Sidoarjo Regency () is a
regency
In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...
in
East Java
East Java (, , ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia located in the easternmost third of Java island. It has a land border only with the province of Central Java to the west; the Java Sea and the Indian Ocean border its northern ...
,
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
. It is bordered by
Surabaya
Surabaya is the capital city of East Java Provinces of Indonesia, province and the List of Indonesian cities by population, second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. Located on the northeastern corner of Java island, on the Madura Strai ...
City and
Gresik Regency to the north, by
Pasuruan Regency
Pasuruan Regency () is a Regencies of Indonesia, regency in East Java, a province of Indonesia. The capital of this regency is Bangil. The regency covers an area of 1,474.02 km2, and it had a population of 1,512,468 at the 2010 CensusBiro Pusat ...
to the south, by
Mojokerto Regency
Mojokerto Regency (; ) is a regency in East Java Province of Indonesia. It is part of the Surabaya metropolitan area (known as Gerbangkertosusila) which comprises Gresik Regency, Bangkalan Regency, Mojokerto Regency, Mojokerto City, Surabaya Ci ...
to the west, and by the
Madura Strait
Madura Strait is a stretch of water that separates the Indonesian islands of Java and Madura, in the province of East Java. The islands of Kambing, Giliraja, Genteng, and Ketapang lie in the Strait. The Suramadu Bridge, the longest in Indones ...
to the east. It has a land area of 719.34 km
2, making it physically the smallest regency in East Java,
[Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2025, ''Kabupaten Sidoarjo Dalam Angka 2025'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.3515)] although it contains many of the southern suburbs of Surabaya and has a high population density. This is particularly true in the northern districts of
Waru and Taman, which immediately adjoin the city to the north, and also in the urban area based on Sidoarjo town, which including its suburbs had a combined population of 586,602 at the 1990 Census.
As at the 2010 census, Sidoarjo Regency had a population of 2,191,489
[Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011.] while the 2020 census showed a small decline to 2,033,760,
[Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021.] notably in the northern part of the regency immediately bordering Surabaya; the official estimate as at mid-2024 showed an almost unchanged total of 2,027,874 (comprising 1,015,862 males and 1,012,012 females).
[Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2024, ''Kabupaten Sidoarjo Dalam Angka 2024'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.3515)] The entire regency is part of the urban region surrounding Surabaya, known as the '
Gerbangkertosusila
The Surabaya metropolitan area or Greater Surabaya, known locally as Gerbangkertosusila (, from ''Gresik-Bangkalan-Mojokerto-Surabaya-Sidoarjo-Lamongan''), is a metropolitan area in East Java, Indonesia. It is the country's second-largest metropol ...
' area.
Administrative districts

The Sidoarjo Regency is divided into 18 administrative
districts
A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...
(''kecamatan''). The districts are tabulated below with their areas and their populations at the 2010 census
[Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011.] and the 2020 census,
[Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021.] together with the official estimates as at mid 2024.
[Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2025, ''Kabupaten Sidoarjo Dalam Angka 2025'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.3515)] The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centres, the number of
administrative villages in each district (totaling 322 rural ''desa'' and 31 urban ''kelurahan''), and its post code.
Notes: (a) comprising six ''kelurahan'' (Gedang, Jatirejo, Juwetkenongo, Mindi, Porong and Siring) and thirteen ''desa''. (b) including the two small offshore islands of ''Pulau Dem'' and ''Pulau Kedung''.
(c) comprising fourteen ''kelurahan'' (Bulusidokare, Celep, Cemengkalang, Gebang, Lemahputro, Magersari, Pekauman, Pucang, Pucanganom, Sekardangan, Sidokare, Sidoklumpuk, Sidokumpul and Urangagung) and ten ''desa''.
(d) comprising eight ''kelurahan'' (Bebekan, Geluran, Kalijaten, Ketegan, Ngelom, Sepanjang, Taman and Wonocolo) and sixteen ''desa''.
(e) including three ''kelurahan'' (Kemasan, Krian and Tambak Kemerakan).
Economy
As a satellite region and part of Greater
Surabaya
Surabaya is the capital city of East Java Provinces of Indonesia, province and the List of Indonesian cities by population, second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. Located on the northeastern corner of Java island, on the Madura Strai ...
, the Sidoarjo economy is valued at 197.24 Trillion
IDR in 2020 and is the second-largest in
East Java
East Java (, , ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia located in the easternmost third of Java island. It has a land border only with the province of Central Java to the west; the Java Sea and the Indian Ocean border its northern ...
after Surabaya.
Primary Sector
Although Sidoarjo Regency's land area is relatively small and densely populated, the primary sector still maintains a role in Sidoarjo's economy. Agriculture is mainly produced in the western and southwestern parts of Sidoarjo Tulangan District, Krembung District, and Balongbendo District. During the colonial era, Sidoarjo was famous for
sugarcane
Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fib ...
production and it hosted several sugar mills owned by
the Colonial government. After Independence, the Indonesian government
nationalised
Nationalization (nationalisation in British English)
is the process of transforming privately owned assets into public assets by bringing them under the public ownership of a national government or state. Nationalization contrasts with ...
all sugar mills in Sidoarjo. The sugarcane production sector peaked in the 70s and gradually declined since then, due to inflows of
manufacturing
Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of the
secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer ...
investment and rapid
urbanization
Urbanization (or urbanisation in British English) is the population shift from Rural area, rural to urban areas, the corresponding decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas, and the ways in which societies adapt to this change. ...
that reduced the sugarcane planting area. Rice, banana, papaya, cassava, and several
lowland
Upland and lowland are conditional descriptions of a plain based on elevation above sea level. In studies of the ecology of freshwater rivers, habitats are classified as upland or lowland.
Definitions
Upland and lowland are portions of a ...
vegetables are still popular crops.
Fisheries also still maintain a role. In the past, Sidoarjo was known as a fishing town, but the fishing sector was slowly declining as Sidoarjo became more urbanized. Fishing has been replaced by aquaculture as the main source of fish in Sidoarjo. Highly productive aquaculture is mainly produced in the eastern part of Sidoarjo Regency, and the main product is
Milkfish and farmed
shrimp
A shrimp (: shrimp (American English, US) or shrimps (British English, UK)) is a crustacean with an elongated body and a primarily Aquatic locomotion, swimming mode of locomotion – typically Decapods belonging to the Caridea or Dendrobranchi ...
which are mostly exported to the US and Japan. Sidoarjo is also famous for its processed fishery products, such as
prawn cracker,
fish cracker
A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fins and a hard skull, but lacking limbs with digits. Fish can be grouped into the more basal jawless fish and the more common jawed fis ...
,
shrimp paste
Shrimp paste or prawn sauce is a Fermentation, fermented condiment commonly used in Southeast Asian cuisine, Southeast Asian and Coastal Chinese cuisines. It is primarily made from finely crushed Shrimp and prawn as food, shrimp or krill mixed ...
and ''
petis''.
The mining sector could be neglected as it contributes very little to Sidoarjo economy. The main mining sector is natural gas, which is produced in
Porong
Porong is a district in Sidoarjo Regency, East Java, Indonesia. It has a population of 70,170 as of 2023.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2024, ''Kabupaten Sidoarjo Dalam Angka 2024'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.3515) Located about south of t ...
District. There are also several sand miners that operate in Jabon District.
Secondary Sector
Manufacturing is a main sector of the Sidoarjo economy with a contribution of nearly 40%. Sidoarjo manufacturing production is diversified and ranges from furniture to electronics products. There are numerous manufacturing plants in Sidoarjo. Among this are : Jatim Taman Steel (Steel Manufacturer), Avian (Paints and building material), Tunggal Djaja (Paints Production),
Maspion (Household durable goods), Japfa Comfeed (Feedmills and poultry), Interbat (Pharmaceuticals), Integra (Furniture), Tjiwi Kimia (Paper),
Kimberly-Clark's Softex (Non-durable consumer goods),
Unicharm (Non-durable consumer goods),
Polygon Bikes (Bikes),
Alumindo (Aluminium products), Sekar Group (Food processing),
Hisamitsu (Pharmaceutical), Lighting Solutions (Lamp),
ECCO (Footwear), Samator (Industrial gas and chemicals), Bernofarm (Pharmaceutical), Muntjul Diamond (Vehicle body),
Charoen Pokphand (
Agribusiness
Agribusiness is the industry, enterprises, and the field of study of value chains in agriculture and in the bio-economy,
in which case it is also called bio-business or bio-enterprise.
The primary goal of agribusiness is to maximize profit ...
) and many more.
There are thousands of small and medium manufacturers established in Sidoarjo. Garments, Food Processing, Footwear, Apparel, and Furniture are products that are usually produced by small and medium manufacturers in Sidoarjo. Many small and medium manufacturers produce traditional herbs, machinery, packaging, and metal products.
During the
colonial era, there were 10
sugarmills in Sidoarjo and the oldest is Watu Tulis Sugarmills that built in 1838. There remain three sugarmills in Sidoarjo. Among this are New Candi Sugarmills that built in 1911, Krembung Sugarmills, and Watu Tulis Sugarmills.
Tertiary Sector
The main tertiary sectors in Sidoarjo are wholesaling and retailing, food services, education, and financial services. As Sidoarjo is getting more urbanized, the tertiary sector is predicted to grow significantly. The fastest growth in the tertiary sector is recording in experience-related services, such as food services (notably
restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and Delivery (commerce), food delivery services. Restaurants ...
,
cafe
A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café (), is an establishment that serves various types of coffee, espresso, latte, americano and cappuccino, among other hot beverages. Many coffeehouses in West Asia offer ''shisha'' (actually called ''nargil ...
) and
movie theater
A movie theater (American English) or cinema (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English), also known as a movie house, cinema hall, picture house, picture theater, the movies, the pictures, or simply theater, is a business ...
. Education Services are also predicted to grow, as several
private tutoring companies are opening a branch in Sidoarjo and private schools are gaining more students, due to increasingly population, income, and lack of capacity in
state school
A state school, public school, or government school is a primary school, primary or secondary school that educates all students without charge. They are funded in whole or in part by taxation and operated by the government of the state. State-f ...
s.
Lapindo Mud flow
Since May 2006, more than 10,000 people in the
Porong
Porong is a district in Sidoarjo Regency, East Java, Indonesia. It has a population of 70,170 as of 2023.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2024, ''Kabupaten Sidoarjo Dalam Angka 2024'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.3515) Located about south of t ...
District have been displaced by hot mud flowing from a
natural gas
Natural gas (also fossil gas, methane gas, and gas) is a naturally occurring compound of gaseous hydrocarbons, primarily methane (95%), small amounts of higher alkanes, and traces of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and helium ...
well being drilled by Lapindo Brantas, an oil well company that is part of a conglomerate owned by Coordinating Minister for the People's Welfare
Aburizal Bakrie
Aburizal Bakrie (born 15 November 1946) is an Indonesian politician and a prominent businessman, widely recognized for his success with the Bakrie Group conglomerate. From 2004 to 2005, Bakrie served as Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for ...
. Gas and hot mud started spewing from the well on May 28, when the drill penetrated a layer of liquid sediment. Attempts to pump concrete down the well did not stop the flow. While some scientists have speculated that the
earthquake
An earthquakealso called a quake, tremor, or tembloris the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they ...
that struck
Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta is the capital city of the Special Region of Yogyakarta in Indonesia, in the south-central part of the island of Java. As the only Indonesian royal city still ruled by Hamengkubuwono, a monarchy, Yogyakarta is regarded as an importan ...
on May 27, the day before the well erupted, may have cracked the ground, creating potential pathways for the mud to reach the surface, others have suggested that the drilling procedure was faulty by not using a casing. This is likely to be incorrect as technical papers on the subject showed that there were up to four sets of casing installed and cemented in the well. Some 50,000 cubic metres of hot mud were erupting every day as of August; in September, the amount increased to some 125,000 cubic metres daily. On September 26 barriers built to hold back the mud failed, resulting in the flooding of more villages. Gus Maksum, one of the thousands of Sidoarjo villagers displaced by the mud flow gives a detailed first-hand account of the first year of the disaster in his memoir ''Titanic Made By Lapindo''. As of late September 2006 scientists said that a
mud volcano
A mud volcano or mud dome is a landform created by the eruption of mud or Slurry, slurries, water and gases. Several geological processes may cause the formation of mud volcanoes. Mud volcanoes are not true Igneous rock, igneous volcanoes as th ...
may have been forming, and could be impossible to stop.
New Indonesia Calamity: A Man-Made Mud Bath
- URL retrieved October 6, 2006
Climate
Sidoarjo has a tropical savanna climate
Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry "winter") and ''As'' (for a dry "summer"). The driest month has less than ...
(Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
''Aw'') with moderate to little rainfall from May to November and heavy rainfall from December to April.
References
Sidoarjo has lots of worth to culinary tastes, from sour and spicy, to sweet culinary. Sour food in Sidoarjo can be described as a fruity dish called Rujak, and the most famous ones are Lontong Kupang, Sate Kerang, and Lontong Balap which are very spicy. And Klepon is a sweet dessert wrapped by a coconut zest.
{{Authority control
Brantas basin