Kittilä
title: "Kittilä" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["kittilä", "mining-towns-in-finland", "populated-places-established-in-1854", "1854-establishments-in-finland", "municipalities-of-lapland-(finland)"] topic_path: "general/kittila" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kittilä" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Kittilä |
| official_name | Kittilän kunta |
| Kommunen Kittilä | |
| other_name | Gihttel |
| Kittâl | |
| Kihttel | |
| settlement_type | Municipality |
| image_skyline | Kätkätunturi fell 3 2015.jpg |
| image_caption | View from the top of Kätkätunturi |
| image_shield | Kittilä.vaakuna.svg |
| shield_size | 120x80px |
| image_map | Kittilä sijainti Suomi.svg |
| map_caption | Location of Kittilä in Finland |
| mapframe | yes |
| mapframe-zoom | 12 |
| mapframe-point | none |
| coordinates | |
| subdivision_type | Country |
| subdivision_name | Finland |
| subdivision_type1 | Region |
| subdivision_name1 | Lapland |
| subdivision_type2 | Sub-region |
| subdivision_name2 | Fell Lapland |
| leader_title | Municipality manager |
| leader_name | Antti Jämsén |
| established_title | Charter |
| established_date | 1854 |
| 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 | |
| population_blank1_title | Village |
| population_blank1 | 2229 |
| 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 | |
| :: |
| name = Kittilä | official_name = Kittilän kunta Kommunen Kittilä | other_name = Gihttel Kittâl Kihttel | settlement_type = Municipality | image_skyline = Kätkätunturi fell 3 2015.jpg | image_caption = View from the top of Kätkätunturi | image_shield = Kittilä.vaakuna.svg | shield_size = 120x80px | image_map = Kittilä sijainti Suomi.svg | map_caption = Location of Kittilä in Finland | mapframe = yes | mapframe-zoom = 12 | mapframe-point = none | coordinates = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Finland | subdivision_type1 = Region | subdivision_name1 = Lapland | subdivision_type2 = Sub-region | subdivision_name2 = Fell Lapland | leader_title = Municipality manager | leader_name = Antti Jämsén | established_title = Charter | established_date = 1854 | 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 = | population_blank1_title = Village | population_blank1 = 2229 | 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 = Kittilä (; , , ) is a municipality of Finland and a popular holiday resort. It is located in northern Finland north of the Arctic Circle within the Lapland region. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of {{Data Finland municipality/total area|Kittilä}} km2 of which {{Data Finland municipality/waters area|Kittilä}} km2 is water. The population density is PD/km2.
Kittilä is famous for being the location of the lowest recorded temperature in Finnish history: -51.5 °C, measured in January 1999 in Pokka. The "midnight sun" is above the horizon from 29 May to 16 July, and the period with continuous daylight lasts a bit longer, polar night from 14 December to 29 December.
The wolverine in the municipal coat of arms refers to the nature of Lapland. The coat of arms was designed by Einari Junttila, and was approved by the Kittilä municipal council at its meeting on 1 July 1963. The Ministry of the Interior confirmed the coat of arms for use on 26 November of the same year.
Climate
Kittilä has a subarctic climate (Dfc) as a result of its northerly location and being far inland, which renders strong seasonal shifts. The sun does not set between 30 May and 15 July (47 days), and white nights lasts from early May to early August. The period that the sun does not rise lasts from 14 December to 29 December (16 days), the exact boundaries depending on local Topography. Although winter temperatures are cold they are still less severe than in similar locations elsewhere in the world due to some Gulf Stream influence. In summer temperatures generally are moderate, although warm days are possible. On 28 January 1999, Pokka, Kittilä recorded the official lowest temperature in Finland, -51.5 °C (-60.7 °F). On the same day, a temperature of -56.5 °C (-69.7 °F) was recorded in Pokka, Kittilä. However, this temperature is not considered an official record due to being recorded at a decommissioned weather station.
| width = auto | location = Kittilä Pokka (1991-2020 normals, extremes 1971 - present) | metric first = yes | single line = yes | collapsed = yes | Jan record high C = 5.1 | Feb record high C = 6.5 | Mar record high C = 9.5 | Apr record high C = 15.0 | May record high C = 28.5 | Jun record high C = 30.2 | Jul record high C = 31.8 | Aug record high C = 30.9 | Sep record high C = 22.0 | Oct record high C = 12.6 | Nov record high C = 8.5 | Dec record high C = 6.0 | Jan avg record high C = 0.3 | Feb avg record high C = 0.9 | Mar avg record high C = 4.5 | Apr avg record high C = 10.0 | May avg record high C = 19.6 | Jun avg record high C = 24.6 | Jul avg record high C = 26.0 | Aug avg record high C = 23.7 | Sep avg record high C = 17.3 | Oct avg record high C = 8.9 | Nov avg record high C = 2.4 | Dec avg record high C = 1.5 | year avg record high C = 27.2 | Jan high C = -8.8 | Feb high C = -8.3 | Mar high C = -2.9 | Apr high C = 2.8 | May high C = 9.0 | Jun high C = 15.6 | Jul high C = 19.0 | Aug high C = 16.1 | Sep high C = 10.1 | Oct high C = 1.8 | Nov high C = -3.8 | Dec high C = -6.7 | Jan mean C = -12.9 | Feb mean C = -12.4 | Mar mean C = -7.8 | Apr mean C = -1.7 | May mean C = 4.3 | Jun mean C = 10.4 | Jul mean C = 13.5 | Aug mean C = 11.1 | Sep mean C = 5.8 | Oct mean C = -1.2 | Nov mean C = -7.0 | Dec mean C = -10.4 | Jan low C = -18.0 | Feb low C = -17.7 | Mar low C = -13.7 | Apr low C = -7.2 | May low C = -0.5 | Jun low C = 5.5 | Jul low C = 8.4 | Aug low C = 6.1 | Sep low C = 1.9 | Oct low C = -4.3 | Nov low C = -10.8 | Dec low C = -15.3 | Jan avg record low C = -35.6 | Feb avg record low C = -34.3 | Mar avg record low C = -30.2 | Apr avg record low C = -22.1 | May avg record low C = -8.7 | Jun avg record low C = -1.2 | Jul avg record low C = 1.5 | Aug avg record low C = -2.4 | Sep avg record low C = -6.4 | Oct avg record low C = -17.7 | Nov avg record low C = -25.5 | Dec avg record low C = -31.3 | year avg record low C = -38.1 | Jan record low C = -51.5 | Feb record low C = -43.0 | Mar record low C = -42.8 | Apr record low C = -33.2 | May record low C = -21.4 | Jun record low C = -4.5 | Jul record low C = -2.3 | Aug record low C = -10.1 | Sep record low C = -13.9 | Oct record low C = -28.6 | Nov record low C = -38.0 | Dec record low C = -42.0 | precipitation colour = green | Jan precipitation mm = 30 | Feb precipitation mm = 25 | Mar precipitation mm = 25 | Apr precipitation mm = 25 | May precipitation mm = 31 | Jun precipitation mm = 48 | Jul precipitation mm = 62 | Aug precipitation mm = 63 | Sep precipitation mm = 52 | Oct precipitation mm = 46 | Nov precipitation mm = 39 | Dec precipitation mm = 31 | Jan precipitation days = 7 | Feb precipitation days = 8 | Mar precipitation days = 7 | Apr precipitation days = 6 | May precipitation days = 8 | Jun precipitation days = 9 | Jul precipitation days = 10 | Aug precipitation days = 9 | Sep precipitation days = 8 | Oct precipitation days = 8 | Nov precipitation days = 9 | Dec precipitation days = 9 | daily = Y | Jan humidity = 86 | Feb humidity = 85 | Mar humidity = 81 | Apr humidity = 76 | May humidity = 68 | Jun humidity = 66 | Jul humidity = 71 | Aug humidity = 76 | Sep humidity = 83 | Oct humidity = 90 | Nov humidity = 90 | Dec humidity = 86 | year humidity = 80 | Jan snow cm = 19 | Feb snow cm = 19 | Mar snow cm = 19 | Apr snow cm = 12 | May snow cm = 7 | Sep snow cm = 1 | Oct snow cm = 8 | Nov snow cm = 20 | Dec snow cm = 26 | year snow cm = 131 | source 1 = www.ilmatieteenlaitos.fi kilotavu.com | source 2 = weather-atlas.com | source =
Economy
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/de/Levi_North_Ski_Slope_and_Lift.jpg" caption="Ski Resort Levi"] ::
In the 1980s and 1990s, Kittilä had a tourism boom. The village of Lainio became a hotbed for tourism innovation and included the planned construction of glass-roofed cabins for viewing of the aurora and luxury accommodations built around Neitokainen, a Finland-shaped lake. The Iriadamant eco-cult made a deal with a tourism company to act as an attraction in exchange for land and provisions.
The ski resort Levi is situated in the village of Sirkka, Kittilä on Levi Fell (in Finnish "Levitunturi") (elevation 531 metres (1742 feet)). The resort hosts a slalom event early each season on the Alpine World Cup circuit and offers both downhill and cross-country skiing to the public, as well as snow shoeing, including to the next nearest fell, Kätkätunturi, located west of Levitunturi. Kätkätunturi is 504.6 m high and 7 km long.
On 5 June 2006, it was announced that a Canadian mining corporation Agnico-Eagle Mines will start a new gold mine in Kittilä. Once completed, it will be the biggest gold mine in Europe. Experts say that the deposits hold at least three million ounces of gold, by current market price worth 1.8 billion U.S. dollars. The mine is expected to produce an average of 150,000 ounces of gold annually for at least 13 years.
Transportation
Kittilä Airport is served by Finnair and Norwegian Air. TUI Airways also serves the airport from various UK bases as part of their programme of ski flights, as well as Christmas specials and flights in support of the When You Wish Upon A Star children's foundation. The Lufthansa group also has flights between Germany and Kittilä. airBaltic has irregular flights from Latvia.
Notable residents
- Kalervo Palsa, artist
- Arto Paasilinna, novelist, born in Kittilä
- Reidar Särestöniemi, artist
References
References
- (1982). "Suomen kunnallisvaakunat". Suomen Kunnallisliitto.
- (2020-08-27). "Tieva-Baari on keidas erämaassa {{!}} Työskentely Lapissa".
- "Lämpötilatilastot - Kittilä".
- "Kittilä climate: Record highs and lows 1971 - present - kilotavu.com".
- "Kittilä monthly average snowfall - weather-atlas.com".
- (13 May 2022). ""Indians" in Lapland: The Iriadamant Community, Monocultural Ethos and the Materialities and Geographies of Marginality in Recent Past Finland". Journal of Contemporary Archaeology.
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