Pleiku

Pleiku sits in the Central Highlands of central Vietnam in Gia Lai Province, where it was formerly the provincial capital. As of 2024 its population was about 331,178 across an urban area of 264.89 square kilometers. Its name comes from the Jarai language, combining ploi, meaning village, with kdur, meaning north or upper, so the name can be read as upper village or village in the north. During the Vietnam War the city was strategically important as the main terminus of the military supply corridor running west along Highway 19 from the port of Qui Nhon. On 1 July 2025, Pleiku ceased to exist as a municipal city under Vietnams elimination of district-level units, and its territory was reorganized into five wards and two communes directly under Gia Lai Province.