Karana Downs is a residential locality in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Karana Downs had a population of 3,800 people.

The locality is bordered by the Brisbane River to the south and east, and by Mount Crosby Road to the north and north-west.

Many of the streets and parks in Karana Downs have Aboriginal names.^{[citation needed]}

Mount Crosby Provisional School opened on 30 January 1882 with 22 pupils under teacher Arthur Leigh. It closed on 31 December 1892, but soon reopened on 11 September 1893 as Mount Crosby State School under head teacher Samuel Rea.

In 13 May 1948, Queensland Premier Ned Hanlon officially opened the first section of the Mount Crosby East Bank Water Treatment Plant.

The modern locality of Karana Downs was developed from parts of the areas of Kholo, Lake Manchester, and Mount Crosby with 5 square kilometres (1.9 sq mi) of land being divided in 1973. The name Karana Downs was proposed by the developer; it has been suggested that Karana is an Aboriginal name meaning quiet place. Karana Downs was originally part of the Shire of Moreton and then later of the City of Ipswich.

In the 1990s, residents lobbied to become part of the City of Brisbane. In 2000 Kholo, Mount Crosby and Karana Downs were transferred from the City of Ipswich to become part of the City of Brisbane.

In the 2001 census, there were 5,177 people residing in Karana Downs. Between the 1996 census and 2001 census, there was a 0.3% population increase.^{[citation needed]}