A photographing optical lens system includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element, a fifth lens element and a sixth lens element. The first lens element has negative refractive power. The second lens element has an image-side surface being convex in a paraxial region thereof. The third lens element has positive refractive power. The fourth lens element has negative refractive power. The sixth lens element with negative refractive power has an object-side surface being concave in a paraxial region thereof and an image-side surface being planar or convex in a paraxial region thereof.