A lakeside resort town at the north end of Lac Memphremagog, Magog is in Quebec's Eastern Townships, about 130 km east of Montreal. About 28,000 people live here, and it is also a place people live year round.
Summer means boat cruises, waterfront walks in Vieux-Magog, cycling on the Route Verte and swimming. Autumn brings colour and harvest festivals, and winter brings skiing at nearby Mont-Orford, which also has a national park for hiking. Around town you will find vineyards, cheese makers, and the Saint-Benoît-du-Lac abbey where the monks sing Gregorian chant. Rue Principale has antique shops and cafes. French is the everyday language, though English is widely understood because so many visitors and summer residents come from Ontario, Vermont and elsewhere. Crime is low. Housing is moderate, but lakefront and ski-area places cost much more, and summer weekends bring heavy traffic on Route 112.
Trip planning at a glance
Peak season
July to August and fall colours in September to October, with ski season December to March
Quieter season
April and November
Nearest airport
Sherbrooke Airport (YSC), 30 km east (limited service
Highlights
Lac Memphremagog cruises and boat rentals
Parc de la Pointe-Merry and the Vieux-Magog waterfront
Parc national du Mont-Orford (hiking, skiing) about 15 km
Mont-Orford Centre d'arts Orford
Abbaye de Saint-Benoit-du-Lac (Gregorian chant)
vineyards and cheese producers on the Brome-Missisquoi and Route des vins
Domaine Cabana and Parc de la Riviere-aux-Cerises
Sentier de la Baie-de-Magog cycling and the Route Verte
Au Diable Vert and Mont-Orford ski
Sunday flea markets and antique shops on Rue Principale
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.
6.3/10Good
Connector Score7.7
19 worthwhile cities within three hours; reachable by road, air, and local transit; lodging and sights for an overnight stop. Hey! En Route estimate
Safety8.5
Crime Severity Index around 50; the Canadian figure is about 80. Data-based
Affordability6.0
Cost of living index about 105, where the national average is 100. Data-based
Transportation6.5
Reachable by: road, air, and local transit. Hey! En Route estimate
Car-free friendliness4.0
No intercity train or bus noted, so a car helps. Hey! En Route estimate
Walkability4.0
Estimated from city size and transit; no walkable downtown noted. Hey! En Route estimate
Things to do5.3
Known for 6 kinds of attraction, with 9 annual events listed. Hey! En Route estimate
Food & dining4.0
Estimated from city size and dining listings. Hey! En Route estimate
Places to stay5.8
Lodging at budget, mid-range and luxury prices. Hey! En Route estimate
Nature & outdoors9.0
Known for mountains & hiking, national & state parks, lakes & rivers, skiing & winter sports. Hey! En Route estimate
Scenic value8.0
From its landscape: coast, mountains, lakes and parks. Hey! En Route estimate
Family friendliness5.2
Zoos, aquariums, theme parks and museums, weighted by safety. Hey! En Route estimate
Solo-traveler friendliness5.6
Safety, getting around without a car, hostels, and things to do. Hey! En Route estimate
Nightlife3.9
Estimated from city size and live music. Hey! En Route estimate
Remote-work friendliness5.0
City size, affordability, cafés and connections. Hey! En Route estimate
Road-trip convenience7.3
19 worthwhile cities within three hours’ drive, plus parking, EV charging and RV options. Hey! En Route estimate
Train-trip convenience1.0
No intercity train service noted. Hey! En Route estimate
Bus-trip convenience1.5
No intercity bus service noted. Hey! En Route estimate
La Perle de l'Estrie; Magog-Orford; town on Lac Memphremagog; Eastern Townships gateway; motto Fidelitate et Labore
Founded
1776 first white settlement; 1855 named Magog; 1888 village; 1965 town; 2002 merger with Magog Township and Omerville
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 the Eastern Townships tourism sector, with many anglophone summer residents and Vermont and Ontario visitors, so basic French is helpful; Eastern Townships have a historic anglophone minority
Airports
Sherbrooke Airport (YSC), about 30 km east (limited service); Montreal-Trudeau International (YUL), about 130 km west (about 1 hour 30 minutes by car); Burlington VT (BTV), about 150 km south; Quebec City Jean Lesage International (YQB), about 230 km northeast
Tipping
Restaurants 15-20% of the pre-tax bill (GST and QST 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.
Magog City Circle
For people considering Magog, visiting soon, living there for a while, or comparing it with somewhere else.
Population 28,312 and land area 144.26 sq km (167.50 total) are 2021 Census figures read from the Wikipedia article for Magog; Magog has no separate 2021 metro figure that was found, so population_metro is set equal to the city as a placeholder (Magog is within the Sherbrooke region, weak data point). Elevation about 200 m is a rough recall. visitor_website https://www.tourisme-memphremagog.com/ is recalled and was not confirmed by a fetch (regional tourism bureau, Tourisme Memphremagog); event_calendar uses the same page. Some attraction and event names are recalled and may be inexact. Event names and months, elevation, coordinates (rounded from Wikipedia degrees-minutes or recalled), hotel ranges, cost of living, crime index, rent, home prices and distances are approximate or from general knowledge and not verified. Statistics Canada pages were not fetched (robots-blocked). All money in CAD.
Last verified September 25, 2026 · Source: Research spreadsheet · Editorial ·
Neighborhoods
7 areas to know, and who each one suits.
Vieux-Magog and downtown along Rue Principale
the Lac Memphremagog waterfront
Omerville
North
Georgeville area
South
Mont-Orford sector
Cherry River area
Lac Lovering and Lac des Nations shores
No neighborhood matches that.
Where to base yourself
Vieux-Magog and waterfront for dining and cruises (hotels and inns on Rue Merry and Rue Principale)
Mont-Orford area for ski-in lodging and resorts
Omerville and Lake Memphremagog cottages for quiet stays
campgrounds at Parc national du Mont-Orford. Tiers: motels and campgrounds
mid-range hotels and lakefront inns
upscale resorts and spas (Auberge Orford, Hotel Le Cheval, lakeside resorts)
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
$161/day
Lodging about CA$205 a night
Luxury
$306/day
Lodging about CA$450 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
105 (national average = 100)
Typical 1-bedroom rent
CA$1,200a month
Median home price
CA$470,000
Research notes
Roughly at or slightly above the Canadian average for tourist areas, about 10-15% below large US metros (approximate); typical 1BR rent about $1,000-1,400 CAD per month (approximate); lakefront and ski-area pricing is higher
Real estate
Buying or renting long-term: prices, trends and the rules.
Median home
CA$470,000
Mortgage calculator
Median single-family home about $420,000-520,000 CAD (Estrie brokers, approximate); condos about $280,000-360,000 CAD; lakefront above $800,000 CAD; average 1BR rent about $1,000-1,400 CAD; market trend: surge 2020 to 2022, cooling since (approximate, not verified)
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 $150-260; luxury $300-600. Peak season is July to August and fall colours in September to October, with ski season December to March; April and November are cheapest. Rough daily visitor budget excluding lodging: $90-160 CAD
Where to stay
Which part of town suits which kind of trip.
Vieux-Magog and waterfront for dining and cruises (hotels and inns on Rue Merry and Rue Principale)
Mont-Orford area for ski-in lodging and resorts
Omerville and Lake Memphremagog cottages for quiet stays
campgrounds at Parc national du Mont-Orford. Tiers: motels and campgrounds
mid-range hotels and lakefront inns
upscale resorts and spas (Auberge Orford, Hotel Le Cheval, lakeside resorts)
Places to stay
1 listing in Magog, ranked by traveller reviews. Featured listings are marked.
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.
8.5
Excellent · Data-based
Crime Severity Index around 50; the Canadian figure is about 80.
Safety overview
Crime is low (Surete du Quebec / Magog police; Crime Severity Index likely below the national average, roughly 40-60, approximate); main risks are theft from vehicles, seasonal traffic and impaired driving. Hospital: Centre de sante et de services sociaux Memphremagog (CIUSSS de l'Estrie-CHUS, Hopital de Memphremagog in Magog), French-first, English often available. Health care: Quebec RAMQ does not cover visitors, so travel health insurance is advisable. Hazards: cold snowy winters (-10 to -25 C, freezing rain), summer thunderstorms, spring flooding along rivers. Emergency 911
Local notes
Specific places where extra care is worthwhile, especially at night. Most visits are trouble-free.
No areas to avoid; use ordinary caution with lake ice and weak shoreline ice in winter, boat safety on Lac Memphremagog, and busy summer weekends on Route 112 and Autoroute 10
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.
