Djougou is a city of 268,000 people (2013) in Northern Benin.
It is located about 380 km from Cotonou, and 40 km from the Togolese border, at the gates of the Atacora massif.
Djougou is a major hub of transportation and communication. It acts as a crossroads of trade and travel, and is easily accessible during the entire year. There are four major roads that intersect to form the city’s center—the roads to Cotonou, Parakou, Natitingou, and the Ouake/Togolese border.
There are bus connections from Parakou, Natitingou, and Cotonou. The 7-hour trip to Cotonou costs 6,000 CFA, to Natitingou 3,000 CFA and to Parakou also 3,000 CFA.
A day trip to visit the huge market in the little village Ouaké which is situated directly to the border of Togo. The market is each Tuesday and offers a lot of Beninish and imported goods.
The grand marché in Djougou is held every 4 days, but the market area is open every day. Djougou hosts the largest market in the area.
Cell phone communication is very consistent in Djougou, and all major carriers have service in the area pretty much all of the time. Internet communication is also available in the cyber cafes and in some office buildings, although the connection is not always reliable.