Jaffna: 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.
Jaffna is a city of 169,102 people in Sri Lanka (Northern Province), 7 m (23 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Jaffna International Airport (JAF), 15 km (9 mi) from the centre.
Key facts
Daylight in Jaffna runs from about 11 h 36 min a day in late December to 12 h 44 min in late June (computed for 9.67° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Jaffna is served by one airport with scheduled flights. The closest large one is Jaffna International Airport (JAF), 15 km (9 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 4,593 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft.
Flights to Jaffna: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Jaffna · Driving and car hire
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Chennai, 381 km (India) — flights
- Coimbatore, 364 km (India) — flights
- Kallakurichi, 257 km (India) — flights
- Madurai, 209 km (India) — flights
- Tirunelveli, 276 km (India) — flights
- Tiruchirappalli, 192 km (India)
- Tiruppur, 332 km (India)
- Salem, 299 km (India)
- Thiruvananthapuram, 361 km (India)
- Puducherry, 253 km (India)
Common questions
Which airport serves Jaffna?
Jaffna International Airport (JAF), 15 km (9 mi) from the centre.
How big is Jaffna?
About 169,102 people live in Jaffna (GeoNames).
What time zone is Jaffna in?
Asia/Colombo, currently UTC+5:30.
What currency is used in Jaffna?
The Rupee (LKR). Traffic drives on the left.
Which cities are near Jaffna?
Chennai (381 km), Coimbatore (364 km), Kallakurichi (257 km), Madurai (209 km), Tirunelveli (276 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.