Abstract: Based on hourly surface station observations in China from 1985 to 2011, the spatial distribution, annual and seasonal variations of occurrence frequency and duration hour of various cloud types were analyzed. In addition, the rainfall probabilities and precipitation properties accompanying with eight cloud types were also calculated. The results indicate that the distribution patterns of cloud frequencies and duration hours are similar to each other among different regions in China. Both of the occurrence frequency and duration hour of stratocumulus are the largest among eight cloud types. It mainly occurs over Sichuan Basin, where the occurrence frequency of stratocumulus exceeds 50%, and its duration hour reaches 20.1 hours. Compared to stratocumulus, the duration hour of nimbostratus is slightly shorter, and it comes up to 12.8 hours in the south of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The centers of the maximum occurrence frequencies and duration hours of cirrus, altostratus and cumulus are located in northern, middle, and southern China, respectively. There is a weak increase of 0.095%/a for annual mean cloud occurrence frequency in China from 1985 to 2011. In the typical region of various cloud types, stratocumulus occurs more frequently and persists longer in cold seasons compared to warm seasons, while the reverse phase is found on cumulus clouds. The occurrence frequency of stratiform clouds is larger in the first half of the year, while their duration hour are longer in cold seasons. When different cloud types appear alone, their rainfall probabilities and precipitation properties are different. When nimbostratus, altostratus or stratus appear alone, they correspond to intermittent or continuous rainfall. The rainfall probability approaches 70% when nimbostratus occurs alone. The rainfall probability of cumulonimbus reaches 50.89%, and it mainly associates with showery or unknown precipitation. When stratocumulus appears alone, it corresponds to intermittent rainfall, with the rainfall probability about 17%.