Kärdla
Town in Estonia
title: "Kärdla" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["cities-and-towns-in-estonia", "hiiumaa-parish", "populated-places-in-hiiu-county", "populated-coastal-places-in-estonia", "kreis-wiek", "former-municipalities-of-estonia"] description: "Town in Estonia" topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kärdla" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Town in Estonia ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Kärdla |
| settlement_type | Town |
| image_skyline | Kardla valjak.jpg |
| image_caption | Town square |
| image_flag | Kärdla lipp.svg |
| pushpin_map_caption | Location of Kärdla by the Baltic Sea##Location in Estonia##Location in Europe |
| pushpin_relief | 1 |
| pushpin_map | Baltic Sea#Estonia#Europe |
| coordinates | |
| subdivision_type | Country |
| subdivision_name | Estonia |
| subdivision_type1 | County |
| subdivision_name1 | Hiiu County |
| subdivision_type2 | Municipality |
| subdivision_name2 | Hiiumaa Parish |
| established_title | Town status |
| established_date | 1938 |
| leader_title | Chairman of the District Council |
| leader_name | Tõnis Paljasma |
| area_total_km2 | 4.5 |
| population_footnotes | |
| population_total | 2921 |
| population_as_of | 2024 |
| population_rank | 28th |
| population_density_km2 | auto |
| demographics_type1 | Ethnicity |
| demographics1_title1 | Estonians |
| demographics1_info1 | 98.2% |
| demographics1_title2 | others |
| demographics1_info2 | 1.8% |
| timezone | EET |
| utc_offset | +2 |
| timezone_DST | EEST |
| utc_offset_DST | +3 |
| postal_code_type | Postal code |
| postal_code | 92401 to 92420 |
| image_shield | Kardla coatofarms.png |
| :: |
| name = Kärdla | settlement_type = Town | image_skyline = Kardla valjak.jpg | imagesize = | image_caption = Town square | image_flag = Kärdla lipp.svg | nickname = | motto = | pushpin_map_caption = Location of Kärdla by the Baltic Sea##Location in Estonia##Location in Europe | pushpin_relief = 1 | pushpin_map = Baltic Sea#Estonia#Europe | coordinates = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Estonia | subdivision_type1 = County | subdivision_name1 = Hiiu County | subdivision_type2 = Municipality | subdivision_name2 = Hiiumaa Parish | established_title = Town status | established_date = 1938 | government_type = | leader_party = | leader_title = Chairman of the District Council | leader_name = Tõnis Paljasma | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = 4.5 | population_footnotes = | population_total = 2921 | population_as_of = 2024 | population_rank = 28th | population_density_km2 = auto | demographics_type1 = Ethnicity | demographics1_footnotes = | demographics1_title1 = Estonians | demographics1_info1 = 98.2% | demographics1_title2 = others | demographics1_info2 = 1.8% | timezone = EET | utc_offset = +2 | timezone_DST = EEST | utc_offset_DST = +3 | postal_code_type = Postal code | postal_code = 92401 to 92420 | seal_alt = | image_shield = Kardla coatofarms.png
Kärdla (; ; ) is the only town on the island of Hiiumaa, Estonia. It is the capital of Hiiu County and the administrative center of Hiiumaa Parish. The Chairman of the District Council of Kärdla is Tõnis Paljasma.
Geography
Kärdla is located on the northeastern coast of Hiiumaa, by the Tareste Bay; to the southeast of the town lies the 455 million year old Kärdla meteorite crater. Several small rivers flow through the town. There are also artesian wells in Kärdla. The Swedish name Kärrdal means "marsh valley"; the town is located in a lowlands valley.
History
Kärdla was first mentioned in 1564 as a village inhabited by Swedes. Its growth was greatly influenced by the cloth factory founded in 1830. A port was built in 1849. Both the port and the factory were destroyed in World War II.
Kärdla officially became a borough in 1920, and a town in 1938. In 2013 the town was merged with Kõrgessaare Parish to establish Hiiumaa Parish, therefore Kärdla lost its municipality status.
Demographics
::data[format=table title="Ethnic composition 1922-2021"]
| Ethnicity | 1922 | 1934 | 1941 | 1959 | 1970 | 1979 | 1989 | 2000 | 2011 | 2021 | amount | % | amount | % | amount | % | amount | % | amount | % | amount | % | amount | % | amount | % | amount | % | amount | % | Total | 1580 | 100 | 1454 | 100 | 1190 | 100 | 2688 | 100 | 6998 | 100 | 3426 | 100 | 4139 | 100 | 3773 | 100 | 3050 | 100 | 3046 | 100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estonians | 1503 | 95.1 | 1390 | 95.6 | 1172 | 98.5 | 2156 | 80.2 | 6766 | 96.7 | 3167 | 92.4 | 3866 | 93.4 | 3684 | 97.6 | 2994 | 98.2 | 2988 | 98.1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Russians | 10 | 0.63 | 27 | 1.86 | 13 | 1.09 | - | - | 172 | 2.46 | 187 | 5.46 | 184 | 4.45 | 53 | 1.40 | 27 | 0.89 | 24 | 0.79 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ukrainians | - | - | 1 | 0.07 | - | - | - | - | 25 | 0.36 | 27 | 0.79 | 30 | 0.72 | 7 | 0.19 | 6 | 0.20 | 6 | 0.20 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Belarusians | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 11 | 0.16 | 14 | 0.41 | 16 | 0.39 | 5 | 0.13 | 6 | 0.20 | 3 | 0.10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Finns | - | - | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 0.08 | - | - | 6 | 0.09 | 2 | 0.06 | 3 | 0.07 | 4 | 0.11 | 4 | 0.13 | 7 | 0.23 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jews | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | - | - | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Latvians | - | - | 1 | 0.07 | 1 | 0.08 | - | - | 3 | 0.04 | 11 | 0.32 | 5 | 0.12 | 5 | 0.13 | 5 | 0.16 | 4 | 0.13 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Germans | 29 | 1.84 | 24 | 1.65 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0.03 | 4 | 0.10 | 2 | 0.05 | 2 | 0.07 | 0 | 0.00 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tatars | - | - | 0 | 0.00 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 5 | 0.15 | 5 | 0.12 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Poles | - | - | 1 | 0.07 | 0 | 0.00 | - | - | - | - | 2 | 0.06 | 3 | 0.07 | 2 | 0.05 | 1 | 0.03 | 0 | 0.00 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lithuanians | - | - | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | - | - | 2 | 0.03 | 0 | 0.00 | 2 | 0.05 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| unknown | 1 | 0.06 | 1 | 0.07 | 1 | 0.08 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 7 | 0.19 | 1 | 0.03 | 6 | 0.20 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| other | 37 | 2.34 | 9 | 0.62 | 2 | 0.17 | 532 | 19.8 | 13 | 0.19 | 10 | 0.29 | 21 | 0.51 | 4 | 0.11 | 4 | 0.13 | 8 | 0.26 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| :: |
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Kärdla_sadam_2013.jpg" caption="Kärdla harbor"] ::
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/Kärdla_lennujaam.JPG" caption="[[Kärdla Airport"] ::
Transport
Road transport from Estonian mainland to Hiiumaa involves a 90-minute (28 km) ferry crossing from Rohuküla to Heltermaa, which is 25 km by road from Kärdla. There are up to 10 ferry departures a day operated by TS Laevad. In the summer weekends, getting car space on the ferry usually requires advance booking. There are about 2 scheduled buses a day between Tallinn (the capital of Estonia) and Kärdla.
There are no scheduled passenger boats directly to Kärdla.
Kärdla is served by Kärdla Airport, with regular flights to Tallinn.
Kärdla town itself is small enough to get around on foot. Bicycle rental is available, and there is a good bicycle path built from Kärdla towards Kõrgessaare.
Events
June's first weekend annual Hiiumaa Children's festival takes place.
In the first week of August, the coffee-loving people of Kärdla expect visitors to Kärdla Cafés' Day celebrated just for one day in their own gardens, serving coffee and home-made pastry.
Notable people
- Hillar Eller (1939–2010), politician
- Heiki Nabi (born 1985), Olympic wrestler
- Eveli Saue (born 1984), biathlete and orienteer
- Erkki-Sven Tüür (born 1959), composer
International relations
Twin towns – Sister cities
The former municipality of Kärdla (until 2013) was twinned with:
- GRE - Georgioupoli, Greece
Gallery
File:Hiiumaa Kärdla Püha Ristija Johannese kirik 01 1863 2021.04.13MF.jpg|St. John the Baptist Lutheran Church File:23565 Kärdla tuletõrjemaja.jpg|Kärdla fire station File:Kärdla rannakivi, Kärdla, ostrov Hiiumaa, Estonsko 04.jpg|Kärdla beach stone File:Hiiumaa politseijaoskond 2015.jpg|Hiiumaa police station in Kärdla File:Kardla bussijaam.jpg|Kärdla bus station
References
References
- "Population by sex, age group and place of residence after the 2017 administrative reform, 1 January". Statistics Estonia.
- "Osavallakogu - Hiiumaa vald".
- (1924). "1922 a. üldrahvalugemise andmed. Vihk VII-a. Lääne maakond (tabelid)". Riigi Statistika Keskbüroo.
- (1935). "Rahvastiku koostis ja korteriolud. 1.III 1934 rahvaloenduse andmed. Vihk II". Riigi Statistika Keskbüroo.
- (1942). "Eesti Statistika : kuukiri 1942-03/04". Riigi Statistika Keskbüroo.
- Katus, Kalev. (2002). "Rahvastiku ühtlusarvutatud sündmus- ja loendusstatistika: Hiiumaa, Läänemaa 1965-1990". Eesti Kõrgkoolidevaheline Demouuringute Keskus.
- (1972). "Население районов, городов и поселков городского типа Эстонской ССР : по данным Всесоюзной переписи населения на 15 января 1970 года". Eesti NSV Statistika Keskvalitsus.
- (1990). "Eesti Vabariigi maakondade, linnade ja alevite rahvastik. 1. osa, Rahvaarv rahvuse, perekonnaseisu, hariduse ja elatusallikate järgi : 1989. a. rahvaloenduse andmed". Eesti Vabariigi Riiklik Statistikaamet.
- "RL222: RAHVASTIK ELUKOHA JA RAHVUSE JÄRGI".
- "RL0429: RAHVASTIK RAHVUSE, SOO, VANUSERÜHMA JA ELUKOHA JÄRGI, 31. DETSEMBER 2011".
- "RL21429: Rahvastik Rahvuse, Soo, Vanuserühma Ja ELukoha (Haldusüksus) Järgi, 31. DETSEMBER 2021".
- [https://www.praamid.ee/wp/?lang=en Praamid.ee.] Ferry schedules and booking.
- "Bus schedules and booking". T pilet.
- [https://www.kohvikutepäev.ee Hiiumaa kohvikutepäevad]
- "Twinnings". Central Union of Municipalities & Communities of Greece.
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