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Ethiopia · Oromiya

Bishoftu: 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.

Bishoftu is a city of 207,400 people in Ethiopia (Oromiya), 1,978 m (6,490 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD), 32 km (20 mi) from the centre.

Key facts

Population207,400
Elevation1,978 m (6,490 ft)
Area140 km²
Time zoneAfrica/Addis_Ababa (UTC+3 now)
CurrencyBirr (ETB)
Dialling code+251
Driving sideRight
Plug typesAC power s and sockets: British and related types, Euro, SN 441011, Schuko, Type E, Type L
Coordinates8.752, 38.978
Bishoftu

Open Bishoftu in Google Maps

Daylight in Bishoftu runs from about 11 h 39 min a day in late December to 12 h 40 min in late June (computed for 8.75° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.

Getting there

Bishoftu is served by one airport with scheduled flights. The closest large one is Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD), 32 km (20 mi) from the centre, whose 12,467-ft runway is long enough for long-haul wide-body aircraft.

Flights to Bishoftu: every airport, routes and times

Buses to Bishoftu · Driving and car hire

Nearby cities, and how to get between them

Common questions

Which airport serves Bishoftu?

Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD), 32 km (20 mi) from the centre.

How big is Bishoftu?

About 207,400 people live in Bishoftu, across 140 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).

What time zone is Bishoftu in?

Africa/Addis_Ababa, currently UTC+3.

What currency is used in Bishoftu?

The Birr (ETB). Traffic drives on the right.

Which cities are near Bishoftu?

Addis Ababa (40 km), Nazrēt (39 km), Awasa (196 km), Bahir Dar (361 km), Dire Dawa (330 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.