Rovaniemi

This article is about the city. For the soccer team known as Rovaniemi, see Rovaniemen Palloseura.

Municipality in Lapland, Finland

Rovaniemi

Roavvenjárga (Northern Sami)
Ruávinjargâ (Inari Sami)
Ruäʹvnjargg (Skolt Sami)

Municipality

Rovaniemen kaupunki
Rovaniemi stad
City of Rovaniemi

Clockwise from top: the Rovaniemi Church, the Rovaniemi Airport, the Santa Claus Village, downtown Rovaniemi, a view of the city from Ounasvaara, the Arktikum Science Museum, and aurora borealis in Someroharju.

Coat of arms

Nickname(s):

Arctic Capital; Hometown of Santa Claus[1]

Location of Rovaniemi in Finland

OpenStreetMap

Interactive map outlining Rovaniemi.

Coordinates: 66°30′N 025°44′E﻿ / ﻿66.500°N 25.733°E﻿ / 66.500; 25.733
Country| Finland
Region| Lapland
Sub-region| Rovaniemi sub-region
Charter| 1929
City| 1960
Government

• City manager| Ulla-Kirsikka Vainio
Area

(2018-01-01)[2]

• Total

| 8,016.75 km2 (3,095.28 sq mi)
• Land| 7,581.63 km2 (2,927.28 sq mi)
• Water| 434.75 km2 (167.86 sq mi)
• Rank| 5th largest in Finland
Population

(2025-06-30)[3]

• Total

| 65,670
• Rank| 17th largest in Finland
• Density| 8.66/km2 (22.4/sq mi)
Demonym| rovaniemeläinen (Finnish)
Population by native language

[4]

• Finnish| 94% (official)
• Swedish| 0.2%
• Sami| 0.3%
• Others| 5.5%
Population by age

[5]

• 0 to 14| 16.3%
• 15 to 64| 63.8%
• 65 or older| 19.9%
Time zone| UTC+02:00 (EET)
• Summer (DST)| UTC+03:00 (EEST)
Website| www.rovaniemi.fi

Rovaniemi (/ˈroʊvəni.əmi/ ROH-və-nee-ə-mee,[7] Finnish: [ˈroʋɑˌnie̯mi] ⓘ; Northern Sami: Roavvenjárga [ˈroɑ̯vveˌɲaːrːka]; Inari Sami: Ruávinjargâ; Skolt Sami: Ruäʹvnjargg) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Lapland. It is located near the Arctic Circle in the northern interior of the country. The population of Rovaniemi is approximately 66,000, while the sub-region has a population of approximately 69,000. It is the 17th most populous municipality in Finland, and the 12th most populous urban area in the country.

Rovaniemi is the administrative capital and commercial centre of Finland's northernmost province, Lapland, and its southern part Peräpohjola. The city centre is situated about 6 kilometres (4 miles) south of the Arctic Circle and is between the hills of Ounasvaara and Korkalovaara, at the confluence of the river Kemijoki and its tributary, the Ounasjoki. It is the second-largest city of Northern Finland after Oulu, and, together with the capital city Helsinki, it is one of Finland's most significant tourist cities in terms of foreign tourism.[8][9] In 2024, CNN listed Rovaniemi as "one of the best places in the world to celebrate Christmas."[10]

The city and the surrounding Rovaniemen maalaiskunta (Rural municipality of Rovaniemi) were consolidated into a single entity on 1 January 2006. Rovaniemi municipality has an approximate population of 66,000. The urban area of Rovaniemi has a population of 53,361, in an area of about 59 km2 (23 sq mi). Rovaniemi is a monolingual Finnish-speaking municipality, and unusually for larger Finnish towns, it is also known by its Finnish name and spelling in the Swedish language.

The coat of arms of Rovaniemi was designed by Toivo Vuorela. Its explanation is "in the green field, a silver pall with light-height upper branches; accompanied by a golden flame in the upper corner".[11] It was approved on 15 August 1956 by the Rovaniemi Rural Municipal Council and confirmed on October 26 at the Ministry of the Interior as the coat of arms of the Rovaniemi Rural Council.[12]

## Name

[edit]

The rova part in the name Rovaniemi has often been considered to be of Saami origin, as roavve in Northern Saami denotes a forested ridge or hill or the site of an old forest fire. The niemi part of the name means "cape". The name of the town in the Saami languages spoken in Finland are Inari Sami: Ruávinjargâ, Northern Sami: Roavenjárga and Roavvenjárga and Skolt Sami: Ruäʹvnjargg.

## History

[edit]

Periodic clearance of new land for agriculture and the practice of slash-and-burn cultivation began around 750–530 BC. Artifacts found in the area suggest that an increasing number of travellers from Karelia in the east, Häme in the south and the Arctic Ocean coast in the north must have come there from 500 AD onwards. The Sami are indigenous to Sápmi.

Rovaniemi is first mentioned by name in official documents in 1453, existing as a set of small villages whose inhabitants earned their living mainly in agriculture and animal husbandry—with fishing and hunting the most important offshoots.[citation needed]

The exploitation of Lapland's natural resources in the 1800s boosted Rovaniemi's growth. Extensive logging sites and gold fever attracted thousands of people to Lapland. As the mining of natural resources was increased, Rovaniemi became the business centre of the province of Lapland.

The township decree was promulgated on 27 June 1928, as a result of which Rovaniemi seceded from the old rural municipality as its own market town on 1 January 1929.[13]

### World War II

[edit]

Main article: Battle of Rovaniemi

Rebuilding Rovaniemi in 1949

During World War II, Finland signed the Moscow Armistice on 19 September 1944 and was required to expel forces of its former German ally. In the Lapland War retreating German forces utilised scorched earth tactics, and though initially German General Lothar Rendulic ordered only the public buildings in Rovaniemi to be destroyed, on 13 October 1944, the German army received orders to destroy all the buildings in Rovaniemi,[1][14] only excluding hospitals and houses where inhabitants were present.[15]

While the German rearguard was going about the destruction, an ammunition train in Rovaniemi station exploded and set fire to the wooden houses of the town. The German troops suffered many casualties, mainly from glass splinters. During these hostilities, 90% of all the buildings in Rovaniemi were destroyed.[14][16] There is a German cemetery 19 km from Rovaniemi where soldiers killed fighting in Lapland during the war are buried.

Although there has been continuous human settlement in the Rovaniemi area since at least the Stone Age, few of the buildings date back before 1944, since most of the city was destroyed during World War II. When the city was rebuilt, it was designed with input by the Finnish architect Alvar Aalto,[1][14] who planned the city's footprint in the shape of a reindeer's head, with the city roads forming the antlers, and the local sports stadium as the reindeer's eye.[17]

## Geography

[edit]

### Climate

[edit]

Rovaniemi

Climate chart (explanation)

|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
|

−15

−14

−13

█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
█ Precipitation totals in mm
Source: World Meteorological Organization
| Imperial conversion

J| F| M| A| M| J| J| A| S| O| N| D

1.7

1.3

1.4

1.2

1.4

2.3

2.7

2.8

2.1

2.1

1.9

1.6

█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
█ Precipitation totals in inches

Due to its location near the Arctic Circle, Rovaniemi has a subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc) with short, pleasant summers, while the winters are long, cold and snowy. The city lies just south of the 0 °C (32 °F) mean annual isotherm, but freezing in the soil is very limited even during the winter due to typical heavy snow cover. Its extreme northerly location combined with frequent overcast skies leads to very low levels of sunshine in the winter months; December averages just under six minutes of sunshine daily.

Winters are somewhat modified by marine air from the North Atlantic Current that ensures average temperatures are less extreme than expected for an inland area at such a northerly latitude. Nevertheless, Rovaniemi still has colder winters than areas at similar latitudes in Norway or Sweden.

On 26 April 2019, Rovaniemi recorded its warmest April day on record with 19 °C (66 °F).[18]

Climate data for Rovaniemi Lentoasema, elevation: 196m (1991-2020) Extremes (1959-present)

Month  | Jan  | Feb  | Mar  | Apr  | May  | Jun  | Jul  | Aug  | Sep  | Oct  | Nov  | Dec  | Year
Record high °C (°F)  | 6.1
(43.0)  | 5.8
(42.4)  | 9.5
(49.1)  | 19.0
(66.2)  | 28.2
(82.8)  | 30.7
(87.3)  | 32.2
(90.0)  | 29.1
(84.4)  | 22.6
(72.7)  | 15.6
(60.1)  | 8.7
(47.7)  | 5.0
(41.0)  | 32.2
(90.0)
Mean maximum °C (°F)  | 1.0
(33.8)  | 1.5
(34.7)  | 5.1
(41.2)  | 11.5
(52.7)  | 21.1
(70.0)  | 24.7
(76.5)  | 26.4
(79.5)  | 24.2
(75.6)  | 18.0
(64.4)  | 10.0
(50.0)  | 3.9
(39.0)  | 2.1
(35.8)  | 27.3
(81.1)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)  | −7.3
(18.9)  | −7.3
(18.9)  | −1.9
(28.6)  | 4.1
(39.4)  | 11.0
(51.8)  | 17.0
(62.6)  | 20.1
(68.2)  | 17.2
(63.0)  | 11.1
(52.0)  | 3.1
(37.6)  | −2.1
(28.2)  | −4.9
(23.2)  | 5.0
(41.0)
Daily mean °C (°F)  | −10.3
(13.5)  | −10.3
(13.5)  | −5.6
(21.9)  | 0.1
(32.2)  | 6.5
(43.7)  | 12.5
(54.5)  | 15.6
(60.1)  | 13.1
(55.6)  | 7.7
(45.9)  | 0.8
(33.4)  | −4.4
(24.1)  | −7.7
(18.1)  | 1.5
(34.7)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)  | −13.5
(7.7)  | −13.3
(8.1)  | −9.1
(15.6)  | −3.4
(25.9)  | 2.5
(36.5)  | 8.5
(47.3)  | 11.8
(53.2)  | 9.6
(49.3)  | 4.9
(40.8)  | −1.3
(29.7)  | −6.7
(19.9)  | −10.6
(12.9)  | −1.7
(28.9)
Mean minimum °C (°F)  | −25.9
(−14.6)  | −24.5
(−12.1)  | −18.6
(−1.5)  | −11.4
(11.5)  | −3.1
(26.4)  | 2.6
(36.7)  | 6.7
(44.1)  | 3.7
(38.7)  | −1.2
(29.8)  | −10.4
(13.3)  | −16.7
(1.9)  | −22.2
(−8.0)  | −27.8
(−18.0)
Record low °C (°F)  | −38.1
(−36.6)  | −35.0
(−31.0)  | −27.5
(−17.5)  | −18.7
(−1.7)  | −11.0
(12.2)  | −2.6
(27.3)  | 2.4
(36.3)  | −0.6
(30.9)  | −7.7
(18.1)  | −21.5
(−6.7)  | −27.9
(−18.2)  | −32.9
(−27.2)  | −38.1
(−36.6)
Average precipitation mm (inches)  | 46
(1.8)  | 37
(1.5)  | 37
(1.5)  | 34
(1.3)  | 48
(1.9)  | 64
(2.5)  | 81
(3.2)  | 68
(2.7)  | 60
(2.4)  | 54
(2.1)  | 55
(2.2)  | 51
(2.0)  | 633
(24.9)
Average snowfall cm (inches)  | 57
(22)  | 73
(29)  | 75
(30)  | 27
(11)  | 0
(0)  | 0
(0)  | 0
(0)  | 0
(0)  | 0
(0)  | 1
(0.4)  | 19
(7.5)  | 38
(15)  | 290
(114)
Average precipitation days  | 11  | 10  | 8  | 8  | 8  | 10  | 10  | 9  | 9  | 10  | 13  | 12  | 118
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 15  | 57  | 132  | 203  | 237  | 271  | 260  | 182  | 112  | 60  | 18  | 3  | 1,550
Source 1: Ilmatieteen laitos[19]
Source 2: FMI [20][21]

Climate data for Rovaniemi Apukka, elevation: 106m (1991-2020) Extremes (1959-present)

Month  | Jan  | Feb  | Mar  | Apr  | May  | Jun  | Jul  | Aug  | Sep  | Oct  | Nov  | Dec  | Year
Record high °C (°F)  | 7.9
(46.2)  | 7.1
(44.8)  | 10.6
(51.1)  | 17.2
(63.0)  | 28.8
(83.8)  | 31.2
(88.2)  | 31.2
(88.2)  | 29.8
(85.6)  | 23.3
(73.9)  | 14.0
(57.2)  | 8.5
(47.3)  | 6.2
(43.2)  | 31.2
(88.2)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)  | −7.4
(18.7)  | −7
(19)  | −1.1
(30.0)  | 4.6
(40.3)  | 11.5
(52.7)  | 17.4
(63.3)  | 20.5
(68.9)  | 17.7
(63.9)  | 11.8
(53.2)  | 3.7
(38.7)  | −1.7
(28.9)  | −4.9
(23.2)  | 5.4
(41.7)
Daily mean °C (°F)  | −11.7
(10.9)  | −11.6
(11.1)  | −6.6
(20.1)  | −0.2
(31.6)  | 6.4
(43.5)  | 12.5
(54.5)  | 15.5
(59.9)  | 12.9
(55.2)  | 7.6
(45.7)  | 0.8
(33.4)  | −4.5
(23.9)  | −8.6
(16.5)  | 1
(34)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)  | −17
(1)  | −17.2
(1.0)  | −12.9
(8.8)  | −5.5
(22.1)  | 1.1
(34.0)  | 7.1
(44.8)  | 10.2
(50.4)  | 8
(46)  | 3.6
(38.5)  | −2.1
(28.2)  | −7.8
(18.0)  | −13.2
(8.2)  | −3.8
(25.2)
Record low °C (°F)  | −47.5
(−53.5)  | −44.3
(−47.7)  | −40.4
(−40.7)  | −31.6
(−24.9)  | −14.7
(5.5)  | −3.7
(25.3)  | −1.5
(29.3)  | −4.1
(24.6)  | −11.0
(12.2)  | −28.6
(−19.5)  | −34.4
(−29.9)  | −39.3
(−38.7)  | −47.5
(−53.5)
Average precipitation mm (inches)  | 39
(1.5)  | 30
(1.2)  | 29
(1.1)  | 30
(1.2)  | 43
(1.7)  | 58
(2.3)  | 75
(3.0)  | 59
(2.3)  | 55
(2.2)  | 49
(1.9)  | 48
(1.9)  | 42
(1.7)  | 555
(21.9)
Average precipitation days  | 10  | 9  | 8  | 8  | 8  | 10  | 10  | 9  | 9  | 10  | 12  | 11  | 114
Source 1: Ilmatieteen laitos [19]
Source 2: FMI [22]

Rovaniemi's Lordi's Square in February 2020

The average annual temperature in Rovaniemi is 0.9 °C (33.6 °F). Snow stays on the ground 175 days a year on average. The lowest temperature ever recorded at the airport is −38.1 °C (−37 °F), recorded on 28 January 1999. However, on the same day temperatures as cold as -47.5 C were recorded at nearby weather stations.[23] The highest temperature ever recorded is 32.2 °C (90 °F), recorded on 18 July 2018 at the railway station.[24]

Despite the fact that Rovaniemi experiences polar day between 7 June and 6 July (30 days) it does not experience polar night. However, the sun barely gets above the horizon in the winter.[25]

### Populated places

[edit]

Some of the neighborhoods are former rural villages, and the longest distance from said neighborhoods to the city center (a.k.a. "Rovaniemi proper") can be estimated to almost a hundred kilometers apart:

* Alakorkalo
* Ala-Nampa
* Auttinseutu
* Hirvas
* Jaatila
* Juotasniemi
* Karvonranta
* Katajaranta
* Kauko
* Kiiruna
* Kivitaipale
* Kolpene
* Korkalovaara
* Koskenkylä
* Lehtojärvi
* Leipee
* Lohiniva
* Marrasjärvi
* Marraskoski
* Meltaus
* Misi
* Muurola
* Narkaus
* Niesi
* Nivankylä
* Nivavaara
* Norvajärvi
* Oikarainen
* Ojanperä
* Olkkajärvi
* Ounasrinne
* Paavalniemi
* Patokoski
* Pekkala
* Perunkajärvi
* Petäjäinen
* Pisa
* Pullinranta
* Pöykkölä
* Rantaviiri
* Rautiosaari
* Ruikka
* Saarenkylä
* Sinettä
* Santamäki
* Sonka
* Syväsenvaara
* Tapionkylä
* Tennilä
* Teollisuuskylä
* Tiainen
* Tuhnaja
* Vaarala
* Vanttausjärvi
* Vanttauskoski
* Vennivaara
* Viiri
* Vikajärvi
* Välijoki
* Ylikylä
* Yli-Nampa

## Demographics

[edit]

### Population

[edit]

Historical populationYear| Pop.| ±% p.a.

|
|

1930| 5,442| —
1940| 6,685| +2.08%
1972| 45,767| +6.20%
1980| 48,056| +0.61%
1990| 54,014| +1.18%
2000| 57,253| +0.58%
2010| 60,090| +0.48%
2020| 63,528| +0.56%
Source: Tilastollinen päätoimisto,[26] Statistics Finland (1972-2020)[27]

The city of Rovaniemi has 65,670 inhabitants, making it the 17th most populous municipality in Finland. The Rovaniemi region has a population of 69,233.

Population size of Rovaniemi (and merged municipalities) 1990–2020[27] Year  | Population

|

1990  |

54,014

1995  |

57,045

2000  |

57,253

2005  |

57,835

2010  |

60,090

2015  |

61,838

2020  |

63,528

### Languages

[edit]

Population by
mother tongue (2024)[28]

1. Finnish (94.0%)
2. Russian (0.70%)
3. Ukrainian (0.60%)
4. English (0.40%)
5. Chinese (0.40%)
6. Sámi (0.30%)
7. Arabic (0.30%)
8. Other (3.30%)

Rovaniemi is a monolingual Finnish-speaking municipality. As of 2024[update], the majority of the population, 61,750 persons (94.0%), spoke Finnish as their first language. In addition, the number of Swedish speakers was 140 persons (0.2%) of the population. Foreign languages were spoken by 5.5% of the population. The number of Sámi speakers, Finland's third official language, was 216 persons (0.3%) of the population.[28] As English and Swedish are compulsory school subjects, functional bilingualism or trilingualism acquired through language studies is not uncommon.

At least 40 different languages are spoken in Rovaniemi. The most common foreign languages are Russian (0.7%), Ukrainian (0.6%), English (0.4%), Chinese (0.4%) and Arabic (0.3%).[28]

### Immigration

[edit]

Population by country of birth (2024)[28]

Nationality | Population | %
Finland | 61,355 | 93.4
Sweden | 805 | 1.2
Soviet Union | 434 | 0.7
Ukraine | 255 | 0.4
China | 215 | 0.3
Russia | 174 | 0.3
Philippines | 158 | 0.2
Thailand | 136 | 0.2
Iraq | 123 | 0.2
Afghanistan | 91 | 0.1
Germany | 87 | 0.1
Other | 1,889 | 2.9

As of 2024[update], there were 3,778 persons with a migrant background living in Rovaniemi, or 6% of the population.[note 1] The number of residents who were born abroad was 4,367, or 7% of the population. The number of persons with foreign citizenship living in Rovaniemi was 2,886. Most foreign-born citizens came from Sweden, the former Soviet Union, Ukraine, China and Russia.[28]

The relative share of immigrants in Rovaniemi's population is below to the national average. However, the city's new residents are increasingly of foreign origin. This will increase the proportion of foreign residents in the coming years.

### Religion

[edit]

In 2023, the Evangelical Lutheran Church was the largest religious group with 69.1% of the population of Rovaniemi. Other religious groups accounted for 1.6% of the population. 29.3% of the population had no religious affiliation.[30]

Of the revival movements within the church, Conservative Laestadianism is particularly active in the locality, with three peace associations in the locality: the Rovaniemi Peace Association,[31] the Rautionsaari Peace Association[32] and the Viirinkylä Peace Association.[33]

Other local communities include the Rovaniemi Pentecostal Church, a member of the Finnish Pentecostal Church,[34] and the Rovaniemi Adventist Church, part of the Finnish Adventist Church.[35]

## Economy

[edit]

Rovaniemi in 1999

Since Rovaniemi is the capital of the region of Lapland, many government institutions have their offices there. About 10,000 of the inhabitants are students. Rovaniemi is home to not only the University of Lapland but also the Lapland University of Applied Sciences (formerly known as the Rovaniemi Polytechnic), which comprises institutes of information and traditional technology, business, health and social care, culinary studies, forestry, rural studies, and sports. Local newspapers include the Lapin Kansa, Uusi Rovaniemi and Lappilainen.

Further information: Energiapolar

### Tourism

[edit]

Summer in Rovaniemi, which includes the Midnight sun

Because of the unspoiled nature of the area and numerous recreational opportunities, tourism is an important industry in Rovaniemi. The city has a number of hotels and restaurants located both in the centre and on the outskirts of the town, hosting over 481,000 visitors in 2013.[36] Tourism can be seen and heard in the city's streetscape, at the Arctic Circle and at Rovaniemi Airport, one of Finland's busiest airports in terms of passenger numbers.[37] However, as a mild phenomenon, popularity of the city has also brought overtourism, from which the locals suffer.[1][9][38][39][40][41]

Jätkänkynttilä - Swedish torch Bridge

Rovaniemi is also considered by Finns to be the official home town of Santa Claus.[1][9][42][43][44] It is home to the Santa Claus Village at the Arctic Circle and SantaPark Arctic World, which is located 8 km (5 mi) north of the centre.

Directly across the river from the town is the Ounasvaara ski centre.[45] There have been recreational activities in the Ounasvaara area since 1927,[46] when the first winter sports were also organized.[47] The top of the Ounasvaara hill bears the site of some of the earliest known human settlements in the area.

A phenomenon also attracting numerous tourists is the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights.[48] In Finnish Lapland, the number of auroral displays can be as high as 200 a year, whereas in southern Finland, the number is usually fewer than 20.

## Attractions

[edit]

Santa Claus Village

Rovaniemi's most prominent landmarks include the Jätkänkynttilä bridge with its eternal flame over the Kemijoki river, the Arktikum Science Museum, which rises out of the bank of the Ounasjoki river, the Rovaniemi city hall, the Lappia Hall, which serves as a theatre, concert hall, and congress centre, and the library.

The last three mentioned buildings are designed by Alvar Aalto. The Arktikum Science Museum is a comprehensive museum of Finland's, and the world's, Arctic regions.

## Sports

[edit]

Rovaniemi's Keskuskenttä, home ground of RoPS

The city is home to the football clubs Rovaniemen Palloseura, or RoPS, part of Ykkönen, the Finnish third division, and FC Santa Claus, part of the sixth division; to the ice hockey team Rovaniemen Kiekko, or RoKi, whose home arena is Lappi Areena and which competes in Mestis, the second-highest league in Finland; and to the volleyball team called Team Lakkapää (formerly Rovaniemen Santasport and Perungan Pojat), which plays in the Finland Volleyball League and won the national championship in 2003, 2007, 2008 and 2011. The Rovaniemi Nordmen, an American Football team, was formed in 2013 and has played at various levels throughout the Finnish American Football Association.[49]

Rovaniemi has hosted several international ski competition, including the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1984, several FIS Nordic Combined World Cup and FIS Ski Jumping Continental Cup events, the 2005 FIS Nordic Junior World Ski Championships, the 1970 Winter Universiade and the 2008 Winter Transplant Games.

In 2021, Rovaniemi hosted the World Rally Championship for 2021 Arctic Rally Finland, the first WRC event held inside the Arctic Circle.

## Transport

[edit]

Rovaniemi Airport Shopping center Revontuli

VR Group, the Finnish state railway system, operates direct daytime and overnight passenger trains from Rovaniemi Station to Oulu, Tampere, Helsinki and Turku. Diesel-powered passenger trains operated northeast of Rovaniemi to Kemijärvi until March 2014, when electrification to Kemijärvi was completed. Rovaniemi Airport is located about 10 kilometres (6 mi) north of the Rovaniemi city centre, and it is the second-busiest airport in Finland after Helsinki-Vantaa Airport;[50] while at the beginning of the millennium, over 300 international flights landed in Rovaniemi annually, in the 2020s, the number is almost five times that.[9] The busiest time for the airport is in the Christmas season, when many people go on Santa Flights.[51]

## Notable inhabitants

[edit]

See also: Category:People from Rovaniemi

* Snowboarder and 2005 Winter X Games gold medalist Antti Autti, Rovaniemi native, in April 2005 received his own piece of land in the city for being named to the 2006 Finnish Olympic team
* Antti Iivari (born 1992), ice hockey player
* writer Timo K. Mukka died in Rovaniemi in 1974
* Nätti-Jussi ("Pretty John"), legendary lumberjack and forester
* Harri Olli, ski jumper
* Tanja Poutiainen Alpine skier
* Tauno Luiro ski jumper, world record holder
* Tomi Putaansuu, better known as Mr. Lordi lead singer of the hard rock band and 2006 Eurovision Song Contest winner Lordi
* Jari Tervo, author
* Miia Tervo, film director
* Antti Tuisku, singer
* Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, said to be the residence of Father Christmas[42][43][44]
* Progressive rock band Absoluuttinen Nollapiste
* The black metal band Beherit came from Rovaniemi

## Twin towns – sister cities

[edit]

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Finland

Rovaniemi is twinned with:[52]

* Ajka, Hungary
* Alanya, Turkey
* Cadillac, United States
* Grindavík, Iceland
* Harbin, China
* Kassel, Germany
* Kiruna, Sweden
* Narvik, Norway
* Neustrelitz, Germany
* Olsztyn, Poland
* Sankt Johann in Tirol, Austria
* Veszprém, Hungary

In March 2022, Rovaniemi suspended the agreement with Murmansk, Russia due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[53]

## In popular culture

[edit]

Hand prints and signatures of Lordi's line-up at the time can be seen at the Lordi's Square

A 1996 Christmas episode of Tots TV called "Lapland Out" took place in Rovaniemi.

The 1998 Spanish romantic film Lovers of the Arctic Circle (Los amantes del Círculo Polar), by director Julio Medem, partly takes place in Rovaniemi.

Rovaniemi appears in the video game Tom Clancy's EndWar as a possible battlefield. In the game, Rovaniemi houses military facilities critical to a missile shield for a European Federation.[54]

Rovaniemi is a central scene in a documentary film Reindeerspotting.

TV-Star Bam Margera and his friends travelled to Rovaniemi in their film Bam Margera Presents: Where the ♯$&% Is Santa? in order to find Santa Claus who is assumed to live in Rovaniemi.

A version of the music video for Lordi's song "Hard Rock Hallelujah" was filmed near Rovaniemi for the opening of the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest.[55] After winning the contest, a square called the Lordi's Square (Lordin aukio) in the city center of Rovaniemi has been named after the band.[56]

The video for the Nightwish single "The Islander" was filmed in Rovaniemi by Stobe Harju.

McDonald's location at Rovaniemi, formerly the northernmost McDonald's in the world from 1997 to 2013 and from 2022 to 2024.

Rovaniemi used to have the northernmost location of any McDonald's in the world from 1997[57][58] until the opening of a McDonald's in Murmansk in 2013, 23 years after it first opened in that country.[59] However, the title of the northernmost in the world returned to Rovaniemi in 2022, when in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, all Russian McDonald's restaurants were closed, and rebranded to Vkusno i tochka.[60] In January 2024, Rovaniemi once again lost the title of having the northernmost McDonald's in the world as a new restaurant opened in Tromsø, Norway.[61]

Rovaniemi appears as one location of Gavin Lyall's 1963 book The Most Dangerous Game, a spy-thriller set in Lapland and the northern USSR.

Rovaniemi was featured in the first episode of The Reluctant Traveler.

Hallmark Media's 2024 television film The Finnish Line features scenes shot in Santa Claus Village.[62][63]

## See also

[edit]

* Pilke House
* University of the Arctic

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Statistics Finland classifies a person as having a "foreign background" if both parents or the only known parent were born abroad.[29]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e Gettleman, Jeffrey (15 April 2025). "Santa Lives in Rovaniemi, Finland. Some of His Neighbors Are Not Thrilled". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
2. ^ "Area of Finnish Municipalities 1.1.2018" (PDF). National Land Survey of Finland. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
3. ^ "Population increased most in Uusimaa in January to June 2025". Population structure. Statistics Finland. 2025-07-24. ISSN 1797-5395. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
4. ^ "Number of foreign-language speakers exceeded 600,000 during 2024". Population structure. Statistics Finland. 2025-04-04. ISSN 1797-5395. Retrieved 2025-04-05.
5. ^ "Population according to age (1-year) and sex by area and the regional division of each statistical reference year, 2003–2020". StatFin. Statistics Finland. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
6. ^ a b "Luettelo kuntien ja seurakuntien tuloveroprosenteista vuonna 2023". Tax Administration of Finland. 14 November 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
7. ^ "Rovaniemi". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 2020-11-29.
8. ^ Lapin Kansa: Rovaniemen ja Helsingin johtajat saivat ministeriltä tehtävän miettiä, miten matkailu nousee korona-ajan mentyä ohi – Rahaa on luvassa EU:n elpymispaketista (in Finnish)
9. ^ a b c d Kuivas, Eeva (19 April 2025). "Näin Rovaniemelle tehtiin joulun Disneyland" [This is how Rovaniemi was made into a "Christmas Disneyland"]. Yle (in Finnish). Retrieved 20 April 2025.
10. ^ Brown, Forrest (2 December 2024). "15 of the best places to go for Christmas". CNN Travel. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
11. ^ "Sisäasiainministeriön vahvistamat kaupunkien, kauppaloiden ja kuntien vaakunat 1949-1995 (I:12) Jakso 240: Rovaniemen maalaiskunta". Kansallisarkiston digitaaliarkisto (in Finnish). Retrieved March 26, 2021.
12. ^ Suomen kunnallisvaakunat (in Finnish). Suomen Kunnallisliitto. 1982. pp. 121, 160. ISBN 951-773-085-3.
13. ^ Tällaista oli elämä Rovaniemen kauppalassa ennen kuin siitä tuli kaupunki – lapsia oli niin paljon, että koulut olivat tupaten täynnä, teiden kunnosta naristiin ja ulkopaikkakuntalaiset rötöstelivät – Lapin Kansa (in Finnish)
14. ^ a b c Watts, Peter (19 December 2018). "The dark history of Santa's city: how Rovaniemi rose from the ashes". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
15. ^ Suomen Kuvalehti 39/2004
16. ^ Kallioniemi 1989, s. 196–209
17. ^ "There's So Much To See In The Capital Of Finnish Lapland". Nordic Visitor.
18. ^ Now. "Rovaniemi, Lappi, Finland Weather Forecast and Conditions - The Weather Channel". Weather.com. Retrieved 2022-08-27.
19. ^ a b "Normal period 1991-2020". FMI. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
20. ^ "Rovaniemi extreme values". FMI open data. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
21. ^ "Rantavitikka, Lapland UAS Weather - Personal Weather Station: IROVANIE6 by Wunderground.com - Weather Underground". Wunderground.com. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
22. ^ "Rovaniemi extreme values". FMI open data. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
23. ^ "Rovaniemi Apukka - 01/1999 - Sääarkisto". suja.kapsi.fi. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
24. ^ "Rovaniemi Railway station". Timeanddate.com. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
25. ^ "Sunrise and sunset times in Rovaniemi, July 2015". Timeanddate.com. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
26. ^ "Suomen tilastollinen vuosikirja 1940" (PDF) (in Finnish). Tilastollinen päätoimisto. 1941. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
27. ^ a b "Number of foreign-language speakers grew by nearly 38,000 persons". Statistics Finland. 31 May 2023. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
28. ^ a b c d e "Number of foreign-language speakers exceeded 600,000 during 2024". Population structure. Statistics Finland. 2025-04-04. ISSN 1797-5395. Retrieved 2025-04-12.
29. ^ "Persons with foreign background". Statistics Finland. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
30. ^ Key figures on population by region, 1990-2023 Statistics Finland
31. ^ Rovaniemen Rauhanyhdistys ry (in Finnish)
32. ^ Rautionsaaren Rauhanyhdistys Archived 2012-12-01 at the Wayback Machine (in Finnish)
33. ^ Viirinkylän Rauhanyhdistys (in Finnish)
34. ^ Seurakunnat – Suomen helluntaikirkko (in Finnish)
35. ^ Suomenkieliset seurakunnat – Rovaniemen adventtiseurakunta Archived 2014-06-12 at the Wayback Machine (in Finnish)
36. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-05-28. Retrieved 2015-05-28.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
37. ^ Facts about Rovaniemi Airport – Finavia
38. ^ Chowdhury, Shamim (12 December 2024). "Santa Village Locals Demand Controls Amid Tourism Boom". Newsweek. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
39. ^ "No room at the inn? Locals say holiday rentals are overtaking Santa Claus' hometown". Euronews. 12 December 2024. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
40. ^ "Overtourism has hit Santa's village, say Finnish locals". CNN Travel. 13 December 2024. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
41. ^ Kato, Brooke (14 December 2024). "Santa Claus 'hometown' suddenly overrun with tourists — and locals are protesting in the streets: 'It's not anymore in control'". New York Post. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
42. ^ a b "History of Santa Claus". The-north-pole.com. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
43. ^ a b Santa Claus' Village on the Arctic Circle in Rovaniemi in Lapland in Finland Archived 2008-05-11 at the Wayback Machine
44. ^ a b "Joulupukin Kammari – Santa Claus Office – Joulupkki, Lapland, Finland, Rovaniemi". Santaclauslive.com. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
45. ^ Ounasvaara Outdoor Resort (in English)
46. ^ Ounasvaara - Luonto Rovaniemi (in Finnish)
47. ^ HYVINVOINTI-SUOMEN LIIKUNTAYMPÄRISTÖT TEEMAHANKE 2011-2012: Ounasvaaran liikuntaympäristöt (Urheiluopisto erillinen alue), Rovaniemi (in Finnish)
48. ^ When to See The Northern Lights in Rovaniemi + Other FAQ’s – Visit Rovaniemi
49. ^ "Seura" (in Finnish). Rovaniemi Nordmen. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
50. ^ "PASSENGERS 2017" (PDF). Finavia.fi. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
51. ^ "Santa Holiday Flights". Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
52. ^ "Tietoa Rovaniemestä: Ystävyyskaupungit" (in Finnish). City of Rovaniemi. Retrieved 2022-03-13.
53. ^ "The capital of Lapland freezes partnership with Murmansk". The Independent Barents Observer. 4 March 2022. Retrieved 2022-03-12.
54. ^ Ubisoft (2008). "Locations". Ubisoft. Retrieved 1 April 2011.
55. ^ Hard Rock Hallelujah Special Edition (YouTube video). Rovaniemi. Archived from the original on 2021-12-11.
56. ^ Laine, Senni (May 30, 2006). "Sampo-aukiosta runnottiin Lordi-aukio" (in Finnish). Kaleva. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
57. ^ McDonald's. "World's First Arctic McDonald's Opens". Prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 24 December 2017.
58. ^ "McDonald's goes north - Dec. 5, 1997".
59. ^ "Queuing up for world's northernmost Big Mac". Barentsobserver.com. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
60. ^ 'Until we meet again,' McDonald’s tells Russia as it exits the country for good \- DailyO
61. ^ "McDonald's satser stort i Norge. – Nå kommer vi til Nord-Norge!".
62. ^ Mikkilä, Lotta (8 November 2024). "Kliseisistä jouluelokuvista tunnettu amerikkalaisyhtiö julkaisee Suomeen sijoittuvan romanttisen komedian". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 13 December 2024.
63. ^ Myllykoski, Paula; Leinonen, Pauliina (8 December 2024). "Lapissa kuvattu rakkauselokuva hurmasi amerikkalaiset – yksi asia kiinnittää suomalaiskatsojan huomion". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 13 December 2024.

### Further reading

[edit]

* Gettleman, Jeffrey; Huylebroek, Jim (2025-04-15). "Santa Lives in Rovaniemi, Finland. Some of His Neighbors Are Not Thrilled". The New York Times. Retrieved 2025-04-15.
* Quest, Richard; Fletcher, Anna (2019-12-22). "The ruined city that took over Christmas". CNN. Retrieved 2025-04-15.
* Rikkinen, K. A Geography of Finland. Lahti: University of Helsinki (1992)
* Rovaniemi: Arctic Circle – Finland. Helsinki: Oy Sevenprint Ltd (1998)

## External links

[edit]

Rovaniemi at Wikipedia's sister projects

* Media from Commons
* Travel information from Wikivoyage
* Data from Wikidata

* City of Rovaniemi – official website (in English)
* Visit Rovaniemi (in English)
* Rovaniemi - Santa's Hometown & Capital of Lapland – Visit Finnish Lapland (in English)
* Satellite view of Rovaniemi

Places adjacent to Rovaniemi

| Kolari | Kittilä, Sodankylä | Pelkosenniemi

|
|

|  |
Pello
Ylitornio |

Rovaniemi

| Kemijärvi
|  |
| Tervola, Ranua | Posio

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities of Lapland

Municipalities|

* Enontekiö
* Inari
* Kemi
* Kemijärvi
* Keminmaa
* Kittilä
* Kolari
* Muonio
* Pelkosenniemi
* Pello
* Posio
* Ranua
* Rovaniemi
* Salla
* Savukoski
* Simo
* Sodankylä
* Tervola
* Tornio
* Utsjoki
* Ylitornio

Former municipalities|

* Alatornio
* Karunki
* Kemijärven maalaiskunta
* Petsamo
* Rovaniemen maalaiskunta

* Lapland
* Finland

* v
* t
* e

50 most populous urban areas in the Nordic countries

* Denmark
* Finland
* Iceland
* Norway
* Sweden

|  1.|  Stockholm|  1,605,030

|
|

2.|  Copenhagen|  1,330,993
3.|  Helsinki|  1,268,296
4.|  Oslo|  1,019,513
5.|  Gothenburg|  599,011
6.|  Malmö|  339,313
7.|  Tampere|  334,112
8.|  Aarhus|  280,534
9.|  Bergen|  259,958
10.|  Turku|  252,468

|  11.|  Stavanger/Sandnes|  237,369

|
|

12.|  Reykjavík|  228,231
13.|  Oulu|  208,939
14.|  Trondheim|  186,364
15.|  Odense|  180,302
16.|  Uppsala|  177,074
17.|  Upplands Väsby och Sollentuna|  149,461
18.|  Aalborg|  140,897
19.|  Västerås|  128,534
20.|  Örebro|  126,009

|  21.|  Lahti|  119,068

|
|

22.|  Jyväskylä|  117,974
23.|  Fredrikstad/Sarpsborg|  116,373
24.|  Linköping|  115,672
25.|  Helsingborg|  113,816
26.|  Kristiansand|  111,633
27.|  Drammen|  109,416
28.|  Jönköping|  100,259
29.|  Norrköping|  97,854
30.|  Lund|  94,393

|  31.|  Porsgrunn/Skien|  93,778

|
|

32.|  Umeå|  90,412
33.|  Kuopio|  88,520
34.|  Pori|  84,026
35.|  Gävle|  77,586
36.|  Södertälje|  75,773
37.|  Borås|  73,980
38.|  Esbjerg|  72,398
39.|  Halmstad|  71,316
40.|  Växjö|  71,009

|  41.|  Eskilstuna|  70,342

|
|

42.|  Joensuu|  67,811
43.|  Karlstad|  65,856
44.|  Vaasa|  65,414
45.|  Randers|  62,482
46.|  Kolding|  61,121
47.|  Horsens|  59,449
48.|  Sundsvall|  58,807
49.|  Vejle|  57,655
50.|  Lappeenranta|  55,743

* v
* t
* e

50 most populous municipalities in Finland

|  1.|  Helsinki|  689,758

|
|

2.|  Espoo|  323,910
3.|  Tampere|  260,646
4.|  Vantaa|  252,724
5.|  Oulu|  216,066
6.|  Turku|  206,655
7.|  Jyväskylä|  148,744
8.|  Kuopio|  125,462
9.|  Lahti|  121,622
10.|  Pori|  83,157

|  11.|  Joensuu|  78,398

|
|

12.|  Kouvola|  78,094
13.|  Lappeenranta|  72,909
14.|  Vaasa|  69,819
15.|  Hämeenlinna|  68,473
16.|  Seinäjoki|  66,848
17.|  Rovaniemi|  65,670
18.|  Porvoo|  51,853
19.|  Mikkeli|  51,661
20.|  Salo|  50,794

|  21.|  Kotka|  50,157

|
|

22.|  Kokkola|  48,361
23.|  Hyvinkää|  47,089
24.|  Järvenpää|  46,942
25.|  Lohja|  45,686
26.|  Nurmijärvi|  45,356
27.|  Tuusula|  42,624
28.|  Kirkkonummi|  41,821
29.|  Rauma|  38,909
30.|  Kerava|  38,535

|  31.|  Kaarina|  36,631

|
|

32.|  Nokia|  36,486
33.|  Kajaani|  36,458
34.|  Kangasala|  34,315
35.|  Ylöjärvi|  33,731
36.|  Savonlinna|  31,283
37.|  Vihti|  28,864
38.|  Riihimäki|  28,610
39.|  Raseborg|  27,002
40.|  Raisio|  25,846

|  41.|  Lempäälä|  25,036

|
|

42.|  Imatra|  24,581
43.|  Raahe|  23,566
44.|  Sastamala|  23,444
45.|  Sipoo|  22,903
46.|  Hollola|  22,843
47.|  Siilinjärvi|  21,383
48.|  Pirkkala|  21,204
49.|  Mäntsälä|  20,966
50.|  Tornio|  20,932

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* 2
* VIAF
* FAST
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
* United States
* Czech Republic
* Spain
* Sweden
* Israel
* Finland

Geographic|

* MusicBrainz area

Other|

* Yale LUX

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