Tanjung Selor, Indonesia
Tanjung Selor is a regional capital of 67,837 people in North Kalimantan, Indonesia.
Why visit Tanjung Selor
Townapedia lists 6 museums and landmarks, 4 parks and trails, 2 places to eat, 6 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Museum Kesultanan Bulungan.
Weather in Tanjung Selor
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Tanjung Selor
Tanjung Selor is a town and an administrative district (kecamatan) which serves as the capital of both the North Kalimantan province in Indonesia, and of the Bulungan Regency. It is among those provincial capitals in Indonesia that as of 2025 does not yet have city status, together with Mamuju in West Sulawesi, Sofifi in North Maluku, Nabire in Central Papua, Wamena in Highland Papua, Salor in South Papua, and Manokwari in West Papua. The district has an area of 677.77 km2 according to the regency official statistics (although the area is 1,207.13 km2 according to the district official statistics). It had a population of 39,439 at the 2010 Census and 56,569 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2025 was 67,837.
From the Wikipedia article Tanjung Selor (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks6
Museum Kesultanan Bulungan
Museum · 1.1 km
Jalan Kasimuddin, Kabupaten Bulungan
Mo-Su 08:00-16:00
Parks, trails and playgrounds4
Restaurants and cafes2
History
Tanjung Selor was a small market town under the Sultanate of Bulungan, which later became the subject of the Dutch East Indies. After the Indonesian National Revolution, it became part of the Swapraja (Autonomous Royal Region) of Bulungan following Decree No. 186/ORB/ 92/14/1950 from the then-Kalimantan province governor. This later changed again into the Special Region of Bulungan under Law No. 22 of 1955. In 1959, the sultanate was abolished and became a second-level administrative region, now called a regency.
Tanjung Selor was split from Tanjung Palas District, based on Bulungan Regency Law No. 13 of 2002, together with other seven new districts after the decentralization. Before the creation of the new North Kalimantan province split from East Kalimantan, it was determined to locate the provincial capital on mainland Kalimantan rather than in the then-largest urban body of Tarakan, which is an island. As such, Tanjung Selor is among few Indonesian provincial capitals to be created from scratch, along with Sofifi and Palangka Raya. However, for financial reasons a moratorium under President Joko Widodo on creating second-level administrations so far has prevented granting Tanjung Selor city status, since the town itself solely consists of its own district. As of 2025, North Kalimantan remains among the few Indonesian provinces with its capital not having city status.
From the History section of Tanjung Selor on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay6
Churches and places of worship36
Shopping6
Gas and EV charging7
Prima Agung Raya Sengkawit
Gas station · 2.3 km
Jalan Sengkawit, Kota Tanjung Selor
Schools, colleges and libraries38
Healthcare6
RSU Tanjung Selor
Hospital · 1.9 km
055221118 Jalan Cendrawasih, Tanjung Selor, Kabupaten Bulungan Kalimantan Utara
Kantor Kesehatan Pelabuhan Kelas IIB Wilker Tanjung Selor
Clinic and pharmacy · 4.3 km
Map of Tanjung Selor
112 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Tanjung Harapan Airport (TJS) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 1 km away.
- Tarakan 59 km northeast, about 59 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
- Masjid Agung Tanjung Selor, Government of Bulungan Regency, Public domain
- Gereja Katedral Santa Maria Assumpta Tanjung Selor, Ezagren ( bicara / talk ), CC BY-SA 4.0
- Museum Kesultanan Bulungan, Ezagren ( bicara / talk ), CC BY-SA 4.0
Page built November 3, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.