Map of Butare, Rwanda

Butare is a city in Southern Province, Rwanda, with a population of about 62,823. It lies at 2.5967°S, 29.7394°E. Butare is about 80 km (50 mi) southwest of Kigali, the capital. The nearest city on our map is Nzega, 24 km to the northwest.

Butare at a glance

Where is Butare?

• The 5th largest city in Rwanda by recorded population.
• The 2nd largest city in Southern Province on this site.
• Located in the Southern and Eastern hemispheres.
• Daylight ranges from about 11 h 58 min on the shortest day to 12 h 16 min on the longest day (around 21 June and 21 December).

Cities near Butare

• Nzega — 24 km northwest
• Ngozi — 36 km south, Burundi
• Kayanza — 38 km south, Burundi
• Gitarama — 58 km north
• Kibuye — 74 km northwest
• Cibitoke — 76 km southwest, Burundi
• Kigali — 80 km northeast
• Cyangugu — 93 km west
• Gitega — 95 km south, Burundi
• Bujumbura — 97 km southwest, Burundi

Largest cities in Southern Province

• Gitarama — 87,613
• Nzega — 33,832

Largest cities in Rwanda

• Kigali — 1,132,686
• Gisenyi — 172,357
• Musanze — 153,368
• Gitarama — 87,613
• Kibuye — 48,024
• Rwamagana — 47,203
• Kibungo — 46,240
• Cyangugu — 43,866
• Byumba — 43,134
• Nzega — 33,832

Map of Rwanda 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.