Oromia Region · Ethiopia
Jimma travel guide
Jimma is a city in Oromia Region, Ethiopia, home to about 178,000 people.
- Best months
- November to February
- Nearest airport
- JIM2 km · Jimma Airport
- Currency
- ETBbir
- Time zone
- Africa/Addis Ababa
- Language
- Amharic
About
About Jimma
In 2022, Jimma was home to about 207,000 people. The three largest ethnic groups in Jimma are the Oromo (80%), the Amhara (17%) and the Dawro (1%); all other ethnic groups make up 2% of the population. Amharic and Afan Oromo are each spoken by a plurality of inhabitants. The most popular religion practiced in Jimma is Islam, followed by Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity and Protestantism. What now lies in Jimma's northern suburbs was Jiren, the capital of a late 19th century Oromo kingdom. Jimma was an independent kingdom from 1790 to 1932.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Jimma
See
A few buildings have survived from the time of the Jimma Kingdom, including the Aba Jifar Palace.
- Aba Jifar Palace
- Jimma Museum
- Coffee Pot Monument
- Lake Boye
Do
- Jimma University Mini Stadium
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Jimma
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Jimma are November to February. February is the warmest month, with average highs of 28 °C; July is the wettest, with about 282 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Jimma: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Jimma Airport (JIM), about 1.8 km from the city centre in a straight line.
Getting around
Within the city limits people take bajajs (similar to tuktuks) or “line taxis” that are converted mini vans.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
JIM · Jimma Airport
Questions
Jimma: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Jimma?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Jimma are November to February. February is the warmest month, with average highs of 28 °C; July is the wettest, with about 282 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Jimma?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Jimma Airport (JIM), about 1.8 km from the city centre in a straight line.
What currency is used in Jimma?
bir (ETB).
Nearby
Destinations near Jimma
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.