The title complex, [Co(C(22)H(14)N(4))(2)]Cl(2), has been synthesized by a solvothermal reaction of the 4'-(4-cyano-phen-yl)-2,2':6',2''-terpyridine ligand with CoCl(2)·6H(2)O. The cobalt(II) ion is six-coordinated by two tridentate ligands in a distorted octa-hedral geometry. The benzene rings form dihedral angles of 30.02 (7) and 30.26 (7)° with the mean planes of the terpyridine ring systems. The chloride anions are statistically disordered over two positions with refined site occupancies of 0.601 (2) and 0.399 (2).