Kirkuk: 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.
Kirkuk is a city of 1 million people in Iraq, 346 m (1,135 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Kirkuk International Airport (KIK), 4 km (2 mi) from the centre.
Key facts
Daylight in Kirkuk runs from about 9 h 48 min a day in late December to 14 h 36 min in late June (computed for 35.47° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Kirkuk is served by 3 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Kirkuk International Airport (KIK), 4 km (2 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 9,809 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft. The alternatives are Erbil International Airport (EBL, 94 km), Jalal Talabani International Airport (ISU, 84 km).
Flights to Kirkuk: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Kirkuk · Driving and car hire
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Baghdad, 237 km — flights · trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Mosul, 150 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Erbil, 87 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Tabriz, 336 km (Iran) — flights
- Karbala, 319 km — trains · buses · car rental
- Sadr City, 231 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Abū Ghurayb, 241 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Sulaymaniyah, 95 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Kermanshah, 275 km (Iran)
- Orūmīyeh, 240 km (Iran)
Common questions
Which airport serves Kirkuk?
Kirkuk International Airport (KIK), 4 km (2 mi) from the centre, plus 2 other airports with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Kirkuk?
About 1 million people live in Kirkuk (GeoNames).
What time zone is Kirkuk in?
Asia/Baghdad, currently UTC+3.
What currency is used in Kirkuk?
The Dinar (IQD). Traffic drives on the right.
Which cities are near Kirkuk?
Baghdad (237 km), Mosul (150 km), Erbil (87 km), Tabriz (336 km), Karbala (319 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.