- Population
- 15,319
- 15.3K
- Elevation
- 73 m
- above sea level
- Local time
- UTC+02:00
- Europe/Helsinki · UTC+02:00
- Places inside
- 4
- listed under Kauhava
- Airports
- KOK Kokkola-Pietarsaari Airport59 km
- VAA Vaasa Airport65 km
About Kauhava
Kauhava is a municipality. Location: Seinäjoki, South Ostrobothnia. Population: 15,319. Elevation: 73 m.
Kauhava is a town and municipality of Finland. It is part of the South Ostrobothnia region, 400 kilometres (250 mi) northwest of Helsinki and by the main railway from Helsinki to Oulu. The town has a population of 14,909 (31 December 2025) and covers an area of 1,328.09 square kilometres (512.78 sq mi) of which 14.63 km2 (5.65 sq mi) is water. The population density is 11.35 inhabitants per square kilometre (29.4/sq mi). The popular amusement park, PowerPark, is located in Alahärmä, Kauhava.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Travel notes for Kauhava
From Wikivoyage
Kauhava is a town and municipality in Southern Ostrobothnia. It is known for its variant of puukko knives.
Understand+
The Kauhava municipality nowadays includes also Alahärmä, Ylihärmä and Kortesjärvi, with a total population of 17,000 people on 1,330 km².
In the 19th century Kauhava and its surroundings had a strong puukko-junkkari or häijyt culture of young violent troublemakers. A big problem at the time, they have been romanticized and are now part of the local identity (like the Vikings in Scandinavia). There is a yearly Härmääläiset Häijyilyt festival celebrating the tradition.
The puukko is an all-round handicraft, fishing and hunting knife, ubiquitous in all Finland. Iisakki Järvenpää worked at the local knife factory until starting his own in 1904, further developing the local variant. Iisakki Järvenpää is now one of the most well-known puukko brands in Finland, found in outdoor and gift shops all around the country. Also other kinds of knives are now sold by the brand.
Kauhava also has a strong folk dance tradition, and is taking its place in the modern word with entrepreneurship and IT education. The school for fighter pilots was laid down some years ago.
Get in+
1 Kauhava railway station. (updated Jun 2023) is on the main south–north railway (Helsinki–Rovaniemi), between Seinäjoki and Kokkola.
2 Härmä railway station. is located on the Seinäjoki–Oulu line. Trains stop here during the summer.
There are a few buses per day from Seinäjoki, mostly operated by Härmän Liikenne.
Source: Wikivoyage · CC BY-SA 4.0 · abridged
Places bordering Kauhava
- Evijärvi
- Isokyrö
- Lappajärvi
- Lapua
- Pedersöre
- Seinäjoki
- Nykarleby
- Vörå
Population of Kauhava over time
| 2008 | 17,773 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 17,545 | |
| 2010 | 17,308 | |
| 2011 | 17,265 | |
| 2012 | 17,202 | |
| 2013 | 17,065 | |
| 2014 | 17,054 | |
| 2015 | 16,784 | |
| 2016 | 16,599 | |
| 2017 | 16,278 | |
| 2023 | 15,165 | |
| 2025 | 14,909 |
Censuses and official estimates; source: Wikidata.
Climate of Kauhava
Best months for sightseeingBest months for sightseeing: June–August.
This month · November
A cold month
Day 1° · Night -5° · Rain 47 mm
- Hottest month
- July (day 21°)
- Coldest month
- February (night -13°)
- Wettest month
- July (75 mm)
- Driest month
- February (23 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) | -5° | -4° | 0° | 6° | 14° | 19° | 21° | 18° | 13° | 6° | 1° | -3° |
| Average low (°C) | -12° | -13° | -8° | -3° | 2° | 8° | 10° | 8° | 4° | 1° | -5° | -9° |
| Precipitation (mm) | 33 | 23 | 26 | 29 | 34 | 51 | 75 | 65 | 59 | 50 | 47 | 37 |
How to get to Kauhava
The nearest airport is Kokkola-Pietarsaari Airport (KOK), 59 km to the north as the crow flies. For international flights: Vaasa Airport (VAA) (65 km). The nearest large city is Umeå, 154 km to the northwest.
Airports
- Kokkola-Pietarsaari Airport (KOK) Kokkola / Kruunupyy 59 kmnorth
- Vaasa Airport (VAA) Vaasa 65 kmwest
- Umeå Airport (UME) Umeå 151 kmnorthwest
Nearby large cities
- Umeå Population: 130.2K 154 kmnorthwest
Straight-line distances; road distances are longer. Airport data: OurAirports.
Day trips from Kauhava
Within 100 km: 2 natural sites, 22 lakes, rivers and coasts.
25–60 km7 places
- Lake Lappajärvi Lake 34 kmE
- Hirvijärvi Lake 42 kmS
- Kuortaneenjärvi Lake 48 kmSE
- Kuorasjärvi Lake 57 kmS
60–100 km17 places
- Replot Island 81 kmW
- Alan Island 86 kmW
- Söderfjärden Natural site 77 kmW
- Örarna Island 67 kmN
Straight-line distances.
Places in Kauhava
4 placesBar: population relative to the most populous place in this list.
Sources & licences
Data last updated: · 2 independent sources