Cairns population: How many people live in Cairns, Queensland?

The Cairns population is 155,340, as of June 2020. That makes Cairns bigger than Toowoomba or Darwin, but smaller than Townsville.

The population of Cairns, Queensland, isn’t as big as many people seem to think it is. Because Cairns is a major tourist destination and arrival hub, it is sometimes mistaken for a big city. If you asked overseas visitors to name the six Australian state capitals, many would mistakenly name Cairns.

Trip-booster! 8 great day trips from Cairns to power-up your holiday

Kuranda combo package – take the Kuranda Scenic Railway up and the Skyrail cable car down.
Green Island tours with beach time, glass bottom boat and snorkelling. (Or pick a Fitzroy Island trip instead).
Moore Reef day tour – with underwater observatory, snorkelling gear, glass bottom boat & semi-submersible cruises.
Great Barrier Reef snorkelling cruise – with snorkelling stops at two excellent spots on the Reef.
Cape Tribulation rainforest day tour – with Mossman Gorge Aboriginal cultural experience and Daintree River crocodile-watching cruise.
Atherton Tableland waterfalls and rainforest tour – including wildlife-spotting and a swim in a volcanic lake.
Outback 4WD tour – visiting Chillagoe Caves, Aboriginal rock art and Granite Gorge.

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Cairns is, however, one of the biggest cities in Queensland. It’s not the biggest city in northern Queensland, however – the population of Townsville makes Townsville the true capital of North Queensland.

Cairns population figures

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the Cairns population as of June 2020 is 155,340. This is the estimated population for the significant urban area of Cairns, which includes adjoining suburbs such as Smithfield, Trinity Beach, Kewarra Beach, Clifton Beach and Palm Cove.

Looking north from Kewarra Beach in Cairns. Photo courtesy of Tourism and Events Queensland.

For a comparison, this makes Cairns the 15^th largest city in Australia. It is bigger than Toowoomba, Darwin and Ballarat, but smaller than Townsville, Hobart and Geelong. In other words, it’s a second tier Australian city with outsized profile.

Save time queuing – Book these Cairns attractions in advance

From the air: Outer Reef helicopter flight | Sunrise hot air balloon ride | Skyrail Rainforest Cableway.
At night: Sunset dinner cruise | Pub and club tour | Aquarium by Twilight experience.
For wildlife: Birdworld Kuranda | Kuranda Koala Gardens | Cairns Zoom and Wildlife Dome | Cairns Aquarium | Rainforestation Nature Park
For culture: Cairns Museum tickets | Street art walking tour | City and surrounds highlights bus tour.
For thrills: AJ Hackett giant jungle swing | High speed jet boat tour | Barron Gorge white water rafting | Mulgrave River tubing.

Cairns as a regional hub

Cairns may not be the biggest city in north Queensland, but the Townsville to Cairns drive is long enough for Cairns to act as a major regional hub of far north Queensland. For the towns of the Atherton Tableland and Daintree, Cairns is the big smoke. Similarly, Cairns Airport is the main connecting hub for remote communities on Cape York and the Torres Strait Islands.