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Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the Montreal area was inhabited by the Algonquin, Iroquois, and Huron peoples. The first European to reached the area in 1535; the Frenchman Jacques Cartier came into contact with the Iroquian village of Hochelaga at the foot of the Mount Royal, from which the city will later take its name.

Seven decades later, New France founder Samuel de Champlain established a fur trading post at La Place Royale on the Island of Montreal. This outpost didn't prove to be successful. It was only in 1642 that the first permanent French settlement on the Island, Ville-Marie ('Mary's City' or 'City of Mary') was founded.

The Montreal area remained a French colony until 1760, when it was surrendered to the British army during the French and Indian War. Fifteen years later, American Revolutionists briefly captured the city during the invasion of Canada.

Montreal was incorporated as a city in 1832, and it soon became a major conurbation, spurred by the opening of the Lachine Canal and Victoria Bridge. By 1860, Montreal was the largest city in British North America and the chief centre of Canada.

The early 1950s saw Montreal's population surpassing the one million mark. This milestone was followed by the city's hosting of the 1967 International and Universal Exposition and the 1976 Summer Olympics.

The very first day of 2002 saw the merger of the city with its 27 surrounding municipalities on the Island of Montreal. Exactly four years later, a demerger took place; the Island of Montreal currently has 15 municipalities, including the City of Montreal.