The embodiments of the present invention provide a method and a device for detecting a traffic hot spot of a cell. The method includes: acquiring load information of a cell in which a wireless access point AP is located, the load information includes at least two types of the following information: a data rate of user traffic requirement, the number of users associated with an AP, an average length of data packets and an average duration of successful transmissions; determining whether an operating state of the AP is abnormal according to the at least two types of information; determining a satisfaction degree of user according to the actual traffic rate of user, if the operating state of the AP is abnormal; and determining that a traffic hot spot exists in the cell, if the satisfaction degree of user is lower than a first preset threshold.