Asikkala
title: "Asikkala" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["asikkala", "populated-places-established-in-1848"] topic_path: "general/asikkala" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asikkala" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Asikkala |
| official_name | Asikkalan kunta |
| Asikkala kommun | |
| settlement_type | Municipality |
| image_skyline | Vaaksynkanava.jpg |
| image_caption | Vääksy Canal |
| image_shield | Asikkala.vaakuna.svg |
| shield_size | 120x80px |
| image_map | Asikkala sijainti Suomi.svg |
| map_caption | Location of Asikkala in Finland |
| coordinates | |
| subdivision_type | Country |
| subdivision_name | Finland |
| subdivision_type1 | Region |
| subdivision_name1 | Päijät-Häme |
| subdivision_type2 | Sub-region |
| subdivision_name2 | Lahti |
| seat | Vääksy |
| leader_title | Municipal manager |
| leader_name | Rinna Ikola-Norrbacka |
| established_title | Charter |
| established_date | 1848 |
| area_footnotes | |
| area_total_km2 | |
| area_land_km2 | |
| area_water_km2 | |
| area_rank | |
| population_as_of | |
| population_footnotes | |
| population_total | |
| population_density_km2 | |
| population_rank | |
| demographics_type1 | |
| demographics1_footnotes | |
| demographics1_title1 | |
| demographics1_info1 | |
| demographics1_title2 | |
| demographics1_info2 | |
| demographics1_title3 | |
| demographics1_info3 | |
| demographics1_title4 | |
| demographics1_info4 | |
| demographics_type2 | |
| demographics2_footnotes | |
| demographics2_title1 | |
| demographics2_info1 | |
| demographics2_title2 | |
| demographics2_info2 | |
| demographics2_title3 | |
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| blank_name | |
| blank_info | |
| timezone | EET |
| utc_offset | +02:00 |
| timezone_DST | EEST |
| utc_offset_DST | +03:00 |
| website | |
| :: |
|name = Asikkala | official_name = Asikkalan kunta Asikkala kommun | settlement_type = Municipality | image_skyline = Vaaksynkanava.jpg | image_caption = Vääksy Canal | image_shield = Asikkala.vaakuna.svg | shield_size = 120x80px | image_map = Asikkala sijainti Suomi.svg | map_caption = Location of Asikkala in Finland |coordinates = |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_name = Finland | subdivision_type1 = Region | subdivision_name1 = Päijät-Häme | subdivision_type2 = Sub-region | subdivision_name2 = Lahti | seat = Vääksy | leader_title = Municipal manager | leader_name = Rinna Ikola-Norrbacka | established_title = Charter | established_date = 1848 |area_footnotes = |area_total_km2 = |area_land_km2 = |area_water_km2 = |area_rank = |population_as_of = |population_footnotes = |population_total = |population_density_km2 = |population_rank = |demographics_type1 = |demographics1_footnotes = |demographics1_title1 = |demographics1_info1 = |demographics1_title2 = |demographics1_info2 = |demographics1_title3 = |demographics1_info3 = |demographics1_title4 = |demographics1_info4 = |demographics_type2 = |demographics2_footnotes = |demographics2_title1 = |demographics2_info1 = |demographics2_title2 = |demographics2_info2 = |demographics2_title3 = |demographics2_info3 = |blank_name = |blank_info = |timezone = EET |utc_offset = +02:00 |timezone_DST = EEST |utc_offset_DST = +03:00 | website =
Asikkala () is a municipality of Finland. Its seat is in Vääksy, at the shores of the Lake Päijänne. It is located in the province of Southern Finland and is part of the Päijät-Häme region. Asikkala's neighboring municipalities are Hämeenlinna, Heinola, Hollola, Lahti, Padasjoki and Sysmä.
The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of {{Data Finland municipality/total area|Asikkala}} km2 of which {{Data Finland municipality/waters area|Asikkala}} km2 is water. The population density is PD/km2.
The municipality is unilingually Finnish, by law since 1996.
History
The oldest prehistoric objects discovered in Asikkala, primarily tools, are presumed to date back to approximately 3000 BCE. The island of Kotasaari in the village of Kalkkinen has been a significant source of finds as well; the settlement on the island dates back to the Stone Age. In the Middle Age, the hunters populating the area of Asikkala made excursions towards the north on the Päijänne. The oldest villages in the municipality are presumed to be Kalkkinen as well as Anianpelto, the former of which also housed the largest estate in the area, known as Iisakkila or Kalkkinen.
Asikkala is mentioned in writing for the first time in a document concerning a border dispute with Sysmä in 1443. It is mentioned in 1445 as an administrative parish, whose subordinates in taxation included the villages of Viitaila, Asikkala and Urajärvi, and later Ruuhijärvi in modern-day Nastola. In the early 1600s, Asikkala became an independent chapel parish from the mother parish of Hollola.
Geography
Villages
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Urajärvi_manor_museum,_Asikkala,_Finland.jpg" caption="The Urajärvi Manor Museum"] ::
In 1967, Asikkala had 24 legally recognized villages (henkikirjakylät):
- Anianpelto
- Asikkala
- Hillilä
- Iso-Äiniö
- Joenniemi
- Kalkkinen
- Keltaniemi
- Kopsuo
- Kurhila
- Muikkula
- Myllykselä
- Paakkola
- Pulkkila
- Pätiälä
- Reivilä
- Riihilahti
- Salo
- Särkijärvi
- Urajärvi
- Vehkoo
- Vesivehmaa
- Viitaila
- Vähimaa
- Vähä-Äiniö
Climate
Asikkala has a humid continental climate (Dfb) with cold winters and mild to warm summers. The climate is slightly milder than the nearby city of Lahti due to influence from Lake Päijänne. {{Weather box | location = Asikkala Pulkkilanharju (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1967- present) | collapsed = | metric first = Yes | single line = Yes | Jan record high C = 8.0 | Feb record high C = 8.1 | Mar record high C = 14.6 | Apr record high C = 22.2 | May record high C = 27.6 | Jun record high C = 30.5 | Jul record high C = 31.8 | Aug record high C = 30.1 | Sep record high C = 25.2 | Oct record high C = 18.6 | Nov record high C = 13.2 | Dec record high C = 10.4 | year record high C = 31.8 | Jan high C = -3.0 | Feb high C = -3.5 | Mar high C = 1.0 | Apr high C = 7.1 | May high C = 14.1 | Jun high C = 18.6 | Jul high C = 21.2 | Aug high C = 19.7 | Sep high C = 14.2 | Oct high C = 7.9 | Nov high C = 2.7 | Dec high C = -0.6 | year high C = 8.3 | Jan mean C = -5.5 | Feb mean C = -6.2 | Mar mean C = -2.5 | Apr mean C = 2.8 | May mean C = 9.5 | Jun mean C = 14.6 | Jul mean C = 17.6 | Aug mean C = 16.1 | Sep mean C = 11.4 | Oct mean C = 5.6 | Nov mean C = 1.0 | Dec mean C = -2.6 | year mean C = 5.2 | Jan low C = -8.7 | Feb low C = -9.9 | Mar low C = -6.5 | Apr low C = -0.9 | May low C = 5.3 | Jun low C = 11.0 | Jul low C = 14.1 | Aug low C = 13.2 | Sep low C = 8.8 | Oct low C = 3.8 | Nov low C = -0.8 | Dec low C = -4.9 | year low C = 2.0 | Jan record low C = -37.2 | Feb record low C = -36.8 | Mar record low C = -29.1 | Apr record low C = -18.3 | May record low C = -5.7 | Jun record low C = -0.6 | Jul record low C = 4.9 | Aug record low C = 2.3 | Sep record low C = -2.6 | Oct record low C = -10.6 | Nov record low C = -18.6 | Dec record low C = -34.5 | year record low C = -37.2 | source 1 = | source 2 = Record highs and lows 1967- present{{cite web | url = https://kilotavu.com/fmi-tilastot.php?taulukkomoodi=true | title = FMI open data | publisher = FMI | access-date = 6 July 2025}} | source = FMI climatological normals for Finland 1991-2020
Demographics
In 2020, 13.3% of the population of Asikkala was under the age of 15, 52.7% were aged 15 to 64, and 34.0% were over the age of 64. The average age was 49.9, above the national average of 43.4 and regional average of 46.1. Speakers of Finnish made up 97.4% of the population and speakers of Swedish made up 0.2%, while the share of speakers of foreign languages was 2.4%. Foreign nationals made up 1.8% of the total population.
The chart below, describing the development of the total population of Asikkala from 1975-2020, encompasses the municipality's area as of 2021.
| align = none | cols = 2 | percentages = pagr | 1975 |7,798 | 1980 |8,251 | 1985 |8,564 | 1990 |8,822 | 1995 |8,782 | 2000 |8,644 | 2005 |8,560 | 2010 |8,552 | 2015 |8,287 | 2020 |8,059 |source=Statistics Finland
Urban areas
In 2019, out of the total population of 8,083, 5,188 people lived in urban areas and 2,814 in sparsely populated areas, while the coordinates of 81 people were unknown. This made Asikkala's degree of urbanization 64.8%. The urban population in the municipality was divided between two urban areas as follows:
::data[format=table]
| # | Urban area | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vääksy | 4,810 |
| 2 | Lahti central locality | 378 |
| :: |
Notable people
- James Hirvisaari (born 1960), politician
- J. R. Danielson-Kalmari (1853–1933), senator, professor and valtioneuvos
- Minna Kauppi (born 1982), orienteer
- Toni Nieminen (born 1975), ski jumper
- Aaro Pajari (1897–1949), Major General
- Karri Rämö (born 1986), ice hockey player
- Joel Rinne (1897–1981), actor
- Eetu Salin (1866–1919), politician, journalist and shoemaker
Politics
Results of the 2011 Finnish parliamentary election in Asikkala:
- True Finns 26.8%
- Centre Party 20.8%
- National Coalition Party 20.5%
- Social Democratic Party 15.2%
- Christian Democrats 8.1%
- Left Alliance 4.0%
- Green League 3.7%
Economy
In 2018, 9.6% of the workforce of Asikkala worked in primary production (agriculture, forestry and fishing), 28.7% in secondary production (e.g. manufacturing, construction and infrastructure), and 58.6% in services. In 2019, the unemployment rate was 9.2%, and the share of pensioners in the population was 37.4%.
The ten largest employers in Asikkala in 2019 were as follows:
- Municipality of Asikkala, 303 employees
- Päijät-Häme Health Care Municipal Consortium, 187 employees
- JELD-WEN Suomi Oy, 95 employees
- Rapala VMC Oyj, 77 employees
- Salpaus Further Education, 37 employees
- Regional Council of Päijät-Häme, 34 employees
- Viipurilainen Kotileipomo Oy, 32 employees
- Urajärven Metalli Oy, 30 employees
- Parish of Asikkala, 22 employees
- Osuuskauppa Hämeenmaa, 22 employees
Culture
Food
In the 1980s, Asikkala's traditional parish dishes were salmon soup, rieskas made barley, and potato egg butter, as well as berry milk and sahti.
Notes
References
References
- "Population by municipality as of {{#time: j F Y". Population Register Center of Finland.
- Huovinen, Pentti. (1984). "Finlandia: Otavan iso maammekirja, osa 3: Häme ja Pirkanmaa". [[Otava (publisher).
- Fogelberg, Paul. (1967). "Suomenmaa: maantieteellis-yhteiskunnallinen tieto- ja hakuteos. 1: Ahlainen–Hausjärvi". [[Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö.
- "FMI normals 1991-2020". fmi.fi.
- "Key figures on population by region, 1990-2020". [[Statistics Finland]].
- "Population according to age (1-year) and sex by area, 1972-2020". [[Statistics Finland]].
- "Degree of urbanisation by area, 2019". [[Statistics Finland]].
- "Population in urban settlements and sparsely populated areas by age, sex and municipality, 2019". [[Statistics Finland]].
- "Municipal key figures 1987-2020 (with the 2021 regional division)". [[Statistics Finland]].
- "Kunnittainen toimipaikkatilasto". [[Statistics Finland]].
- Jaakko Kolmonen. (1988). "Kotomaamme ruoka-aitta: Suomen, Karjalan ja Petsamon pitäjäruoat". Patakolmonen.
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