Pirkkala is the happiest municipality in Finland

Pirkkala in a nutshell

Pirkkala, located in Pirkanmaa near the city of Tampere, is considered Finland’s most vibrant (according to WSP 2023) and happiest municipality (according to Ilta-Sanomat 2023). It has a young population demographic, predominantly families with children, and is the fourth most educated in the country.

Pirkkala offers excellent transport connections throughout Finland, including National Road 3 running from Helsinki to Vaasa via Tampere, and the Tampere-Pirkkala Airport. Neighboring municipalities include Nokia, Tampere, Lempäälä, and Vesilahti.

Key statistics

• Founded in 1922

• 20 762 residents (as of December 2023)

• Density of 255 residents per square kilometer

• Total area of 1,044 km² (of which 81.43 km² is land)

• 72 km long coastline

• Tax rate of 7.86 %,

• Unemployment rate of 9.1 % (as of July 2024)

It is located 10 km from Tampere, 181 km from Helsinki, 157 km from Turku, and 162 km from Jyväskylä. Friendship towns include Solna in Sweden, Nordre Follo in Norway, and Gladsaxe in Denmark.

Pirkkala has a rich ancient history

Pirkkala has a rich ancient history, being a former mother parish covering about half of present-day Pirkanmaa. Significant archaeological findings from the Stone and Iron Ages have been made in Tursiannotko in Pirkkala, including a bone spoon, a spearhead, Finland’s first bone arrowheads, and the remains of Finland’s oldest sauna. The municipality hosts annual Viking Fair celebrating this rich history.

Pirkkala is a commercial and transportation hub

As a commercial and transportation hub, Pirkkala’s attractions include its central location, urban ring road, and airport, which is near a significant aviation training center (Tredu Patria). Future projects include the western railway, Puskiainen motorway, and the second ring road. The area along Pirkkala’s ring road is a hotspot for business, with nearly all plots sold or reserved, and the municipality is among the leaders in job growth in Finland.

Lots to do in your free time

For leisure, Pirkkala offers beautiful green spaces, clean water bodies, a long coastline, a golf course, ice rink, tennis courts, outdoor floorball fields, excellent running and cycling routes, a frisbee golf forest course, and a skate park. Cultural attractions include the Pirkkala Viking Fair, Galleria 2 art exhibition space, Reippi sculpture park, the old rural environment of Reipi, and the cultural trail of Pirkkalankylä.