Machala has a population of 288,072 (2022 census); it is the sixth-biggest city in the country, and the second-most important port.

Machala has a growing economy that was marked in 2007 by the inauguration of its first mall, with a movie theater, on the outskirts of the city.

The city serves as a stopping-off point on the way to nearby Puerto Bolívar and the Jambelí Islands, which can only be reached by ferry.

Like most of the coastal region of Ecuador, there is a short wet season from January to April due to the retreat of the Humboldt Current.

The weather in both wet and dry seasons is very warm to hot and cloudy due to persistent fog from the cold current.