Queensland, Australia
Cairns
Cairns is a city in Queensland, Australia, close to the sea. It has a population of about 153,181 (2021). The climate is classified as tropical monsoon (Köppen Am), with .
Now21°C
Best timeAug–Oct
Population153,181
Local time00:39
16.92° S, 145.77° EElevation 7 mUTC+10 · Australian Eastern Standard Time
Postal codes4868, 4870October: high / low26° / 22°
Rain this month50mm
Sea this month26°
Best timeAug–Oct
Best: Aug–Oct. Warmth, sunshine and dry days, month by month.
Cairns at a glance
Sunrise · sunset05:45 · 18:1912 h 34 min of daylightThe moon tonightWaxing gibbous85% · Moonrise 15:36Next holiday25 DecemberChristmas DayNext eclipse19 Jul 2027Penumbral lunar eclipse
Best time to visitAug–Oct
The months with the highest weather score
Warmest month29°C
Average high in January
Coolest month19°C
Average low in July
Wettest monthJanuary
394 mm of rain
Driest monthSeptember
37 mm of rain
Warmest sea29°C
February
Monuments nearby10+
within 1.2 km
How Cairns has grown
People living in the built-up area (37 km² today), every five years since 1975; 2030 is the projection.
+138%24k in 1975 → 58k in 2025Weather in Cairns
Now and the next ten days. The 14 and 30-day outlooks are one click away.
21°C
Today hour by hourPartly cloudy · wind 5 km/h · humidity 99%
Today23 Oct27°22°2.5 mm
Sat24 Oct27°23°7.3 mm
Sun25 Oct27°22°6.1 mm
Mon26 Oct30°22°
Tue27 Oct29°23°4 mm
Wed28 Oct28°23°4.4 mm
Thu29 Oct29°23°0.5 mm
Fri30 Oct28°23°1 mm
Sat31 Oct28°22°
When to go to Cairns
Each month's weather score (warmth, sun, dry days) with its temperatures and rain.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 44 | 43 | 51 | 60 | 67 | 79 | 80 | 83 | 82 | 84 | 74 | 50 |
| High | 29° | 29° | 28° | 27° | 25° | 23° | 22° | 23° | 25° | 26° | 27° | 29° |
| Low | 25° | 25° | 24° | 23° | 22° | 20° | 19° | 19° | 20° | 22° | 23° | 24° |
| Rain (mm) | 394 | 419 | 378 | 204 | 103 | 56 | 50 | 41 | 37 | 50 | 105 | 176 |
| Wet days | 24 | 23 | 22 | 17 | 14 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 18 |
| Sea | 29° | 29° | 28° | 27° | 26° | 24° | 24° | 24° | 25° | 26° | 27° | 29° |
What's on in Cairns
Concerts, football matches, the public holidays ahead and the town's festivals through the year.
Monuments and museums in Cairns
1 km
St Monica's War Memorial Cathedral
1 km
Cairns School of Arts
0.8 km
Cairns Technical College and High School Building
1.1 km
Central Hotel
1.2 km
Bolands Centre
1 km
Grove Street Pensioners' CottagesMuseum3.2 km
Cairns Botanic Gardens Visitor CentreBuilt 2011
Museum11 km
Australian Armour and Artillery MuseumMore museums: Cairns Art Gallery · Cairns Museum
Outdoors around Cairns
Hiking routes from the town, and what there is to do within 15 km: huts, viewpoints, climbing, camping, ski areas and dive sites.
Cairns AquariumAquariums
1 kmThe LoversViewpoints
1.5 kmCool Waters Holiday ParkCamp sites
2.8 kmCairns Sunland Leisure ParkCamp sites
3 kmBoiBoi's ViewpointViewpoints
4.5 kmCairns Golf ClubGolf courses
4.8 kmPro Dive CairnsDive site
0.7 kmPro Dive CairnsDive site
0.9 kmTusa DiveDive site
1.3 kmNature around Cairns
Wildlife in October
The birds and mammals of Australia seen most this month, compared with the rest of their year.
The sky over Cairns
Tsunamis · Cairns
0.1 m26 December 2004earthquake0 m20 April 1977earthquake0 m21 April 1977earthquake0.2 m22 May 1960earthquake
C2Cyclone Owen (2018)80 km · 65 km/hC5Cyclone Ita (2014)42 km · 83 km/hTSTropical Storm Tasha (2010)57 km · 74 km/hTSTropical Storm Olga (2010)46 km · 65 km/hC4Cyclone Larry (2006)85 km · 185 km/hC1Cyclone Steve (2000)51 km · 74 km/hTSTropical Storm Rona (1999)59 km · 102 km/hC2Cyclone Justin (1997)28 km · 102 km/hC2Cyclone Winifred (1986)94 km · 167 km/h
Fossil sites near this town
Fossil sites: 1 · 0 km
Quaternary · 1
Towns and villages around Cairns
Each with its own page: weather, climate and the best time to visit.
Cairns from above
Around Cairns34 places to see, do and reach nearby
Crystal CascadesNature10 kmMilmilgee FallsNature10 kmWongalee FallsNature10 kmAlligator Creek FallsNature2.1 kmSkeleton CreekNature7.3 kmBessie FallsNature6.9 kmRedden IslandNature7.7 kmAdmiralty IslandNature4.0 kmMount Bellenden KerMountain39 kmWalshs PyramidMountain23 kmPro Dive CairnsDive site0.7 kmPro Dive CairnsDive site0.9 kmTusa DiveDive site1.3 kmSt Monica's War Memorial CathedralMonument1.0 kmCairns School of ArtsMonument1.0 kmCairns Technical College and High School BuildingMonument0.8 kmCentral HotelMonument1.1 kmBolands CentreMonument1.2 kmGrove Street Pensioners' CottagesMonument1.0 kmCairns City Council ChambersMonument1.0 kmSt Monica's Old Cathedral, CairnsMonument1.0 kmCairns Botanic Gardens Visitor CentreMuseum3.2 kmAustralian Armour and Artillery MuseumMuseum11 kmKuranda Scenic RailwayMuseum8.1 kmCairnsStation0.6 kmFreshwaterStation7.6 kmBarron FallsStation16 kmReef Fleet TerminalFerry port1.5 kmRedlynchPlace7.5 kmKurandaPlace18 kmMount PeterPlace14 kmAloombaPlace22 kmKoahPlace23 kmAthertonPlace49 km
Postal codes
48684870
Getting to Cairns
Cairns International AirportCNS
5.3 kmCooktown AirportCTN
176 kmCairnsRailway station
0.6 kmFreshwaterRailway station
7.6 kmBarron FallsRailway station
16 kmReef Fleet TerminalFitzroy Island
1.5 kmPlaces near Cairns
Places with a climate like Cairns
Matched month by month on temperature, rain and sunshine.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit Cairns?
Based on 30-year climate normals, August, September and October offer the best balance of comfortable temperatures, low rainfall and sunshine in Cairns.
What is the hottest month in Cairns?
January is the warmest month, with average highs of 29°C and lows of 25°C.
What is the coldest month in Cairns?
July is the coldest month, with average highs of 22°C and lows of 19°C.
What is the rainiest month in Cairns?
January is the wettest month with about 394 mm of precipitation on 24 wet days.
How warm is the sea near Cairns?
The sea is warmest in February at about 29°C and coolest in July at about 24°C.
What is the postal code of Cairns?
Cairns has 2 postal codes: 4868, 4870.