Map of Mbarara, Uganda

Mbarara is the administrative centre of Western Region, Uganda, with a population of about 221,300. It lies at 0.6047°S, 30.6485°E. Mbarara is about 238 km (148 mi) southwest of Kampala, the capital. The nearest city on our map is Bwizibwera, 3 km to the northwest.

Mbarara at a glance

Where is Mbarara?

• The 2nd largest city in Uganda by recorded population.
• The largest city in Western Region on this site.
• Located in the Southern and Eastern hemispheres.
• Close to the equator, so day length stays near 12 hours all year.

Cities near Mbarara

• Bwizibwera — 3 km northwest
• Isingiro — 36 km southeast
• Ibanda — 55 km north
• Rukungiri — 83 km west
• Kabale — 102 km southwest
• Kasese — 108 km northwest
• Masaka — 124 km east
• Byumba — 126 km southwest, Rwanda
• Katanda — 145 km west, Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Fort Portal — 147 km north

Largest cities in Western Region

• Hoima — 122,700
• Ibanda — 117,700
• Kasese — 115,400
• Masindi — 110,500
• Bwizibwera — 79,157
• Fort Portal — 60,800
• Kabale — 53,200
• Rukungiri — 37,200
• Isingiro — 34,300

Largest cities in Uganda

• Kampala — 1,680,600
• Mukono — 191,300
• Njeru — 178,800
• Gulu — 177,400
• Kajansi — 135,600
• Lugazi — 128,400
• Hoima — 122,700
• Mubende — 121,600
• Lira — 119,323
• Ibanda — 117,700

Map of Uganda and all its cities →

Sources: place names, coordinates, populations and time zones from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0, data retrieved October 2026). Population figures are the latest values recorded in GeoNames; depending on the country they refer to the city proper, a municipality or a wider urban area, so they can differ from census or metro-area figures. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.