Laval, Qué, City, pop 343 005 (2001c), 330 393 (1996c), 314 398 (1991c), area 247.07 km2, inc 1965, was formed by the merger of 14 municipalities: Chomedey, Duvernay, Laval-des-Rapides, Laval-Ouest, Pont-Viau, Sainte-Rose, Auteuil, Fabreville, Îles-Laval, Laval-sur-le-lac, Sainte-Dorothée, Saint-François, Saint-Vincent-de-Paul and Vimont. This island-city, 34 km in length by about 11 km in width, is located in the ST LAWRENCE RIVER, north of Île de Montréal, about 15 km from downtown MONTRÉAL. The second largest city of the province of Québec, Laval is separated from Île de Montréal by the Rivière des Prairies and from the mainland to the north by the Rivière des Mille Îles. The city owes its name to François de LAVAL, first Roman Catholic bishop of Québec (1674-88) and onetime seigneur (1675-80) of Île Jésus, the island on which stands today's Laval.