Pematangsiantar

Pematangsiantar
City
City of Pematangsiantar Kota Pematangsiantar
Other transcription(s)
• Batak	ᯈᯩᯕᯖᯰᯙᯫᯁᯉ᯳ᯖᯓ᯳
Pematangsiantar City Hall
Coat of arms
Motto(s):  ᯃᯬᯖ ᯈᯩᯕᯖᯰᯙᯫᯁᯉ᯳ᯖᯓ᯳ (Sapangambei Manoktok Hitei)
Location within North Sumatra
Pematangsiantar Location in Sumatra and Indonesia Pematangsiantar Pematangsiantar (Indonesia)
Coordinates: 2°57′36″N 99°3′36″E
Country	Indonesia
Province	North Sumatra
Government
• Mayor	Wesly Silalahi
• Vice Mayor	Herlina
• Speaker of City Council	Timbul Marganda Lingga (PDI-P)
• Deputy Speaker of City Council	Mangatas Maruli Tua Silalahi (Golkar) and Ronald Darwin Tampubolon (People's Conscience Party)
Area
• Total	79.971 km2 (30.877 sq mi)
Population  (mid 2024 estimate)
• Total	277,054
• Density	3,500/km2 (9,000/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+7 (Indonesia Western Time)
Area code	(+62) 622
Website	www.pematangsiantarkota.go.id

Pematangsiantar is an independent city in North Sumatra, Indonesia. It is surrounded by Simalungun Regency but is not part of it, making the city an enclave within the regency. The city was once the administrative center of Simalungun Regency, but in 1986 it was officially separated and given the status of a city. As of mid-2024, Pematangsiantar has an estimated population of 277,054. This makes it the second-largest city in North Sumatra after Medan. Earlier population counts recorded 229,525 people in 2005, 234,698 in 2010, and 268,254 in 2020.

The city is located about 128 kilometers from Medan and around 50 kilometers from Parapat, a main access point to Lake Toba. Because of this location, Pematangsiantar often serves as a transit city for travelers going to Lake Toba and nearby areas such as Central Tapanuli Regency. To support tourism, the city has several hotels and many restaurants. A distinctive feature of local transportation is the use of old Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA) motorcycles, originally produced in England. These motorcycles, with a 500 cc engine, are commonly used as auto rickshaws and are known for their loud sound.

Pematangsiantar has received national awards for urban management. In 1993, it won the Adipura Cup for cleanliness and environmental management. In 1996, it received the Wahana Tata Nugraha award for traffic management. The economy of the city is mainly supported by the industrial sector, which benefits from its central location in the surrounding region. Industry contributes a large share of the city’s economic activity, followed by trade, hotels, and restaurants. The city’s motto is “Sapangambei Manoktok Hitei,” a phrase from the Simalungun language meaning “working together to achieve a noble goal.”