Tarakan: 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.
Tarakan is a city of 255,310 people in Indonesia (North Kalimantan), 29 m (95 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Juwata International Airport / Suharnoko Harbani AFB (TRK), 3 km (2 mi) from the centre. It is a port city: port of Malundung Tarakan and 2 more.
Key facts
Daylight in Tarakan runs from about 11 h 58 min a day in late December to 12 h 21 min in late June (computed for 3.31° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Tarakan is served by one airport with scheduled flights. The closest large one is Juwata International Airport / Suharnoko Harbani AFB (TRK), 3 km (2 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 7,382 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft.
Flights to Tarakan: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Tarakan · Driving and car hire · Ferries
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Kota Kinabalu, 340 km (Malaysia)
- Sandakan, 287 km (Malaysia)
- Tawau, 109 km (Malaysia)
- Bontang, 354 km — buses · car rental · ferries
- Lahad Datu, 207 km (Malaysia)
- Bandar Seri Begawan, 342 km (Brunei)
Common questions
Which airport serves Tarakan?
Juwata International Airport / Suharnoko Harbani AFB (TRK), 3 km (2 mi) from the centre.
How big is Tarakan?
About 255,310 people live in Tarakan, across 251 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Tarakan in?
Asia/Makassar, currently UTC+8.
What currency is used in Tarakan?
The Rupiah (IDR). Traffic drives on the left.
Which cities are near Tarakan?
Kota Kinabalu (340 km), Sandakan (287 km), Tawau (109 km), Bontang (354 km), Lahad Datu (207 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.