Yelahanka New Town, Bengaluru: Location, Connectivity and Nearby Areas

Yelahanka New Town, Bengaluru, began as a government housing project. The Karnataka Housing Board laid it out as a planned township in the early 1980s, north of the city. Four decades later, a lot of Bengaluru locals still call it simply “Housing Board.”

A lot has changed since then. The airport opened to the north, Hebbal became a flyover interchange, and apartment towers began rising along Doddaballapur Road. The layout, though, still shows its origins: wide cross-roads, numbered phases and sectors, and a surprising number of lakes. If you’re thinking of renting, buying or just trying to understand the area, this guide explains where it sits and how it connects to the rest of Bengaluru.

Quick Facts: Yelahanka New Town

Old Town or New Town? Start With the Road

People searching for Yelahanka are often confused about Old and New Town. The difference is easy to understand once you know one road.

State Highway 9, the Bengaluru–Hindupur road better known as Doddaballapur Road, runs through the south of Yelahanka and divides it into Old Town and New Town. Old Town is the historic core, with its markets and older temples. New Town is the planned KHB grid on the other side.

The main commercial areas in New Town are 16th B Cross, Mother Dairy Cross and the fourth phase. In Old Town, the busiest shopping streets are Hospital Main Road and BB Road. If someone tells you to meet them “at Mother Dairy,” they mean the New Town side.

How Yelahanka New Town Connects to Bengaluru

The Railway Station Does More Than You’d Expect

Yelahanka Junction is one of the area’s most underrated assets. Most people in Bengaluru think of trains only for long-distance journeys, but for New Town residents the junction is close by and connects the area to lines heading north and east of the city. The Rail Wheel Factory is also located nearby, which explains the long industrial boundary walls you pass on the way there.

For current train timings, check NTES or IRCTC directly. Services on these lines change more often than property brochures suggest.

NH 44 and the Airport Run

NH 44 passes through Yelahanka, and the Navayuga Devanahalli expressway, also part of NH 44, runs along the north-eastern edge of the area as a bypass. For most residents, this is the road to Kempegowda International Airport. Property portals put the airport at about 20 km away, although the actual drive time depends on traffic at the toll plaza and around Hebbal.

Heading south into the city, you’ll usually go through Kodigehalli and Hebbal. That route is easy late at night and slow during peak hours, so plan around the time of day.

The Two Rail Projects: What’s Actually Built

Most Yelahanka New Town listings say “metro connectivity.” It’s not operational yet, so here is where both projects currently stand.

The Metro Story

The Blue Line will run alongside NH 44 through Kodigehalli, Jakkur, Yelahanka and Doddajala before continuing along Airport Road. The Yelahanka station is elevated and is designed to connect with Yelahanka Junction.

The timeline has already slipped. In late 2024, BMRCL said the KIA–Hebbal section would open between June and September 2026. It hasn’t. Current station listings show June 2027, while a summary of the whole line shows March 2028 for Phase 2B. We couldn’t determine which date is more up to date, so plan for the later one.

One reason for the delay is specific to this area. Work near the Air Force Station in Yelahanka was held up by regulatory constraints. The line will also include an at-grade (ground-level) section inside the AFS Yelahanka campus, which is unusual for Namma Metro.

The Suburban Line

The Kanaka Line will connect Rajanukunte in the far north to Heelalige in the far south via Yelahanka and Baiyappanahalli. Its Yelahanka and Marathahalli stations will be elevated, and the rest will be at ground level.

This line matters for New Town because Rajanukunte is just north of Yelahanka, and the southern end reaches the Outer Ring Road tech belt near Marathahalli and Bellandur. Construction started in 2024, with a planned opening of June 2029. That was not the original target: earlier, the Union railways minister had promised to finish it by December 2026.

Nearby Areas You’ll Keep Hearing About

Jakkur

Jakkur is to the south, towards the city. It has Jakkur Aerodrome, a small airfield popular with aviation enthusiasts, and will get its own Blue Line station at Jakkur Cross. Yelahanka Lake drains into Jakkur Lake downstream.

Kodigehalli and Hebbal

Kodigehalli, the next stop towards the city, is where the office buildings start. Its upcoming metro station will serve the Brigade corporate offices, Aster CMI Hospital and RMZ Latitude. Many New Town residents work in this corridor or around Manyata Tech Park and Kirloskar Business Park.

Doddajala and Bagalur Cross

To the north, the Blue Line continues to Bagalur Cross and then Doddajala before reaching the airport. These areas are still partly rural, but new projects are appearing along both roads.

Rajanukunte

Rajanukunte, further up Doddaballapur Road, will be the northern end of the Kanaka Line. It is currently a quieter area on the outskirts, and once the suburban trains start running it will likely become more accessible and see more development.

Lakes: New Town’s Real Advantage

New Town has more lake access than most Bengaluru localities. Yelahanka is surrounded by several lakes, including Old Yelahanka, Puttenahalli, Attur, Ananthapura and Allalasandra.

Yelahanka Lake is the largest, covering around 310 acres, and it dates back to about 1904. Puttenahalli Lake is smaller, at about 10 hectares, and has been declared a bird sanctuary. Don’t confuse it with the Puttenahalli Lake in JP Nagar, which is a different lake in south Bengaluru with the same name.

Both lakes were rejuvenated together in 2018. A 6 km jogging track now runs around Yelahanka Lake, and it is busiest at sunrise.

The Air Show Next Door

Here’s something most area guides don’t mention: New Town is next door to Asia’s largest air show.

Aero India is held every two years at Air Force Station Yelahanka. The 16th edition is scheduled for 8–12 February 2027, and exhibitor registration opened on 3 September 2026. During the show, residents hear aircraft overhead and see traffic diversions on nearby roads. If you’re moving in that month, book your truck for a date away from the show.

FAQs

Q1. Is Yelahanka New Town the same as Yelahanka?

Not exactly. Doddaballapur Road (SH 9) separates Old Town, the historic market area, from New Town, the planned layout the Karnataka Housing Board developed in the early 1980s.

Q2. Does Yelahanka New Town have a metro station?

Not yet. The Blue Line’s Yelahanka station is under construction. Reported opening dates range from June 2027 to March 2028, so treat any earlier claims with caution.

Q3. How far is Yelahanka New Town from the airport?

Property sources put it at about 20 km from Kempegowda International Airport via NH 44. Actual travel time depends on traffic around the toll plaza.

Q4. Which lakes are near Yelahanka New Town?

Yelahanka Lake, which has a jogging track, and Puttenahalli Lake bird sanctuary are the best known. Attur, Ananthapura and Allalasandra lakes are also close by.

Q5. Is Yelahanka Junction useful for daily commuting?

For some routes, yes. It’s the area’s main railhead, and it will become more useful once the Kanaka suburban line and Blue Line interchange open, both of which are still under construction.