In the title mononuclear complex, [Cu(C(8)H(7)O(2))Cl(C(12)H(8)N(2))(H(2)O)], the Cu(II) atom is coordinated by one carboxylate O atom from a monodentate 4-methyl-benzoate ligand, two N atoms from the 1,10-phenanthroline ligand, one chloride ion and one water mol-ecule in a square-pyramidal geometry. The crystal structure exhibits inter- and intra-molecular C-H⋯Cl, C-H⋯O, O-H⋯Cl and O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, as well as C-H⋯π inter-actions of phenanthroline and methyl H atoms towards the π-systems of neighboring 4-methyl-benzoate units and the pyridine rings of the phenanthroline system [centroid-centroid distances are 2.706 (2) and 2.992 (1) Å, respectively].