Vaudreuil-Dorion, a suburb of Greater Montreal, is nestled in the Montérégie region of southwestern Quebec, Canada. This charming city is the result of the merger of two towns, Vaudreuil and Dorion, and is part of the Vaudreuil-Soulanges Regional County Municipality.
The history of Vaudreuil-Dorion dates back to 23 November 1702 when the governor of New France, Louis-Hector de Callière, granted a seigneury to Philippe de Vaudreuil, the then governor of Montreal. Philippe's son, Rigaud de Vaudreuil, later became the governor of New France.
In 1725, the region was home to only 38 inhabitants. However, around 1742, interest in the region grew, and Vaudreuil's population began to rise. By 1765, 381 people resided in Vaudreuil. The creation of the Grand Trunk Railway led to the establishment of Dorion, initially known as Vaudreuil Station. Dorion was officially recognized as a village in 1891.
The development of Autoroute 20, linking Downtown Montreal and Toronto via Highway 401 in Ontario, bisected Dorion. The Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway links between Toronto and Montreal are located in Dorion. Housing developments began in the 1950s and continued well into the 1970s. Throughout the 1980s and the 1990s, housing began sprouting north and east of Dorion.
In 1994, Vaudreuil and Dorion merged, forming the City of Vaudreuil-Dorion.
Vaudreuil-Dorion is beautifully located on the south shores of the Lake of Two Mountains, at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers, just off the western edge of Île Perrot. The city consists of two non-contiguous parts: the larger main area along Lake of Two Mountains where the population centres of Vaudreuil and Dorion are located, and a smaller rural area bordering Rigaud, separated from the eastern portion by Saint-Lazare and Hudson.
According to the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Vaudreuil-Dorion had a population of 43,268 living in 16,713 of its 17,260 total private dwellings. This marked a change of 13.5% from its 2016 population of 38,117. With a land area of 72.65 km2 (28.05 sq mi), it had a population density of 595.6/km2 (1,542.5/sq mi) in 2021.
Vaudreuil-Dorion is a significant transportation hub, being the point of intersection for three of Canada's busiest highways: Autoroute 40/Autoroute 30/Autoroute 20 (connecting the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor) and Highway 417 connects to Ottawa and Arnprior, Autoroute 20 and Highway 401 connects Toronto to Montreal and Autoroute 30 is Montreal's Southern Bypass.
Local bus service is operated by Exo La Presqu'Île, connecting to the Vaudreuil and Dorion stations on the Vaudreuil-Hudson commuter rail line. This efficient transportation network makes Vaudreuil-Dorion a convenient and accessible destination for both residents and visitors.
