Portneuf, a charming municipality in the Portneuf Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada, is a destination that offers a unique blend of history and natural beauty. Nestled on the Saint Lawrence River, between Quebec City and Trois-Rivières, Portneuf is a town that has a rich history dating back to 1636.
The municipal territory of Portneuf, Quebec, is divided into two non-contiguous areas, separated by the municipality of Sainte-Christine-d'Auvergne. The northern portion is undeveloped, while the southern part is the main inhabited area. This southern area houses the population centres of Portneuf, located south of Autoroute 40, and the adjacent Notre-Dame-de-Portneuf, situated north of A-40.
The town is conveniently located on the Chemin du Roy, a historic segment of Quebec Route 138 that stretches from near Montreal to Quebec City. It is also close to A-40, with Provencher Street providing a direct connection to the town at Exit 261.
One of the major employers in Portneuf, Quebec, is a local paper mill owned by Metro Paper Industries, a Toronto-based paper company. The paper industry has been a significant part of Portneuf's development since the first paper mill opened its doors in 1839.
The area that is now Portneuf, Quebec, was granted as a seignory to Jacques Leneuf de La Poterie in 1636 by the Compagnie de la Nouvelle-France. The first settlers arrived around 1640 and established a settlement at the mouth of the "Port Neuf" River.
The Portneuf post office opened in 1817, and the Parish of Notre-Dame-de-Portneuf was formed in 1861. The village centre separated from the Parish Municipality of Notre-Dame-de-Portneuf in 1914 and was incorporated as the Village Municipality of Notre-Dame-de-Portneuf. In 1961, it changed its status and name, becoming the City of Portneuf. On July 4, 2002, the parish municipality was amalgamated into the new City of Portneuf.
According to the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Portneuf had a population of 3,329 living in 1,609 of its 1,696 total private dwellings. This represented a change of 4.5% from its 2016 population of 3,187. With a land area of 109.1 km2 (42.1 sq mi), it had a population density of 30.5/km2 (79.0/sq mi) in 2021.
The population trend over the years has been relatively stable. The population in 2011 was 3107, a slight increase from 3086 in 2006 and 3095 in 2001. The mother tongue of the residents is predominantly French (97.2%), with a small percentage of English speakers (0.8%). A few residents speak both English and French as their first language (0.3%), and some speak other languages (1.6%).
