Monrovia

From the harbor city's establishment in 1822 to Liberia's 1847 declaration of independence, the American Colonization Society resettled approximately 3200 former African-American and Caribbean slaves and their descendants. The city was named Monrovia in 1824 after US president James Monroe, then a prominent supporter of the colony. Approximately 29% of the Liberian population live in the 5-square-mile (13 km²) capital city.

There are a number of merchants lining the streets of downtown, selling used clothes, household wares, and DVDs. Waterside market is the largest local indoor/outdoor market, with narrow walkways between busy stalls. There are two large, well-stocked supermarkets in the city center to offer a surprising selection of Western foods.

Despite its woes, Liberia has the feeling of a country on the ascent. Billboards line the streets, inviting citizens to pay their taxes to make their country stronger and to take pride in their success. It is not cliché to say that Liberians are extremely friendly, so the streets are vibrant.

Monrovia
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D       51     32 22       71     32 23       120     32 24       154     32 24       442     31 24       958     28 23       797     27 23       354     27 23       720     28 23       598     29 23       237     30 24       122     30 23 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation+Snow totals in mm Source: Deutscher Wetterdienst/Danish Meteorological Institute
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D       2     89 72       2.8     90 74       4.7     89 75       6.1     89 75       17     87 75       38     83 74       31     81 73       14     80 73       28     82 74       24     85 74       9.3     87 74       4.8     86 73 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation+Snow totals in inches

Monrovia has a year-round hot and humid tropical climate and is considered one of the rainiest capital cities in the world, with over 4,600 millimeters (181 inches) of annual rainfall per year. Temperatures do not vary much throughout the year, with a daily average of 26.4 °C (79.5 °F). The rainy season lasts between April and December.

• 1 Roberts International Airport (ROB  ^IATA) (56 km (35 mi) from downtown). A very disorganised airport. Factor in extra time here. The traffic between here and Monrovia is also extremely bad. It takes 2-4 hours to make the journey.  
• 2 Spriggs Payne Airport (MLW  ^IATA). The former airport. As of 2026 there are no flights.  (updated Sep 2020)

Brussels Airlines offers a flight from Brussels, Belgium. Monrovia is connected to Casablanca with Royal Air Maroc. From there, connections exist to Europe and North America. Budget about two hours between downtown and Roberts airport; the going rate for a taxi is US$50-$60 (Nov 2025).

There is a Kenya Airways flight from Nairobi-Accra-Monrovia and a return to four flights a week on Brussels Airlines.

Taxis are plentiful and inexpensive but there have been rumors of robberies and pickpocketing in taxis. If you do take a taxi, don't take a shared taxi but rather hire one just for yourself.