Kurikka

Kurikka
Town and municipality
Kurikan kaupunki
Kurikka stad
Church in Kurikka.
Church in Kurikka.
Coat of arms of Kurikka
Coat of arms
Location of Kurikka in Finland
Location of Kurikka in Finland
Coordinates: 62°37′N 022°24′E / 62.617°N 22.400°E / 62.617; 22.400
Country Finland
RegionSouthern Ostrobothnia
Sub-regionSeinäjoki
Founded1868
Market town1966
City rights1977
Government
 • Town managerAnna-Kaisa Pusa
Area
 (2018-01-01)[1]
 • Total
1,743.86 km2 (673.31 sq mi)
 • Land1,724.62 km2 (665.88 sq mi)
 • Water7.79 km2 (3.01 sq mi)
 • Rank36th largest in Finland
Population
 (2025-03-31)[2]
 • Total
19,501
 • Rank59th largest in Finland
 • Density11.31/km2 (29.3/sq mi)
 • Demonym
Kurikkalainen (Finnish)
From Kurikka (English) Kurikkalaanen (Local dialect)
Population by native language
[2]
 • Finnish96.3% (official)
 • Swedish0.4%
 • Others3.3%
Population by age
[3]
 • 0 to 1414.7%
 • 15 to 6454.7%
 • 65 or older30.6%
Time zoneUTC+02:00 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+03:00 (EEST)
Websitekurikka.fi

Kurikka is a town and municipality in Finland. It is located in the Southern Ostrobothnia region. The population of Kurikka is 19,501 (31 March 2025)[2] and the municipality covers an area of 1,724.62 km2 (665.88 sq mi) of which 7.79 km2 (3.01 sq mi) is inland water (1 January 2018).[1] The population density is 11.31/km2 (29.3/sq mi). The municipality is unilingually Finnish.

Kurikka is one of the largest shareholders in the Finnish energy giant Fortum as well as in Neste Oil, one of Northern Europe's biggest oil companies. The political scene of the town is dominated by the Finnish Centre because of the agricultural roots and past of the town.

The municipality of Jurva was consolidated to Kurikka on 1 January 2009 and the municipality of Jalasjärvi on 1 January 2016.

Kurikka central sports park with river scene.

Transport

Finnish national roads 67, 3 (European Highway E12) and 19 run through Kurikka.

The Suupohja railway from Seinäjoki to Kaskinen runs through Kurikka. Passenger transport on the railway stopped in 1968 and the old railway station now serves as a lunch restaurant. The nearest passenger railway stations are in Seinäjoki and Parkano.

The nearest airport is Seinäjoki Airport.

The private coach company OnniBus route Helsinki—Seinäjoki—Vaasa has a stop at Jalasjärvi.

Sights

  • Botniaring, a racing circuit in Jurva
  • Jurva church
  • Jurva museum
  • Kurikka church
  • Kurikka museum
  • Kusikivi, a rock, behind which Swedish king Adolf Frederick supposedly relieved himself during his tour of Finland after his coronation.
  • Pitkämö beach

Notable people

  • Arsi Harju (born 1974), shot putter, olympic gold medalist 2000
  • Joni Isomäki (born 1985), former ice hockey player
  • Juha Mieto (born 1949), former cross country skier
  • Jorma Ollila (born 1950), Nokia and Royal Dutch Shell chairman of the board
  • Veikko Uusimäki (1921–2008), actor and theater councilor
  • Samuli Paulaharju (1875–1944), teacher, ethnographer and writer

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Kurikka is twinned with:

  • Sweden Ockelbo Municipality, Sweden
  • Norway Melhus Municipality, Norway
  • Denmark Holmegaard, Denmark

References

  1. 1 2 "Area of Finnish Municipalities 1.1.2018" (PDF). National Land Survey of Finland. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 "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.
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