It crosses the central business district from west to east, beginning at the corner of Claremont Avenue and de Maisonneuve Boulevard in Westmount, and ending at the Grace Dart Extended Care Centre by Assomption metro station, where it folds back into Notre-Dame Street.

[2] A series of interconnected office tower basements and shopping complexes line the street, parallel to the largest segments of Montreal's underground city.

Nine metro stations serve as access to Sainte-Catherine Street, whereby it passes through residential neighbourhoods, the Quartier des spectacles and the downtown core.

This is still seen today, with large stores, entertainment venues, cinemas and theatres continuing to attract commercial traffic.

In the east, the street extended to De Lorimier Avenue and Fullum Road by 1863—where it reaches to Du Havre in the next couple of years.

[5] In 1890, evening entertainment began to boom, with both English and French theatres, as well as the Academy of Music, lining the street near the intersection with Victoria Avenue.

[4] St. Catherine Street has been home to many of Montreal's prominent department stores, including such former retailers as Eaton's, Morgan's, Simpson's and Dupuis Frères.

The Simpson's building is now shared by the Simons department store and a multiplex cinema, while Eaton's was converted to the Complexe Les Ailes.

[6] Other major retailers along the street include an Apple Store, AVEDA Experience Centre, Indigo Books and Music, Archambault, La Senza, Best Buy, Roots, Adidas, Puma, Guess, Parasuco, Zara, and an H&M flagship store at the corner of Peel and St. Catherine.

Due to the Forum's presence on this street, St. Catherine was used as the parade route for locals when the Canadiens won the Stanley Cup.

[7] This was once referred to as "the usual route" by Mayor Jean Drapeau, during the Canadiens' dynasties of the mid-century, when a win would frequently occur.

For one weekend in July every year, Saint-Catherine Street hosts Canada's largest open-air sidewalk sale.

[10] Montreal's Place des Arts, the city's primary concert venue,[3] is located on Saint Catherine, Jeanne-Mance and Saint-Urbain streets.

The street was once home to many now-abandoned cinemas, such as the Loews, Palace, Capitol, Cinéma de Paris, York, Ouimetoscope and the Seville Theatre.

Beaudry Metro station, on the Green Line, provides the most convenient access to the Village and sports a permanent rainbow decoration on its façade.