Dorval, Quebec, a suburban city on the island of Montreal, is a unique blend of history and modernity. Despite being the city with the largest surface area on Montreal’s west side, it is among the least densely populated. This is largely due to the Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, which occupies about 60% of the city's land. As a result, Dorval's population is concentrated in the southern part of the city.
Dorval, Quebec, boasts a rich history that dates back over 350 years. Founded in 1667, it is the oldest city on the west side of Montreal and one of the oldest in Canada and North America. The city's history began when Sulpician priests established a mission on the outskirts of Ville-Marie, a French settlement that later became known as Montreal.
Originally named Gentilly, the city was later renamed La Présentation-de-la-Vierge-Marie. In 1691, the domain of La Présentation was acquired by Jean-Baptiste Bouchard dit d'Orval, from whom the city gets its current name. Dorval was incorporated as a village in 1892, a town in 1903, and a city in 1956.
The arrival of the Grand Trunk Railway in 1855 and the extension of streetcar service to Dorval's eastern city limits in the interwar period attracted many wealthier families to the city. Post-Second World War, Dorval saw an influx of middle-class families, facilitated by the widening of highway 20 and large-scale construction of new dwellings.
As of the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Dorval, Quebec, had a population of 19,302 living in 8,716 of its 9,058 total private dwellings. This represented a change of 1.7% from its 2016 population of 18,980. With a land area of 20.91 km2, it had a population density of 923.1/km2 in 2021. Dorval has been officially recognized as a bilingual municipality since 2005.
Dorval, Quebec, is home to Aéroports de Montréal, the Greater Montreal airport authority, which has its headquarters in Leigh-Capreol Place. The city is also connected to Dorval Island, a summer cottage community with only five permanent residents, by a private ferry service.
Most of Montreal's principal airport, Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, is located in Dorval, Quebec. Originally a military airfield used mainly to refuel new fighters and bombers being flown to Great Britain during the Second World War, Trudeau Airport today serves over 18 million passengers annually.
