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Port Douglas (Kuku-Yalanji: Jabulkanji) is a coastal town and locality in the Shire of Douglas, Queensland, Australia, approximately 60 km (37 mi) north of Cairns.
In the 2021 census, the locality of Port Douglas had a population of 3,650 people.
The town is named in honour of a former Premier of Queensland, John Douglas. Port Douglas developed quickly based on the mining industry. Other parts of the area were established with timber cutting in the area surrounding the Daintree River and with settlement starting on lots around the Mossman River by 1880.
Previous names for the town included Jabulkanji (in Kuku-Yalandji language), Terrigal, Island Point, Port Owen and Salisbury. The town is situated adjacent to two World Heritage areas, the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest.
Port Douglas was No. 3 on Australian Traveller magazine's list of 100 Best Towns in Australia.
Background information about Port Douglas adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Next 7 days at Port Douglas
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Updated each time the page loads.
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Best time to visit Port Douglas
Based on 30 years of weather data. Sweet spot: Jul, Aug, Sep — mild temperatures, low rainfall and plenty of sun. Avoid Feb, Mar if you can — typically the wettest or hottest stretch of the year.
Jan
35°
23° low
364mm
Feb
35°
23° low
385mm
Mar
32°
22° low
406mm
Apr
31°
21° low
179mm
May
28°
17° low
82mm
Jun
31°
14° low
54mm
Jul
28°
15° low
40mm
Aug
31°
15° low
26mm
Sep
33°
17° low
28mm
Oct
34°
19° low
54mm
Nov
37°
22° low
75mm
Dec
34°
22° low
185mm
Daytime high (large) · overnight low (small) · monthly rainfall (blue bar). Climate normals: 1991–2020 from Open-Meteo's ERA5 reanalysis.
Beach & ocean conditions at Port Douglas
Typical wave height around 0.9 m over the next two weeks. a wetsuit makes winter swims much more pleasant.
Avg wave height
0.9 m
Sea-surface temperatures from Open-Meteo's ERA5 reanalysis. Wave forecast from the GFS Wave model — check official sources before swimming, paddling or boating.
What else is around Port Douglas
Points of interest within 25 km, pulled from OpenStreetMap. Distances are straight-line; check road access before heading out.
🎡 Attractions (6)
- 13.1 km
- 14.8 km
- 15.2 km
- 24.9 km
- 7.3 km
- 8.1 km
🔭 Lookouts & viewpoints (25)
- 0.5 km
- 0.6 km
- 0.6 km
- 0.6 km
- 0.7 km
- 0.7 km
⛰️ Peaks & summits (18)
- 10.8 km
- 11.8 km
- 12.3 km
- 14.0 km
- 14.9 km
- 15.7 km
🏰 Historic sites (5)
- 0.2 km
- 0.3 km
- 10.8 km
- 12.1 km
- 9.9 km
🏛️ Museums & galleries (2)
- 9.8 km
- 9.9 km
Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Drive times to and from Port Douglas
Real road distance and driving time to other destinations in the state. Click through for fuel estimates, suggested overnight stops, and tours along the way.
Frequently asked about Port Douglas
- Where is Port Douglas?
- Port Douglas is in Far North Queensland, Queensland, Australia.
- When is the best time to visit Port Douglas?
- Based on 30 years of weather data, the most pleasant months at Port Douglas are typically July, August, September — mild temperatures and lower rainfall. School holiday periods can also fit if you don't mind the crowds.
- What's the weather like in Port Douglas?
- Summer daytime highs average around 35°C and winter overnight lows can drop to about 14°C. See the climate panel above for the month-by-month breakdown.
