Located in the Sitti Zone in the Somali Region the town has a longitude and latitude of 11°2′N 42°37′E / 11.033°N 42.617°E / 11.033; 42.617 with an elevation of 898 meters above sea level.

In the mid-1960s, gypsum was excavated near the town, then transported to a factory in Dire Dawa to be used in the manufacture cement and plaster of Paris.

Dewele was the first point inside the boundaries of Ethiopia to receive train service by the Ethio-Djibouti Railways.

The first train ran between Djibouti City and Dewele on 22 July 1901, requiring 5½ hours to make the trip with four halts for water.

[2] In 1907, the Englishmen Bentley and Wells drove a Siddeley automobile from the Red Sea coast to Addis Ababa.