Cairns, Australia

Queensland · Australia

Cairns is a large city in Queensland, Australia with a population of 153,181. Elevation: 23 ft (7 m). Average temperature: 75°F (24°C).

Population source: Wikidata (dated census and official estimates), GeoNames. Climate: WorldClim 2.1 normals (1970-2000), NASA POWER. Updated August 2026

153,181 Population 813/sq mi density
23 ft Elevation 7 meters
75°F Avg Temperature 24°C
92.8 in Annual Rain
Australia / Brisbane Timezone

Discover Cairns, Australia

Explore over 40 sections covering people, economy, housing, health, crime, climate, community, costs, trends, schools, colleges, hospitals, treatment centers, industries, museums, libraries, breweries, farmers markets, grocery stores, pharmacies, campgrounds, parks, trails, stadiums, ski resorts, daycare centers, nursing homes, churches, fire stations, cell towers, bridges, power plants, EV stations, prisons, radio stations, airports, police stations, post offices, Amtrak stations, superfund sites, UNESCO sites, and more.
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Full City Profile

People

Population153,181
Density813/mi²

Climate

Avg Temp75°F (24°C)
Rain92.8 in/yr
Elevation23 ft (7 m)
Population153,181
Population Density813 / sq mi
Elevation23 ft (7 m)
Coordinates-16.9237°, 145.7661°
TimezoneAustralia/Brisbane
Country🇦🇺 Australia
State / ProvinceQueensland
Average Temperature75°F (24°C)
January Average79°F (26°C)
July Average70°F (21°C)
Annual Precipitation92.8 inches (2,358 mm)
Annual Snowfall0.0 inches (0 cm)

About Cairns

Cairns is a large city in Australia (Queensland) with a population of 153,181. The city sits at an elevation of 23 feet (7 meters) above sea level. The average annual temperature is 75°F (24°C). Temperatures range from 79°F in January to 70°F in July. Annual precipitation averages 92.8 inches. The timezone is Australia/Brisbane.

Climate in Cairns

Cairns has an average annual temperature of 23°C (73°F). The hottest month is Dec (25.8°C), the coldest is Jul (19.3°C). Average annual precipitation is 1518 mm.

Month Avg °C / °F Min / Max °C Rain (mm)
Jan 25.3°C / 77°F 21.5° / 31.3° 370.1
Feb 25.1°C / 77°F 20.9° / 31.1° 242.1
Mar 24.5°C / 76°F 20.4° / 29.9° 253.5
Apr 23.4°C / 74°F 19.2° / 29.2° 181.1
May 21.2°C / 70°F 14.8° / 26.4° 62.9
Jun 20°C / 68°F 13.8° / 26.3° 30.8
Jul 19.3°C / 67°F 11.6° / 26.6° 45.0
Aug 20.3°C / 68°F 13.4° / 29.4° 26.3
Sep 21.7°C / 71°F 15.5° / 30.8° 19.6
Oct 24.1°C / 75°F 18.1° / 33.7° 25.0
Nov 25.2°C / 77°F 19.4° / 34.6° 42.7
Dec 25.8°C / 79°F 20.6° / 34.6° 219.1
Cairns has a warm climate with an average annual temperature of 75°F (24°C). Winters average 79°F in January while summers reach 70°F in July / relatively mild seasonal variation. Annual precipitation totals 92.8 inches (wetter than the 38-inch national average). The city sits at an elevation of 23 feet, near sea level.

Temperature

79°F Jan (26°C) 70°F Jul (21°C)
Annual Average75.1°F
39% above Australia avg
January Average79°F (26°C)
July Average70°F (21°C)

Geography

Elevation23 ft (7 m)
Area188.5 sq mi (488.1 km²)
Population Density813/sq mi
Coordinates16.9237°S, 145.7661°E
TimezoneAustralia/Brisbane

Precipitation & Snow

Annual Rainfall 92.8"
144% above Australia avg
Snowfall 0.0"
Wettest Month (Feb) 20.47"
Driest Month (Jul) 1.26"

Air Quality

Earthquake History

2 earthquakes (M2.5+) within 150 km since 1990. Strongest: M4.5. Most recent: M4.5 on Jun 7, 2023.

Jun 7, 2023 122 km ENE of Yarrabah, Australia M4.5 135 km
Mar 15, 2011 30 km NE of Innisfail Estate, Australia M3.6 69 km
Source: USGS (M2.5+, 1990-2025)

Hurricane History

10 hurricanes (Cat 1+) within 500 km since 1980. Strongest: Category 4. Most recent: Nathan (2015).

Year Name Category Closest
2015 Nathan Category 3 238 km
2014 Ita Category 4 123 km
2011 Yasi Category 4 111 km
2009 Hamish Category 3 217 km
2006 Larry Category 4 64 km
1998 Katrina Category 1 274 km
1998 Nathan Category 1 293 km
1991 Joy Category 2 110 km
1986 Winifred Category 2 83 km
1986 Manu Category 1 282 km
Source: NOAA IBTrACS (Cat 1+, 1980-2026)

Monthly Weather

Month Avg Temperature Precipitation Summary
January 79°F (26°C) 15.4 in
February 80°F (27°C) 20.5 in Wettest
March 79°F (26°C) 18.5 in
April 76°F (25°C) 10.1 in
May 73°F (23°C) 3.4 in
June 69°F (21°C) 1.7 in Coldest
July 70°F (21°C) 1.3 in Driest
August 70°F (21°C) 1.5 in
September 73°F (23°C) 2.5 in
October 76°F (25°C) 3.0 in
November 79°F (26°C) 5.8 in
December 80°F (27°C) 8.9 in Warmest

Cairns has a seasonal temperature swing of 11°F / from 69°F in June to 80°F in December. Total annual precipitation is 92.4 inches, with February being the wettest month (20.5") and July the driest (1.3").

View full weather details →

Colleges & Universities in Cairns

Institution Type Founded Website
Central Queensland University Cairns University - ,
Great Barrier Reef, International Marine Collage College - Visit →
James Cook University University - ,
TAFE Queensland - Cairns Campus College - ,

Schools in Cairns

1 public schools (OpenStreetMap data).

School Level Enrollment Teachers Student/Teacher
Parramatta State School - - - -
View full schools details →

Radio Stations near Cairns

2 stations within ~55 km.

Station Genre Quality
ABC 801kHz AM Cairns QLD Far North Queensland Local Radio 20220701 community, contemporary AAC 94 kbps
4CA 846 AM CAIRNS ONLINE cairns, talk AAC+ 64 kbps

Museums in Cairns

NameTypeAddressPhoneAnnual Revenue
Cairns Art Gallery
Cairns Museum
The Australian Armour & Artillery Museum

Libraries in Cairns

NameAddressStaffAnnual VisitsCirculationCollectionPrograms
City Library0.0
Earlville Library0.0
Edmonton Library0.0
Gordonvale Library0.0
James Cook University library0.0
Kuranda Library0.0
Manunda Library0.0
Smithfield Library0.0
Stratford Library0.0
Yarrabah Library0.0

Farmers Markets in Cairns

NameAddressSeasonHoursOrganicWebsite
Kuranda Heritage Market
Kuranda Markets
Rusty's Markets

Hotels in Cairns

2 hotels within city radius - OpenStreetMap data

Cairns Queens Court Accommodation
Grosvenor

Restaurants in Cairns

4 restaurants within city radius - OpenStreetMap data

Pedro's Pizza
Pizza Hut
Sushi Train
Tropical Dream Cafe

Gas Stations in Cairns

2 gas stations within city radius - OpenStreetMap data

BP
Coles Express Shell

Gyms in Cairns

1 gyms within city radius - OpenStreetMap data

Think Fitness

Breweries in Cairns

NameTypeAddressPhoneWebsite
Cairns Cruise Line Terminal
FNQ Homebrew

Stadiums & Teams in Cairns

TeamLeagueDivision

Airports Near Cairns

9 airports within the area.

AirportIATAType
Cairns International AirportCNSLarge Airport
Mareeba AirportMRGMedium Airport
Atherton Airport-Small Airport
Dimbulah Airport-Small Airport
Herberton Airport-Small Airport
Innisfail AirportIFLSmall Airport
Koah Airport-Small Airport
Mont Albion Station Airstrip-Small Airport
Yalkulka Airport-Small Airport

Treatment Centers in Cairns

2 treatment centers.

CenterTypePhone
Lives Lived Well
Spinal Life Healthy Living Centre

Churches & Religious Organizations in Cairns

1 religious organizations (IRS tax-exempt data).

NameAddress
Cairns Mosque

Explore Near Cairns

UFO Sightings
6
Reported UFO sightings from the National UFO Reporting Center database
View all →

UFO Sightings Near Cairns

6 UFO sighting reports from the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC) found near Cairns.

Name Year Description
Cairns (australia) 2006 3rd of June 2006&#44 at 17:45&#44 location Q&#44L&#44&#44D Australia Cairns Table lands Yungaburra&#44 Oval shape&#44 Photos taken of objects in the sky
Cairns (australia) 2005 three lighted object hovering down the street
Cairns (qld&#44 australia) 2003 Red Star like object that changes color flies at intense high speed in zigzag direction and circular motion.
Cairns (qld&#44 australia) 2001 Shape looked like crushed tin foil.
Cairns (qld&#44 australia) 1980 I remember it was close to Christmas and I had preyed to God for months and months every night to please do something about my abusive
Cairns (australia) 1974 7/ 74 - Cairns Ql d. Australia - Cigar - 1hr - Watched silver ship stationary in sky for 1hr then took off at great speed into the dis

Quick Facts

Timezone
Australia/Brisbane

Around Cairns

Places within 5 km radius - OpenStreetMap data

Schools 20
Hospitals 5
Pharmacies 3
Restaurants 88
Cafes 49
Bars 5
Supermarkets 12
Banks 12
Museums 1
Hotels 25
Libraries 2
Parks 127
Police Stations 1
Places of Worship 3

Things to See Near Cairns

27 places within 15 km

🖼️ Galleries (1)
  • • Cairns Regional Gallery
⛰️ Peaks (17)
  • • Beebo Peak
  • • Boiboi Peak
  • • Chujeba Peak
  • • Jigol Peak
  • • Lumley Hill
  • + 12 more
🌄 Viewpoints (9)
  • • Bird Hide
  • • BoiBoi's Viewpoint
  • • Campbells Lookout
  • • Erin’s Ledge Lookout
  • • Glacier Rock Lookout
  • + 4 more

🇦🇺 About Australia

Capital Canberra
Population 24,992,369
Area 7,686,850 km²
GDP (USD) $1,734,451,264,656
GDP per capita $65,058
HDI 0.946
Life expectancy 83.1 years
Internet users 97.1%
Urban population 87.5%
Currency AUD (Dollar)
Languages English
Calling code +61
TLD .au
Driving side left

Public Holidays in Australia

25 public holidays this year

Date Holiday Local Name
Jan 1 New Year's Day New Year's Day
Jan 26 Australia Day Australia Day
Mar 2 Labour Day Labour Day
Mar 9 Adelaide Cup Day Adelaide Cup Day
Mar 9 Canberra Day Canberra Day
Mar 9 Eight Hours Day Eight Hours Day
Mar 9 Labour Day Labour Day
Apr 3 Good Friday Good Friday
Apr 4 Holy Saturday Easter Eve
Apr 5 Easter Sunday Easter Sunday
Apr 6 Easter Monday Easter Monday
Apr 25 Anzac Day Anzac Day
Apr 27 Anzac Day Anzac Day
May 4 Labour Day Labour Day
May 4 May Day May Day
Jun 1 Reconciliation Day Reconciliation Day
Jun 1 Western Australia Day Western Australia Day
Jun 8 King's Birthday King's Birthday
Aug 3 Picnic Day Picnic Day
Sep 28 King's Birthday King's Birthday
Oct 5 King's Birthday King's Birthday
Oct 5 Labour Day Labour Day
Nov 3 Melbourne Cup Melbourne Cup
Dec 25 Christmas Day Christmas Day
Dec 28 St. Stephen's Day Boxing Day

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Frequently Asked Questions About Cairns

What is the population of Cairns?

Cairns has a population of 153,181 residents and is located in Australia. The population density is 813 people per square mile, spread across 188.5 square miles.

What is the weather like in Cairns?

Cairns has a warm climate with an average annual temperature of 75°F (24°C). Winter temperatures average 79°F in January, while summers reach an average of 70°F in July. Annual rainfall totals 92.8 inches.

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