Quebec City was founded as a permanent French settlement by Samuel de Champlain on July 3, 1608. Its age in any given year is calculated from 1608, but the human history of the site reaches far earlier than the European city.
Before 1608
Indigenous peoples lived in and traveled through the St. Lawrence Valley for thousands of years. When Jacques Cartier reached the area in 1535, he recorded the St. Lawrence Iroquoian village of Stadacona. That history should not be reduced to a preface to French settlement; it is part of the place’s own long story.
Champlain and the founding of Quebec
Champlain established a trading post and settlement at the narrowing of the St. Lawrence River in 1608. The name “Québec” is generally linked to an Algonquin word describing a place where the river narrows.
Capital of New France
Quebec became the administrative centre of New France. Its river position supported trade and defense, while religious communities, merchants and craftspeople shaped the growing town.
1759 and British rule
The British siege and the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759 were decisive events in the Seven Years’ War. France ceded Canada to Britain in the 1763 Treaty of Paris. Quebec City later developed as a major port, shipbuilding centre and seat of government.
Why the walls survived
Many North American cities removed their fortifications, but Quebec City retained and restored much of its defensive system. Lord Dufferin, governor general of Canada from 1872 to 1878, played an important role in promoting preservation while supporting new gates and public spaces.
UNESCO recognition
UNESCO added the Historic District of Old Québec to the World Heritage List in 1985. It remains the most complete fortified colonial town north of Mexico, with Upper Town, Lower Town, religious buildings, military works and residential streets forming one historic ensemble.
To explore that history indoors, use our guide to Quebec City museums. UNESCO also maintains an official Old Quebec World Heritage listing.