By Air
Aba Jifar Airport (IATA: JIM) is a few kilometres west of the city centre. Ethiopian Airlines operates regular flights from Addis Ababa — the journey takes under an hour and is by far the fastest way to reach Jimma. The airport was renovated in 2015 to handle larger aircraft and is generally functional without being comfortable.
By Bus
The overland route from Addis Ababa follows a good asphalt road southwest through the highlands. Public buses and shared minibuses run the 352-kilometre journey and take roughly 5–6 hours depending on stops and conditions. The road passes through attractive highland scenery and the journey is perfectly manageable. Several bus companies operate from Addis Ababa's Meskel Square area, with early morning departures standard. From Jimma, the same road continues further southwest toward Mizan Teferi and the Omo Valley, making the city a natural stopover on this route.