- Population
- 2,447
- 2.4K
- Elevation
- 200 m
- above sea level
- Local time
- UTC+02:00
- Europe/Helsinki · UTC+02:00
- Places inside
- 1
- listed under Puolanka
- Airports
- KAJ Kajaani Airport61 km
- OUL Oulu Airport113 km
About Puolanka
Puolanka is a municipality. Location: Kehys-Kainuu, Kainuu. Population: 2,447. Elevation: 200 m.
Puolanka (Finnish: [ˈpuo̯lɑŋkɑ]; Swedish: Puolanka, also Puolango) is a municipality in Finland located in the Kainuu region. The municipality has a population of 2,322 (31 December 2025) and covers an area of 2,598.68 square kilometres (1,003.36 sq mi) of which 137.3 km2 (53.0 sq mi) is water. The population density is 0.94 inhabitants per square kilometre (2.4/sq mi). The municipality is unilingually Finnish.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Travel notes for Puolanka
From Wikivoyage
Puolanka is a municipality in Kainuu.
Understand+
Puolanka is known for its beautiful natural landscapes, consisting mainly of forests, rivers, and lakes.
Puolanka's economy is largely based on forestry, agriculture, and tourism. Agricultural activities include livestock farming, cereal cultivation, and potato production.
The municipality is also known for its outdoor recreation opportunities, especially fishing and hunting.
Puolanka has also been dubbed "the most pessimistic municipality of Finland"; the locals have – tongue-in-cheek – embraced this reputation and turned it into their trademark.
Get in+
By bus:
There are buses from Oulu, Kajaani and Suomussalmi.
By car:
Highway 78, between Paltamo (and connecting to Eastern Finland) and Rovaniemi is the main route through Puolanka. Other routes include local roads 800 from Vaala and Taivalkoski, 837 from Utajärvi (connecting from Oulu), and 891 from Hyrynsalmi.
Source: Wikivoyage · CC BY-SA 4.0 · abridged
Places bordering Puolanka
- Paltamo
- Pudasjärvi
- Ristijärvi
- Suomussalmi
- Vaala
- Utajärvi
Population of Puolanka over time
| 2007 | 3,225 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 3,183 | |
| 2009 | 3,123 | |
| 2010 | 3,063 | |
| 2011 | 2,997 | |
| 2012 | 2,931 | |
| 2013 | 2,878 | |
| 2014 | 2,878 | |
| 2015 | 2,776 | |
| 2016 | 2,735 | |
| 2017 | 2,669 | |
| 2023 | 2,359 |
Censuses and official estimates; source: Wikidata.
Climate of Puolanka
Best months for sightseeingBest months for sightseeing: June–August.
This month · November
A cold month
Day -2° · Night -7° · Rain 56 mm
- Hottest month
- July (day 20°)
- Coldest month
- February (night -14°)
- Wettest month
- July (82 mm)
- Driest month
- April (31 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
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average high (°C) | -7° | -7° | -1° | 4° | 12° | 18° | 20° | 17° | 11° | 4° | -2° | -5° |
| Average low (°C) | -14° | -14° | -9° | -4° | 2° | 8° | 11° | 9° | 4° | -1° | -7° | -12° |
| Precipitation (mm) | 42 | 34 | 34 | 31 | 51 | 63 | 82 | 78 | 67 | 63 | 56 | 47 |
How to get to Puolanka
The nearest airport is Kajaani Airport (KAJ), 61 km to the south as the crow flies. For international flights: Oulu Airport (OUL) (113 km). The nearest large city is Umeå, 378 km to the west.
Airports
- Kajaani Airport (KAJ) Kajaani 61 kmsouth
- Oulu Airport (OUL) Oulu / Oulunsalo 113 kmwest
- Kuusamo Airport (KAO) Kuusamo 147 kmnortheast
Nearby large cities
- Umeå Population: 130.2K 378 kmwest
Straight-line distances; road distances are longer. Airport data: OurAirports.
Day trips from Puolanka
Within 100 km: 2 natural sites, 23 lakes, rivers and coasts.
0–25 km1 place
- Jänisjoki River 14 kmN
25–60 km9 places
- Puhosjärvi Lake 55 kmN
- Mulkkusaaret Island 52 kmS
- Leskinen Island 56 kmS
- Pesiöjärvi Lake 46 kmE
60–100 km15 places
- Iso-Syöte Mountain 89 kmN
- Tyräjärvi Lake 85 kmNE
- Piispajärvi Lake 77 kmNE
- Korvuanjärvi Lake 73 kmNE
Straight-line distances.
Places in Puolanka
1 placeBar: population relative to the most populous place in this list.
Sources & licences
Data last updated: · 2 independent sources