North Sumatra, Indonesia · Asia
Pematangsiantar sits on the route: 25 minutes from Pane Tongah, 46km from Lake Toba.
Pematangsiantar is in North Sumatra, Indonesia, with about 270,000 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Pane Tongah, about 12 km away.
Pematangsiantar (Simalungun Batak pronunciation: [pə.ma.taŋ.si.an.tar]) (sometimes written as Pematang Siantar, acronym PS or P. Siantar, colloquially just Siantar), and also known as the City of Pematangsiantar, is an independent city in North Sumatra Province of Indonesia, surrounded by, but not part of, theRead more
Simalungun Regency, making Pematangsiantar an enclave within Simalungun Regency. Pematangsiantar formerly had the status of a second-level district (daerah tingkat dua) and was the administrative centre of the surrounding Regency, but in 1986 it was elevated to Kota (City) and separated from the Regency.
Its population was 229,525 in the 2005 Intermediate Census, 234,698 in the 2010 Census and 268,254 in the 2020 Census. The official estimate as of mid 2025 was 279,198 (comprising 138,049 males and 141,149 females), making it the second-largest city in the province after the provincial capital of Medan. In addition to the areas within the city limits, the neighbouring district (kecamatan) of Siantar immediately to the east and south is administratively a part of Simalungun Regency and contains the eastern suburbs of the city; it covers 73.99 km2 and had a population at the 2020 Census of 73,536, but this declined to 68,037 by mid 2025.
Pematangsiantar is 128 km from Medan and 50 km from the renowned Lake Toba tourist centre of Parapat and is often a transit city for tourists who want to travel to Lake Toba and Central Tapanuli Regency. As a city that supports tourism in the surrounding area, the city has 8 hotels, 10 budget hotels, and 268 restaurants. There are still many old (1950s) model English-manufactured Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA) motorcycles with a capacity of 500 cc used as Auto rickshaws which are recognized by their distinctive loud sound.
The city received the Adipura Cup in 1993 for its cleanliness and environmental sustainability. In 1996, because of orderly traffic control, the city also won the Wahana Tata Nugraha Cup award. The industrial sector is the backbone of the city's economy, due to its central location in Simalungun Regency, and consists of medium to large industrial sites. Of the total economic activities in 2000, Pematangsiantar reached a GDP of Rp1.69 trillion, with the industrial market share making up 38.18% or Rp646 billion. The trade, hotel, and restaurant sectors followed in second place, with a contribution of 22.77% or Rp385 billion.
The motto of this city is Sapangambei Manoktok Hitei which comes from the Simalungun language which means working together to achieve a noble goal.
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Discover famous landmarks, scenic roads, and more near Pematangsiantar.
Within an hour or so of Pematangsiantar: Lake Toba Ring Road (37 km), Lake Toba (46 km).
The nearest famous roads are Lake Toba Ring Road.
Pematangsiantar is in North Sumatra, Indonesia, about 12 km from Pane Tongah.
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2 notable places within an hour's drive.
coastal drive
The road circling the world's largest volcanic crater lake in North Sumatra, running past Batak clan villages with boat-shaped roofs and stone king's chairs on Samosir Island. A car ferry crosses from Parapat.
37 km · about 45 min drive
natural wonder
The world's largest volcanic lake filling a supervolcanic caldera in Sumatra, with the culturally rich Samosir Island at its center.
46 km · about 55 min drive
Year-round
Tropical latitude: plan around the wet season rather than temperature.
Other places to explore near Pematangsiantar.
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