Yirgalem (Amharic: ይርጋለም, Yïrgaläm) locally known as Diko Dalle [1] is a town in southern Ethiopia.

[2] Yirgalem was occupied by the Italians 1 December 1936 during their campaign against the remaining Ethiopian Army of Sidamo under Ras Desta Damtew.

[3] The town was capital of Sidamo Province until after the 1975 takeover by the Derge regime, when it was moved to Awassa.

By that time a branch of the Ethiopian Electric Light and Power Authority[1] had started operation at Irgalem.

[5] Based on figures from the Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia published in 2005, Yirgalem has an estimated total population of 43,815 of whom 21,840 are men and 21,975 women.