Laukaa Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Laukaa

Laukas

Municipality

Laukaan kunta
Laukas kommun

Coat of arms

Location of Laukaa in Finland

Country

Finland

Region

Central Finland

Sub-region

Jyväskylä sub-region

Charter

1593

Area

(2018-01-01)

• Total

825.59 km² (318.76 sq mi)

• Land

648.51 km² (250.39 sq mi)

• Water

177.09 km² (68.37 sq mi)

Area rank

133rd largest in Finland

Population

(2023-12-31)

• Total

18,762

• Rank

63rd largest in Finland

• Density

28.93/km² (74.9/sq mi)

Population by native language

• Finnish

97.9% (official)

• Swedish

0.1%

• Others

Population by age

• 0 to 14

22.2%

• 15 to 64

57.3%

• 65 or older

20.6%

Time zone

UTC+02:00 (EET)

• Summer (DST)

UTC+03:00 (EEST)

Laukaa is a town in Finland. It's located right next to Jyväskylä and is part of the Central Finland area. Laukaa has about 18,762 people as of 31 December 2023. It covers a total area of 825.59 square kilometres (318.76 sq mi). A big part of this area, 177.09 km² (68.37 sq mi), is water!

The official language spoken in Laukaa is Finnish.

Laukaa's coat of arms shows a red heart in a silver background. From the heart, a green, three-pronged conifer (like a pine or spruce tree) grows. This design represents the many coniferous forests in the area. It also shows that Laukaa is in the very heart of Finland. The coat of arms was designed by Olof Eriksson and officially approved in 1955.

Exploring Laukaa's Geography
- Lakes and Waterways
- Villages of Laukaa
A Look at Laukaa's History
Ancient Art at Saraakallio
The Keitele Canal System
Museums to Visit in Laukaa
Famous People from Laukaa
Laukaa's Sister Cities
Images for kids
See also

Exploring Laukaa's Geography

Laukaa is surrounded by several other towns. These include Hankasalmi, Jyväskylä, Konnevesi, Toivakka, Uurainen, and Äänekoski.

Lakes and Waterways

Laukaa is known for its many lakes. There are 129 lakes in total! The biggest ones are Lievestuoreenjärvi, Kuusvesi, Leppävesi, and Lake Uurainen.

Villages of Laukaa

Laukaa is made up of many smaller villages. Some of these include:

Hoho
Kuhaniemi (or Kuhankoski)
Kuusa (or Kuusaa)
Lankamaa
Leinola
Leppävesi
Lievestuore
Metsolahti
Saarilampi
Savio
Simuna
Tarvaala
Tervatehdas
Tiituspohja
Valkola
Vehniä
Vihtasilta
Vihtavuori
Vuontee
Äijälä

A Look at Laukaa's History

The name Laukaa probably comes from an old Finnish word, lauas. This word means a "stream pool" and likely refers to the Koivulahti bay in Saraavesi lake.

Long ago, the area of Laukaa was an important travel route. It connected to lake Keitele in the northwest and Rautalampi in the northeast. Laukaa was first part of the Rautalampi parish. It got its own church in 1593. This first church was near modern Tarvaala. This made Tarvaala the original center of Laukaa. Later, in the 1600s, the center moved to where it is today in Pellosniemi.

Laukaa became its own separate parish in 1628. Over time, some areas that were once part of Laukaa became their own towns. These included Saarijärvi, Jyväskylä, and Äänekoski.

Ancient Art at Saraakallio

A rock painting in Saraakallio

Saraakallio is a very special place in Laukaa. It has the largest collection of Stone Age rock paintings in all of Fennoscandia (which includes Finland, Norway, and Sweden). There are over 100 figures painted on the rocks!

The oldest paintings at Saraakallio are about 6,600 years old. The most common pictures you'll see are deer, human figures, and boats. These paintings were made using a red paint. This paint came from a red soil called hematite, mixed with things like blood, urine, and eggs.

The Keitele Canal System

Kuhankoski Canal

The Keitele Canal is a waterway that connects Lake Päijänne and Lake Keitele. Three of its five locks are located right here in Laukaa. These locks are at Kuusa, Kuhankoski, and Kapeenkoski.

The canal was finished in 1994. It was first used for floating logs (moving timber down the river). Today, it's used by ships and people enjoying boat trips. The canal route is about 48 kilometers long. About 2.5 kilometers of this is the actual canal section. The rest of the route follows the natural flow of the rivers.

Kuusankoski, Kuhankoski, and Kapeenkoski are also popular spots for fishing. If you like theater, you might enjoy the Kuusa Canal Theatre. It's active all year round and performs in a restored building from 1914. In the summer, the outdoor stage at the Kuusa Canal is a unique place to watch a show!

Museums to Visit in Laukaa

Laukaa has several interesting museums where you can learn about its past:

Laukaa Museum Village, Kalluntalo: This is an open-air museum in the center of Laukaa. It has old wooden buildings from the 1700s and other traditional structures.
Hartikka Stone Age Residential Area: Located in Tarvaala, this site shows where people lived between 6,000 and 4,000 B.C. They were likely a hunting community. One of the oldest church sites in Central Finland is also nearby.
Croft of Hartikka, Hartikan Torppa: This is a home museum in Laukkavirta Village.
Dugout Museum, Korsumuseo: You can find this museum in Peurunka. It features a dugout, which is a shelter built partly underground.
Kankaanpää Home Museum: This museum in Laukaan Asemankylä shows what a farm house looked like in the 1800s.