Laval occupies its own island just north of Montreal, and about 440,000 people call it home, making it the third-largest city in Quebec. It is mostly suburban, with quiet residential streets, big shopping centres and a lot of parking lots. The Metro's Orange line puts downtown Montreal roughly 20 to 30 minutes away, which is the main reason many families settle here.
There is more to do than the reputation suggests. Kids like the Cosmodome space science centre, cyclists and paddlers use the river paths and the Mille-Iles nature park, and Vieux-Sainte-Rose is a small historic village worth a lunch stop. Chomedey is the largest and most multicultural district. Costs are about average for Canada and cheaper than Toronto, and crime is low. Winter is cold and snowy, highways clog at rush hour, and French is the everyday language, with English less common than in Montreal.
Trip planning at a glance
Peak season
June to September and holiday weekends
Quieter season
January to March
Nearest airport
Montreal-Trudeau International (YUL), 25 km south of central Laval (about 25-40 minutes by car
Highlights
Cosmodome (space science center) and Space Camp Canada
Centre de la Nature (park with gardens and skating)
Carrefour Laval shopping and entertainment
Riviere des Prairies and Riviere des Mille-Iles bike paths and paddling
Vieux-Sainte-Rose village dining
Parc de la Riviere-des-Mille-Iles nature park (canoe and kayak)
Musee Armand-Frappier
Metro Orange line to Montreal Old Port (about 20-30 minutes)
Out of 10. Open any score to see how it’s worked out. “Data-based” scores come from published figures; “Hey! En Route estimate” scores are worked out from what we know about the city; “Hey! En Route rating” scores were set by our editors.
6.7/10Good
Connector Score8.8
21 worthwhile cities within three hours; reachable by road, intercity train, intercity bus, air, and local transit; lodging and sights for an overnight stop. Hey! En Route estimate
Safety7.9
Crime Severity Index around 63; the Canadian figure is about 80. Data-based
Affordability6.5
Cost of living index about 100, where the national average is 100. Data-based
Transportation10.0
Reachable by: road, intercity train, intercity bus, air, and local transit. Hey! En Route estimate
Car-free friendliness7.0
Intercity train or bus, plus local transit and walkability. Hey! En Route estimate
Walkability5.3
Estimated from city size and transit; no walkable downtown noted. Hey! En Route estimate
Things to do5.7
Known for 5 kinds of attraction, with 6 annual events listed. Hey! En Route estimate
Food & dining6.4
A known food scene, weighted by city size. Hey! En Route estimate
Places to stay6.6
Lodging at budget, mid-range and luxury prices. Hey! En Route estimate
Nature & outdoors3.5
Known for lakes & rivers. Hey! En Route estimate
Scenic value4.5
From its landscape: coast, mountains, lakes and parks. Hey! En Route estimate
Family friendliness6.6
Zoos, aquariums, theme parks and museums, weighted by safety. Hey! En Route estimate
Solo-traveler friendliness5.5
Safety, getting around without a car, hostels, and things to do. Hey! En Route estimate
Nightlife4.3
Estimated from city size and live music. Hey! En Route estimate
Remote-work friendliness6.2
City size, affordability, cafés and connections. Hey! En Route estimate
Road-trip convenience6.5
21 worthwhile cities within three hours’ drive, plus parking, EV charging and RV options. Hey! En Route estimate
Train-trip convenience7.8
Intercity train service, with 9 nearby cities reachable by rail. Hey! En Route estimate
Bus-trip convenience7.3
Intercity buses, with 17 nearby cities reachable by bus. Hey! En Route estimate
Ile Jesus; Quebec's third-largest city; The Island City north of Montreal; City of a Hundred Fun Things
Founded
1636 land granted to the Jesuits (Ile Jesus); 1965 municipalities merged into the City of Laval; Laval is also a region and a single-municipality territory
Languages
French (sole provincial official language under Quebec's Charter of the French Language, so French is expected on signage, commerce and public services); English widely understood in tourism and shopping, though less so than in downtown Montreal; large immigrant languages include Arabic, Italian, Greek, Spanish, Creole, Romanian and Armenian
Airports
Montreal-Trudeau International (YUL), about 25 km south of central Laval (about 25-40 minutes by car); Montreal-Mirabel (YMX), cargo and limited service, about 35 km northwest; Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier (YOW) about 190 km west; Plattsburgh (PBG) NY about 100 km south
Tipping
Restaurants 15-20% of the pre-tax bill (taxes are added on top of listed prices, and tipping is on the pre-tax amount); bars $1-2 per drink or 15-20% of tab; taxis and rideshare 10-15%; hotel housekeeping $3-5 CAD per night; bellhops $2-5 CAD per bag; tour guides 10-15%; counter service optional (all amounts CAD; Quebec adds GST 5% plus QST 9.975%, so about 15% total tax on top of listed prices)
Community signals
Not enough responses yet to show a trend.
Laval City Circle
For people considering Laval, visiting soon, living there for a while, or comparing it with somewhere else.
Population 438,366 is the 2021 Census figure from Statistics Canada, recalled (a Statistics Canada Focus on Geography search result was seen but not opened for Laval, so lower confidence; later estimates run higher, near 450,000); metro is the Montreal CMA figure 4,291,732 as specified. Land area 246.2 sq km per 2021 Census (recalled). Web fetch was not used; snippets only. Visitor URL is Office de Tourisme Laval Agglomeration (laval-tourisme.com) seen in search results; tourismelaval.com also appeared. Attraction and event names are recalled and lower confidence; verify before relying. Elevation, coordinates, founding, hotel ranges, tipping, cost-of-living comparisons, crime index, rent, home prices and airport distances are approximate or from general knowledge and not verified. Official URLs found via search but not load-tested. All money in CAD.
Last verified September 25, 2026 · Source: Research spreadsheet · Editorial ·
Neighborhoods
8 areas to know, and who each one suits.
Chomedey
Largest, multicultural
Sainte-Rose
Historic village on the north shore
Vimont and Auteuil
Family suburbs
Laval-des-Rapides
Near Montreal, Metro
Duvernay and Saint-Vincent-de-Paul
East
Fabreville
West
Pont-Viau
Laval-Ouest and Sainte-Dorothee
Rural west
No neighborhood matches that.
Where to base yourself
Chomedey and Carrefour Laval area for shopping and Metro access to Montreal
Laval-des-Rapides and Cartier Metro for a base with 15-minute rides downtown
Sainte-Rose for a quiet village feel
Montreal Old Montreal or downtown for most sightseeing. Tiers: budget motels and chains along Autoroute 440 and Boulevard Saint-Martin
mid-range chains (Hilton Garden Inn, Sheraton Laval, Hotel Quality Suites)
luxury is limited, with upscale options in Montreal
Per person per day, with a room shared by two. Change anything below to fit your trip.
Budget
$108/day
Lodging about CA$125 a night
Mid-range
$156/day
Lodging about CA$190 a night
Luxury
$250/day
Lodging about CA$290 a night
Budget calculator
Vehicle
mpg
These are estimates from typical prices, not quotes. Real costs vary with season, events, booking time and your own habits; taxes and fees are approximate.
Cost of living
For longer stays and relocation.
Cost of living index
100 (national average = 100)
Typical 1-bedroom rent
CA$1,500a month
Median home price
CA$625,000
Research notes
Roughly at the Canadian average, about 5% below Toronto and about 15-20% below the average of large US metros (approximate, from common indices); typical 1BR rent about $1,400-1,600 CAD per month on listing sites (approximate)
Real estate
Buying or renting long-term: prices, trends and the rules.
Median home
CA$625,000
Mortgage calculator
Benchmark home price about $600,000-650,000 CAD citywide (QPAREB, approximate; single-family about $650,000-700,000 CAD, condos about $400,000-450,000 CAD); average 1BR rent about $1,400-1,600 CAD; market trend: steady growth since 2020, tight rental supply (approximate, not verified this pass)
Research notes on prices and seasons
Hotels per night (CAD, before about 15% GST and QST plus 3.5% lodging tax): budget $100-150; mid-range $150-230; luxury $230-350. Peak season is June to September and holiday weekends; January to March is cheapest. Rough daily visitor budget excluding lodging: $90-160 CAD
Where to stay
Which part of town suits which kind of trip.
Chomedey and Carrefour Laval area for shopping and Metro access to Montreal
Laval-des-Rapides and Cartier Metro for a base with 15-minute rides downtown
Sainte-Rose for a quiet village feel
Montreal Old Montreal or downtown for most sightseeing. Tiers: budget motels and chains along Autoroute 440 and Boulevard Saint-Martin
mid-range chains (Hilton Garden Inn, Sheraton Laval, Hotel Quality Suites)
luxury is limited, with upscale options in Montreal
Safety information is a guide from public data and our research, not a guarantee. Conditions change; check local news and official advice before you go.
7.9
Very good · Data-based
Crime Severity Index around 63; the Canadian figure is about 80.
Safety overview
Laval's Crime Severity Index is below the national average and among the lower ones for Canadian cities of its size (roughly 55-70, approximate, Statistics Canada; Laval police data show property crime and vehicle theft as the main issues); Laval has an organized-crime history mostly not affecting visitors. Health care: Quebec RAMQ does not cover visitors, so travel health insurance is advisable. Hospitals: Hopital de la Cite-de-la-Sante (main, Laval) and Montreal hospitals close by (Sacre-Coeur, CHUM). Hazards: cold snowy winters (-10 to -20 C with windchill), summer heat waves and humidity, spring flooding along the Riviere des Prairies and Mille-Iles, freezing rain. French is the working language in hospitals, English generally available. Emergency 911
Local notes
Specific places where extra care is worthwhile, especially at night. Most visits are trouble-free.
Laval is broadly quiet and suburban; use ordinary caution late at night around some apartment districts in Laval-des-Rapides and Pont-Viau and near some parking lots at shopping centers where property and vehicle theft occur. Winter roads on Autoroutes 15, 13 and 440 can be icy and congested
Times marked “est.” are estimates: drives use typical road distances at highway speeds, and train or bus times assume both cities have service. Always check a route planner and timetables before you travel.
Route ideas
Suggested by Hey! En Route from the best-connected next stops. Save one to your routes and make it your own.
2-day trip
Laval (1 night)
3-day trip
Laval (1 night) → Ottawa (1 night)
About 118 mi, 2 h 28 min of travel
5-day trip
Laval (2 nights) → Ottawa (1 night) → Toronto (1 night)
About 398 mi, 7 h 45 min of travel
7-day trip
Laval (2 nights) → Ottawa (1 night) → Toronto (1 night) → London (1 night)
About 519 mi, 10 h 8 min of travel
10-day trip
Laval (2 nights) → Ottawa (2 nights) → Toronto (1 night) → London (1 night) → Hamilton (1 night)
