What is the capital of Finland?
Helsinki spreads over a peninsula and across some 315 islands on the Gulf of Finland, on the Baltic Sea.
Helsinki is the capital and seat of government of Finland, a role it has held since 1812. Finland itself has an estimated population of 5,646,436 (2025).
Helsinki is also the largest city in Finland, which is the usual arrangement, though it is far from universal: see the countries where capital and largest city differ.
Helsinki at a glance
| City population | 694,000 (2025) |
|---|---|
| Metropolitan area | 1,600,000 (2025 estimate) |
| Country | 🇫🇮 Finland |
| Founded | 1550 |
| Capital since | 1812 |
| Largest city in Finland | Helsinki |
| Time zone | UTC+02:00 (EET) |
| Currency | Euro (EUR) |
About Helsinki
Helsinki was founded in 1550 by King Gustav I of Sweden.
Helsinki has been the capital of Finland since 1812, Helsinki became the capital of Finland in 1812, when the Russian emperor moved it from Turku.
Turku was Finland's capital until the seat of government moved to Helsinki in 1812.
Helsinki is Finland's largest city and one of the northernmost capital cities in the world.
Its long Baltic coastline is broken up by hundreds of islands.
City facts sourced from Wikipedia: Helsinki.
Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Finland?
Is Helsinki the largest city in Finland?
What is the population of Helsinki?
Where is Helsinki located?
When did Helsinki become the capital of Finland?
What was the capital of Finland before Helsinki?
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What currency is used in Helsinki?
Capitals of neighbouring countries
See the full profile of Finland on its country page, or browse every capital city.
Capital and country data from open datasets; city and metropolitan populations are hand-curated per city and cited where they are shown. Populations of countries come from the World Bank (SP.POP.TOTL). Full sources and vintage on the data page. Last updated . Report a correction.