Quick answerNairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya, with 4,397,073 people inside the city limits in 2019. The wider metropolitan area had about 15.9 million people in 2019. It is best known for the Nairobi National Park and the Kenyatta International Convention Centre. Its official languages are English and Swahili, and its currency is the Kenyan shilling.
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya, with 4,397,073 people in the 2019 census and about 16 million in the metropolitan area. It stands on the highlands at 1,795 metres and is home to the world's only national park inside a capital city.
Key facts
| Country | Kenya |
|---|---|
| Population (city) | 4,397,073 (2019) |
| Population (metro) | 15,950,000 (2019) · Nairobi metropolitan area (2026 estimate) |
| Elevation | 1795 m above sea level |
| Time zone | Africa/Nairobi |
| Language | English, Swahili |
| Currency | Kenyan shilling (KES, KSh) |
| Coordinates | 1.286° S, 36.817° E |
Overview
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya, on the highlands in the south-central part of the country. It had 4,397,073 people in the 2019 census, with about 5.6 million in a 2026 estimate and about 15.95 million in the metropolitan area, making it the eighth-most populous city in Africa. The city stands at 1,795 metres above sea level and is nicknamed the Green City under the Sun.
Nairobi began in 1899 as a depot on the railway from Mombasa to Uganda and became the capital in 1907, replacing Mombasa. It is uniquely notable as the only capital city in the world with a national park inside its boundaries: Nairobi National Park, where lions, rhinos and giraffes live against the skyline. Its landmarks include the Kenyatta International Convention Centre, the Giraffe Centre and the Karen Blixen Museum.
Today Nairobi is the financial hub of East Africa, home to the Nairobi Securities Exchange, the United Nations Environment Programme and the United Nations Office at Nairobi. Its tech start-ups have earned it the nickname Silicon Savannah, and its markets, restaurants and nightlife draw people from across the region.
What Nairobi is known for
- Nairobi National Park
- Kenyatta International Convention Centre
- Giraffe Centre
- Karen Blixen Museum
- United Nations headquarters
- Maasai Market
Landmarks
- Kenyatta International Convention Centre
- Nairobi National Park
- Giraffe Centre
- Karen Blixen Museum
- Nairobi National Museum
- Uhuru Park
- Bomas of Kenya
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Nairobi?
About 4.4 million people live in Nairobi (4,397,073 in the 2019 census), with about 5.6 million in a 2026 estimate and about 16 million in the metropolitan area. That makes Nairobi Kenya's largest city by far and the eighth-most populous city in Africa.
What is Nairobi famous for?
Nairobi is famous for its national park, the only one inside a capital city anywhere in the world, where lions and giraffes roam against the skyline. It is also known for the Kenyatta International Convention Centre, the Giraffe Centre and the Karen Blixen Museum.
Where is Nairobi located?
Nairobi is in south-central Kenya, on the highlands at 1,795 metres above sea level, about 480 kilometres north-west of Mombasa. It is the capital of Kenya and the financial hub of East Africa. Its coordinates are 1.29° S, 36.82° E.
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Keep exploring
- Kenya — the country Nairobi is in
- Mombasa — another city in Kenya
- Nakuru — another city in Kenya
- Kisumu — another city in Kenya
- All cities in Kenya
- All countries — the full list
Sources & last updated
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.