Dire Dawa: 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.
Dire Dawa is a city of 343,000 people in Ethiopia, 1,204 m (3,950 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport (DIR), 4 km (2 mi) from the centre.
Key facts
Daylight in Dire Dawa runs from about 11 h 36 min a day in late December to 12 h 43 min in late June (computed for 9.59° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Dire Dawa is served by one airport with scheduled flights. The closest large one is Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport (DIR), 4 km (2 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 8,791 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft.
Flights to Dire Dawa: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Dire Dawa · Driving and car hire
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Addis Ababa, 348 km — flights · buses · car rental
- Djibouti, 262 km (Djibouti) — flights
- Borama, 149 km (Somalia)
- Balbala, 258 km (Djibouti) — flights
- Jijiga, 106 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Hargeysa, 241 km (Somalia)
- Nazrēt, 308 km — buses · car rental
- Dessie, 298 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Berbera, 357 km (Somalia)
- Bishoftu, 330 km — buses · car rental
Common questions
Which airport serves Dire Dawa?
Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport (DIR), 4 km (2 mi) from the centre.
How big is Dire Dawa?
About 343,000 people live in Dire Dawa (GeoNames).
What time zone is Dire Dawa in?
Africa/Addis_Ababa, currently UTC+3.
What currency is used in Dire Dawa?
The Birr (ETB). Traffic drives on the right.
Which cities are near Dire Dawa?
Addis Ababa (348 km), Djibouti (262 km), Borama (149 km), Balbala (258 km), Jijiga (106 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 13 September 2026. Hotel 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.