# Mbarara District, Western Region – Counties, Population & Map

> Source: https://wherepedia.org/uganda/western/mbarara/

District · Western Region 

# Mbarara District

Mbarara District is a district of Uganda in Western Region. It had an estimated **430,489 people** in 2022 on 1,242 km² (about 347 per km²). Its main town is Mbarara. It is divided into 2 counties. 288 named villages and localities are recorded here, and 608 mapped services such as hospitals, banks and schools.

- 430,489people (2022)
- 1,242km²
- 2counties
- 608mapped services

## How many people live in Mbarara District?

Mbarara District had an estimated **430,489 people** in 2022 — 3.7% of Western Region, 27th of 135 districts. There are 1,058 women for every 1,000 men (above the Western Region figure of 1,047). Spread over 1,242 km², that is about **347 people per km²**, 36th of 135 districts.

40.1% of people are children under 15 and 2.4% are 65 or older; the median age is about 19 years (it is 16 across Western Region). For every 100 people of working age (15–64) there are 74 children and older people.

0–4 ****68,848**

5–9 ****55,910**

10–14 ****47,894**

15–19 ****49,706**

20–24 ****49,923**

25–29 ****40,391**

30–34 ****30,540**

35–39 ****23,774**

40–44 ****17,041**

45–49 ****13,361**

50–54 ****10,090**

55–59 ****7,532**

60–64 ****5,356**

65–69 ****3,392**

70–74 ****2,825**

75–79 ****1,871**

80+ ****2,035**

Source: [Uganda Bureau of Statistics via OCHA HDX, population 2023 (COD-PS, CC BY-IGO)](https://data.humdata.org/dataset/cod-ps-uga).

## Where is Mbarara District?

Mbarara District lies in [Western Region](https://wherepedia.org/uganda/western/), [Uganda](https://wherepedia.org/uganda/). It borders 6 other districts: [Buhweju District](https://wherepedia.org/uganda/western/buhweju/), [Ibanda District](https://wherepedia.org/uganda/western/ibanda/), [Isingiro District](https://wherepedia.org/uganda/western/isingiro/), [Kiruhura District](https://wherepedia.org/uganda/western/kiruhura/), [Rwampara District](https://wherepedia.org/uganda/western/rwampara/) and [Sheema District](https://wherepedia.org/uganda/western/sheema/). By area it is the 77th largest of 135 districts in Uganda. It covers 2.2% of [Western Region](https://wherepedia.org/uganda/western/). The centre of Mbarara District is about 235 km in a straight line from Kampala, the capital. The centre point is at 0.4875° S, 30.6276° E.

Source: [Uganda Bureau of Statistics with support from WHO via OCHA HDX, administrative boundaries (COD-AB, CC BY-IGO)](https://data.humdata.org/dataset/cod-ab-uga).

## Things to see in and around Mbarara District

OpenStreetMap lists 5 named sights in Mbarara District: 2 museums; 1 viewpoint; 1 memorial; 1 castle or fort.

- EAST AFRICAN REVIVAL MUSEUM · museum
- Eriijukiro Museum of Southwestern Uganda · museum
- Ankole Kingdom Palace · castle or fort
- Simone's waterfall · viewpoint
- Amahembe g'ente - Cow Statue · memorial

Source: [© OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract — named settlements](https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright).

Named attractions, museums, viewpoints, historic sites and natural features mapped in OpenStreetMap. Places of worship are not listed.

## Know before you go: Mbarara District

- Time zoneUTC+3, no daylight saving · Africa/Kampala
- CurrencyShilling (UGX)
- Country calling code+256
- LanguagesEnglish, Ganda, Swahili, Arabic
- Plug typesType G · 240 V
- Driving sideLeft
- Postcode format5 digits (#####)

### Nearest airports

- Savannah Airstrip (KHX) · Kihihi106 km
- Kigali International Airport (KGL) · Kigali173 km

### Daylight

Days are longest in Dec (about 12.1 hours, sunrise around 06:48) and shortest in Jun (about 12.1 hours, sunrise around 06:54, sunset around 19:00).

Source: [GeoNames country and time-zone files (CC BY 4.0)](https://www.geonames.org/); [Wikidata (CC0) — plug types, mains voltage, driving side; retrieved 2026-11-02](https://www.wikidata.org/); [OurAirports (public domain)](https://ourairports.com/data/).

Airports with scheduled passenger flights; straight-line distances. Daylight is calculated for the 15th of each month in local standard time. Check entry and visa rules with official government sources before travelling.

## Counties of Mbarara District

County Area km² Sub-counties Services 

[Kashari County](https://wherepedia.org/uganda/western/mbarara/kashari/) 1,195 10 317 

[Mbarara Municipality County](https://wherepedia.org/uganda/western/mbarara/mbarara-municipality/) 46 3 291 

Source: [Uganda Bureau of Statistics with support from WHO via OCHA HDX, administrative boundaries (COD-AB, CC BY-IGO)](https://data.humdata.org/dataset/cod-ab-uga); [GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) — settlements, natural and historic features](https://www.geonames.org/); [Overture Maps places (CDLA-Permissive-2.0) and © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)](https://overturemaps.org/).

## Largest towns in Mbarara District

- Mbarara221,300
- Bwizibwera79,157

Source: [GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) — settlements, natural and historic features](https://www.geonames.org/).

Populations as recorded in GeoNames, which may be older than the estimates above.

## Landscape and landmarks of Mbarara District

Named natural and historic features inside Mbarara District, from the GeoNames gazetteer.

### Water

4 rivers and streams; 1 lake.

- Lake Mabira
- Lubingo
- Nyakisharara
- Ruizi
- Rukorohwa

### Hills and mountains

12 hills; 1 mountain.

- Bitereko · 1,564 m
- Murubale · 1,543 m
- Rwemigina · 1,531 m
- Lugobwa · 1,511 m
- Kanyigiri · 1,460 m
- Kishasha II · 1,453 m
- Nsika · 1,448 m
- Kamushoko · 1,443 m
- Rugalama · 1,425 m
- Kifunfu · 1,405 m
- Rusozi · 1,402 m
- Mukabale · 1,391 m
- Ruizi · 1,302 m

### Forests and nature

1 forest; 1 garden.

- Chahi Forest
- Kitengure Primary School Garden

### Getting around

1 airport.

- Mbarara Airport

Source: [GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) — settlements, natural and historic features](https://www.geonames.org/).

Places of worship are not listed. Elevations are from the GeoNames terrain model and are approximate.

## Weather in Mbarara District and the best time to visit

In Mbarara District, the warmest month is Feb (average 22 °C) and the coolest is May (20 °C). About 1,092 mm of rain falls in a year; the wettest month is Nov (131 mm) and the driest Jun (42 mm). The most comfortable months for a visit are **December to February and May to September**.

- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec

Month Average °C Rain mm 

Jan 21 68 

Feb 22 71 

Mar 21 125 

Apr 20 129 

May 20 105 

Jun 20 42 

Jul 20 43 

Aug 21 72 

Sep 21 96 

Oct 21 122 

Nov 20 131 

Dec 20 87 

Source: [NASA POWER climatology, retrieved 2026-10-29](https://power.larc.nasa.gov/).

## Hospitals, banks and other services in Mbarara District

Places mapped inside Mbarara District in open map data, by type — each number opens the full list with locations.

- Hospitals59
- Banks19
- ATMs3
- Petrol pumps35
- Hotels65
- Shopping malls4
- Schools371
- Colleges and universities8
- Cinemas1
- Pharmacies4
- Restaurants35
- Police stations3
- Dental clinics1

Source: [Overture Maps places (CDLA-Permissive-2.0) and © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)](https://overturemaps.org/).

Coverage depends on what has been mapped; contact details are not shown.

## Quick answers

- Where is Mbarara District?In Western Region, Uganda
- What is the population of Mbarara District?430,489 (2022 estimate)
- What is the median age in Mbarara District?About 19 years (2022 estimate)
- What is the population density of Mbarara District?About 347 people per km²
- What borders Mbarara District?Buhweju District, Ibanda District, Isingiro District, Kiruhura District, Rwampara District and Sheema District
- What is there to see in Mbarara District?Amahembe g'ente - Cow Statue, Ankole Kingdom Palace, EAST AFRICAN REVIVAL MUSEUM, Eriijukiro Museum of Southwestern Uganda
- What time zone is Mbarara District in?UTC+3
- What currency is used in Mbarara District?Shilling (UGX)
- What language is spoken in Mbarara District?English, Ganda, Swahili (main languages nationally)
- What is the largest town in Mbarara District?Mbarara
- What is the highest point in Mbarara District?Bitereko (1,564 m, GeoNames elevation model)
- What is the best time to visit Mbarara District?December to February and May to September
- How many hospitals are in Mbarara District?59 mapped
- How many banks are in Mbarara District?19 mapped
- How many ATMs are in Mbarara District?3 mapped
- How many petrol pumps are in Mbarara District?35 mapped
- What is the P-code of Mbarara District?UG4126 (OCHA common operational dataset)