Haapajärvi

Haapajärvi is a city in the Southern Oulu region.

The village of Haapajärvi was first documented in 1547. As with Northern Ostrobothnia in general, tar production was an important industry for several centuries. Back then the waterways were used to ship the tar to the coast and onwards to customers along the coast. The railway arrived in 1925 and greatly accelerated the development of the village. Haapajärvi received city rights in 1977, and today it's a town of about 6800 inhabitants. Two famous inhabitants are the first president of Finland, K.J. Ståhlberg, and the late Nordic skiing Olympic medalist Mika Myllylä.

• 63.748725.32171 Visit Haapajärvi, Kustaa Vaasan katu 2, ☏ +358 44-445-6125 (CEO).  

Train services between Iisalmi and Ylivieska (each at one of the two major north–south railways) stop at Haapajärvi. There are two daily services in each direction Mon–Fri, one in each plus one in either Sat Sun.

• 63.7543625.3341 Haapajärvi Railway Station (Haapajärven rautatieasema), Asemakatu 30.  (updated Nov 2026)

Highways 27 and 58 meet in Haapajärvi. The former comes in from Nivala in the west (providing access from Oulu or Kokkola), and Pyhäjärvi on Highway 4 and Iisalmi on Highway 5 in the east.

There are bus connections from Oulu and nearby towns, such as Nivala, Kärsämäki, Pyhäjärvi and Ylivieska. Paakinaho is a local bus company, see timetables.

• 63.750825.31932 Haapajärvi bus station (Haapajärven linja-autoasema), Puistokatu 46 (in the town centre).  (updated Nov 2026)

• 63.747525.31531 Haapajärvi Church. A quite large yellow wooden church, this is Haapajärvi's main landmark, right next to the eponymous lake.  (updated Aug 2023)
• 63.7493725.31292 Childhood home of Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg (Ståhlbergin lapsuudenkotimuseo), Ronkaalankuja 4. Finland's first president (serving 1919-25) lived for some of his childhood in the town's clergy house, as his father worked as a priest in Haapajärvi. Today the house is a museum.  (updated Aug 2023)
• 63.748525.31973 Mika Myllylä's medals. The medals of one of the most successful cross-country skiers in the 1990s, Mika Myllylä, are on display in the town hall.  (updated Aug 2023)
• 63.674625.44934 Tynnyrikoski rapids and Lohijoki gorge, Pitkänkankaantie 391 (Pitkäharju, 10 km south-east from Haapajärvi centre). About 8,000 years ago lake Päijänne flew north-west into the Bothnian Bay through the river Kalajoki. Lohijoki gorge is an ancient river bed, reminiscent of the much larger river that once flowed on the site. For the same reason, at many sites in Haapajärvi the riverbanks are surprisingly tall. The gorge and Tynnyrinkoski rapids are inside a nature reserve (Lohijoen lehtojensuojelualue), so fishing is forbidden and pets must be kept on a leash all the time. Nature trail. There is a lean-to shelter by the trail, which leads downstream to an information board and the Tynnyrikoski rapids  (updated Mar 2021)

• 63.7505125.318621 Ravintola Harun, Hiljalankatu 9. Pizza and kebab place.  (updated Aug 2023)
• 63.7490125.323352 ABC, Puistokatu 40. Service station with a restaurant and a Kotipizza pizzeria.  (updated Aug 2023)

• 63.755725.3121 Bed & Breakfast Neiti Möller, Puistokatu 55, ☏ +358 40-516-8196, asiakaspalvelu@neitimoller.fi. Bed and breakfast with two rooms.  (updated Aug 2023)