Lempäälä
Lempäälä | |
|---|---|
Municipality | |
| Lempäälän kunta Lempäälä kommun | |
Aerial view of Lempäälä | |
|
Coat of arms | |
Location of Lempäälä in Finland | |
| Coordinates: 61°19′N 023°45′E / 61.317°N 23.750°E | |
| Country | Finland |
| Region | Pirkanmaa |
| Sub-region | Tampere |
| Metropolitan area | Tampere |
| Charter | 1866 |
| Government | |
| • Municipality manager | Heidi Rämö |
| Area (2018-01-01) | |
• Total | 307.06 km2 (118.56 sq mi) |
| • Land | 269.58 km2 (104.09 sq mi) |
| • Water | 37.51 km2 (14.48 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 241st largest in Finland |
| Population (2025-06-30) | |
• Total | 25,036 |
| • Rank | 41st largest in Finland |
| • Density | 92.87/km2 (240.5/sq mi) |
| Population by native language | |
| • Finnish | 96.5% (official) |
| • Swedish | 0.3% |
| • Others | 3.2% |
| Population by age | |
| • 0 to 14 | 22.3% |
| • 15 to 64 | 60.8% |
| • 65 or older | 16.9% |
| Time zone | UTC+02:00 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+03:00 (EEST) |
| Website | www |
Lempäälä (Finnish: [ˈlempæːlæ]) is a municipality in Finland, located in the Pirkanmaa region. It lies south of the regional capital, Tampere. The population of Lempäälä is approximately 25,000, while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 425,000. It is the 41st most populous municipality in Finland.
The municipality covers an area of 307.06 square kilometres (118.56 sq mi) of which 37.51 km2 (14.48 sq mi) is water. The population density is 92.87 inhabitants per square kilometre (240.5/sq mi).
The centre of Lempäälä lies on an isthmus between Lakes Vanajavesi and Pyhäjärvi, which are connected by the Kuokkalankoski Rapids and the Lempäälä Canal, which was built in the 1870s and is still in use. There is a geographical feature in Lempäälä known as Herralanvuolle, which is shaped like a male genital organ, and this has attracted attention and discussion.
The first written reference to the parish of Lempäälä dates from 1430. The oldest building in the town is a medieval church named after Saint Birgitta, built in 1504. The only surviving item from the Middle Ages in the church is a wooden crucifix carved from birch.
Finnish writer Yrjö Kokko lived in Lempäälä and is buried in the cemetery.
Ideapark, the second largest shopping centre in the Nordic countries, is located in Lempäälä along the Helsinki-Tampere motorway (E12).