Binjai
Indonesia · Asia
About Binjai
Binjai (English: or BEEN-jayh, Jawi: بينجاي), formally Kota Binjai (Binjai City), is an independent city in the North Sumatra province of Indonesia, bordered by Deli Serdang Regency to the east and Langkat Regency to the west. Binjai is connected to Medan (the provincial capital), about 22 km to the east, by the Sumatra highway that goes to Banda Aceh, and effectively forms a part of Greater Medan. The city's population was 181,904 in the 1990 Census, 224,516 in the 2000 Census, 246,154 in the 2010 Census, and 291,842 in the 2020 Census; the official estimate as of mid 2025 was 310,932 (comprising 155,462 males and 155,470 females). In mid 2025, 50,654 inhabitants lived in the Binjai District of Langkat Regency, outside the city limits but immediately north of the city.
The origin of Binjai when it established itself as a city is unknown. Historically, the Binjai area was situated between two Malay kingdoms, Deli and Langkat. Binjai grew from a small village on the edge of the Bingai River.
According to oral and written accounts of the area's history, the city of Binjai grew from a small village on the edge of the Bingai River, approximately where the Pekan Binjai village...
Binjai travel guide
Understand
The origin of Binjai when it established itself as a city is unknown. Historically, the Binjai area was situated between two Malay kingdoms, Deli and Langkat. Binjai grew from a small village on the edge of the Bingai River. According to both oral and written accounts of the history of the area, the city of Binjai grew from a small village located on the edge of the Bingai River, approximately where the Pekan Binjai village is located today. Traditional ceremonies were held to lay the foundations of the small village in the shade of a large binjai tree at the edge of the Bingai River, which flows into the Wampu River, which is navigable for a large portion of its length. Around the tree were built several houses, which were gradually enlarged, until finally a village hall was built. A lively port also developed, visited by barges from Stabat, Tanjung Pura, and the Strait of Malacca. Over time, the Binjai tree gave its name to the growing city.
Getting there
1 Binjai railway station (Timbang Langkat Station). (updated Oct 2024)
Getting around
Two major public transport within this city are becak (a three-wheeled motorised vehicle), and small minibusses called Angkot ("Angkutan Kota", Eng.="City Transport").
See
1 Tugu Perjuangan 1945. (updated Oct 2024) 2 Binjai Great Mosque. (updated Oct 2024) 3 Setia Buddha Vihara. (updated Oct 2024)
Do
1 Bingai River (Binge River). Rafting (updated Oct 2024)
Go next
Binjai is also an important transit point for visitors to Bukit Lawang, in the Gunung Leuser National Park, an important site for the conservation of the red orangutan. Bukit Lawang is located 68 km west of Binjai.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, travel guide fromWikivoyage (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.