diff --git a/ci/docker/debian-12-cpp.dockerfile b/ci/docker/debian-12-cpp.dockerfile
index d7a6f9df2c2ee..354e7829cc41f 100644
--- a/ci/docker/debian-12-cpp.dockerfile
+++ b/ci/docker/debian-12-cpp.dockerfile
@@ -108,6 +108,11 @@ RUN /arrow/ci/scripts/install_azurite.sh
 COPY ci/scripts/install_sccache.sh /arrow/ci/scripts/
 RUN /arrow/ci/scripts/install_sccache.sh unknown-linux-musl /usr/local/bin
 
+# Prioritize system packages and local installation.
+#
+# The following dependencies will be downloaded due to missing/invalid packages
+# provided by the distribution:
+# - opentelemetry-cpp-dev is not packaged
 ENV ARROW_ACERO=ON \
     ARROW_AZURE=ON \
     ARROW_BUILD_TESTS=ON \
@@ -134,6 +139,7 @@ ENV ARROW_ACERO=ON \
     AWSSDK_SOURCE=BUNDLED \
     Azure_SOURCE=BUNDLED \
     google_cloud_cpp_storage_SOURCE=BUNDLED \
+    opentelemetry_cpp_SOURCE=BUNDLED \
     ORC_SOURCE=BUNDLED \
     PATH=/usr/lib/ccache/:$PATH \
     PYTHON=python3 \
diff --git a/ci/docker/fedora-39-cpp.dockerfile b/ci/docker/fedora-39-cpp.dockerfile
index 2ac5afe7b91f6..52e879aba4ebf 100644
--- a/ci/docker/fedora-39-cpp.dockerfile
+++ b/ci/docker/fedora-39-cpp.dockerfile
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@ ENV ARROW_ACERO=ON \
     CC=gcc \
     CXX=g++ \
     google_cloud_cpp_storage_SOURCE=BUNDLED \
+    opentelemetry_cpp_SOURCE=BUNDLED \
     PARQUET_BUILD_EXAMPLES=ON \
     PARQUET_BUILD_EXECUTABLES=ON \
     PATH=/usr/lib/ccache/:$PATH \
diff --git a/ci/docker/ubuntu-20.04-cpp.dockerfile b/ci/docker/ubuntu-20.04-cpp.dockerfile
index d78c7a99cf4d6..ec8c9840cf0a7 100644
--- a/ci/docker/ubuntu-20.04-cpp.dockerfile
+++ b/ci/docker/ubuntu-20.04-cpp.dockerfile
@@ -135,7 +135,8 @@ RUN /arrow/ci/scripts/install_ceph.sh
 COPY ci/scripts/install_sccache.sh /arrow/ci/scripts/
 RUN /arrow/ci/scripts/install_sccache.sh unknown-linux-musl /usr/local/bin
 
-# Prioritize system packages and local installation
+# Prioritize system packages and local installation.
+#
 # The following dependencies will be downloaded due to missing/invalid packages
 # provided by the distribution:
 # - Abseil is not packaged
@@ -143,8 +144,10 @@ RUN /arrow/ci/scripts/install_sccache.sh unknown-linux-musl /usr/local/bin
 # - flatbuffer is not packaged
 # - libgtest-dev only provide sources
 # - libprotobuf-dev only provide sources
+# - opentelemetry-cpp-dev is not packaged
+#
 # ARROW-17051: this build uses static Protobuf, so we must also use
-# static Arrow to run Flight/Flight SQL tests
+# static Arrow to run Flight/Flight SQL tests.
 ENV absl_SOURCE=BUNDLED \
     ARROW_ACERO=ON \
     ARROW_AZURE=OFF \
@@ -179,6 +182,7 @@ ENV absl_SOURCE=BUNDLED \
     google_cloud_cpp_storage_SOURCE=BUNDLED \
     gRPC_SOURCE=BUNDLED \
     GTest_SOURCE=BUNDLED \
+    opentelemetry_cpp_SOURCE=BUNDLED \
     ORC_SOURCE=BUNDLED \
     PARQUET_BUILD_EXAMPLES=ON \
     PARQUET_BUILD_EXECUTABLES=ON \
diff --git a/ci/docker/ubuntu-22.04-cpp.dockerfile b/ci/docker/ubuntu-22.04-cpp.dockerfile
index bf5a282e7b8ca..78a44b0119e6c 100644
--- a/ci/docker/ubuntu-22.04-cpp.dockerfile
+++ b/ci/docker/ubuntu-22.04-cpp.dockerfile
@@ -184,11 +184,13 @@ RUN /arrow/ci/scripts/install_azurite.sh
 COPY ci/scripts/install_sccache.sh /arrow/ci/scripts/
 RUN /arrow/ci/scripts/install_sccache.sh unknown-linux-musl /usr/local/bin
 
-# Prioritize system packages and local installation
+# Prioritize system packages and local installation.
+#
 # The following dependencies will be downloaded due to missing/invalid packages
 # provided by the distribution:
 # - Abseil is old
 # - libc-ares-dev does not install CMake config files
+# - opentelemetry-cpp-dev is not packaged
 ENV absl_SOURCE=BUNDLED \
     ARROW_ACERO=ON \
     ARROW_AZURE=ON \
@@ -222,6 +224,7 @@ ENV absl_SOURCE=BUNDLED \
     AWSSDK_SOURCE=BUNDLED \
     Azure_SOURCE=BUNDLED \
     google_cloud_cpp_storage_SOURCE=BUNDLED \
+    opentelemetry_cpp_SOURCE=BUNDLED \
     ORC_SOURCE=BUNDLED \
     PARQUET_BUILD_EXAMPLES=ON \
     PARQUET_BUILD_EXECUTABLES=ON \
diff --git a/ci/docker/ubuntu-24.04-cpp.dockerfile b/ci/docker/ubuntu-24.04-cpp.dockerfile
index f662edc5365bc..8cb7f9d5f614e 100644
--- a/ci/docker/ubuntu-24.04-cpp.dockerfile
+++ b/ci/docker/ubuntu-24.04-cpp.dockerfile
@@ -172,7 +172,11 @@ RUN /arrow/ci/scripts/install_azurite.sh
 COPY ci/scripts/install_sccache.sh /arrow/ci/scripts/
 RUN /arrow/ci/scripts/install_sccache.sh unknown-linux-musl /usr/local/bin
 
-# Prioritize system packages and local installation
+# Prioritize system packages and local installation.
+#
+# The following dependencies will be downloaded due to missing/invalid packages
+# provided by the distribution:
+# - opentelemetry-cpp-dev is not packaged
 ENV ARROW_ACERO=ON \
     ARROW_AZURE=ON \
     ARROW_BUILD_STATIC=ON \
@@ -205,6 +209,7 @@ ENV ARROW_ACERO=ON \
     AWSSDK_SOURCE=BUNDLED \
     Azure_SOURCE=BUNDLED \
     google_cloud_cpp_storage_SOURCE=BUNDLED \
+    opentelemetry_cpp_SOURCE=BUNDLED \
     ORC_SOURCE=BUNDLED \
     PARQUET_BUILD_EXAMPLES=ON \
     PARQUET_BUILD_EXECUTABLES=ON \
diff --git a/ci/scripts/cpp_build.sh b/ci/scripts/cpp_build.sh
index de3f70934f70a..e70f5da85ae2e 100755
--- a/ci/scripts/cpp_build.sh
+++ b/ci/scripts/cpp_build.sh
@@ -225,6 +225,7 @@ else
     -DgRPC_SOURCE=${gRPC_SOURCE:-} \
     -DGTest_SOURCE=${GTest_SOURCE:-} \
     -Dlz4_SOURCE=${lz4_SOURCE:-} \
+    -Dopentelemetry-cpp_SOURCE=${opentelemetry_cpp_SOURCE:-} \
     -DORC_SOURCE=${ORC_SOURCE:-} \
     -DPARQUET_BUILD_EXAMPLES=${PARQUET_BUILD_EXAMPLES:-OFF} \
     -DPARQUET_BUILD_EXECUTABLES=${PARQUET_BUILD_EXECUTABLES:-OFF} \
diff --git a/cpp/cmake_modules/ThirdpartyToolchain.cmake b/cpp/cmake_modules/ThirdpartyToolchain.cmake
index a7d509de10ef1..1a691d26c11f8 100644
--- a/cpp/cmake_modules/ThirdpartyToolchain.cmake
+++ b/cpp/cmake_modules/ThirdpartyToolchain.cmake
@@ -4971,7 +4971,6 @@ if(ARROW_WITH_OPENTELEMETRY)
   # cURL is required whether we build from source or use an existing installation
   # (OTel's cmake files do not call find_curl for you)
   find_curl()
-  set(opentelemetry-cpp_SOURCE "AUTO")
   resolve_dependency(opentelemetry-cpp)
   set(ARROW_OPENTELEMETRY_LIBS
       opentelemetry-cpp::trace