Haapavesi

Haapavesi
Town
Haapaveden kaupunki
Coat of arms
Location of Haapavesi in Finland
Coordinates: 64°08.5′N025°22′E / 64.1417°N 25.367°E / 64.1417; 25.367
Country	Finland
Region	North Ostrobothnia
Sub-region	Siikalatva
Charter	1863
Town privileges	1996
Government
•  Town manager	Esa Jussila
Area  (2018-01-01) [1]
• Total	1,086.11 km2 (419.35 sq mi)
• Land	1,050.47 km2 (405.59 sq mi)
• Water	36.41 km2 (14.06 sq mi)
• Rank	75th largest in Finland
Population  (2025-03-31) [2]
• Total	6,355
• Rank	145th largest in Finland
• Density	6.05/km2 (15.7/sq mi)
Population by native language [2]
•  Finnish	96.3% (official)
• Others	3.7%
Population by age [3]
• 0 to 14	20.1%
• 15 to 64	55.7%
• 65 or older	24.3%
Time zone	UTC+02:00 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+03:00 (EEST)
Website	www.haapavesi.fi/en

Haapavesi is a town and a municipality of Finland.

It is located in the North Ostrobothnia region. The name means "Aspen Water". The town has a population of 6,355 (31 March 2025) ^[2] and covers an area of 1,086.11 square kilometres (419.35 sq mi) of which 36.41 km² (14.06 sq mi) is water. ^[1] The population density is 6.05 inhabitants per square kilometre (15.7/sq mi). Neighbour municipalities are Haapajärvi, Kärsämäki, Nivala, Oulainen, Raahe, Siikalatva and Ylivieska.

The municipality is unilingually Finnish.

Old church of Haapavesi

The town is the Finnish national kantele village. It is also known for the Haapavesi Folk Music Festival ^[4] which gathers folk musicians together.

At Haapavesi, there is a 327 metres (1,073 ft) tall guyed TV mast, which belongs to Finland's tallest man-made structures.

Haapavesi Folk High School

The Haapavesi Folk High School (Finnish : Haapaveden opisto) is an ideologically independent boarding school. Haapavesi Folk High School is one of the eleven folk high schools cooperating in the HUMAK University of Applied Sciences. HUMAK offers education and training in the fields of Civic and youth work, Cultural management and production as well as Sign language interpreter. In Haapavesi Unit of HUMAK the focus is on civic and youth work.

Climate

Climate data for Haapavesi Mustikkamäki (normals 1991-2020, extremes 1959-present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	7.7 (45.9)	8.0 (46.4)	13.5 (56.3)	21.6 (70.9)	29.3 (84.7)	31.3 (88.3)	32.6 (90.7)	30.4 (86.7)	25.3 (77.5)	19.8 (67.6)	10.5 (50.9)	7.2 (45.0)	32.6 (90.7)
Mean maximum °C (°F)	2.5 (36.5)	2.9 (37.2)	7.4 (45.3)	15.7 (60.3)	24.0 (75.2)	26.4 (79.5)	28.1 (82.6)	26.3 (79.3)	20.2 (68.4)	12.4 (54.3)	6.8 (44.2)	3.4 (38.1)	29.1 (84.4)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	−5.1 (22.8)	−4.9 (23.2)	0.2 (32.4)	6.6 (43.9)	13.9 (57.0)	18.8 (65.8)	21.6 (70.9)	19.2 (66.6)	13.2 (55.8)	5.5 (41.9)	0.2 (32.4)	−2.9 (26.8)	7.2 (45.0)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−8.2 (17.2)	−8.4 (16.9)	−4.1 (24.6)	1.9 (35.4)	8.4 (47.1)	13.7 (56.7)	16.4 (61.5)	14.1 (57.4)	8.9 (48.0)	2.8 (37.0)	−1.9 (28.6)	−5.5 (22.1)	3.2 (37.7)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−11.7 (10.9)	−12.1 (10.2)	−8.4 (16.9)	−2.7 (27.1)	2.7 (36.9)	8.1 (46.6)	11.2 (52.2)	9.3 (48.7)	5.1 (41.2)	0.3 (32.5)	−4.2 (24.4)	−8.4 (16.9)	−0.9 (30.4)
Mean minimum °C (°F)	−26.3 (−15.3)	−26.2 (−15.2)	−20.4 (−4.7)	−11.9 (10.6)	−4.0 (24.8)	1.0 (33.8)	4.5 (40.1)	2.0 (35.6)	−2.5 (27.5)	−9.6 (14.7)	−15.3 (4.5)	−21.5 (−6.7)	−29.2 (−20.6)
Record low °C (°F)	−39.0 (−38.2)	−41.3 (−42.3)	−31.6 (−24.9)	−21.2 (−6.2)	−9.9 (14.2)	−3.3 (26.1)	−0.4 (31.3)	−3.5 (25.7)	−9.2 (15.4)	−22.7 (−8.9)	−34.3 (−29.7)	−36.2 (−33.2)	−41.3 (−42.3)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	34 (1.3)	28 (1.1)	24 (0.9)	24 (0.9)	44 (1.7)	57 (2.2)	74 (2.9)	68 (2.7)	51 (2.0)	47 (1.9)	41 (1.6)	40 (1.6)	531 (20.9)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm)	10	8	7	7	8	10	11	10	9	10	9	10	109
Source 1: FMI normals 1991-2020 [5]
Source 2: Record highs and lows [6]

Notable individuals

• Aappo Luomajoki, cross-country skier
• Aapo Heikkilä, investor
• Aarne Ehojoki, architect
• Ahti Pekkala, politician
• Aki Kangasharju, Nordea's chief economist
• Antti Rantonen, traditional kantele musician, father of mixed playing style
• Ari Nurkkala, Mayor of Hyrynsalmi
• Arvo Ojalehto, weightlifter
• Edvard Vähäsarja, Jäger lieutenant
• Eeva Tojkander, poet
• Fanny Friman, poet
• Hannu Karjalainen, artist
• Hans Perttula, minister
• Juha Junno, ice hockey coach
• Juho Ritola, skier
• K.E. Sonck, translator, schoolteacher and writer
• Leevi Karsikas, writer
• Liisa Rentola, teacher and writer (lived in Haapavesi)
• Marko Ritola, sprinter
• Martti Pokela, folk musician and composer
• Matti Koskenkorva, cross-country skier
• Matti Luttinen, politician
• Matti Viinamaa, poet
• Nora Pöyhönen, horticulturist and school director
• Pasi Jääskeläinen, playwright, actor, singer and Kantele-player
• Pauliina Turakka Purhonen, artist
• Sami Niku, ice hockey player
• Sauli Rytky, cross-country skier
• Taavi Törmälehto, Mannerheim Cross knight
• Tapani Niku, cross-country skier
• Tuukka Veikkola, musician alias "Xtrullor"
• Teuvo Hatunen, skier
• Teuvo Karsikas, schoolteacher and writer
• Ville Mattila, cross-country skier and Olympic medalist
• Väinö Karihtala, writer
• Yrjö Komu, politician and Member of Parliament

References

1. "Area of Finnish Municipalities 1.1.2018" (PDF). National Land Survey of Finland. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
2. "Finland's preliminary population figure was 5,640,437 at the end of March 2025". Population structure. Statistics Finland. 25 April 2025. ISSN   1797-5395 . Retrieved 25 April 2025.
3. "Population according to age (1-year) and sex by area and the regional division of each statistical reference year, 2003–2020". StatFin. Statistics Finland . Retrieved 2 May 2021.
4. Haapavesi Folk Music Festival
5. "FMI normals 1991-2020". FMI. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
6. "FMI open data". FMI. Retrieved 31 May 2025.

External links

• Media related to Haapavesi at Wikimedia Commons
• Town of Haapavesi – Official website
• Haapavesi Folk Music Festival