mount Royal
- Bagels and smoked meat
- Festivals (Jazz Festival, Just for Laughs)
Landmarks
- Old Montreal and Old Port
- Notre-Dame Basilica
- Mount Royal Park
- Saint Joseph's Oratory
- Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
- Biodôme
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Montreal?
Montreal had 1,762,949 residents in the 2021 census, according to Statistics Canada, making it the second-largest city in Canada. Its metropolitan area had 4,291,732 people that year, more than twice the city itself. Montreal is the largest city in Quebec and the largest French-speaking city in North America.
Where is Montreal and what is it known for?
Montreal is in south-western Quebec, on an island in the St. Lawrence River where it meets the Ottawa River. It is about 200 kilometres east of Ottawa and about 540 kilometres north of New York City. The city is known for its French language, its old town and Mount Royal, and its coordinates are 45.51° N, 73.55° W.
Quick quiz
Three questions from the facts on this page. No sign-up, no score is saved.
Keep exploring
- Canada — the country Montreal is in
- Toronto — another city in Canada
- Ottawa — another city in Canada
- Vancouver — another city in Canada
- All cities in Canada
- All countries — the full list
Sources & last updated
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.