{"id":37,"date":"2024-04-03T09:08:26","date_gmt":"2024-04-03T09:08:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/tanzania\/?p=37"},"modified":"2026-08-01T00:13:32","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T00:13:32","slug":"dar-es-salaam-region","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/tanzania\/dar-es-salaam-region\/","title":{"rendered":"Dar es Salaam Region"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dar es Salaam Region (Swahili: Mkoa wa Dar es Salaam) sits on Tanzania’s Indian Ocean coast and is the smallest region in the country by area but the largest by population. The 2022 census counted a population of 5,383,728 across just 1,393 km², giving Tanzania’s highest population density by a wide margin. The city of Dar es Salaam is the regional headquarters and the country’s main port, though the national capital moved to Dodoma.<\/p>\n

Districts of Dar es Salaam Region<\/h2>\n

The region is divided into five councils. One is a city council and four are municipal councils, each covering a block of city wards rather than a rural hinterland. Populations below are from the 2022 census.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
District<\/th>\nCouncil type<\/th>\nPopulation (2022 census)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Dar es Salaam (Ilala)<\/td>\nCity council<\/td>\n1,649,912<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Temeke<\/td>\nMunicipal council<\/td>\n1,346,674<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ubungo<\/td>\nMunicipal council<\/td>\n1,086,912<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Kinondoni<\/td>\nMunicipal council<\/td>\n982,328<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Kigamboni<\/td>\nMunicipal council<\/td>\n317,902<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dar es Salaam Region<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n5,383,728<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Ubungo and Kigamboni are recent creations. Ubungo was split from Kinondoni and Kigamboni from Temeke, which is why older maps and census tables show only three districts.<\/p>\n

Towns and Villages in Dar es Salaam Region<\/h2>\n

Dar es Salaam is one continuous built-up area, so its places are neighbourhoods, wards and suburbs rather than separate villages. The list below groups them by council area, pairing the newer councils with the older districts they were carved from. Fishing settlements on the Kigamboni side, such as Kimbiji and Mbwamaji, still read as coastal villages.<\/p>\n

Dar es Salaam City Council (Ilala)<\/h3>\n
    \n
  • Banana<\/li>\n
  • Garden Avenue<\/li>\n
  • Ilala<\/li>\n
  • Kariakoo<\/li>\n
  • Kichangani<\/li>\n
  • Kilawani<\/li>\n
  • Markazi Centre<\/li>\n
  • Masika<\/li>\n
  • Mtambani<\/li>\n
  • Mwananchi<\/li>\n
  • Sea View<\/li>\n
  • Tabata<\/li>\n
  • Ugombolwa<\/li>\n
  • Ukonga<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Kinondoni and Ubungo<\/h3>\n
      \n
    • Changani<\/li>\n
    • Dilo<\/li>\n
    • Kawi<\/li>\n
    • Kibamba<\/li>\n
    • Kigomanunguru<\/li>\n
    • Kigongo<\/li>\n
    • Kilimani<\/li>\n
    • Kimara<\/li>\n
    • Kinondoni<\/li>\n
    • Kunduchi<\/li>\n
    • Luisi<\/li>\n
    • Mabibe<\/li>\n
    • Magoe<\/li>\n
    • Magomeni<\/li>\n
    • Makabe<\/li>\n
    • Manyema<\/li>\n
    • Mbezi<\/li>\n
    • Msasani<\/li>\n
    • Munoe<\/li>\n
    • Mwananyamala<\/li>\n
    • Mwinyimkuu<\/li>\n
    • Oyster Bay<\/li>\n
    • Sinza<\/li>\n
    • Ubungo<\/li>\n
    • Wazo Hill<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Temeke and Kigamboni<\/h3>\n
        \n
      • Buyuni<\/li>\n
      • Changombe<\/li>\n
      • Fungoni<\/li>\n
      • Keko Chini<\/li>\n
      • Keko Juu<\/li>\n
      • Kibada<\/li>\n
      • Kigamboni<\/li>\n
      • Kimbiji<\/li>\n
      • Kipara<\/li>\n
      • Kurasini<\/li>\n
      • Kutani<\/li>\n
      • Magogoni<\/li>\n
      • Mbagalla<\/li>\n
      • Mbwamaji<\/li>\n
      • Mgulani<\/li>\n
      • Mikenge<\/li>\n
      • Mpakani<\/li>\n
      • Mtoni<\/li>\n
      • Ngobana<\/li>\n
      • Nunge<\/li>\n
      • Shimo la Udongo<\/li>\n
      • Temeke<\/li>\n
      • Tuamoyo<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Other localities<\/h3>\n
          \n
        • Bandarini<\/li>\n
        • Koko Beach<\/li>\n
        • Mjimwema<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          Geography<\/h2>\n

          The region faces the Indian Ocean to the east and is surrounded on every landward side by Pwani Region. Its coastline runs roughly north to south past Kunduchi, Msasani Peninsula, the natural harbour at Kurasini and the Kigamboni shore. That harbour, a deep creek sheltered behind a narrow entrance, is the reason the city exists where it does.<\/p>\n

          The land is low and flat near the water, rising gently inland to about 100 metres around Pugu and Kisarawe. The Msimbazi River cuts through the middle of the city and floods in the long rains, which run from March to May. Sandbars and reefs sit offshore, and the islands of Bongoyo and Mbudya, north of Msasani, are protected within the Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve. Mangroves survive along the Kigamboni and Mbagala creeks.<\/p>\n

          Economy and Local Life<\/h2>\n

          The port of Dar es Salaam handles the bulk of Tanzania’s seaborne trade and serves as the transit route for Zambia, Malawi, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and eastern DR Congo. Manufacturing, warehousing and haulage cluster along Nyerere Road and around Ubungo, and the region carries most of the country’s banking, insurance and government offices.<\/p>\n

          Kariakoo is the wholesale heart of the city and the biggest market in Tanzania. Traders come from upcountry regions to buy in bulk there, and prices set at Kariakoo move retail prices far inland. Ferry Fish Market at Kivukoni sells the day’s catch from the small boats that work the coast. Beyond the formal economy, most households live on trade, transport and services, and the Kigamboni and Kimbiji shores still support commercial fishing and coconut smallholdings.<\/p>\n

          Getting There<\/h2>\n

          Julius Nyerere International Airport is the busiest airport in Tanzania, with flights across Africa, the Gulf and Europe, plus domestic links to Zanzibar, Arusha and Mwanza. Three trunk roads leave the city: Morogoro Road west towards Morogoro and Dodoma, Nyerere Road south-west past the airport, and Bagamoyo Road north along the coast. Long-distance coaches use the Magufuli Bus Terminal at Mbezi.<\/p>\n

          Two railways start here. The Central Line runs west to Tabora, Kigoma and Mwanza, and the standard gauge line to Dodoma opened in 2024. TAZARA runs south-west to Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia. Inside the city, the DART bus rapid transit corridor has run along Morogoro Road since 2016. The Nyerere Bridge, opened in 2016, links Kigamboni to Kurasini, and the Magogoni ferry still crosses the harbour mouth. Passenger ferries to Zanzibar and Pemba leave from the port.<\/p>\n

          FAQ<\/h2>\n

          How many districts are in Dar es Salaam Region?<\/h3>\n

          Five: Dar es Salaam City Council (Ilala), Kinondoni, Temeke, Ubungo and Kigamboni. Ubungo and Kigamboni were split off from Kinondoni and Temeke respectively.<\/p>\n

          What is the population of Dar es Salaam Region?<\/h3>\n

          The 2022 census recorded a population of 5,383,728, up from 4,364,541 in 2012. It is the most populous region in Tanzania.<\/p>\n

          Is Dar es Salaam the capital of Tanzania?<\/h3>\n

          No. Dodoma is the national capital. Dar es Salaam remains the largest city, the main port and the commercial centre, and it is the headquarters of Dar es Salaam Region.<\/p>\n

          What are the main neighbourhoods in Dar es Salaam?<\/h3>\n

          Well-known areas include Kariakoo, Magomeni, Kinondoni, Msasani, Oyster Bay, Sinza, Ubungo, Mbezi, Mbagala, Temeke, Kurasini and Kigamboni. The full list above is grouped by council.<\/p>\n

          How do you get to Kigamboni?<\/h3>\n

          By the Nyerere Bridge from Kurasini, or by the Magogoni ferry across the harbour mouth from Kivukoni. Both run daily.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          Dar es Salaam Region (Swahili: Mkoa wa Dar es Salaam) sits on Tanzania’s Indian Ocean coast and is the smallest region in the country by area but the largest by population. The 2022 census counted a population of 5,383,728 across just 1,393 km², giving Tanzania’s highest population density by a wide margin. The city of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"Dar es Salaam Region: Districts, Wards & Neighbourhoods","_seopress_titles_desc":"All 5 districts of Dar es Salaam Region, population 5,383,728 at the 2022 census, plus the full list of wards and neighbourhoods in each council area.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-tanzania","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/tanzania\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/tanzania\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/tanzania\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/tanzania\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/tanzania\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/tanzania\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":79,"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/tanzania\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37\/revisions\/79"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/tanzania\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/tanzania\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/tanzania\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}