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Geonivora
Municipality

Saarijärvi

Located in Saarijärvi-Viitasaari, Central Finland Region Coordinates: 62°41′36″ N 25°06′37″ E

Saarijärvi
Santeri Viinamäki · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Population
9,115
9.1K
Elevation
118 m
above sea level
Local time
UTC+02:00
Europe/Helsinki · UTC+02:00
Places inside
2
listed under Saarijärvi
When to go
June–August
See the climate
Airports
JYV Jyväskylä Airport44 km
KUO Kuopio Airport141 km

About Saarijärvi

Saarijärvi is a municipality. Location: Saarijärvi-Viitasaari, Central Finland Region. Population: 9,115. Elevation: 118 m.

From Wikipedia

Saarijärvi (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈsɑːriˌjærʋi]) is a town and municipality of Finland located in the Central Finland region, located about 65 kilometres (40 mi) north of Jyväskylä. The municipality has a population of 8,763, as of 31 December 2025, and covers an area of 1,422.72 square kilometres (549.32 sq mi) of which 170.8 km2 (65.9 sq mi), or 12%, is water. The population density is 7 inhabitants per square kilometre (18/sq mi).

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

At a glance

Built
1866
Area
1,252 km²
Official website
saarijarvi.fi

Source: Wikidata

Travel notes for Saarijärvi

From Wikivoyage

Saarijärvi is a rural town and municipality in Central Finland, Finland. It is known for its beautiful nature, with forests and many lakes and rivers. It is a popular destination for outdoor activities such as hiking, fishing, and cross-country skiing.

Understand+

Saarijärvi has a population of around 9,500 people (as of 2021) and covers an area of approximately 1,368 km², making it a relatively small and rural community. The namesake lake has several islands, as the name suggests.

Saarijärvi has a diverse range of industries, including forestry, agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism. The largest employers in the town include the local sawmill, a dairy farm (among Finland's biggest, with 600 cows), and a metal industry company. There are also several small businesses and entrepreneurs who contribute to the vibrant local economy.

Finland's national poet J.L. Runeberg worked as a private teacher in Saarijärvi during his studies, in 1823–1825, for the Enehjelm family. The house is a museum (temporarily closed as of 2025). There is also a trail by his name, leading to the museum. One of his most famous poems, Paavo the Peasant, is about a farmer in Saarijärvi, who met his ordeals with heroic stoicism, with sisu, the Finns would say.

Get in+

Saarijärvi lies 60 km north-north-west of Jyväskylä.

By car:

Highway 13 between Jyväskylä and Kokkola passes through Saarijärvi. Road 18 comes in from Seinäjoki. The Blue Highway passes 35 km north of Saarijärvi, via Kyyjärvi and Kannonkoski. Äänekoski is 30 km to the south-east, close to Highway 13.

By train:

Nearest railway station is in Jyväskylä. Timetables are available from VR.

By bus:

Coaches from Helsinki via Jyväskylä to Kokkola stop in Saarijärvi. See Matkahuolto. Uuraisten Liikenne operates coaches from Jyväskylä.

The main bus stop is located in the immediate vicinity of K-Supermarket Minttu.

By dial-a-ride:

Source: Wikivoyage · CC BY-SA 4.0 · abridged

Places bordering Saarijärvi

  • Ähtäri
  • Kannonkoski
  • Karstula
  • Multia
  • Soini
  • Uurainen
  • Äänekoski

Population of Saarijärvi over time

Population of Saarijärvi over time
2007 9,845
2008 10,730
2009 10,666
2010 10,580
2011 10,380
2012 10,258
2013 10,165
2014 10,138
2015 9,915
2016 9,690
2017 9,589
2023 8,847

Censuses and official estimates; source: Wikidata.

Climate of Saarijärvi

Best months for sightseeing

Best months for sightseeing: June–August.

This month · November

A cold month

Day 0° · Night -4° · Rain 52 mm

Hottest month
July (day 21°)
Coldest month
February (night -12°)
Wettest month
August (82 mm)
Driest month
February (28 mm)

Bars: average monthly low and high temperature. Below: precipitation. Monthly averages for 1970–2000 at about 18 km resolution, adjusted for elevation. Highlighted months are mild and relatively dry. Source: WorldClim 2.1 (CC BY 4.0).

Show values as a table
Climate of Saarijärvi
Month JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Average high (°C)-5°-5°1°6°15°20°21°18°12°6°0°-3°
Average low (°C)-12°-12°-8°-3°3°9°11°9°5°1°-4°-9°
Precipitation (mm)372834353760798264525243

Other places to visit in this season: June July August

How to get to Saarijärvi

The nearest airport is Jyväskylä Airport (JYV), 44 km to the southeast as the crow flies. For international flights: Kuopio Airport (KUO) (141 km). The nearest large city is Umeå, 274 km to the northwest.

Airports

  • Jyväskylä Airport (JYV) Jyväskylän Maalaiskunta 44 kmsoutheast
  • Kuopio Airport (KUO) Kuopio / Siilinjärvi 141 kmeast
  • Kokkola-Pietarsaari Airport (KOK) Kokkola / Kruunupyy 151 kmnorthwest

Nearby large cities

  • Umeå Population: 130.2K 274 kmnorthwest
  • Tallinn Population: 394K 363 kmsouth

Straight-line distances; road distances are longer. Airport data: OurAirports.

Day trips from Saarijärvi

Within 100 km: 2 historic and cultural sites, 4 natural sites, 47 lakes, rivers and coasts.

0–25 km4 places

  • Lannevesi Lake 22 kmSE
  • Karankajärvi Lake 14 kmW
  • Kannonjärvi Lake 24 kmN
  • Pyhä-Häkin Kansallispuisto Natural site 25 kmNE

25–60 km13 places

  • Niinivesi Lake 34 kmSE
  • Kuusvesi Lake 58 kmSE
  • Keitele Lake 52 kmNE
  • Lake Ähtärinjärvi Lake 54 kmW

60–100 km36 places

  • Kuortaneenjärvi Lake 85 kmW
  • Saanijärvi Lake 84 kmN
  • Elämäjärvi Lake 92 kmN
  • Salamajärven Kansallispuisto Natural site 65 kmN

Straight-line distances.

Places in Saarijärvi

2 places
  1. 1 Saarijärvi 8.8K
  2. 2 Pylkönmäki 981

Bar: population relative to the most populous place in this list.

Nearby attractions & nature

Everything nearby

Sources & licences

Data last updated: · 2 independent sources