Longlac is located on Long Lake, 320 kilometers east of Thunder Bay, Ontario. It lies approximately halfway between Toronto, Ontario and Winnipeg, Manitoba. Long Lake was inhabited by the Ojibwa prior to European contact. In the 17th century the site became part of the fur trading route used by voyageurs, and later the Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company. In 1910 the Canadian National Railway was built through the town, and Longlac was connected to Highway 11 in 1942.
The town has a population of 2074. It has a large forestry industry, as well as a growing tourism industry.