Ylöjärvi () is a town in Finland, located in the Pirkanmaa region. It lies to the west of the regional capital, Tampere. The population of Ylöjärvi is approximately , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately . It is the most populous municipality in Finland, and the fourth largest in the Pirkanmaa region after Tampere, Nokia, and Kangasala.

Ylöjärvi is located northwest of Tampere and north of the capital city of Helsinki in Finland. Ylöjärvi has an area of of which is water. The population density is .

Ylöjärvi is mainly a rural town. It does not have a clear centre; the Tampere-Vaasa highway (E12) and the Tampere-Seinäjoki railway divide the centre of the municipality into two large distinct parts: the Church Village and Soppeenmäki. The railway, completed in 1971, has no passenger seats in the Ylöjärvi area, so buses provide all public transport. The population has grown in recent years. In 1990 it was about 18,000, in 2011 it was about 30,000, and now it is about .

The neighbouring municipalities are Hämeenkyrö, Ikaalinen, Kihniö, Nokia, Parkano, Ruovesi, Tampere and Virrat. The municipality of Viljakkala was merged with Ylöjärvi in 2007. The municipality of Kuru was merged with Ylöjärvi in 2009. The coat of arms of Ylöjärvi was designed by Gustaf von Numers and confirmed in 1954.

The results of the 2025 Finnish municipal elections resulted in the Social Democratic Party being the largest political party on the Ylöjärvi council.

History

The chapel parish of Ylöjärvi was founded in 1779 by separating it from Pirkkala. The first church in Ylöjärvi, located on the site of the current church, was completed in 1781, but was destroyed in a fire caused by lightning in 1842.

Demographics

Population

Culture

Food

In the 1980s, overly sweeted limppu and the "sauna smoked" ham were named Ylöjärvi's traditional parish dishes.

Tree Mountain

The town is the location of Tree Mountain, land art by Agnes Denes. This work was conceived in 1983, and construction was announced by the Finnish government at the 1992 Earth Summit. Construction was complete in 1996, and the site is legally protected for the next 400 years.

Tree Mountain was dedicated in June 1996 by the President of Finland.

Notable people

  • (born 1968), singer, songwriter, and musician
  • Marko Asell (born 1970), Greco-Roman wrestler and politician
  • Jenni Banerjee (born 1981), actress
  • Volmari Iso-Hollo (1907–1969), runner
  • Esa Keskinen (born 1965), ice hockey player
  • Tauno Kovanen (1917–1986), Greco-Roman wrestler
  • Kirsi Kunnas (1924–2021), writer, poet, and translator
  • Linda Leppänen (born 1990), ice hockey player and coach
  • Rosa Lindstedt (born 1988), ice hockey player and coach
  • Jaakko Löytty (born 1955), gospel musician
  • Eino Mäkinen (1926–2014), weightlifter
  • Matti Niemi (born 1937), rower
  • Saara Niemi (born 1986), ice hockey player and coach
  • Hannu Oksanen (born 1957), ice hockey player
  • Jaakko Syrjä (1926–2022), writer
  • Juuse Tamminen (1888–1962), writer
  • Jukka Tyrkkö (1912–1979), war writer
  • Antti Tyrväinen (1933–2013), biathlete
  • Maria Ylipää (born 1981), singer and actress
  • Konsta Helenius (born 2006), ice hockey player

The rock band Eppu Normaali originates in Ylöjärvi.

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Ylöjärvi is twinned with:

{| class="wikitable"

|- valign="top"

|

  • Arvika, Sweden
  • Balatonföldvár, Hungary
  • Kongsvinger, Norway

||

  • Saku Parish, Estonia
  • Skive, Denmark
  • Vyshny Volochyok, Russia

|}

See also

  • Tankki täyteen

References

  • Town of Ylöjärvi – Official website