Ballari is one of the oldest cities in north Karnataka and is situated about 300kms to the north of Bangalore, capital of Karnataka state. The city is known for its rich heritage and culture as it was the erstwhile capital city of the great Vijayanagara Kingdom. Even today we can see a lot of remains like the stone chariot, the temple of musical pillars, the lotus mahal, and the Virupaksha temple etc. at Hampi. Today Ballari is the only place where iron ore is available in abundance in India. The district has the unique privilege of housing nearly 25 steel plants like the Jindal Vijayanagar steels Ltd, Kirloskar Ferrous Industries Ltd, Mukund Ltd, and Shatavahana Ispat Ltd, etc. Tungabadra Dam near Hospet in Ballari district is one of the oldest dams in the country and is one of the largest producers of hydroelectricity. The drinking water project and irrigation canals that eminate from the TB dam are among the largest in the country. The flora and fauna at Sandur in Ballari district is well known right from the British era. The bear sanctuary at Daroji is one of its kind in Karnataka and is home for more than 100 bears.

The city is well connected to all parts of the country by road and rail. There are number of trains connecting Bangalore, Hubli, Hyderabad, Chennai, Delhi and Bombay with Ballari on a daily basis. Guntakal Junction in Andhra Pradesh is at a distance of about 40Kms from Ballari and is well connected to all major cities in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and other states.

Both the state government and private transporters operate a number of buses from Bangalore, Mysore, Hubli, Hyderabad, Mangalore, Chennai and various other cities to Ballari everyday. Bangalore is the nearest airport which is connected to all parts of the world and is four hours drive from Ballari.