The invention belongs to the field of aerogel material preparation technologies, and relates to a method for preparing a hydrophobic SiO2 aerogel by virtue of normal pressure drying. During the preparation, a two-step method is adopted, an organic silicon source as precursor, water as a hydrolysis agent, absolute ethyl alcohol as a solvent, acid and alkali as catalysts, and an organic silicon solution and a surface modifier. The preparation method comprises the following steps: mixing and stirring the organic silicon source, the water and the absolute ethyl alcohol in proportion, and respectively adding an acid catalyst and an alkaline catalyst by virtue of an acid and alkali two-step method to regulate pH value so as to form gel; performing solvent replacement on the aged gel, carrying out surface hydrophobic modification, replacing a hydrophilic group on the surface of the gel through a hydrophobic group, so that the gel is hydrophobic; finally, performing normal pressure drying to obtain the hydrophobic SiO2 aerogel. The method disclosed by the invention can be used for reducing the preparation cost of the aerogel; moreover, according to a hydrophobicity test, the contact angle can reach about 158 degrees, thereby showing that the hydrophobicity is good.