A 360 view of Moncton

Moncton lies in southeastern New Brunswick, at the geographic centre of the Maritime Provinces. The city is located along the north bank of the Petitcodiac River at a point where the river bends acutely from a west–east to north–south flow.

There are many natural attractions near Moncton. Two major national parks, Fundy National Park and Kouchibouguac National Park, are within a one-hour drive of the city. The warmest salt water beaches north of Virginia can be found on the Northumberland Strait, only 15 minutes away at Parlee Beach in the nearby town of Shediac. New Brunswick's signature natural attraction, the Hopewell Rocks, are a half hour's drive down the Petitcodiac river valley. Cape Enrage, located near Alma, includes a historic lighthouse, fossil cliffs, scenic vistas, and adventure tourism. The Sackville Waterfowl Park includes nature trails and a boardwalk over a freshwater marsh as well as waterfowl viewing platforms. Other nearby attractions (within one hour of the city) include The Cape Jourimain National Wildlife Preserve, La Dune de Bouctouche Eco-Centre, (an ecotourism site and beach).

Moncton's linguistic majority is English, however the city has an active French-speaking Acadian minority population of approximately 30%. Approximately 64.3% of residents of Moncton speak English and French is spoken by about 33.4% as a first language. Only about 1% speak both languages as a first language, and 1.2% speak another language as a first language. However about 40% of the metropolitan population of Moncton, New Brunswick is bilingual (French/English/French).