Map of Bloemfontein, South Africa

Bloemfontein is the administrative centre of Free State, South Africa, with a population of about 556,637. It lies at 29.1211°S, 26.2140°E. Bloemfontein is about 423 km (263 mi) southwest of Pretoria, the capital. The nearest city on our map is Botshabelo, 52 km to the east.

Bloemfontein at a glance

Where is Bloemfontein?

• The 9th largest city in South Africa by recorded population.
• The largest city in Free State on this site.
• Located in the Southern and Eastern hemispheres.
• Daylight ranges from about 10 h 17 min on the shortest day to 14 h 00 min on the longest day (around 21 June and 21 December).

Cities near Bloemfontein

• Botshabelo — 52 km east
• Thaba Nchu — 61 km east
• Theunissen — 92 km northeast
• Maseru — 125 km east, Lesotho
• Mafeteng — 126 km southeast, Lesotho
• Virginia — 130 km northeast
• Senekal — 164 km northeast
• Ficksburg — 164 km east
• Maputsoe — 166 km east, Lesotho
• Mohale's Hoek — 167 km southeast, Lesotho

Largest cities in Free State

• Welkom — 431,944
• Botshabelo — 309,714
• Sasolburg — 135,828
• Virginia — 122,502
• Kroonstad — 117,152
• Kutloanong — 95,008
• Bethlehem — 91,075
• 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
• Tembisa — 511,655
• East London — 478,676

Map of South Africa and all its cities →

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.