Information about Kalajoki
Five star Kalajoki
Kalajoki is a vibrant seaside city with 12,400 residents and an environment that is better by a point for living and working. The sea, river valleys, vast open fields and the sand dunes of Hiekkasärkät provide a diverse and beautiful environment to live, work, be active and enjoy leisure activities in.
You will be living by the sea, surrounded by services and tranquil nature. You will work close by, and after a day at work you can reach your home and hobbies quickly. You can easily go and relax at a spa or a concert. When winter comes, you can curl up on your home sofa or head out to the ski tracks and snowy fields.
People of all ages love it here. We take good care of everyone – another advantage of a small town.
The city’s economic structure is diverse, with flourishing business operations and a good employment situation. In Kalajoki, entrepreneurs account for 19 % of the employed workforce, whereas the national average is 10.5 %.
Our population count has remained constant, and the city’s finances have always been balanced in terms of all key economic indicators. Kalajoki has one of the lowest income tax rates in Northern Finland.
The quality of housing is increased by good public and private services. As one of the most popular year-round tourist centres in Finland, Kalajoki provides excellent opportunities for relaxation and recreation.
Kalajoki
Kalajoki is located on the shore of the Bothnian Bay in Northern Ostrobothnia, at the intersection of highways 8 and 27. Kalajoki’s neighbouring municipalities are Alavieska, Kokkola, Kannus, Merijärvi, Pyhäjoki, Sievi and Ylivieska. Kalajoki is known for its tourism, agriculture and metal industry.
| Fakta | Määrä tai vuosiluku |
|---|---|
| Year of foundation | 1865 |
| City | 1.1.2002 |
| Population 31.7.2023 | 12 375 |
| Residents per km² | 13,4 |
| Area km² | 2391,3 |
| – of which water surface area, km2 | 1467,19 |
| Local detailed plans, ha | 3574,4 |
| Detailed shore plan, ha | 2357,7 |
| Assisted region | 1 |
Kalajoki is known as a tourist municipality. Hiekkasärkät (Kalajoki Sand Dunes) is a vast area formed by sand dunes and beaches that extends approximately three and a half kilometres. It attracts approximately 2 million visitors to the region every year. The largest sand dunes are almost 20 metres in height.
The overall benefit of tourism for the area is approximately €45 million. In addition to registered accommodation, Kalajoki also has a number of private holiday homes.
The seaside visitor centre at Hiekkasärkät has developed tremendously since the year 2000. The visitor centre offers a rich and varied range of services and activities. Year-round services offered by the visitor centre at Kalajoen Hiekkasärkät includes a network of trails for skiing, Nordic walking, jogging and horse riding; a spa hotel with wellness, health and fitness training services; catering, restaurant and entertainment services; and year-round accommodation and conference services, among other things. Hiekkasärkät houses several companies that organise activities ranging from kart racing to windsurfing.
The visitor centre also houses a marine visitor centre that offers information on the nature in the rising coastline as well as changing exhibitions and guided tours.
In addition to Hiekkasärkät, Kalajoki also includes other attractions, such as Plassi, the old town of Kalajoki; Kallankarit, two islands with self-government; and the unique Rahja Archipelago.
For more information on attractions and tourism services in Kalajoki, please visit www.visitkalajoki.fi.
Kalajoki is always bustling with events. Over 500 events are held in Kalajoki every year, and the event calendar is updated all the time. Most of the events are centred around summer, but events are also held year-round.
Among other events, the visitor centre hosts the Finnish Championships in beach football, competitions in beach floorball, beach Olympics and other events for enthusiasts. The largest events include the Kalajoki Midsummer Festival and the Kalajoki Venetian Festival towards the end of August.
The city’s events are organised by Kalajoki Academy.
Kalajoki is a port city. The Port of Kalajoki in Rahja serves as a transport node between truck and ship traffic. The road connection to the port from highway 8 is short, only four kilometres in length. The Port of Kalajoki’s location by the deep open sea is also very advantageous in terms of the maintenance of the entrance channel. The distance to the main channel outside the island of Kalla is only 20–25 kilometres, and the sea deepens quickly, being over 10 metres deep at the mouth of the port and 13–15 metres deep two kilometres away from the port.
Thanks to its advantageous location, Rahja has housed port operations since the late 19th century. The construction of the port in its current location began in the late 1950s, and the port has been developed strongly for over 60 years.
The Port of Kalajoki is a free trade zone. Export accounts for approximately 70% of the traffic. The main export article is wood. In addition to timber, Kalajoki also exports plywood, steel structures, scrap metal, horticultural peat, grain and wood pellets.
The city has approximately 500 employees. The city’s operations are multidisciplinary. It provides and organises the essential basic services for the residents and serves as the host municipality for many of the services.
The city has a strong grip on the development of various services as well as increasing the city’s vitality.
