Lung cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-associated mortality worldwide and non-small lung cancer (NSCLC) is responsible for over 80% of lung cancer-related deaths. Identifying novel molecular biomarker that can inhibit the progression of lung cancer will facilitate the development of new treatment strategies. Herein, we demonstrated that miR-187-5p is a tumor-suppressor miRNA in NSCLC progression. We found that expression of miR-187-5p was decreased obviously in NSCLC tissues. Down-regulation of miR-187-5p was associated with TNM stage and postoperative survival. Overexpression of miR-187-5p inhibited the growth and metastasis of NSCLC cells. The CYP1B1 was a direct target of miR-187-5p and promoted the growth and metastasis of NSCLC cells. Further study showed that CYP1B1 could reverse the inhibitory effect of miR-187-5p on growth and metastasis of NSCLC cells. Taken together, our data highlight the pivotal role of miR-187-5p in the progression of NSCLC. Thus, miR-187-5p may be a potential prognostic marker and of treatment relevance for NSCLC progression intervention.