Route 138 is a major highway in the

Canadian province Within the geographical areas of Canada, the ten provinces and three territories are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British North ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

, following the entire north shore of the

Saint Lawrence River The St. Lawrence River (french: Fleuve Saint-Laurent, ) is a large river in the middle latitudes of North America. Its headwaters begin flowing from Lake Ontario in a (roughly) northeasterly direction, into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, connectin ...

past Montreal to the temporary eastern terminus in

Kegashka Kegashka, population 138 (as of the 2011 census), is the easternmost point in the Côte-Nord region of Quebec, Canada to be reachable by road without passing through Newfoundland and Labrador. Quebec Route 138 reached the community on September 26 ...

on the

Gulf of Saint Lawrence , image = Baie de la Tour.jpg , alt = , caption = Gulf of St. Lawrence from Anticosti National Park, Quebec , image_bathymetry = Golfe Saint-Laurent Depths fr.svg , alt_bathymetry = Bathymetry ...

. The western terminus is in Elgin, at the border with New York State south-west of

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

(connecting with New York State Route 30 at the Trout River Border Crossing). Part of this highway is known as the '' Chemin du Roy'', or King's Highway, which is one of the oldest highways in Canada. It passes through the

Montérégie Montérégie () is an administrative region in the southwest part of Quebec. It includes the cities of Boucherville, Brossard, Châteauguay, Longueuil, Saint-Hyacinthe, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Salaberry-de-Valleyfield and Vaudreuil-Dorion. ...

Lanaudière Lanaudière (, ) is one of the seventeen administrative regions of Quebec, Canada, situated immediately to the northeast of Montreal. It has a total population ( 2016 Census) of 494,796 inhabitants, an increase of 4.9% over the 2011 census. Geog ...

, Mauricie,

Capitale-Nationale Capitale-Nationale (; en, National Capital region) is one of the 17 administrative regions of Quebec. It is anchored by the provincial capital, Quebec City, and is largely coextensive with that city's metropolitan area. It has a land area of 18,7 ...

and

Côte-Nord Côte-Nord (, ; ; land area ) is the second-largest administrative region by land area in Quebec, Canada, after Nord-du-Québec. It covers much of the northern shore of the Saint Lawrence River estuary and the Gulf of Saint Lawrence past Tadous ...

regions of Quebec. In Montreal, Highway 138 runs via

Sherbrooke Street Sherbrooke Street (officially in french: rue Sherbrooke) is a major east–west artery and at in length, is the second longest street on the Island of Montreal. The street begins in the town of Montreal West and ends on the extreme tip of ...

, crosses the

Pierre Le Gardeur Bridge The Le Gardeur Bridge is a Beam (structure), beam bridge that connects the east end of the island of Montreal, in Pointe-aux-Trembles, to Repentigny, Quebec, Repentigny. The bridge has two sections across the Rivière des Prairies, which are se ...

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first Holy ...

and remains a four-lane road until exiting Repentigny. This highway takes a more scenic route than the more direct Autoroute 40 between Montreal and

Quebec City Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Communauté métrop ...

. It crosses the

Saguenay River __NOTOC__ The Saguenay River () is a major river of Quebec, Canada. It drains Lac Saint-Jean in the Laurentian Highlands, leaving at Alma and running east; the city of Saguenay is located on the river. It drains into the Saint Lawrence River. ...

via a ferry which travels between Baie-Sainte-Catherine and

Tadoussac Tadoussac () is a village in Quebec, Canada, at the confluence of the Saguenay and Saint Lawrence rivers. The indigenous Innu call the place ''Totouskak'' (plural for ''totouswk'' or ''totochak'') meaning "bosom", probably in reference to the t ...

; in the event of a closure of this ferry, drivers must take a significant detour via

Quebec Route 172 Route 172 is an east/west highway on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada, and it parallels the Saguenay River on the north side of it. The western terminus of Route 172 is in Saint-Nazaire at the junction of Route 169, a ...

and

Quebec Route 170 Route 170 is a major east/west highway on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada, and it parallels the Saguenay River on the south side of it. The western terminus of Route 170 is in Métabetchouan–Lac-à-la-Croix at the ...

to the city of Saguenay in order to cross the river by bridge. Nissan LEAF au bout de la Route 138 Kegaska, Quebec

Until the mid-1990s, the highway's eastern terminus was

Havre-Saint-Pierre Havre-Saint-Pierre is a town on Pointe-aux-Esquimaux, which is on the Quebec north shore (Côte-Nord) of the Saint Lawrence River in Canada. Located along Route 138 some east of Sept-Îles, it is the largest town and seat of the Minganie RCM, ...

, but in 1996 the extension to Natashquan was completed. A 40 km gravel section between Natashquan and Kegashka opened on September 26, 2013, with the inauguration of a bridge across the

Natashquan River The Natashquan is a river in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador. It flows south into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. Geography The river has its source just south of the boundary between the Atlantic and Saint Lawrence ...

. A second segment of about 17 km extends from Tête-à-la-Baleine's airport, east through Tête-à-la-Baleine, to the ferry terminal southeast of Tête-à-la-Baleine. There is also a 10.7 km roadway, la route Mecatina, from Mutton Bay to a ferry terminal in La Tabatière and continuing beyond. A third segment of Route 138 extends from Old Fort to the

Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

border (connecting with Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Route 510), near

Blanc-Sablon Blanc-Sablon is the easternmost community in Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent Regional County Municipality, in the administrative région of Côte-Nord, in the province of Quebec, Canada. With a population of 1,122 inhabitants in 2021, it is the most p ...

on the eastern end of the Côte-Nord. A gap remains between Kegashka and Old Fort, through isolated communities accessible only by coastal ferry. On August 25, 2006, the Quebec government announced a 10-year project to connect the two segments by building 425 km of highway along the Lower North Shore. In 2011, the Quebec government announced an additional $122 million investment for the project over five years as part of the Plan Nord. However, by 2013 difficulties ensued between the Quebec Ministry of Transport and the Pakatan Corporation, who was previously responsible for managing the funding for this project, leading to the termination of agreement between the two. By this time only 12 km of this road had been built, plus some additional engineering work and

deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. The most concentrated d ...

. The construction of two segments of the highway (Kegashka–La Romaine and Tête-à-la-Baleine–La Tabatière) was set to begin in 2019. A total of $232 million will be contributed to this project.

Municipalities along Route 138

* Elgin *

Godmanchester Godmanchester ( ) is a town and civil parish in the Huntingdonshire district of Cambridgeshire, England. It is separated from Huntingdon, to the north, by the valley of the River Great Ouse. Being on the Roman road network, the town has a lo ...

Huntingdon Huntingdon is a market town in the Huntingdonshire district in Cambridgeshire, England. The town was given its town charter by King John in 1205. It was the county town of the historic county of Huntingdonshire. Oliver Cromwell was born there ...

Ormstown Ormstown is a municipality in Quebec, Canada, which is situated on the Chateauguay River in the heart of the Chateauguay Valley. It is approximately one hour southwest of Montreal and 20 minutes north of New York State in the United States. The po ...

* Très-Saint-Sacrement * Howick * Sainte-Martine *

Mercier Mercier is French for ''notions dealer'' or ''haberdasher'', and may refer to: People * Agnès Mercier, French curler and coach *Annick Mercier (born 1964), French curler *Amanda H. Mercier (born 1975), American Judge * Armand Mercier, (1933–20 ...

Châteauguay Châteauguay ( , , ) is an off-island suburb of Montreal, in southwestern Quebec, located both on the Chateauguay River and Lac St-Louis, which is a section of the St. Lawrence River. The population of the city of Châteauguay at the 2021 Cen ...

Kahnawake The Kahnawake Mohawk Territory (french: Territoire Mohawk de Kahnawake, in the Mohawk language, ''Kahnawáˀkye'' in Tuscarora) is a First Nations reserve of the Mohawks of Kahnawá:ke on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River in Queb ...

''( LaSalle / Montreal-Ouest /

Notre-Dame-de-Grâce Notre-Dame-de-Grâce ( en, Our Lady of Grace), also nicknamed NDG, is a residential neighbourhood of Montreal in the city's West End, with a population of 166,520 (2016). An independent municipality until annexed by the City of Montreal in 1910, ...

/ Westmount /'' Montreal ''/ Rosemont /

Anjou Anjou may refer to: Geography and titles France * County of Anjou, a historical county in France and predecessor of the Duchy of Anjou **Count of Anjou, title of nobility *Duchy of Anjou, a historical duchy and later a province of France **Duk ...

Pointe-aux-Trembles Pointe-aux-Trembles was a municipality, founded in 1674, that was annexed by Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1982. This was the last city to be merged into Montreal until the 2002 municipal reorganization. On January 1, 2002 this neighbourhood a ...

)'' * Montréal-Est * Repentigny * Saint-Sulpice * Lavaltrie * Lanoraie * Sainte-Geneviève-de-Berthier *

Berthierville Berthierville ()(also called Berthier-en-haut, and legally called Berthier before 1942) is a town located between Montreal and Trois-Rivières on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada. Berthierville is the seat of D'Autray ...

* Saint-Cuthbert * Saint-Barthélemy * Maskinongé *

Louiseville Louiseville is a town in the Mauricie region of the province of Quebec in Canada. It is located near the mouth of the 'Rivière-du-Loup', on the north shore of Lac Saint-Pierre. Louiseville is twinned with Soissons in France and Cerfontaine in ...

* Yamachiche *

Trois-Rivières Trois-Rivières (, – 'Three Rivers') is a city in the Mauricie administrative region of Quebec, Canada, at the confluence of the Saint-Maurice and Saint Lawrence rivers, on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River across from the city of ...

''(

Pointe-du-Lac Pointe-du-Lac is one of the six boroughs of the city of Trois-Rivières and a former municipality in Quebec, Canada on the St. Lawrence River. It was founded in 1738 and its current church dates from 1882. Another old building in the village is the ...

/ Trois-Rivières-Ouest /'' Trois-Rivières '' /

Cap-de-la-Madeleine Cap-de-la-Madeleine is a former city in Quebec, Canada at the confluence of the Saint-Maurice River and the St. Lawrence River. It was amalgamated into the City of Trois-Rivières in 2002. Population (2006 census) 33,022. History Cap-de-la-M ...

)'' * Champlain * Batiscan *

Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade () is a municipality in the Les Chenaux Regional County Municipality, in the Mauricie region of the province of Quebec in Canada. The town is located near the mouth of the Sainte-Anne River along the ''Chemin du Roy'', ...

Deschambault-Grondines Deschambault-Grondines is a municipality of about 2100 inhabitants in the Canadian province of Quebec, located in Portneuf Regional County Municipality. The municipality was incorporated in 2002 by the merger of the formerly independent villages ...

* Portneuf *

Cap-Santé Cap-Santé is a town in the Canadian province of Quebec. It is the county seat of Portneuf Regional County Municipality and was as well the county seat of the designated Portneuf County. The name of the town means "Cape Health". Cap-Santé is ...

Donnacona Chief Donnacona (died 1539 in France) was the chief of the St. Lawrence Iroquois village of Stadacona, located at the present site of Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. French explorer Jacques Cartier, concluding his second voyage to what is now Can ...

* Neuville *

''(

Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures is a city in central Quebec, Canada, on the Saint Lawrence River, adjacent to Quebec City. The town was founded in 1691 by three families (Desroches, Racette, Couture). It was merged with Quebec City on January 1, 2002 ...

/ Cap-Rouge /

L'Ancienne-Lorette L'Ancienne-Lorette is a city in central Quebec, Canada. It is a suburb of and an enclave within Quebec City. It was merged with Quebec City on January 1, 2002 as part of a 2000–2006 municipal reorganization in Quebec, but, after a 2004 refere ...

/ Vanier /'' Quebec City ''/ Beauport)'' *

Boischatel Boischatel is a municipality in the Capitale-Nationale region of Quebec, Canada. The town was originally called Saint-Jean-de-Boischatel. The town itself is located along the Montmorency River. Near the boundary with Beauport are the Montmorenc ...

* L'Ange-Gardien *

Château-Richer Château-Richer is a small town situated in the Capitale-Nationale region of Quebec, Canada. Located on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River east of Quebec City, Château-Richer is the seat for the Côte-de-Beaupré Regional County Munici ...

Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré is a town in La Côte-de-Beaupré Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada, along the Saint Lawrence River, north-east of Quebec City. The population was 2,803 according to the Canada 2006 Census. Major religious l ...

* Beaupré *

Saint-Joachim Saint-Joachim (; br, Sant-Yoasin) is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France. It is in the centre of the Brière marsh, and comprises a group of "islands" within the marsh. See also *Communes of the Loire-Atlantique dep ...

Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague-du-Cap-Tourmente Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague-du-Cap-Tourmente is a parish municipality in Quebec, Canada. Its population in the Canada 2021 Census was 0. It is a relic of the seigneurial system of New France. Geography Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague-du-Cap-Tourmente is a ...

Saint-Tite-des-Caps Saint-Tite-des-Caps is a municipality in La Côte-de-Beaupré Regional County Municipality in Quebec, Canada. Located on Route 138 to Baie-Saint-Paul, this road climbs up sharply to about to reach the town nestled in a valley. The Sainte-Anne ...

Petite-Rivière-Saint-François Petite-Rivière-Saint-François is a municipality in Quebec, Canada, along the Saint Lawrence River. It is considered the gateway to the Charlevoix region. It is named after the Petite rivière Saint-François, and home to Le Massif ski resort. ...

Baie-Saint-Paul Baie-Saint-Paul ( 2011 Population 7,332; UA population 4,535) is a city in the Province of Quebec, Canada, on the northern shore of the Saint Lawrence River. Baie-Saint-Paul is the seat of Charlevoix Regional County Municipality. The city is ...

* Saint-Urbain * Saint-Hilarion * Saint-Aimé-des-Lacs * Clermont *

La Malbaie La Malbaie is a municipality in the Charlevoix-Est Regional County Municipality in the Province of Quebec, Canada, situated on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River at the mouth of the Malbaie River. It was formerly known as Murray Bay. La ...

* Saint-Siméon * Baie-Sainte-Catherine (ferry to 138 continuation in Tadoussac) *

* Sacré-Coeur *

Les Bergeronnes Les Bergeronnes is a municipality in the Côte-Nord region of the province of Quebec in Canada. The municipality includes the communities of Grandes-Bergeronnes, Petites-Bergeronnes and Bon-Désir. The Bon-Désir trading post After the continen ...

* Les Escoumins * Longue-Rive * Portneuf-sur-Mer * Forestville * Colombier *

Betsiamites Betsiamites may refer to: * the Betsiamites River in Quebec, * the Innu The Innu / Ilnu ("man", "person") or Innut / Innuat / Ilnuatsh ("people"), formerly called Montagnais from the French colonial period ( French for "mountain people", Engl ...

* Ragueneau * Chute-aux-Outardes * Pointe-aux-Outardes *

Baie-Comeau Baie-Comeau (; 2021 city population 20,687; CA population 26,643) is a city located approximately north-east of Quebec City in the Côte-Nord region of the province of Quebec, Canada. It is located on the shores of the Saint Lawrence River nea ...

* Franquelin *

Godbout Godbout is a village municipality in the Côte-Nord region of Quebec, Canada. It is located at the mouth of the Godbout River on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River. Godbout is accessible via Quebec Route 138 and by ferry from Matane. E ...

* Baie-Trinité *

Port-Cartier Port-Cartier is a city in the Côte-Nord region of Quebec, Canada. It is located on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River at the mouth of the Aux-Rochers River, exactly southwest of Sept-Îles, Quebec. Port-Cartier had a population of 6,65 ...

Uashat Uashat is an Indian reserve in Quebec, located adjacent to the city of Sept-Îles. Together with Maliotenam some distance away, it forms the Innu community of Uashat-Maliotenam Innu Takuaikan Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam is an Innu First Nations b ...

* Sept-Îles * Rivière-au-Tonnerre * Rivière-Saint-Jean * Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan *

* Baie-Johan-Beetz * Aguanish * Natashquan * Kegaska ''gap in roadway'' * Tête-à-la-Baleine ''gap in roadway'' *

Vieux-Fort Vieux Fort is one of 10 districts of the Caribbean island country of Saint Lucia. Vieux Fort is also the name of the main town in the district. It is the home of the second-largest town in Saint Lucia and is the home of Saint Lucia's internatio ...

* Blanc Sablon Route 138 Charlevoix

Major intersections

References

External links

Provincial Route Map (Courtesy of the Quebec Ministry of Transportation)

Overview Google map for QC 138 from Montreal border to NatashquanOverview Google map for QC 138 from Montreal to New York borderOverview Google map for QC 138 from dead end to Newfoundland and Labrador border
{{Authority control 138 Baie-Comeau Baie-Saint-Paul Châteauguay Louiseville Transport in Repentigny, Quebec Roads in Montreal Streets in Quebec City Transport in Sept-Îles, Quebec Transport in Trois-Rivières