Quebec City

Québec
Ville de Québec (French)
Nicknames: 
Motto(s): 
Don de Dieu feray valoir
("I shall put God's gift to good use"; the Don de Dieu was Champlain's ship)
Québec
Location in Quebec
Québec
Location in Canada
Coordinates: 46°48′50″N 71°12′29″W / 46.81389°N 71.20806°W / 46.81389; -71.20806
CountryCanada
ProvinceQuebec
RegionCapitale-Nationale
Metropolitan communityCommunauté métropolitaine de Québec
AgglomerationAgglomeration of Quebec City
Historic countriesKingdom of France
Kingdom of Great Britain
First settled11 October 1535,
by Jacques Cartier
Founded3 July 1608,
by Samuel de Champlain
Constituted1 January 2002
Incorporated1832
Boroughs
Government
  TypeQuebec City Council
  MayorBruno Marchand
  MPs
  MNAs
Area
  City
452.30 km2 (174.63 sq mi)
  Land453.38 km2 (175.05 sq mi)
  Urban
442.85 km2 (170.99 sq mi)
  Metro
3,499.46 km2 (1,351.15 sq mi)
Elevation
98 m (322 ft)
Population
 (2021)
  City
549,459 (12th)
  Density1,214.8/km2 (3,146/sq mi)
  Urban
733,156 (8th)
  Urban density1,655.5/km2 (4,288/sq mi)
  Metro
839,311 (7th)
  Metro density239.8/km2 (621/sq mi)
  Pop 2016–2021
4.1%
DemonymQuébécois or Québécois de Québec (to distinguish residents of the city from those of the province)
Time zoneUTC−05:00 (EST)
  Summer (DST)UTC−04:00 (EDT)
Postal codes
Area codes
  • 418
  • 581
  • 367
GDP (Québec CMA)CA$47.94 billion (2020)
GDP per capita (Québec CMA)CA$53,477 (2016)
Websitewww.ville.quebec.qc.ca
Official nameHistoric District of Old Quebec
TypeCultural
Criteriaiv, vi
Designated1985 (9th session)
Reference no.300
RegionEurope and North America

Quebec City is the capital city of the Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Census Metropolitan Area (including surrounding communities) had a population of 839,311. It is the twelfth-largest city and the seventh-largest metropolitan area in Canada. It is also the second-largest city in the province, after Montreal. It has a humid continental climate with warm summers coupled with cold and snowy winters.

Explorer Samuel de Champlain founded a French settlement here in 1608, and adopted the Algonquin name. Quebec City is one of the oldest European settlements in North America. The ramparts surrounding Old Quebec (Vieux-Québec) are the only fortified city walls remaining in the Americas north of Mexico. This area was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985 as the "Historic District of Old Québec".