Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is a major public health problem with a great global burden. Poor glycemic control is the major contributor to diabetes-related complications and deaths. The implicated risk factors of poor glycemic control vary between countries and different ethnicities. Limited data from Egypt are currently available; therefore, the present study was conducted to evaluate the frequency and predictors of suboptimal glycemic control in patients with T2DM attending Outpatient Diabetes Clinic at Mansoura Specialized Medical Hospital, Egypt. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 250 patients with T2DM. Glycemic state was detected via glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and suboptimal glycemic control was defined as HbA1c level ≥7%. Predictors of suboptimal glycemic control were identified using a multivariate regression analysis. Of the total T2DM participants, 80.4% had suboptimal glycemic control. Non-adherence to medications was detected in 52.9% of patients. With multivariate analysis, earlier age at diabetes diagnosis, inadequate physical activity and increased body mass index (BMI) were the independent predictors of suboptimal glycemic control. In conclusion, a high proportion of the analyzed study population has suboptimal glycemic control. Among all the studied sociodemographic and clinical risk factors, age at diabetes diagnosis, physical activity and BMI are the independent predictors of suboptimal glycemic control.