List of cities and towns in Finland
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The following is a list of cities in Finland. In the year 1977, the legal difference between towns and municipalities was removed. Today[when?] they are all classified as municipalities, some of which are commonly referred to as cities (kaupunki in Finnish, stad in Swedish). A municipality can decide whether it calls itself a municipality or a city. To date, many decide to use the latter.[citation needed]
There is no direct Finnish equivalent to "city",[citation needed] but suurkaupunki (~ large town) is used for a few cities in Finland. This fits the EU's definition of a city, which has the criteria of a minimum population of 50,000 and a minimum population density of 500 inhabitants per square kilometer. A simple, independent decision in the municipal council is sufficient to call a municipality (kunta) a city (kaupunki). For cities founded before the 1960s, the list includes the year the city was chartered.
Many municipal mergers have been carried out in Finland (and more are yet to come, due to a countrywide municipal reform). Mergers also make it difficult to define what towns are cities because mergers make the population increase a bit but make the population density decrease. For example, according to the EU definition, Tampere is no longer a city, due to the municipal mergers with Messukylä, Aitolahti, and Teisko, which decreased its official population density to 410.5 inhabitants per square kilometer, as of 1 July 2012. In Finland, the whole area inside a municipality's borders is officially considered the city or town area.
The names used in this encyclopedia are usually the Finnish or Swedish forms, depending on the majority language of the municipality, except when there is a commonly used English name.
Cities (founded)[]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/96/Finland-CIA_WFB_Map.png/250px-Finland-CIA_WFB_Map.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/Kaakkoista_Espoota_23_kes%C3%A4_2009.jpg/250px-Kaakkoista_Espoota_23_kes%C3%A4_2009.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d0/Downtown_Tampere1.jpg/250px-Downtown_Tampere1.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2a/View_from_Turku_Cathedral_tower.jpg/250px-View_from_Turku_Cathedral_tower.jpg)
Finnish name | Swedish name | District | Founded | Population[1] |
---|---|---|---|---|
Akaa[a] | Ackas | 2007 | 16,709 | |
Alajärvi | 1986 | 9,752 | ||
Alavus | Alavo | 1977 | 11,611 | |
Espoo | Esbo | Helsinki | 1972 | 281,866 |
Forssa | 1964 | 17,079 | ||
Haapajärvi | 1977 | 7,178 | ||
Haapavesi | 1996 | 6,895 | ||
Hamina | Fredrikshamn | 1653 | 20,410 | |
Hanko | Hangö | 1874 | 8,448 | |
Harjavalta | 1977 | 7,076 | ||
Heinola | 1839 | 19,007 | ||
Helsinki | Helsingfors | 1550 | 648,650 | |
Huittinen | Vittis | 1977 | 10,140 | |
Hyvinkää | Hyvinge | 1960 | 46,622 | |
Hämeenlinna | Tavastehus | 1639 | 67,713 | |
Iisalmi | Idensalmi | 1891 | 21,546 | |
Ikaalinen | Ikalis | 1977 | 7,037 | |
Imatra | 1971 | 27,035 | ||
Pietarsaari | Jakobstad | 1652 | 19,303 | |
Joensuu | 1848 | 76,228 | ||
Jyväskylä | 1837 | 140,812 | ||
Jämsä[b] | 1977 | 20,764 | ||
Järvenpää | Träskända | 1967 | 43,170 | |
Kaarina | S:t Karins | Turku | 1993 | 33,335 |
Kajaani | Kajana | 1651 | 37,039 | |
Kalajoki | 1865 | 12,446 | ||
Kangasala | Tampere | 2018 | 31,815 | |
Kankaanpää | 1972 | 11,506 | ||
Kannus | 1986 | 5,496 | ||
Karkkila | Högfors | 1977 | 8,804 | |
Kaskinen | Kaskö | 1785 | 1,275 | |
Kauhajoki | 2001 | 13,441 | ||
Kauhava | 1986 | 16,159 | ||
Kauniainen | Grankulla | Helsinki | 1972 | 9,577 |
Kemi | 1869 | 21,019 | ||
Kemijärvi | 1973 | 7,410 | ||
Kerava | Kervo | Helsinki | 1970 | 36,174 |
Keuruu | Keuru | 1986 | 9,858 | |
Kitee | Kides | 1992 | 10,382 | |
Kiuruvesi | 1993 | 8,196 | ||
Kokemäki | Kumo | 1977 | 7,300 | |
Kokkola | Karleby | 1620 | 47,723 | |
Kotka | 1878 | 53,110 | ||
Kouvola[c] | 1960 | 83,600 | ||
Kristiinankaupunki | Kristinestad | 1649 | 6,605 | |
Kuhmo | 1986 | 8,377 | ||
Kuopio[d] | 1775 | 118,434 | ||
Kurikka | 1977 | 21,050 | ||
Kuusamo | 2000 | 15,219 | ||
Lahti | Lahtis | 1905 | 119,999 | |
Laitila | Letala | 1986 | 8,658 | |
Lappeenranta[e] | Villmanstrand | 1649 | 72,801 | |
Lapua | Lappo | 1977 | 14,545 | |
Lieksa | 1973 | 11,157 | ||
Lohja | Lojo | 1969 | 46,490 | |
Loimaa | 1969 | 16,106 | ||
Loviisa | Lovisa | 1745 | 14,968 | |
Maarianhamina | Mariehamn | 1861 | 11,769 | |
Mikkeli | S:t Michel | 1838 | 53,983 | |
Mänttä-Vilppula[f] | 2009 | 10,062 | ||
Naantali | Nådendal | Turku | 1443 | 19,168 |
Nivala | 1992 | 10,764 | ||
Nokia | Tampere | 1977 | 33,403 | |
Nurmes | 1974 | 7,675 | ||
Uusikaarlepyy | Nykarleby | 1620 | 7,476 | |
Närpiö | Närpes | 1993 | 9,503 | |
Orimattila | 1992 | 16,071 | ||
Orivesi | 1986 | 9,221 | ||
Oulainen | 1977 | 7,457 | ||
Oulu | Uleåborg | 1605 | 202,753 | |
Outokumpu | 1977 | 6,825 | ||
Paimio | Pemar | Turku | 1997 | 10,784 |
Parainen | Pargas | Turku | 1977 | 15,261 |
Parkano | 1977 | 6,519 | ||
Pieksämäki | 1962 | 18,039 | ||
Pori | Björneborg | 1558 | 84,566 | |
Porvoo | Borgå | Helsinki | 1346 | 50,224 |
Pudasjärvi | 2004 | 8,033 | ||
Pyhäjärvi[g] | 1993 | 5,282 | ||
Raahe | Brahestad | 1649 | 24,852 | |
Raasepori | Raseborg[h] | 2009 | 27,792 | |
Raisio | Reso | Turku | 1974 | 24,219 |
Rauma | Raumo | 1442 | 39,401 | |
Riihimäki | 1960 | 28,835 | ||
Rovaniemi | 1960 | 62,667 | ||
Saarijärvi | 1986 | 9,509 | ||
Salo | 1960 | 52,580 | ||
Sastamala[i] | 2009 | 24,727 | ||
Savonlinna | Nyslott | 1639 | 33,866 | |
Seinäjoki | 1960 | 63,072 | ||
Somero | 1993 | 8,859 | ||
Suonenjoki | 1977 | 7,179 | ||
Tampere | Tammerfors | Tampere | 1779 | 234,441 |
Tornio | Torneå | 1621 | 21,912 | |
Turku | Åbo | Turku | 1200–1300 | 190,935 |
Ulvila | Ulvsby | 1365 to 1558, later 2000 | 13,074 | |
Uusikaupunki | Nystad | 1617 | 15,737 | |
Vaasa | Vasa | 1606 | 67,465 | |
Valkeakoski | 1963 | 21,199 | ||
Vantaa | Vanda | Helsinki | 1974 | 226,160 |
Varkaus | 1962 | 20,956 | ||
Viitasaari | 1996 | 6,295 | ||
Virrat | Virdois | 1977 | 6,756 | |
Ylivieska | 1971 | 15,205 | ||
Ylöjärvi | Tampere | 2004 | 33,034 | |
Ähtäri | Etseri | 1986 | 5,788 | |
Äänekoski[j] | 1973 | 18,971 |
See also[]
- List of cities
- List of urban areas in Finland by population
Notes[]
- ^ Administrative center is the locality of Toijala, which became a city in 1977.
- ^ Includes a former city of Jämsänkoski, which became a city in 1986.
- ^ Includes former cities of Anjalankoski and Kuusankoski, which became cities in 1977 and 1973, respectively.
- ^ Includes former cities of Juankoski and Nilsiä, both became cities in 1998.
- ^ Includes a former city of Joutseno, which became a city in 2009.
- ^ Administrative center is the locality of Mänttä, which became a city in 1973.
- ^ Administrative center is the locality of Pyhäsalmi, the city also carried this name from 1993 to 1996.
- ^ Administrative center is the locality of Ekenäs (founded in 1546), also includes a former city of Karis (became a city in 1977).
- ^ Administrative center is the locality of Vammala, which became a city in 1965.
- ^ Includes a former city of Suolahti, which became a city in 1977.
References[]
- ^ "Preliminary population structure by area, 2021M01*-2021M03*". StatFin (in Finnish). Statistics Finland. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
External links[]
Media related to Cities in Finland at Wikimedia Commons
- Map at archive.today (archived 2012-12-09)
- Lists of cities by country
- Cities and towns in Finland
- Lists of cities in Europe
- Lists of populated places in Finland