The broader metropolitan area had a population of 4,098,247.

In 2016, the city had a population of 1,704,694, with a population of 1,942,247 in the urban agglomeration, including all of the other municipalities on the Island of Montreal. The city is situated 196 km (122 mi) east of the national capital Ottawa, and 258 km (160 mi) south-west of the provincial capital, Quebec City.

The city is centred on the Island of Montreal, which got its name from the same origin as the city, and a few much smaller peripheral islands, the largest of which is Île Bizard. Founded in 1642 as Ville-Marie, or 'City of Mary', it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-peaked hill in the heart of the city.