AfricaSierra LeoneWestern Area
Freetown
Western Area, Sierra Leone · Africa
About Freetown
Freetown sits on the route: 15 minutes from Goderich.
Freetown is in Western Area, Sierra Leone, with about 800,000 people. The nearest town is Goderich, about 9 km away.
Freetown (Krio: Fritɔun) is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the Western Area of the country. Freetown is Sierra Leone's major urban, economic, financial, cultural, educational and political centre, as it is the seat of the Government ofRead more
Sierra Leone. The population of Freetown was 1,347,559 as of the 2024 census.
The city's economy revolves largely around its harbour, which occupies a part of the estuary of the Sierra Leone River in one of the world's largest natural deep water harbours.
Although the city has traditionally been the homeland of the Sierra Leone Creole people, the population of Freetown is ethnically, culturally, and religiously diverse. The city is home to a significant population of all of Sierra Leone's ethnic groups, with no single ethnic group forming more than 27% of the city's population. As in virtually all parts of Sierra Leone, the Krio language of the Sierra Leone Creole people is Freetown's primary language of communication and is by far the most widely spoken language in the city.
The city of Freetown was founded on March 11, 1792, by 1,196 African Americans under the guidance of abolitionist Lieutenant John Clarkson at the foot of the Cotton Tree, and the city became a settlement for free and freed African American, Afro-Caribbean and Liberated African slaves. Their descendants are known as the Creole people. Before the arrival of Europeans, the local Temne and Loko people were living in villages on the land near the area that later became known as Freetown.
Freetown is locally governed by a directly elected Freetown City Council, headed by a mayor, who also is directly elected; elections are held every four years. The mayor of Freetown is Yvonne Aki Sawyerr, who was sworn in on 11 May 2018, after her victory in the 2018 mayoral election; she was re-elected in 2022.
The Freetown city council has its own municipal police force.
Where to Stay in Freetown
Compare prices across Booking.com, Airbnb, Expedia, and more. Select your dates to see availability.
Filter presets
Pick your must-haves once: provider links open pre-filtered. Each filter lists which sites it applies to.
Compare before you book!
Prices can vary significantly between platforms. We recommend checking at least 2-3 sites to find the best deal for your stay in Freetown.
Explore the Area
Discover famous landmarks, scenic roads, and more near Freetown.
Loading map...
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Freetown?
Freetown is in Western Area, Sierra Leone, about 9 km from Goderich.
Road trip
Drive to Freetown
Add it as a stop and the planner works out the driving, the nights and what's worth seeing on the way.
Start planningWhat's nearby?
Swipe through places to go
Places within a drive of Freetown. Keep the ones you like and add them to your trip.
Explore now
Quick Information
- Population
- 802,639
- Continent
- Africa
- Country
- Sierra Leone
- Region
- Western Area
- Timezone
- Africa/Freetown
- Coordinates
- 8.4871, -13.2356
Tags
When to drive here
Year-round
Tropical latitude: plan around the wet season rather than temperature.
Nearby Destinations
Other places to explore near Freetown.
Your trip starts here
Plan a road trip from Freetown.
Pick the days, drop in the stops, and share it with whoever's coming.