The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C(16)H(11)ClO(2), a chemically synthesized isocoumarin, contains three independent mol-ecules. The benzopyran and benzene rings are approximately perpendicular to each other, forming dihedral angles ranging from 83.08 (14) to 87.43 (11)°. In the crystal structure, mol-ecules are linked by inter-molecular C-H⋯O hydrogen-bonding inter-actions, forming chains running parallel to the a axis.