In the title complex, [Zn(C(7)H(5)O(3))(2)(C(10)H(8)N(2))(H(2)O)], the Zn(II) ion is coordinated by two 4-hydroxy-benzoate anions, one 2,2'-bipyridine mol-ecule and one water mol-ecule and displays a distorted octa-hedral geometry. One Zn-O bond [2.5300 (15) Å] is much longer than the others in the mol-ecule. In the crystal structure, the face-to-face separation of 3.547 (9) Å suggests no π-π stacking between parallel bipyridine ring systems, and an extensive O-H⋯O hydrogen-bonding network between the coordinated water molecule, the phenol group and carboxylate O atoms is present.