Butterworth: 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.
Butterworth is a city of 107,591 people in Malaysia (Penang), 6 m (20 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Penang International Airport (PEN), 15 km (9 mi) from the centre. It has 1 railway station on record, including Penang Sentral.
Key facts
Open Butterworth in Google Maps
Daylight in Butterworth runs from about 11 h 51 min a day in late December to 12 h 28 min in late June (computed for 5.4° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Butterworth is served by 2 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Penang International Airport (PEN), 15 km (9 mi) from the centre, whose 10,997-ft runway is long enough for long-haul wide-body aircraft. The alternatives are Sultan Abdul Halim Airport (AOR, 88 km).
Flights to Butterworth: every airport, routes and times
By rail: stations on record include Penang Sentral. Trains to Butterworth
Buses to Butterworth · Driving and car hire
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Medan, 276 km (Indonesia) — flights
- Kuala Lumpur, 291 km — flights · trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Kampung Baru Subang, 282 km — trains · tours
- Petaling Jaya, 290 km — trains · tours
- Ipoh, 121 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Shah Alam, 288 km — trains · tours
- Bukit Rahman Putra, 277 km — trains · tours
- Kota Bharu, 223 km — trains · buses · car rental
- Kuantan, 373 km
- Kota Kuala Muda, 21 km — tours
Common questions
Which airport serves Butterworth?
Penang International Airport (PEN), 15 km (9 mi) from the centre, plus 1 other airport with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Butterworth?
About 107,591 people live in Butterworth, across 15 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Butterworth in?
Asia/Kuala_Lumpur, currently UTC+8.
What currency is used in Butterworth?
The Ringgit (MYR). Traffic drives on the left.
Which cities are near Butterworth?
Medan (276 km), Kuala Lumpur (291 km), Kampung Baru Subang (282 km), Petaling Jaya (290 km), Ipoh (121 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.