Jyväskylä

Jyväskylä
City
Jyväskylän kaupunki
Jyväskylä stad
City of Jyväskylä
Clockwise from top-left: Lutakko Square, Äijälänsalmi Strait, apartments in Lutakko, old power station of Vaajakoski, the Jyväskylä City Church, and a courtyard in downtown Jyväskylä
Nickname(s): 
Athens of Finland; Capital of Finnish rap; Capital of Finnish sport
Location of Jyväskylä in Finland
Coordinates: 62°14.5′N 025°44.5′E / 62.2417°N 25.7417°E / 62.2417; 25.7417
Country Finland
RegionCentral Finland
Sub-regionJyväskylä
Charter1837
Government
  City managerTimo Koivisto
Area
 (2018-01-01)
  City
1,466.35 km2 (566.16 sq mi)
  Land1,171.03 km2 (452.14 sq mi)
  Water295.35 km2 (114.04 sq mi)
  Urban
99.25 km2 (38.32 sq mi)
  Rank61st largest in Finland
Population
 (2025-03-31)
  City
149,213
  Rank7th largest in Finland
  Density127.42/km2 (330.0/sq mi)
  Urban
117,974
  Urban density1,188.7/km2 (3,079/sq mi)
Population by native language
  Finnish92.2% (official)
  Swedish0.2%
  Others7.6%
Population by age
  0 to 1415.2%
  15 to 6466.2%
  65 or older18.6%
Time zoneUTC+02:00 (EET)
  Summer (DST)UTC+03:00 (EEST)
Unemployment rate11.8%
Websitewww.jyvaskyla.fi/en/

Jyväskylä (Finnish: [ˈjyʋæsˌkylæ] ) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Central Finland. It is located in the Finnish Lakeland. The population of Jyväskylä is approximately 149,000, while the sub-region has a population of approximately 193,000. It is Finland's 7th most populous municipality, and fifth most populous urban area.

Jyväskylä is located about 150 km (93 mi) northeast of Tampere, the third largest city in Finland; and about 270 km (170 mi) north of Helsinki, the national capital. The Jyväskylä sub-region includes Jyväskylä, Hankasalmi, Laukaa, Muurame, Petäjävesi, Toivakka, and Uurainen. Other neighbouring municipalities of Jyväskylä are Joutsa, Jämsä and Luhanka.

Jyväskylä is the largest city in the Central Finland and Finnish Lakeland region. Jyväskylä was one of the fastest growing cities in Finland during the 20th century; in 1940, there were only 8,000 inhabitants in Jyväskylä.

Elias Lönnrot, the author of the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala, nicknamed the city "the Athens of Finland". This nickname refers to Jyväskylä's important role as an educational centre. The works of the famous Finnish architect Alvar Aalto can be seen throughout the city. The city hosts the Rally Finland, which is part of the World Rally Championship. The annual Jyväskylä Arts Festival is also held in the city.