It has a total land area of 20,779.19 km2 (8,022.89 sq mi) and its population was 589,400 inhabitants as of the 2016 Census.

English Canadians began settling in the 1700s in towns like Arundel and Harrington and St. Columban and Clyde, today's La Conception.

French Canadians began settlement in the first half of the 19th century, establishing an agricultural presence throughout the valleys.

The Laurentides offer a weekend escape for Montrealers and tourists from New England to Ontario, and with the building of a major highway through the area in the 1970s (Autoroute 15), the area has experienced much growth.

Its largest city is Saint-Jérôme, in its extreme southeast, with a 2011 census population of 68,456 inhabitants.