Map of Bethlehem, Free State, South Africa

Bethlehem is a city in Free State, South Africa, with a population of about 91,075. It lies at 28.2308°S, 28.3071°E. Bethlehem is about 277 km (172 mi) south of Pretoria, the capital. The nearest city on our map is Phuthaditjhaba, 60 km to the southeast.

Bethlehem at a glance

Where is Bethlehem?

• The 8th largest city in Free State on this site.
• Located in the Southern and Eastern hemispheres.
• Daylight ranges from about 10 h 21 min on the shortest day to 13 h 56 min on the longest day (around 21 June and 21 December).

Cities near Bethlehem

• Phuthaditjhaba — 60 km southeast
• Butha-Buthe — 60 km south, Lesotho
• Senekal — 68 km west
• Hlotse — 76 km south, Lesotho
• Harrismith — 81 km east
• Ficksburg — 83 km southwest
• Maputsoe — 83 km southwest, Lesotho
• Kroonstad — 124 km northwest
• Maseru — 145 km southwest, Lesotho
• Ladysmith — 149 km east

Largest cities in Free State

• Bloemfontein — 556,637
• Welkom — 431,944
• Botshabelo — 309,714
• Sasolburg — 135,828
• Virginia — 122,502
• Kroonstad — 117,152
• Kutloanong — 95,008
• Phuthaditjhaba — 84,258
• Thaba Nchu — 72,721
• Bothaville — 71,934

Largest cities in South Africa

• Johannesburg — 9,418,183
• Cape Town — 4,772,846
• Durban — 3,338,026
• Pretoria — 2,112,693
• Soweto — 1,695,047
• Port Elizabeth — 1,050,078
• Pietermaritzburg — 839,327
• Benoni — 605,344
• Bloemfontein — 556,637
• Tembisa — 511,655

Map of South Africa and all its cities →

Other places named Bethlehem

• Bethlehem — Pennsylvania, United States

Sources: place names, coordinates, populations and time zones from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0, data retrieved October 2026). Population figures are the latest values recorded in GeoNames; depending on the country they refer to the city proper, a municipality or a wider urban area, so they can differ from census or metro-area figures. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.