Kandi is a town, arrondissement and commune in the Alibori Department of eastern Benin. Originally a market town, Kandi is now primarily a farming centre. It lies on the nation's main north-south highway, 650 km from Cotonou and 325 miles (523 km) north of Porto-Novo. The town is the capital of the department of Alibori. The commune covers an area of 3421 square kilometres and as of 2013 had a population of 177,683 people.