| Official Name: | Arua |
| Other Name: | Aruaa |
| Motto: | Peace, Justice & Prudence |
| Pushpin Map: | Uganda |
| Pushpin Label Position: | bottom |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Uganda |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Uganda |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Northern Region |
| Subdivision Type2: | Sub-region |
| Subdivision Name2: | West Nile sub-region |
| Subdivision Type3: | District |
| Subdivision Name3: | Arua District |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Charles Asiki |
| Established Date2: | 14 June 1914 |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Population As Of: | 2014 Census |
| Population Total: | 61962 |
| Population Blank1 Title: | Ethnicities |
| Population Blank2 Title: | Religions |
| Coordinates: | 3.0353°N 30.9108°W |
| Area Code: | 0476 |
| Website: | www.arua.go.ug |
Arua is a city and commercial centre within the Arua District in the Northern Region of Uganda.[1] [2]
Arua is approximately north-west of Kampala, the capital and largest city of Uganda, Arua is about, by road, west of Gulu, the largest city in Uganda's Northern Region. The geographical coordinates of the city of Arua are 03°02'07.0"N, 30°54'39.0"E (Latitude:3.035278; Longitude:30.910833). Arua sits at an average elevation of 1310m (4,300feet) above sea level.[3] Arua is closely bordered to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the west and South Sudan in the north, which makes it a strategic location for business between Uganda and her two neighbors to the west and north.[4]
Due to its strategic location, Arua is also part of the refugee program of hosting up to 20% of the refugees entering Uganda annually.[5]
Arua is an important base for non-governmental organizations working in the West Nile sub-region or serving Western Equatoria in South Sudan and the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It became an important commercial supply centre and transport route when the Juba - Yei - Morobo - Kaya Road opened, enabling supplies to come into Juba from the south on the Kaya Highway instead of through Khartoum from the north.
A branch of the Uganda Railways was to be extended to Arua sometime after 1964,[6] but there has been no passenger rail service in Uganda for many years.[7]
The Vurra–Arua–Koboko–Oraba Road passes through town, in a south–north direction.[8] Arua is connected to the other towns in West Nile by road. These are: Nebbi, Pakwach, Paidha, Koboko, Yumbe, Moyo, Obongi, Adjumani and other smaller towns. There is regular road transport between Arua and Kampala, Gulu, Masindi and Hoima
The city is served by Arua Airport, which has scheduled air service.[9] Arua airport has been the second busiest in Uganda after Entebbe. It was due to be upgraded to an international airport.
The 1969 national census enumerated the population of Arua Town at 10,837. In 1991, the census enumerated 22,217 people in the town. In 2002, the population had increased to 43,929. The August 2014 national census and household survey enumerated the population of Arua Town Council at 61,962. In 2020, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) estimated the mid-year population to be 72,400. UBOS calculated that the population of Arua Municipality grew at an average rate of 2.7 percent annually, between 2014 and 2020.[10]
Arua has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification Aw).
The following administrations are seated in Arua:
Analog broadcasts, which originate from Kampala, include WBS TV (which is currently closed), UBC TV, and NTV. In early 2014, MBC 2 was aired in Arua as a test broadcast to pave way for Vision Group's Urban TV.[12]
Voice of Life, a Church of Uganda-founded radio station, has pioneered FM broadcasting in Arua since 1997.[13]