Jacques Cartier reached the site in 1535, when it was the Iroquoian village of Stadaconé. Samuel de Champlain founded Québec in 1608, in today’s Old Québec, and the city first grew inside its fortifications, on top of and below Cap Diamant.
The borough at a glance
BoroughLa Cité-Limoilou
Downtownbetween the St. Lawrence and the Saint-Charles River
Life in La Cité-Limoilou
The vibe
The oldest and densest part of Québec City. The Upper Town holds the political and cultural institutions, while the Lower Town and Limoilou are mostly residential, with some industrial areas.
The housing
Mostly plexes and row houses, often served by back lanes in Limoilou. In Saint-Roch, former industrial buildings were converted into condos in the 2000s.
Nearby
Plains of Abraham · Domaine de Maizerets · Saint-Charles River linear park
Good to know
Renters are the majority in several neighbourhoods: in 2016, about 76% of residents of Saint-Roch and Vieux-Limoilou rented their home. Public transit is provided by the Réseau de transport de la Capitale.
Landmarks
- Old Québec
- Rue Saint-Joseph
- 3e Avenue
History
The history of La Cité-Limoilou
- 1608Champlain founds Québec
- 1792Suburbs brought into the city
- 1909Limoilou annexed to Québec City
- 1985Old Québec on UNESCO’s list
- 2009Current borough is created
In the mid-18th century, a first suburb, the future Saint-Roch, housed craftsmen and workers outside the walls. The Saint-Jean suburb grew from the 1780s, and both were brought into the city in 1792. In the 19th century, fires, including those of 1845 and 1866, levelled suburbs that were then rebuilt.
Limoilou stayed rural until the late 19th century. In 1893, the workers’ villages of Stadacona, Hedleyville and New Waterford joined under the name Limoilou, a variant of the name of Jacques Cartier’s manor in Saint-Malo. Annexed to Québec City in 1909, the area was built on a grid, with numbered streets and back lanes.
Until the 1960s, Saint-Roch was Québec City’s commercial downtown, with the department stores of Rue Saint-Joseph. The growth of the suburbs then brought major projects, such as the Dufferin-Montmorency highway. The boroughs of La Cité and Limoilou, created on January 1, 2002, were merged on November 1, 2009.
Frequently asked questions about La Cité-Limoilou
Which neighbourhoods are in La Cité-Limoilou?
The borough has nine neighbourhoods: Vieux-Québec–Cap-Blanc–colline Parlementaire, Saint-Roch, Saint-Jean-Baptiste, Montcalm, Saint-Sauveur, Saint-Sacrement, Lairet, Maizerets and Vieux-Limoilou.
Is Old Québec in La Cité-Limoilou?
Yes. Old Québec, on top of and below Cap Diamant, is part of the Vieux-Québec–Cap-Blanc–colline Parlementaire neighbourhood, the borough’s downtown and historic centre.
Where does the name Limoilou come from?
It is a variant of Limoëlou, Jacques Cartier’s manor in Saint-Malo, Brittany. The workers’ villages north of the Saint-Charles River adopted the name in 1893.
How do I find an apartment for rent in La Cité-Limoilou?
Rental units managed by Lease Lane in La Cité-Limoilou will soon be listed on the site, along with the online rental application. In the meantime, Cléo can notify you as soon as a unit is posted.
Other areas
