Why visit Metu
Townapedia lists 1 place to stay in and around town.
Weather in Metu
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Metu
Metu (Oromo: Mattuu) is a market town and separate woreda in south-western Ethiopia. Located in the Illubabor Zone of Oromia along the Sor River, this town has a latitude and longitude of 8°18′N 35°35′E and an altitude of 1605 meters. Metu was the capital of the former Illubabor Province from 1978 until the adoption of the new constitution in 1995.
From the Wikipedia article Metu, Ethiopia (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Shopping1
Schools, colleges and libraries3
History
On 9 July 1927, the Greek nationals T. Zewos and A. Donalis were awarded a contract to link the town and Gore by road with Gambela, a distance of 180 kilometers. In the 1930s, Metu was the last stop before reaching Gore. At the time it was a center for mule caravans and later served as a terminal for the Ethiopian Transport Motor Company.
The private weekly Urji reported on 11 July 1995 that some 400 prisoners reportedly escaped when a grenade was set off at the Bishari prison in Metu. The prison guards were killed immediately as well as at least six other people.
From the History section of Metu, Ethiopia on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Map of Metu
5 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Gore Airport (GOR) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 16 km away.
- Gorē 18 km south, about 18 min by car
- Bedelē 86 km east, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Dembī Dolo 90 km west, about 1 h 30 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
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Page built November 4, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.