Kurikka Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Kurikka

Town and municipality

Kurikan kaupunki
Kurikka stad

Church in Kurikka.

Coat of arms

Location of Kurikka in Finland

Country

Finland

Region

Southern Ostrobothnia

Sub-region

Seinäjoki sub-region

Founded

1868

Market town

1966

City rights

1977

Area

(2018-01-01)

• Total

1,743.86 km² (673.31 sq mi)

• Land

1,724.62 km² (665.88 sq mi)

• Water

7.79 km² (3.01 sq mi)

Area rank

36th largest in Finland

Population

(2023-12-31)

• Total

19,759

• Rank

56th largest in Finland

• Density

11.46/km² (29.7/sq mi)

• Demonym

Kurikkalainen (Finnish)
From Kurikka (English) Kurikkalaanen (Local dialect)

Population by native language

• Finnish

96.6% (official)

• Swedish

0.4%

• Others

2.9%

Population by age

• 0 to 14

14.7%

• 15 to 64

54.7%

• 65 or older

30.6%

Time zone

UTC+02:00 (EET)

• Summer (DST)

UTC+03:00 (EEST)

Kurikka is a town and municipality located in Finland. It is part of the Southern Ostrobothnia region. Around 19,759 people live in Kurikka. The town covers about 1,724.62 km² (665.88 sq mi) of land, with some lakes and rivers too. Most people in Kurikka speak Finnish.

Kurikka is a big owner in important Finnish energy companies like Fortum and Neste Oil. The local government is mostly led by the Finnish Centre party. This is because the town has a strong history in farming.

The nearby areas of Jurva and Jalasjärvi became part of Kurikka in 2009 and 2016. This made Kurikka a larger municipality.

Kurikka central sports park with river scene.

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Getting Around Kurikka

Kurikka is connected by several important roads. These include Finnish national roads 67, 3 (which is also part of European Highway E12), and 19.

Train Travel

The Suupohja railway line runs through Kurikka. This line connects Seinäjoki to Kaskinen. Passenger trains stopped using this line in 1968. The old railway station is now a lunch restaurant. If you want to catch a train, the closest passenger stations are in Seinäjoki and Parkano.

Air and Bus Travel

The nearest airport to Kurikka is Seinäjoki Airport. For bus travel, the private coach company OnniBus has a route from Helsinki to Vaasa that stops in Jalasjärvi, which is now part of Kurikka.

Places to Visit

Kurikka has several interesting places you can explore:

Botniaring: This is a racing track located in Jurva.
Jurva church: A local church in the Jurva area.
Jurva museum: A museum where you can learn about the history of Jurva.
Kurikka church: The main church in Kurikka.
Kurikka museum: A museum that tells the story of Kurikka.
Kusikivi: This is a special rock. It's said that Swedish King Adolf Frederick stopped here during his visit to Finland long ago.
Pitkämö beach: A nice beach where you can relax.

Famous People from Kurikka

Many notable people have come from Kurikka:

Arsi Harju (born 1974): An Olympic gold medalist in shot put from the year 2000.
Joni Isomäki (born 1985): A former ice hockey player.
Juha Mieto (born 1949): A famous former cross-country skier.
Jorma Ollila (born 1950): He used to be the chairman of the board for big companies like Nokia and Royal Dutch Shell.
Veikko Uusimäki (1921–2008): An actor and theater expert.
Samuli Paulaharju (1875–1944): A teacher, ethnographer (someone who studies cultures), and writer.