Why visit Jimma
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 4 parks and trails, 13 places to eat, 18 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Dandii Boruu University College and Jimma University.
Weather in Jimma
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Jimma
Jimma (Oromo: Jimmaa) is the largest city in southwestern Oromia Region, Ethiopia. It is a special zone of the Oromia Region and is surrounded by Jimma Zone. It has a latitude and longitude of 7°40′N 36°50′E. Prior to the 2007 census, Jimma was reorganized administratively as a special Zone.
From the Wikipedia article Jimma (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Jimma on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Things to do2
Dandii Boruu University College
School · 1.6 km
Private college in Ethiopia
Museums and landmarks1
Parks, trails and playgrounds4
Restaurants and cafes13
1 more on the map.
History
What is now Jimma's northern suburb of Jiren was the capital of the Kingdom of Jimma. Originally named Hirmata, the city owed its importance in the 19th century to being located on the caravan route between Shewa and Kaffa, as well as being only six miles from the palace of Abba Jifar II.
According to Donald Levine, in the early 19th century the market attracted thousands of people from neighboring regions: "Amhara from Gojjam and Shoa, Oromo from all the Gibe Kingdoms and numerous representatives of the Lacustrine and Omotic groups, including Timbaro, Qabena, Kefa, Janjero, Walemo, Konta and several others".
At the very beginning of the 20th century, the German explorer Oscar Neumann visited Jimma on his journey from the Somali coast through Ethiopia to the Sudan. As he observed, “Jimma is almost the richest land of Abyssinia; the inhabitants are pure, well-built Galla; they are nearly all Mohammedans, as is their king, Abba Jifar, a very clever man, who submitted to Menelik at the right time and, therefore, retained his country”
From the History section of Jimma on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay18
Zerihun Hotel
Motel and hotel · 2.1 km
Infront of Ethiopian Road Authority Jimma district
Churches and places of worship6
Shopping4
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries7
Healthcare6
Map of Jimma
65 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Jimma Airport (JIM) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 2 km away.
- Āgaro 28 km northwest, about 28 min by car
- Suntu 49 km north, about 49 min by car
- Tarch’a Sodo 69 km southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Waka 77 km southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Bonga 78 km southwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Jimmamosque, Stijn Debrouwere, CC BY 2.0
- JIMMA UNIVERSITY, Arifly kaio7, CC0
- Playing Basketball at High-school!, Jordanashenafi, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hyperolius kivuensis in Ethiopia 363944250, Erwin Sieben, CC0
Page built November 4, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.