Longueuil, Quebec, a city rich in history and culture, is nestled on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River, directly across from Montreal. As the central city of the urban agglomeration of Longueuil and the seat of the Montérégie administrative region, it is the fifth most populous city in Quebec and the twentieth largest in Canada, with a population of 239,700 as of the 2016 Census.
Longueuil's history dates back to 1657 when Charles Le Moyne founded it as a seigneurie. It evolved into a parish in 1845, a village in 1848, a town in 1874, and finally a city in 1920. The city's borders expanded three times between 1961 and 2002 through amalgamation with surrounding municipalities. However, a strong de-amalgamation occurred in 2006.
The city's historical significance is further highlighted by the archaeological remains of Fort Longueuil, recognized as a National Historic Site of Canada on May 25, 1923. The fort, built by Charles Le Moyne de Longueuil, was occupied by American troops during the American Revolutionary War and later by the British.
Covering 115.59 square kilometres of land, Longueuil is bordered by several cities and the Saint Lawrence River. The city's geography is characterized by the Saint Lawrence River valley and a vast plain. It also includes Île Charron, a small island in the Saint Lawrence River, and part of the Boucherville Islands.
Longueuil experiences a humid continental or hemiboreal climate, with long winters, short springs, average summers, and short autumns. As per the 2021 Census, the city had a population of 254,483. The median income of the 132,570 workers in Longueuil was $26,537, slightly above Quebec's provincial average.
French is the mother tongue of 81.4% of Longueuil's residents, while English is the first language of 7.5%. Other languages spoken include Spanish, Arabic, Haitian Creole, Romanian, Persian, Chinese, Italian, and Portuguese. People of European origins make up 87.6% of the population, with the largest visible minority groups being Black, Latin American, Arab, Chinese, Southeast Asian, and South Asian.
Longueuil is home to the International Percussion Festival, which draws 200,000 visitors per year. The city also boasts three nature parks, seven arenas, and several places of worship. Notable attractions include the Roman Catholic Co-Cathedral of Saint-Antoine-de-Padoue and the Montréal Québec Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Longueuil is well-connected with five automobile crossings over the Saint Lawrence River, including the Louis Hippolyte Lafontaine Tunnel and the Jacques Cartier Bridge. Public transportation is provided by the Réseau de transport de Longueuil (RTL), with 77 bus routes and 12 shared taxi routes. The city is also served by the Longueuil–Université-de-Sherbrooke Metro station and the Mont-Saint-Hilaire commuter train line.
Longueuil is twinned with Lafayette, Louisiana, United States, and Whitby, Ontario, Canada, fostering cultural exchange and mutual understanding.
