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Lae, Papua New Guinea
Morobe Province · Papua New Guinea
Lae is a mid-size city in Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea with a population of 76,255. Elevation: 144 ft (44 m). Average temperature: 78°F (25°C).
Data updated June 2026
Discover Lae, Papua New Guinea
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About Lae
Lae is the capital of Morobe Province and is the second-largest city in Papua New Guinea. It is located near the delta of the Markham River on the northern coast of Huon Gulf. It is at the start of the Highlands Highway, which is the main land transport corridor between the Highlands Region and the coast. Lae is the largest cargo port of the country and is the industrial hub of Papua New Guinea. The city is known as the Garden City and home of the Papua New Guinea University of Technology.
People
Climate
| Population | 76,255 |
| Population Density | 241 / sq mi |
| Elevation | 144 ft (44 m) |
| Coordinates | -6.7233°, 146.9961° |
| Timezone | Pacific/Port_Moresby |
| Country | 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea |
| State / Province | Morobe Province |
| Average Temperature | 78°F (25°C) |
| January Average | 79°F (26°C) |
| July Average | 75°F (24°C) |
| Annual Precipitation | 121.4 inches (3,083 mm) |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 inches (0 cm) |
About Lae
Lae is a mid-size city in Papua New Guinea (Morobe Province) with a population of 76,255. The city sits at an elevation of 144 feet (44 meters) above sea level. The average annual temperature is 78°F (25°C). Temperatures range from 79°F in January to 75°F in July. Annual precipitation averages 121.4 inches. The timezone is Pacific/Port_Moresby.
Climate in Lae
Lae has an average annual temperature of 0°C (32°F). The hottest month is Jan (0°C), the coldest is Jan (0°C). Average annual precipitation is 4672 mm.
Temperature
| Annual Average | 77.5°F |
| 44% above Papua New Guinea avg | |
| January Average | 79°F (26°C) |
| July Average | 75°F (24°C) |
| Sunny Days | 116 days/yr |
Geography
| Elevation | 144 ft (44 m) |
| Area | 316.3 sq mi (819.2 km²) |
| Population Density | 241/sq mi |
| Coordinates | -6.7233°N, 146.9961°W |
| Timezone | Pacific/Port_Moresby |
Precipitation & Snow
Air Quality
Tsunami History
6 tsunamis recorded within 500 km. Highest wave on record: 1.5 m (5 ft).
| Year | Location | Cause | Max Wave | Deaths | Distance |
| 1987 | SOLOMON SEA | Earthquake | 1.5 m | 3 | 104 km |
| 1972 | SOLOMON SEA | Meteorological | 1.5 m | — | 3 km |
| 1913 | SOLOMON SEA | Earthquake | 0.1 m | — | 115 km |
| 1969 | BISMARCK SEA | Eruption + Earthquake | — | — | 17 km |
| 1938 | SOLOMON SEA | Earthquake | — | — | 120 km |
| 1857 | BISMARCK SEA | Eruption + Earthquake | — | — | 136 km |
Nearby Volcanoes
2 volcanoes within 200 km. Closest: Long Island (152 km).
| Name | Type | Elevation | Last Eruption | Distance |
| Long Island | Complex | 1,280 m (4,199 ft) | 1993 | 152 km |
| Umboi | Complex | 1,548 m (5,079 ft) | Unknown | 159 km |
Monthly Weather
| Month | Avg Temperature | Precipitation | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 79°F (26°C) | 9.4 in | |
| February | 79°F (26°C) | 8.6 in | Warmest |
| March | 79°F (26°C) | 9.6 in | |
| April | 78°F (26°C) | 10.4 in | |
| May | 78°F (25°C) | 10.1 in | |
| June | 76°F (25°C) | 10.2 in | |
| July | 75°F (24°C) | 12.6 in | Coldest, Wettest |
| August | 75°F (24°C) | 12.1 in | |
| September | 77°F (25°C) | 10.2 in | |
| October | 77°F (25°C) | 10.8 in | |
| November | 78°F (26°C) | 8.0 in | Driest |
| December | 79°F (26°C) | 9.6 in |
Lae has a seasonal temperature swing of 4°F / from 75°F in July to 79°F in February. Total annual precipitation is 121.4 inches, with July being the wettest month (12.6") and November the driest (8.0").
Colleges & Universities in Lae
| Institution | Type | Founded | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asia Pacific Missionary Training College | College | — | — |
| Baptist Bible College | College | — | — |
| Christian Leader's Training College | College | — | — |
| International Trainings Institute | College | — | — |
| Lae Community College | College | — | — |
| Lae Technical College | College | — | — |
| Papua New Guinea University of Technology | University | — | — |
| St. Francis Technical School | College | — | — |
| St. Joseph Technical School | College | — | — |
| St. Therese Vocational Centre | College | — | — |
| Telikom PNG Training College | College | — | — |
| Timber and Forestry Training College | College | — | — |
| Unitech School of Nursing | University | — | — |
Schools in Lae
42 public schools (NCES 2022-23 data).
| School | Level | Enrollment | Teachers | Student/Teacher |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taraka Primary School | — | — | — | — |
| Busu Secondary School | — | — | — | — |
| Milfordhaven Primary School | — | — | — | — |
| St. Martin's Catholic Primary School | — | — | — | — |
| Lae Christian Academy | — | — | — | — |
| Butibam Primary School | — | — | — | — |
| Haikoast Primary School | — | — | — | — |
| AOG Secondary School | — | — | — | — |
| Immanuel Lutheran School | — | — | — | — |
| Omili Primary School | — | — | — | — |
| Gantom Primary School | — | — | — | — |
| Balob Teacher's College | — | — | — | — |
| St. Patrick's Primary School | — | — | — | — |
| Tent City Primary School | — | — | — | — |
| Salvation Army Lae Primary School | — | — | — | — |
| Coronation College | — | — | — | — |
| Igam Primary School | — | — | — | — |
| Amba Demonstration Primary School | — | — | — | — |
| Mary Queen of Peace Primary School | — | — | — | — |
| Interdenominational Christian School | — | — | — | — |
| Omega Primary School | — | — | — | — |
| Bumayong Lutheran Secondary School | — | — | — | — |
| Bugandi Secondary School | — | — | — | — |
| EBC Bible College | — | — | — | — |
| St. Mary's Primary School | — | — | — | — |
| Lae Christian Integrated Secondary School | — | — | — | — |
| St.Paul's Lutheran Primary Church | — | — | — | — |
| Markham Road Primary School | — | — | — | — |
| Lae International Primary & Middle School | — | — | — | — |
| Lae Secondary School | — | — | — | — |
| Four Mile Primary School | — | — | — | — |
| Bubia Lutheran Junior High School | — | — | — | — |
| Huonville Primary School | — | — | — | — |
| Martin Luther Seminary | — | — | — | — |
| Malahang Technical Secondary School | — | — | — | — |
| Bowali Primary School | — | — | — | — |
| Lae Tentsiti SDA Primary School | — | — | — | — |
| Buimo Road Primary School | — | — | — | — |
| Lanakapi Lutheran Primary School | — | — | — | — |
| Labubutu Primary School | — | — | — | — |
| Labu-Miti Primary School | — | — | — | — |
| Situm 7th Australian Division Memorial Primary School | — | — | — | — |
Radio Stations near Lae
0 stations within ~55 km.
| Station | Genre | Quality |
|---|
Libraries in Lae
| Name | Address | Staff | Annual Visits | Circulation | Collection | Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buk bilong Pikinini Children's Library | 0.0 | |||||
| Jacob Sawanga Library | 0.0 | |||||
| Matheson Library | 0.0 |
Farmers Markets in Lae
| Name | Address | Season | Hours | Organic | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Mile Market | |||||
| 8 Mile Market | |||||
| Awagasi Market | |||||
| Banana Block Buai Market | |||||
| Bumbu Market | |||||
| Butibam Market | |||||
| DCA Market | |||||
| East Taraka Market | |||||
| Kamkumung Market | |||||
| Labu Traditional Canoe Landing Ground | |||||
| Lae Market | |||||
| Last Market | |||||
| Malahang Market | |||||
| Markham Bridge Market | |||||
| Nabak Market | |||||
| Papuan Compound Market | |||||
| Sogeri Market | |||||
| Tapiok Market | |||||
| Wara Market |
Hotels in Lae
11 hotels within city radius — OpenStreetMap data
Restaurants in Lae
21 restaurants within city radius — OpenStreetMap data
Cafes in Lae
3 cafes within city radius — OpenStreetMap data
Zoos in Lae
1 zoos within city radius — OpenStreetMap data
Clinics in Lae
14 clinics within city radius — OpenStreetMap data
Dentists in Lae
2 dentists within city radius — OpenStreetMap data
Bus Stations in Lae
2 bus stations within city radius — OpenStreetMap data
Gas Stations in Lae
14 gas stations within city radius — OpenStreetMap data
Banks in Lae
10 banks within city radius — OpenStreetMap data
Shopping Malls in Lae
8 shopping malls within city radius — OpenStreetMap data
Golf Courses in Lae
1 golf courses within city radius — OpenStreetMap data
Stadiums & Teams in Lae
| Team | League | Division |
|---|---|---|
Airports Near Lae
37 airports within the area.
| Airport | IATA | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Nadzab Tomodachi International Airport | LAE | Large Airport |
| Baindoung Airport | BDZ | Small Airport |
| Bawan Airport | BWJ | Small Airport |
| Boana Airport | BNV | Small Airport |
| Bulolo Airport | BUL | Small Airport |
| Bunguwat Airstrip | — | Small Airport |
| Derim Airport | DER | Small Airport |
| Dinangat Airport | DNU | Small Airport |
| Heiweni Airport | HNI | Small Airport |
| Indagen Airport | IDN | Small Airport |
| Isan Airstrip | — | Small Airport |
| Kabwum | KBM | Small Airport |
| Kasonombe Airport | KSB | Small Airport |
| Konge Airport | KGB | Small Airport |
| Lengbati Airport | LNC | Small Airport |
| Leron Plains Airport | LPN | Small Airport |
| Lowai Airport | LWI | Small Airport |
| Makini Airport | MPG | Small Airport |
| Maralina Airstrip | — | Small Airport |
| Masa Airport | MBV | Small Airport |
| Matak Airstrip | — | Small Airport |
| Mindik Airport | MXK | Small Airport |
| Ogeranang Airport | OGE | Small Airport |
| Pindiu Airport | PDI | Small Airport |
| Samanzing Airstrip | — | Small Airport |
| Sapmanga Airport | SMH | Small Airport |
| Satwag Airport | SWG | Small Airport |
| Sialum Airport | SXA | Small Airport |
| Siwea Airport | SWE | Small Airport |
| Tobou Airstrip | — | Small Airport |
| Tsile Tsile Airport | TSI | Small Airport |
| Wantoat Airport | WTT | Small Airport |
| Wau Airport | WUG | Small Airport |
| Yalumet Airport | KYX | Small Airport |
| Yawan Airstrip | — | Small Airport |
| Zenag Airport | ZEN | Small Airport |
| Zuebak Airstrip | — | Small Airport |
Post Offices in Lae
2 post offices.
| Post Office | Address |
|---|---|
| DHL | |
| Lae Post Office |
Churches & Religious Organizations in Lae
107 religious organizations (IRS tax-exempt data).
| Name | Address |
|---|---|
| 2 Mile SDA Church | |
| 3 Mile ALC Church | |
| 4 Mile SDA Church | |
| Abong Lutheran Church | |
| Anglican Church - All Souls Parish | |
| AOG Church Eriku | |
| Apotiko SDA Church | |
| Balob Philemon Memorial Lutheran Church | |
| Banana Block Apostolic Church | |
| Benong Evangelical-Lutheran Church | |
| Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church | |
| Boundary Road SDA Church | |
| Bualu SDA Church | |
| Buimo Chapel | |
| Buimo Road SDA Church | |
| Bumayong Kingdom Hall | |
| Bumbi AOG Church | |
| Bumbu SDA Church | |
| Busu Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints | |
| Busu Foursquare Church |
Explore Near Lae
Quick Facts
Around Lae
Places within 5 km radius — OpenStreetMap data
Things to See Near Lae
3 places within 15 km
- • Sipaia Beach
- • Atzera Range
- • Mount Lunaman
🇵🇬 About Papua New Guinea
Public Holidays in Papua New Guinea
11 public holidays this year
Frequently Asked Questions About Lae
What is the population of Lae?
Lae has a population of 76,255 residents and is located in Papua New Guinea. The population density is 241 people per square mile, spread across 316.3 square miles.
What is the weather like in Lae?
Lae has a warm climate with an average annual temperature of 78°F (25°C). Winter temperatures average 79°F in January, while summers reach an average of 75°F in July. The area receives 116 sunny days per year, below the national average of 205. Annual rainfall totals 121.4 inches.