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Indonesia · East Kalimantan

Balikpapan: how to get there and around

Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.

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Balikpapan is a city of 695,287 people in Indonesia (East Kalimantan), 67 m (220 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Sepinggan International Airport (BPN), 7 km (4 mi) from the centre. It is a port city: Port of Kariangau and 1 more. Our booking partner lists 123 places to stay.

Key facts

Population695,287
Elevation67 m (220 ft)
Area527 km²
Time zoneAsia/Makassar (UTC+8 now)
CurrencyRupiah (IDR)
Dialling code+62
Driving sideLeft
Plug typesEuro, Schuko
Coordinates-1.268, 116.829
Balikpapan

Open Balikpapan in Google Maps

Daylight in Balikpapan runs from about 12 h 5 min a day in late June to 12 h 14 min in late December (computed for -1.27° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.

Getting there

Balikpapan is served by one airport with scheduled flights. The closest large one is Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Sepinggan International Airport (BPN), 7 km (4 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 8,202 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft.

Flights to Balikpapan: every airport, routes and times

Buses to Balikpapan · Driving and car hire · Ferries

Where to stay

Our booking partner lists 123 places to stay in Balikpapan. Of the 113 with a star rating, the largest group is 2-star (58), and 1 are five-star. Guests have left 1,495 reviews in total.

Hotels in Balikpapan: the full picture, and book

Nearby cities, and how to get between them

Common questions

Which airport serves Balikpapan?

Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Sepinggan International Airport (BPN), 7 km (4 mi) from the centre.

How big is Balikpapan?

About 695,287 people live in Balikpapan, across 527 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).

What time zone is Balikpapan in?

Asia/Makassar, currently UTC+8.

What currency is used in Balikpapan?

The Rupiah (IDR). Traffic drives on the left.

How many hotels are there in Balikpapan?

Our booking partner lists 123 places to stay in Balikpapan, bookable on this site.

Which cities are near Balikpapan?

Samarinda (93 km), Banjarmasin (338 km), Palu (341 km), Palangkaraya (340 km), Banjarbaru (328 km).

Where these facts come from

  • GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
  • Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
  • OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
  • Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines

Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.