Littoral, Benin
Cotonou
Cotonou is a city in Littoral, Benin, close to the sea. It has a population of about 780,000 (2025). The climate is classified as tropical savanna (Köppen Aw), with .
Now28°C
Best timeJan–Feb · Dec
Population780,000
Local time15:38
6.37° N, 2.42° EElevation 7 mUTC+1 · West Africa Time
October: high / low27° / 25°
Rain this month145mm
Sea this month27°
Best timeJan–Feb · Dec
Best: Jan–Feb · Dec. Warmth, sunshine and dry days, month by month.
Cotonou at a glance
Sunrise · sunset06:37 · 18:3411 h 57 min of daylightThe moon tonightWaxing gibbous85% · Moonrise 15:47Next holiday1 NovemberAll Saints' DayNext eclipse6 Feb 2027Annular solar eclipse
Best time to visitJan–Feb · Dec
The months with the highest weather score
Warmest month29°C
Average high in March
Coolest month24°C
Average low in August
Wettest monthOctober
145 mm of rain
Driest monthJanuary
11 mm of rain
Warmest sea29°C
May
Monuments nearby3+
within 12 km
How Cotonou has grown
People living in the built-up area (479 km² today), every five years since 1975; 2030 is the projection.
+495%445k in 1975 → 2.65M in 2025Weather in Cotonou
Now and the next ten days. The 14 and 30-day outlooks are one click away.
28°C
Today hour by hourPartly cloudy · wind 19 km/h · humidity 85%
Today22 Oct29°27°
Fri23 Oct29°27°2.2 mm
Sat24 Oct29°26°3.1 mm
Sun25 Oct29°27°2.6 mm
Mon26 Oct29°25°2.7 mm
Tue27 Oct29°26°4.2 mm
Wed28 Oct28°26°4.4 mm
Thu29 Oct28°26°1.5 mm
Fri30 Oct29°27°0.5 mm
Sat31 Oct29°27°
When to go to Cotonou
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 | 79 | 65 | 44 | 41 | 40 | 47 | 54 | 57 | 55 | 54 | 52 | 70 |
| High | 28° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 27° | 26° | 26° | 26° | 27° | 29° | 29° |
| Low | 25° | 26° | 27° | 27° | 26° | 25° | 24° | 24° | 24° | 25° | 26° | 26° |
| Rain (mm) | 11 | 29 | 63 | 114 | 191 | 308 | 130 | 49 | 136 | 145 | 38 | 15 |
| Wet days | 3 | 8 | 20 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 23 | 17 | 26 | 29 | 19 | 6 |
| Sea | 28° | 28° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 28° | 26° | 25° | 26° | 27° | 29° | 28° |
What's on in Cotonou
Concerts, football matches, the public holidays ahead and the town's festivals through the year.
Monuments and museums in Cotonou
12 km
Ganvie
3.2 km
Ouémé River7.5 km
Lake NokouéMuseum2.8 km
Galerie nationale du BéninBuilt 2020Museum6 km
Musée des sciences naturelles de CotonouBuilt 1994More museums: Avion sur la plage · La galerie nationale
Outdoors around Cotonou
Hiking routes from the town, and what there is to do within 15 km: huts, viewpoints, climbing, camping, ski areas and dive sites.
Site de l'ONG TAMAEECamp sites
4.1 kmNature around Cotonou
Wildlife in October
The birds and mammals of Benin seen most this month, compared with the rest of their year.
The sky over Cotonou
Earthquakes around Cotonou
The last 30 days within 300 km, and the record since 1950.
Universities and research institutes
Catholic University of West AfricaUniversity or college · founded 1967
African University For Cooperative DevelopmentUniversity or college · founded 1967
University of Abomey-CalaviUniversity or college · founded 1970
University of Science and Technology of BeninUniversity or college · founded 1996
Pigier BéninUniversity or college · founded 1997
African University of Technology and ManagementUniversity or college · founded 1997
Verechaguine A.K. School of Civil EngineeringUniversity or college · founded 1998
ESEP-LE BERGER UniversityUniversity or college · founded 1999
Haute École de Commerce et de ManagementUniversity or college · founded 1999
Institute for Empirical Research in Political EconomyUniversity or college · founded 2004
Espam Formation UniversityUniversity or college · founded 2007
Institut Universitaire LES COURS SONOUUniversity or college · founded 2007
Poma International Business UniversityUniversity or college · founded 2007
Edexcel UniversityUniversity or college · founded 2015
Institut Universitaire du BéninUniversity or college
International University & Polytechnic of BeninUniversity or college
Institut National des Recherches Agricoles du BéninResearch institute · founded 1992
National Center for Wildlife Reserve ManagementResearch institute · founded 1996
African Institute for Research in Infectious DiseasesResearch institute · founded 2021
Cotonou from above
Around Cotonou22 places to see, do and reach nearby
Lake NokouéNature7.5 kmOkpara RiverNature16 kmAlpouro RiverNature21 kmGanvieMonument12 kmOuémé RiverMonument3.1 kmLake NokouéMonument7.5 kmGalerie nationale du BéninMuseum2.8 kmMusée des sciences naturelles de CotonouMuseum6.0 kmOlympic Museum of BeninMuseum4.9 kmFondation ZinsouMuseum5.3 kmPetit Musée de la RécadeMuseum11 kmCotonouStation2.2 kmGodomeyStation8.8 kmPahouStation23 kmEmbarcadère pour GanviéFerry port11 kmAdounko KpèviFerry port15 kmGanviePlace11 kmAbomey-CalaviPlace12 kmGodomeyPlace8.4 kmAkassatoPlace16 kmTogbaPlace17 kmPahouPlace23 km
Getting to Cotonou
Cotonou Cadjehoun International AirportCOO
3.9 kmMurtala Muhammed International AirportLOS
103 kmLomé–Tokoin International AirportLFW
131 kmCotonouRailway station
2.2 kmGodomeyRailway station
8.8 kmPahouRailway station
23 kmEmbarcadère pour GanviéFerry port
11 kmAdounko KpèviTogbin Adounko
15 kmPlaces near Cotonou
Places with a climate like Cotonou
Matched month by month on temperature, rain and sunshine.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit Cotonou?
Based on 30-year climate normals, January, February and December offer the best balance of comfortable temperatures, low rainfall and sunshine in Cotonou.
What is the hottest month in Cotonou?
March is the warmest month, with average highs of 29°C and lows of 27°C.
What is the coldest month in Cotonou?
August is the coldest month, with average highs of 26°C and lows of 24°C.
What is the rainiest month in Cotonou?
October is the wettest month with about 145 mm of precipitation on 29 wet days.
How warm is the sea near Cotonou?
The sea is warmest in May at about 29°C and coolest in August at about 25°C.