A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine that includes an intercooler and an electrically driven water pump configured to circulate cooling water so as to flow through the intercooler is configured to calculate a required intercooler cooling efficiency ηreq obtained by dividing a difference between a cooler inflow gas temperature Tgin and a cooler outflow gas temperature Tgout by a difference between the cooler inflow gas temperature Tgin and a cooling water temperature Tw. A required circulation flow rate Qwreq is calculated based on the required intercooler cooling efficiency ηreq and a cooler passing-through gas flow rate G. The electrically driven water pump is driven so that a cooling water flow rate Qw approaches the required intercooler cooling efficiency ηreq.