Where is Casablanca? Location, map and what to see
Casablanca is on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, in north-west Africa, about 90 km south-west of Rabat, the national capital. With around 3.2 million people (2024 census) it is Morocco’s largest city and its economic centre, and its Mohammed V International Airport (CMN), 30 km south of the centre, is where most long-haul flights into the country land. Casablanca is not the capital of Morocco; that is Rabat.
What country is Casablanca in?
Casablanca is in the Kingdom of Morocco. Morocco occupies the north-west corner of Africa, with the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean to the north, and Algeria to the east. Spain is just 14 km away across the Strait of Gibraltar, but Morocco is an African country, not a European one, and it is part of the Maghreb rather than the Middle East.
The name is Spanish for “white house”. In Arabic the city is Dar el-Beida, which means the same thing, and you will see both on signs. Locals usually just say Casa.
Is Casablanca the capital of Morocco?
No. The capital is Rabat, about an hour up the coast. Rabat holds the royal palace, the parliament and the embassies. Casablanca has the port, the stock exchange, the big banks and the head offices, which is why it is often called the economic capital. The film gave Casablanca a fame that the city’s actual role never quite matched: the 1942 movie was shot entirely in Hollywood, and the Rick’s Cafe you can visit today is a restaurant that opened in 2004 in a restored riad near the old medina. It is a tribute, not a location.
Casablanca on the map
Casablanca lies at roughly 33.6° N, 7.6° W, on a gently curving stretch of Atlantic coastline. It sits on the same latitude as Los Angeles and the Lebanese coast, with a mild maritime climate: cool, damp winters and summers that rarely get oppressive because of the sea breeze. Average highs are around 17°C in January and 26 to 27°C in August.
The city is flat and spread out. The old medina and the port are at the northern edge; the Hassan II Mosque stands on the shore just west of them; the Corniche runs along the coast further west to the Ain Diab beach district; and the French-era city centre with Mohammed V Square and the Habous quarter sits inland to the south and east. The airport is well outside town, past the southern suburbs near Nouaceur.
Our map of Morocco page shows how Casablanca relates to the other main cities and the main driving routes.
How far is Casablanca from other Moroccan cities?
Casablanca is the hub of Morocco’s road and rail networks, so it is a convenient place to start. These are road distances with realistic private-car times.
| From Casablanca to | Road distance | Driving time | Train |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rabat | ~90 km | 1 to 1.5 h | ~1 h (frequent) |
| Marrakech | ~240 km | 2.5 to 3 h | ~2 h 40 min |
| El Jadida | ~100 km | 1.5 h | ~1.5 h |
| Fes | ~300 km | 3 to 3.5 h | ~3.5 to 4 h |
| Tangier | ~340 km | 3.5 to 4 h | ~2 h 10 min (Al Boraq high-speed) |
| Essaouira | ~380 km | 4.5 to 5 h | no direct train |
| Chefchaouen | ~330 km | 4 to 4.5 h | no train |
Motorways connect Casablanca to Rabat, Tangier, Fes, Marrakech and Agadir, so these are easy drives. The two main stations are Casa Port, near the medina and the business district, and Casa Voyageurs, further east, which handles most long-distance trains including the Al Boraq to Tangier.
Casablanca airport to Marrakech
Mohammed V airport is on the Marrakech side of the city, so you do not need to go into Casablanca to head south.
- Private transfer. About 210 to 220 km on the A7 motorway, 2.5 to 3 hours door to door. This is the simplest option after a long flight, and the way most of our tours from Casablanca begin: the driver meets you in arrivals and you are at your riad in Marrakech the same afternoon or evening.
- Train. A shuttle train runs from the airport terminal to Casa Voyageurs (roughly 45 minutes), where you change to a Marrakech train (about 2 hours 40 minutes). Allow 4 hours or more in total, depending on the connection.
- Onward flight. Short domestic flights exist, but with check-in and transfers at both ends the road or train is usually no slower.
If your plan is to see Casablanca first and then move on, we normally suggest a half day here before driving to Rabat or Marrakech, rather than a full day. Our 10-day Morocco tour from Casablanca works that way: the mosque on the first morning, then the road north or south the same day.
What to see in Casablanca in a day
Casablanca is a working city rather than a sightseeing one, and most guests are happy with half a day to one day. These are the stops we build a day around.
Hassan II Mosque
The one unmissable sight. Completed in 1993, it stands partly over the Atlantic on a platform of reclaimed land, with a minaret of about 210 m, one of the tallest religious structures in the world. It is also one of the few mosques in Morocco that non-Muslims can enter, on guided tours that run several times a day outside prayer times. The prayer hall holds about 25,000 worshippers and the esplanade many more. Go in the morning, and dress modestly (shoulders and knees covered).
The Corniche and Ain Diab
West of the mosque, the Corniche is Casablanca’s seafront promenade, lined with cafes and beach clubs. It is where the city goes to walk on a Sunday, and the El Hank lighthouse marks its western end.
The Habous quarter (Nouvelle Medina)
Built by the French in the 1930s as a tidy, planned version of a Moroccan medina, Habous is calm, clean and good for buying olives, pastries and leather without the pressure of Marrakech. The Mahkama du Pacha, a former courthouse with fine carved cedar and tilework, is next door and sometimes open to visitors.
Mohammed V Square and the art deco centre
The French laid out central Casablanca in the 1910s and 1920s, and the area around Mohammed V Square still has the grand post office, the Wilaya building with its clock tower and streets of art deco and neo-Moorish apartment blocks. Boulevard Mohammed V is the place to see the best facades.
The old medina
Small and rough-edged compared with Fes or Marrakech, but authentic, and a few minutes’ walk from Casa Port station. The Sqala, an 18th-century bastion, has been turned into a restaurant with a garden.
Rick’s Cafe
Mentioned above: a 2004 restaurant styled on the film set, with a pianist in the evening. Book ahead if you want dinner.
Is Casablanca worth visiting?
For most people, a half day on the way to somewhere else. The mosque alone justifies the stop, and the art deco streets reward anyone who likes architecture, but with only a week we would rather you spent the extra night in Fes, the Atlas or the desert. Our 7-day Morocco tour from Casablanca is built on exactly that logic. For a sense of how the city feels for visitors, including the neighbourhoods to avoid late at night, read our is Casablanca safe page.
Frequently asked questions
What country is Casablanca in?
Casablanca is in Morocco, on the Atlantic coast of north-west Africa. It is the country’s largest city with around 3.2 million people, but the capital is Rabat, about 90 km to the north-east.
How far is Casablanca from Rabat?
About 90 km by road, which is an hour on the motorway or around an hour by train. Trains between the two cities run several times an hour through the day, and the two are close enough that many people see Rabat as a day trip.
Which airport is Casablanca?
Mohammed V International Airport, code CMN, about 30 km south of the city centre. It is Morocco’s main long-haul airport and the one with non-stop flights from New York, Washington, Miami and Montreal, as we explain on our flights to Morocco from the USA page.
Is Casablanca on the sea?
Yes. It sits directly on the Atlantic Ocean, with a commercial port, a seafront promenade and beaches at Ain Diab. The Hassan II Mosque was deliberately built over the water.
Was the film Casablanca made in Casablanca?
No. The 1942 film was shot on studio lots in California, and none of the cast came to Morocco for it. Rick’s Cafe in the city is a restaurant that opened in 2004 and recreates the look of the film.
How many days do you need in Casablanca?
Half a day to one day is enough for the mosque, the Corniche, Habous and the city centre. Spend the rest of your time in Marrakech, Fes, Chefchaouen or the desert.
Casablanca is where most of our guests first meet their driver, and from there the whole country is within reach. Have a look at our Morocco private tours to see routes that start at the airport, or contact us with your arrival time and we will suggest a plan.
