The Richelieu River runs along one side of Mont-Saint-Hilaire, a small South Shore town of about 19,000, built at the foot of the mountain that gives it its name. Orchards and cider houses fill the countryside around. It is a comfortable Montreal suburb, about 40 kilometers from downtown.
The mountain is the main draw. The Gault Nature Reserve and the nature centre have well-kept hiking trails with summit views, and fall colors and apple season bring big weekend crowds. You can also bike the Richelieu path, visit cideries on the wine and cider routes, or wander the old village along the river. It is a safe, quiet, mostly residential place, and housing costs more than the Canadian average because of the commuter demand. Commuting means dealing with rush-hour traffic on the bridges and Route 116. Service here is French first, though many people also speak English.
Trip planning at a glance
Peak season
September to October (apple and fall colours) and summer weekends
Quieter season
Midweek and winter
Nearest airport
Montreal-Trudeau International (YUL), 45 km west (about 40-50 minutes by car
Highlights
Mont Saint-Hilaire and Gault Nature Reserve of McGill University (hiking, Pain de Sucre and Rocher Rond summits)
Centre de la nature du Mont-Saint-Hilaire
Cidreries and orchards along Route des Vins and Route des Cidres (Cidrerie Michel Jodoin, Vergers Denis Charbonneau area)
Richelieu River bike path (Route Verte) and marina
Musee des beaux-arts de Mont-Saint-Hilaire
Vieux-Mont-Saint-Hilaire and Rue Saint-Jean-Baptiste
Centre d'interpretation de la nature
nearby Parc national de Mont-Saint-Bruno (about 20 km)
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.
5.7/10Good
Connector Score8.0
20 worthwhile cities within three hours; reachable by road, intercity bus, and air; lodging and sights for an overnight stop. Hey! En Route estimate
Safety9.0
Crime Severity Index around 40; the Canadian figure is about 80. Data-based
Affordability5.7
Cost of living index about 108, where the national average is 100. Data-based
Transportation6.5
Reachable by: road, intercity bus, and air. Hey! En Route estimate
Car-free friendliness3.5
Intercity train or bus, plus local transit and walkability. Hey! En Route estimate
Walkability3.3
Estimated from city size and transit; no walkable downtown noted. Hey! En Route estimate
Things to do4.0
Known for 5 kinds of attraction, with 6 annual events listed. Hey! En Route estimate
Food & dining4.0
Estimated from city size and dining listings. Hey! En Route estimate
Places to stay5.0
Lodging at budget, mid-range and luxury prices. Hey! En Route estimate
Nature & outdoors5.5
Known for mountains & hiking, lakes & rivers. Hey! En Route estimate
Scenic value6.3
From its landscape: coast, mountains, lakes and parks. Hey! En Route estimate
Family friendliness4.8
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
Nightlife4.0
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 convenience6.5
20 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 convenience6.5
Intercity buses, with 17 nearby cities reachable by bus. Hey! En Route estimate
Mont-Saint-Hilaire; the Mountain (Mont Saint-Hilaire, UNESCO Biosphere reserve); apple-orchard and cider country of the Vallee-du-Richelieu; Borough of Montreal's South Shore; home of Gault Nature Re…
Founded
1772 seigneurial settlement in the area (approximate); 1966 city incorporated (March 12, 1966); part of the Vallee-du-Richelieu RCM
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 by many residents and in tourism, being a suburb of Montreal, but service is French-first; immigrant languages small
Airports
Montreal-Trudeau International (YUL), about 45 km west (about 40-50 minutes by car); Montreal Saint-Hubert Airport (YHU), about 25 km southwest (general aviation); Montreal-Mirabel (YMX), about 90 km northwest; Plattsburgh (PBG) NY, about 110 km south
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.
Mont-Saint-Hilaire City Circle
For people considering Mont-Saint-Hilaire, visiting soon, living there for a while, or comparing it with somewhere else.
Population 18,859 and land area 44.08 sq km come from the English Wikipedia page for Mont-Saint-Hilaire (2021 Census, fetched). population_metro 4,291,732 is the Montreal CMA figure, as instructed by the assignment since Mont-Saint-Hilaire is part of the Montreal CMA (2021 Census). StatCan pages were not retried (robots-blocked). visitor_website is the Tourisme Monteregie regional page and event_calendar is the Ville de Mont-Saint-Hilaire homepage, both recalled and NOT confirmed by a page fetch (regional tourism used as fallback; no dedicated town tourism site was verified). Elevation, coordinates, 1772 settlement date, event names (several are generic or approximate), hotel and rent ranges, prices, crime index and distances are approximate or from general knowledge and not verified. All money in CAD.
Last verified September 25, 2026 · Source: Research spreadsheet · Editorial ·
Neighborhoods
7 areas to know, and who each one suits.
Vieux Mont-Saint-Hilaire
Historic center near the Richelieu
Centre-ville and Rue Saint-Jean-Baptiste
La Montagne
Mountain-side residential
Quartier du Vieux-Village
Villa-des-Peupliers
Sainte-Madeleine sector on the eastern side
Rue Sir-Wilfrid-Laurier area
No neighborhood matches that.
Where to base yourself
Around Vieux Mont-Saint-Hilaire for B&Bs and inns
hotels in nearby Beloeil and Saint-Bruno
boutique inns and auberges in the Route des Vins area (approximate names like Auberge Handfield in nearby Saint-Marc-sur-Richelieu)
most visitors base in Montreal (40 minutes by car). Tiers: budget motels in Beloeil
Per person per day, with a room shared by two. Change anything below to fit your trip.
Budget
$106/day
Lodging about CA$120 a night
Mid-range
$149/day
Lodging about CA$180 a night
Luxury
$239/day
Lodging about CA$285 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
108 (national average = 100)
Typical 1-bedroom rent
CA$1,400a month
Median home price
CA$675,000
Research notes
Roughly 5-10% above the Canadian average for housing (affluent Montreal suburb) and about 10-15% below large US metros (approximate); typical 1BR rent about $1,200-1,600 CAD per month on listing sites (approximate)
Real estate
Buying or renting long-term: prices, trends and the rules.
Median home
CA$675,000
Mortgage calculator
Average single-family home about $600,000-750,000 CAD (Quebec Professional Association of Real Estate Brokers, approximate); condos about $370,000-450,000 CAD; average 1BR rent about $1,200-1,600 CAD; market trend: strong growth 2020 to 2022, stabilized 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 $100-140; mid-range $140-220; luxury $220-350. Peak season is September to October (apple and fall colours) and summer weekends; midweek and winter are cheapest. Rough daily visitor budget excluding lodging: $90-150 CAD
Where to stay
Which part of town suits which kind of trip.
Around Vieux Mont-Saint-Hilaire for B&Bs and inns
hotels in nearby Beloeil and Saint-Bruno
boutique inns and auberges in the Route des Vins area (approximate names like Auberge Handfield in nearby Saint-Marc-sur-Richelieu)
most visitors base in Montreal (40 minutes by car). Tiers: budget motels in Beloeil
mid-range inns
luxury spa-style inns
No places to stay are listed yet.
Top sights
Mont Saint-Hilaire and Gault Nature Reserve of McGill University (hiking, Pain de Sucre and Rocher Rond summits)
Centre de la nature du Mont-Saint-Hilaire
Cidreries and orchards along Route des Vins and Route des Cidres (Cidrerie Michel Jodoin, Vergers Denis Charbonneau area)
Richelieu River bike path (Route Verte) and marina
Musee des beaux-arts de Mont-Saint-Hilaire
Vieux-Mont-Saint-Hilaire and Rue Saint-Jean-Baptiste
Centre d'interpretation de la nature
nearby Parc national de Mont-Saint-Bruno (about 20 km)
Known for:Mountains & hikingLakes & riversWineries & breweriesLive musicShopping
Things to do
2 listings in Mont-Saint-Hilaire, 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.
9.0
Excellent · Data-based
Crime Severity Index around 40; the Canadian figure is about 80.
Safety overview
Crime is low; Statistics Canada and the Regie intermunicipale de police Richelieu-Saint-Laurent data show a Crime Severity Index well below the national average (roughly 30-50, approximate); main risks are theft from vehicles at trailheads and bike theft. Health care: Quebec RAMQ does not cover visitors, so travel health insurance is advisable. Hospitals: Hopital Honore-Mercier (Saint-Hyacinthe, about 25 km) and Hopital Pierre-Boucher (Longueuil, about 35 km), plus Montreal hospitals; French-first, English usually available. Hazards: hiking falls, ticks (Lyme disease), spring flooding of the Richelieu River (2011 event), cold snowy winters (-10 to -20 C), summer heat waves. 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 on mountain trails (steep rock, ticks and poison ivy) and when crossing the Richelieu River ice or shoreline in winter; heavy traffic on Route 116 and Autoroute 20 and the Jean-Lesage Bridge at rush hour
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
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