Information about Espoo
Espoo is the second largest city in Finland and is located next to the capital city of Helsinki. The transport connections from the airport and the centre of Helsinki to Espoo are excellent.
Espoo is a centre of international company headquarters and high-technology businesses. The city is known as a hub of know-how, research and development, at the heart of which stands the Aalto University campus.
Large natural areas are characteristic of Espoo: seashores, the archipelago, the wilderness in nature reserves and the waterways of the lake highlands. The cultural landscapes, constructed environments and natural areas of Espoo are like Finland in miniature.
Check out the city’s brochures, reports and other publications.
- Population: 289,731 (1/2020)
- Number of city personnel: 14,626 (31.12.2019)
- Five city centres: Espoon keskus, Espoonlahti, Leppävaara, Matinkylä, Tapiola
- Area: 528 km²
- Land area: 312 km²
- Water area: 216 km²
- Islands: 165
- Lakes: 95
- Seashore: 58 km
- Municipal tax: 18%
- Unemployment rate: 7,4 % (31 May 2019)
- Members of the City Council
If Espoo is geographically like Finland in miniature, the changes in our country can be seen in the city's history.
Espoo in a nutshell
- 7000 BCE First signs of human life
- 1000–1200 CE permanent village-like settlements
- 13th century Kuninkaantie, King’s Road
- 1431 the first known written reference to a place called Espoo
- 1432–1433 the first known mentions of the local court sessions of Espoo
- 1458 vicar Henricus takes office according to folk memory from the 18th century; the names of Henricus’ predecessors are not known
- 1480s Espoo’s stone cathedral
- 1492 Espoo residents commit to building and maintaining a vicarage; Espoo has become an independent parish
- 1556 The king of Sweden founds a royal demesne in Espoo, forcing the inhabitants of the Mankby village to relocate elsewhere.
- 1751 Official healing springs are founded in Espoo
- 1821–1823 Espoo’s stone cathedral is expanded as it has become too small
- 1861 The Stensvik brickyard is founded
- 1873 Espoo’s first municipal primary school, Lagstad folkskola, opens its doors
- 1903 Railway from Helsinki to Turku
- 1920 The Muurala Hospital, the first hospital in Espoo, is completed
- 1937 The Jorvaksentie road, the predecessor of the Länsiväylä motorway, is completed
- 1951 The Helsinki University of Technology moves its campus to Otaniemi
- 1952 Construction of Tapiola begins
- 1958 Espoo and its residents decide to celebrate Espoo’s 500-year-long history and hold a 500th anniversary celebration. Espoo Museum is founded on the Glims farmstead.
- 1963 Espoo becomes a market city
- 1971 Maxi market opens in Leppävaara
- 1972 Espoo becomes a city
- 1976 The headquarters of Neste Oy become the first high-rise building in Keilaniemi
- 2004 Archaeologists discover the Mankby village
- 2006 Exhibition Centre WeeGee opens
- 2008 Espoo turns 550
The Helsinki metropolitan area service map(external link, opens in a new window)
The Helsinki metropolitan area service map shows public services available in Helsinki and the rest of the metropolitan area and how to reach them. The map is compatible with mobile phones. A high-contrast version of the service map is available for users with poor eyesight. The map can also be accessed via terminal devices designed for the visually impaired.
City of Espoo map service(external link, opens in a new window)
Guide map, real estate map, aerial photos map, town plans, quaternary deposits, public services, ski tracks and nature trails.
Map and aerial view materials of Espoo
Journey Planner(external link, opens in a new window) of the Helsinki Region Transport (HSL)
Espoo’s visual identity is based on the city’s logo and coat of arms.
The City of Espoo owns the copyright on the logo and it may not be used without permission. The city does not own the copyright on the coat of arms. When you use the logo or the coat of arms, you must follow the City of Espoo’s graphic guidelines.
The photos of Mayor Jukka Mäkelä are intended for use by the media. The name of the photographer and the source (the City of Espoo) must be mentioned.
Espoo's logo
The logo signals that Espoo is an innovative city, a good place to live in and good for entrepreneurship.
Espoo's coat of arms
The coat of arms of the City of Espoo was designed by the artist Kaj Kajander and confirmed by the Ministry of the Interior on 10 November 1955. The official description of the coat of arms: in a blue field, a horseshoe and above it a crown, both in gold. The colours of the coat of arms are blue and gold. The shade of blue is PMS 285 (C91, M43). The gold can be replaced with yellow, PMS 123 (M30, Y94).
The coat of arms is intended as a symbol of official City activities and the organisation of elected bodies and for distinguished representational usage. The coat of arms is used in the meeting documents of elected bodies, documents of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area Advisory Board and flags and banners, for example. The coat of arms may also be used in school leaving certificates and in signs of city buildings that are intended for long-term use.
Downloads
You can download images and other files from the Espoo media bank. Please mention photo credits.
- Images of the Mayor(external link, opens in a new window)
Espoo logo, coat of arms and graphic guidelines(external link, opens in a new window) (in Finnish)
Downloading files from the media bank: click on the desired file. Select “Lataa valitut" (“Download selected”) from the top menu.
If you cannot find the file you need or if you are not sure what type of emblem you need, please contact the communications unit.