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Salatiga is a city in Central Java province, Indonesia. It covers an area of and had a population of 192,322 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as of mid 2025 was 199,906 (comprising 99,065 males and 100,841 females). Located between the cities of Semarang and Surakarta, and administratively an independent city enclaved within Semarang Regency, it sits at the foot of Mount Merbabu and Mount Telomoyo, and has a relatively cool climate due to its elevated position. Salatiga is a part of the Semarang metropolitan area.

Salatiga is mainly inhabited by the Javanese, with a sizeable minority of Chinese Indonesians and some Bataks from North Sumatra. As a university town, it also hosts an assembly of other ethnicities from as far as Borneo and New Guinea. In total, there are about 30 ethnicities in Salatiga.

Culture Festival at Satya Wacana Christian University

A parade (organized by UKSW, a local university) dubbed as the Indonesian International Culture Festival, or IICF, is held annually in mid-April, where marchers dress in distinct, traditional clothing to represent different tribes and ethnicities. The parade follows a chosen theme for that particular year, often with strong tones of nationalism and unity in the differences notably between the more than a thousand tribes.

In 2005, a group of local artworkers in Salatiga formed a community, Tanam Untuk Kehidupan (“Planting for Life”). In 2006, the community organized a three-day festival with the intention of raising awareness of environmental and especially water issues through cleaning programs and re-utilizing the garbage into hand-crafted arts. This festival, named “Festival Mata Air” (“Spring Festival”), was held annually, the first festival in November 2006. The last festival was held in 2016, at a spring in Muncul, where a team of 170 people retrieved a staggering 1,800 kilograms of trash which was later repurposed.

Salatiga is thought to be named either after the goddess of Trisala, or after the three wrongs done to the first king of Semarang.

In the first explanation, the people of the village celebrate the goddess of Siddhadewi, who is mentioned in the Monolith of Plumpungan. Siddhadewi was also called Trisala, so the village was called Trisala and in the years to come became Salatri and eventually Salatiga.

The second explanation is based on the story of Ki Ageng Pandanaran, the first regent of Semarang, who was robbed by three muggers, and he thus named the location Salah Telu. Salah means wrong in both Indonesian and Javanese. Telu is Low Javanese for three, spelled is tiga in both the more refined Middletigotiga/ in Indonesian). Hence the name Salatiga from Salah Tiga.

The official birth date of Salatiga is 24 July 750 A.D. (the 31st date and 4th year of the Saka calendar). The scroll Monolith of Plumpungan (Prasasti Plumpungan in Sanskrit) by King Bhanu, declares May you be happy! All the people ("Srir = astu swasti prajabhyah") and designated village of Hampran (Desa Hampran) a Perdikan village (Desa Perdikan, meaning a tax-free village). "Çrirastuswasti Prajabyah" is the official motto of Salatiga as written in the government seal.

In 1746, the Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie, VOC) built De Hersteller fort in Salatiga because Salatiga was strategically located at the intersection between Semarang, Surakarta and Magelang. Salatiga street scenery in 1918

On 1 July 1917 the village of Salatiga was designated as a stads gemeente or small town by the Dutch East Indies government. In the colonial era, Salatiga was stratified by race. The Europeans lived near the city centre, at the Toentangscheweg (Toentang Road) leading to Semarang and also near to Dutch plantations in the Salatiga Afdeling. The Chinese were based near the trading centre, the Kalicacing Market, at the Soloscheweg (Solo Road). Native people were bound to live outside the European and Chinese communities. The education system was divided accordingly, with different schools for the Europeans, the Chinese and the natives. Salatiga was led by a burgermeester (mayor), assisted by College van Burgermeester en Wethouders. There was a legislative body, the Stadsgemeenteraad; however, its membership was not proportional, with 8 seats for the Europeans, 1 seat for the Chinese, and only 2 seats for the natives who form the majority of the people. The economy of Salatiga was hampered by the world economic depression of the 1930s. To reduce the city's spending the salaries of government officials were cut by up to 15%. Salatiga had an important economic role as a hinterland to Semarang, providing agricultural products like coffee, rubber, cacao, cotton, spices, tobacco, wheat and vegetables to Semarang to be processed.

Supported by geographical factors, its mostly mild climate and its luxurious buildings with Indies architecture, Salatiga's beauty was well known during the Dutch colonisation, even it was called De Schoonste Stad van Midden-Java (The Most Beautiful City in Central Java).

Salatiga is located south of Semarang and north of Surakarta. Its elevation is between 450–800 metres. Salatiga has a tropical monsoon climate (Am) in the Köppen climate classification with the average rainfall of per year, the highest temperature in October (24.1 °C) and the lowest in January (22.4 °C).