Dave Ballou is an American jazz trumpeter.
Ballou took his bachelor's degree at Berklee College of Music in 1986 and his master's degree at the University of New Hampshire in 1991. He played in the Mingus Epitaph band and has worked extensively as a sideman for musicians such as Rabih Abou-Khalil, Andy Biskin, Michael Formanek, Satoko Fujii, Jacob Garchik, Andrew Hill, John Hollenbeck, Sheila Jordan, Oliver Lake, Dave Liebman, Joe Lovano, Denman Maroney, Orange Then Blue, Tom Rainey, Maria Schneider, Michael Jefry Stevens, and Nate Wooley. His first album as a leader was issued in 1998. Ballou is currently associate professor of music at Towson University in Maryland.