The present invention provides a method of cooling a hot-rolled steel strip which has passed through a finishing rolling, including: cooling the hot-rolled steel strip from a first temperature of not lower than 600° C. and not higher than 650° C. to a second temperature of not higher than 450° C. with cooling water having the water amount density of not lower than 4 m3/m2/min and not higher than 10 m3/m2/min, wherein with respect to the area of the target surface, the area of a portion where a plurality of spray jets of the cooling water directly strikes on the target surface is at least 80%.