- Population
- 12,407
- 12.4K
- Elevation
- 38 m
- above sea level
- Local time
- UTC+02:00
- Europe/Helsinki · UTC+02:00
- Places inside
- 3
- listed under Kalajoki
- Airports
- KOK Kokkola-Pietarsaari Airport63 km
- OUL Oulu Airport109 km
About Kalajoki
Kalajoki is a municipality. Location: Ylivieska, North Ostrobothnia. Population: 12,407. Elevation: 38 m.
Kalajoki (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈkɑlɑˌjoki]; literally translated the "fish river") is a coastal town and municipality of Finland. It is located in the immediate vicinity of the Gulf of Bothnia in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The town has a population of 12,155 (31 December 2025) and covers an area of 2,391.30 square kilometres (923.29 sq mi) of which 1,469.15 km2 (567.24 sq mi) is water. The population density is 13.15 inhabitants per square kilometre (34.1/sq mi).
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Travel notes for Kalajoki
From Wikivoyage
Kalajoki is a coastal town of 12,000 (2021) in the Western Oulu region in southern Northern Ostrobothnia. The town is best known for its kilometres-long sand dune area, the Hiekkasärkät, which has been developed as a holiday resort since the 1970s.
Understand+
The town of Kalajoki is located where river Kalajoki flows into the Bothnian Bay.
The first villages were probably established here during the 1300s. People lived from agriculture, fishing and seal hunting, later also from production and trade of pine-derived tar. During the 16th century Kallankarit islands became an important base for fishing. In the mid-1700s king Adolf Frederick of Sweden stopped in the Rautila village on his way to the north. There is still a memorial for his visit.
In 1771 the king gave an order, the hamina-ordning, where he gave the community living on Kallankarit islands an autonomous status in the Kingdom of Sweden. This status is considered valid even in modern-day Finland; the government owns the islands but the fishermen community has its own legislation to decide ownership and certain other juridical issues. To be exact, according to this autonomy these islands don't even belong to the European Union.
In addition to tourism there is also some metal industry and a cargo harbour in the Rahja village. Agriculture is an important source of income, the main product is potato. Entrepreneurship is very common here. In fact, every fifth working adult in Kalajoki is a private entrepreneur.
The name Kalajoki translates to Fish River. Kalajoki is one of those very few municipalities in Finland that lacks any natural lakes. On the other hand, five rivers flow into the sea within the municipal borders.
Get in+
By bus:
Buses between Kokkola and Oulu stop in both in Kalajoki centre and at Hiekkasärkät. A single ticket from Kokkola costs about €17 (45 min) and from Oulu about €20 (2 hr 20 min).
There is a daily bus connection from Ylivieska to Kalajoki centre (35 min).
The intercity bus company Onnibus has a daily connection between Turku and Oulu. These coaches stop both at Kalajoki and Hiekkasärkät. A single ticket from Turku costs about €35. Onnibus does not accept cash payment and tickets are much cheaper if bought online.
By car:
The town is by the Finnish national road 8 (E8), as is Himanka.
Source: Wikivoyage · CC BY-SA 4.0 · abridged
Places bordering Kalajoki
- Kokkola
- Alavieska
- Kannus
- Merijärvi
- Pyhäjoki
- Sievi
Twin towns and sister cities of Kalajoki
- Izumo· Japan
- Taki Chō· Japan
- Balatonalmádi· Hungary
Source: Wikidata. Only places with a page on this site are shown.
Population of Kalajoki over time
| 2009 | 12,540 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 12,562 | |
| 2011 | 12,616 | |
| 2012 | 12,625 | |
| 2013 | 12,644 | |
| 2014 | 12,632 | |
| 2015 | 12,621 | |
| 2016 | 12,586 | |
| 2017 | 12,516 | |
| 2022 | 12,335 | |
| 2023 | 12,372 | |
| 2025 | 12,155 |
Censuses and official estimates; source: Wikidata.
Climate of Kalajoki
Best months for sightseeingBest months for sightseeing: June–August.
This month · November
A cold month
Day 0° · Night -4° · Rain 45 mm
- Hottest month
- July (day 19°)
- Coldest month
- February (night -14°)
- Wettest month
- July (68 mm)
- Driest month
- February (24 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) | -6° | -6° | -1° | 4° | 11° | 17° | 19° | 17° | 12° | 6° | 0° | -4° |
| Average low (°C) | -12° | -14° | -9° | -3° | 2° | 8° | 11° | 10° | 5° | 1° | -4° | -9° |
| Precipitation (mm) | 34 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 31 | 48 | 68 | 64 | 53 | 49 | 45 | 37 |
How to get to Kalajoki
The nearest airport is Kokkola-Pietarsaari Airport (KOK), 63 km to the southwest as the crow flies. For international flights: Oulu Airport (OUL) (109 km). The nearest large city is Umeå, 185 km to the west.
Airports
- Kokkola-Pietarsaari Airport (KOK) Kokkola / Kruunupyy 63 kmsouthwest
- Oulu Airport (OUL) Oulu / Oulunsalo 109 kmnortheast
- Skellefteå Airport (SFT) Skellefteå 148 kmwest
Nearby large cities
- Umeå Population: 130.2K 185 kmwest
Straight-line distances; road distances are longer. Airport data: OurAirports.
Day trips from Kalajoki
Within 100 km: 1 historic or cultural site, 12 lakes, rivers and coasts.
0–25 km1 place
- Kalajoki River 14 kmN
25–60 km5 places
- Ullavanjärvi Lake 58 kmS
- Perhonjoki River 50 kmSW
- Pyhäjoki River 38 kmN
- Öja Råberget Island 54 kmSW
60–100 km7 places
- Haapavesi TV Mast Landmark 63 kmE
- Örarna Island 82 kmSW
- Halsuanjoki River 83 kmS
- Lestijärvi Lake 83 kmSE
Straight-line distances.
Places in Kalajoki
3 placesBar: population relative to the most populous place in this list.
Cities & villages1
- Rautio · Village
Sources & licences
Data last updated: · 2 independent sources