View source for Vantaa

{{short description|City in Uusimaa, Finland}}
{{About|the municipality in [[Finland]]|the river in southern Finland|Vantaa (river)}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Vantaa
| official_name      = {{lang|fi|Vantaan kaupunki}}<br />{{lang|sv|Vanda stad}}<br />{{lang|en|City of Vantaa}}
| native_name        = {{lang|sv|Vanda}}
| settlement_type    = City
| image_skyline      = File:VantaaMontage1(jpg).jpg
| imagesize          = 270px
| image_caption      = Clockwise from top-left: Kielotorni in [[Tikkurila]], [[Helsinki Airport]], [[Sotunki]], [[Flamingo, Finland|Flamingo]] and [[Jumbo Shopping Centre|Jumbo]] shopping centers, the [[Church of St. Lawrence, Vantaa|Church of St. Lawrence]], Ostari shopping center in [[Martinlaakso]], and the Vaarala Church.
| image_shield       = Vantaa.vaakuna.svg
| shield_size        = 120x80px
| image_map          = Vantaa sijainti Suomi.svg
| map_caption        = Location of Vantaa in Finland
| coordinates        = {{coord|60|17|40|N|025|02|25|E|type:city_region:FI-18|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = {{flag|Finland}}
| subdivision_type1  = [[Regions of Finland|Region]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[File:Uusimaa.vaakuna.svg|15px|link=Uusimaa]] [[Uusimaa]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[Sub-regions of Finland|Sub-region]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Helsinki sub-region]]
| subdivision_type3  = Metropolitan area
| subdivision_name3  = [[Helsinki metropolitan area]]
| seat               = [[Tikkurila]]
| parts_type         = Major hubs
| parts              = [[Aviapolis]], [[Hakunila]], [[Kivistö]], [[Koivukylä]], [[Korso]], [[Myyrmäki]]
| leader_title       = [[Mayor]]
| leader_name        = [[Pekka Timonen]]<ref name="vantaa.fi">{{cite web|url=https://www.vantaa.fi/fi/kaupunki-ja-paatoksenteko/organisaatio/johtoryhma-ja-sidonnaisuudet|title=City of Vantaa – City management (in Finnish only)|website=Vantaa.fi|date=2025|access-date=11 March 2025}}</ref>
| leader_title1      = [[Deputy mayor]]s
| leader_name1       = Riikka Åstrand, Katri Kalske, Tero Anttila<ref name="vantaa.fi"/>
| leader_title2      = Sector directors
| leader_name2       = Tiina Harju-Kukkula, Matti Ruusula, Tommo Koivusalo, Mari Kalmari, Leena Rusanen<ref name="vantaa.fi"/>
| established_title  = [[Charter]]
| established_date   = 1351
| established_title2 = [[Köping]]
| established_date2  = 1972
| established_title3 = City
| established_date3  = 1974
| area_footnotes     = {{Data Finland municipality|area_footnotes|Vantaa}}
| area_total_km2     = {{Data Finland municipality|area_total_km2|Vantaa}}
| area_land_km2      = {{Data Finland municipality|area_land_km2|Vantaa}}
| area_water_km2     = {{Data Finland municipality|area_water_km2|Vantaa}}
| area_rank          = {{Data Finland municipality|area_rank|Vantaa}}
| population_as_of   = {{Data Finland municipality|population_as_of|Vantaa}}
| population_footnotes = {{Data Finland municipality|population_footnotes|Vantaa}}
| population_total   = {{Data Finland municipality|population_total|Vantaa}}
| population_density_km2 = {{Data Finland municipality|population_density_km2|Vantaa}}
| population_rank    = {{Data Finland municipality|population_rank|Vantaa}}
| demographics_type1 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics_type1|Vantaa}}
| demographics1_footnotes = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_footnotes|Vantaa}}
| demographics1_title1 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_title1|Vantaa}}
| demographics1_info1 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_info1|Vantaa}}
| demographics1_title2 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_title2|Vantaa}}
| demographics1_info2 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_info2|Vantaa}} (official)
| demographics1_title3 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_title3|Vantaa}}
| demographics1_info3 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_info3|Vantaa}}
| demographics1_title4 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_title4|Vantaa}}
| demographics1_info4 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_info4|Vantaa}}
| demographics_type2 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics_type2|Vantaa}}
| demographics2_footnotes = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics2_footnotes|Vantaa}}
| demographics2_title1 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics2_title1|Vantaa}}
| demographics2_info1 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics2_info1|Vantaa}}
| demographics2_title2 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics2_title2|Vantaa}}
| demographics2_info2 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics2_info2|Vantaa}}
| demographics2_title3 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics2_title3|Vantaa}}
| demographics2_info3 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics2_info3|Vantaa}}
| blank_name         = {{Data Finland municipality|blank_name|Vantaa}}
| blank_info         = {{Data Finland municipality|blank_info|Vantaa}}
| blank2_name        = [[Unemployment]] rate
| blank2_info        = 7.8%
| blank3_name        = [[Köppen climate classification|Climate]]
| blank3_info        = [[Humid continental climate#Mild/cool summer subtype|Dfb]]
| timezone           = [[Eastern European Time|EET]]
| utc_offset         = +02:00
| timezone_DST       = [[Eastern European Summer Time|EEST]]
| utc_offset_DST     = +03:00
| website            = {{URL|https://www.vantaa.fi/en}}
}}

'''Vantaa''' ({{IPA|fi|ˈʋɑntɑː}}; {{langx|sv|Vanda}}, {{IPA|sv-FI|ˈvɑnːdɑ|lang}}) is a [[city]] in [[Finland]]. It is located to the north of the capital, [[Helsinki]], in southern [[Uusimaa]]. The population of Vantaa is approximately {{formatnum:{{#expr:{{Data Finland municipality/population count|Vantaa}}round -3}}}}. It is the {{ordinal|{{Data Finland municipality/population count sequence|Vantaa}}}} most populous [[Municipalities of Finland|municipality]] in Finland. Vantaa is part of the [[Helsinki Metropolitan Area]], which has approximately {{formatnum: {{#expr: ({{Data Finland municipality/population count|Helsinki}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Espoo}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Vantaa}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Mäntsälä}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Pornainen}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Kauniainen}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Kirkkonummi}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Vihti}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Nurmijärvi}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Hyvinkää}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Tuusula}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Kerava}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Järvenpää}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Sipoo}}) /1000000 round 1 }}}}&nbsp;million inhabitants.

The administrative centre of Vantaa is located in the [[Tikkurila]] [[Districts of Vantaa|district]]. Vantaa lies in Southern Finland and shares borders with [[Helsinki]], the Finnish capital, to the south, [[Espoo]] to the southwest, [[Nurmijärvi]] to the northwest, [[Kerava]] and [[Tuusula]] to the north, and [[Sipoo]] to the east. The city covers a total area of {{convert|{{#expr: {{Data Finland municipality/total area|Vantaa}}}}|km2}}, of which {{convert|{{#expr: {{Data Finland municipality/waters area|Vantaa}}}}|km2|abbr=on}} is water.<ref name="total_area" />

Vantaa's significant attractions include the [[Vantaa River]] (''Vantaanjoki''), which runs through the city before flowing into the [[Gulf of Finland]]. The [[Helsinki Airport]], situated in Vantaa, serves as the largest airport in Finland and the primary airline hub for the Helsinki metropolitan area. Companies headquartered in Vantaa comprise [[Finnair]], [[Finavia]], [[R-kioski]], [[Tikkurila Oyj]], [[Veikkaus]], and [[Metsähallitus]]. Additionally, Vantaa is home to [[Heureka]], a [[Science museum#Science center|science center]].

Vantaa is a [[bilingual]] municipality with [[Finnish language|Finnish]] and [[Swedish language|Swedish]] as its official languages. The population consists of {{Formatnum: {{pct|{{Data Finland municipality/native language Finnish|Vantaa}}|{{Data Finland municipality/native language total|Vantaa}}|0}}}} Finnish speakers, {{Formatnum: {{pct|{{Data Finland municipality/native language Swedish|Vantaa}}|{{Data Finland municipality/native language total|Vantaa}}|0}}}} Swedish speakers (the lowest percentage out of any bilingual municipality in Finland), and {{Formatnum: {{pct|{{Data Finland municipality/native language other|Vantaa}}|{{Data Finland municipality/native language total|Vantaa}}|0}}}} speakers of other languages, which is well above the national average. According to the 2025 disturbance index used by the [[Police of Finland|Finnish Police]], Vantaa is currently the most dangerous city in Finland,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://yle.fi/a/74-20137196|title=Vantaa on Suomen turvattomin kaupunki, kertoi poliisi – näin asukkaat reagoivat: "Maailma on mennyt oudoksi"|trans-title=Vantaa is the most unsafe city in Finland, the police said – this is how the residents reacted: "The world has become strange"|first1=Otso|last1=Karhu|first2=Vesa|last2=Marttinen|work=[[Yle]]|date=15 January 2025|access-date=7 February 2025|language=fi}}</ref> and [[Myyrmäki]] its most dangerous district.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.iltalehti.fi/kotimaa/a/d30720e0-ab8f-41cb-a77a-a14db0c21572|title=Paha paikka|trans-title=A Bad Place|first=Anniina|last=Nikander|work=[[Iltalehti]]|date=5 February 2025|access-date=7 February 2025|language=fi|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

==History==
Vantaa has a rich history that dates back to the [[Stone Age]].<ref name="haggrén"/>{{rp|48, 62, 72}} The area was inhabited by [[Tavastians]] and [[Finns proper]] until the so-called [[Second Swedish Crusade|second crusade to Finland]] and [[Swedish colonisation of Finland|Swedish colonisation]] of the area.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Ruotsin itämaa|last=Tarkiainen|first=Kari|publisher=Svenska litteratursällskapet i Finland|year=2010|isbn=978-951-583-212-2|location=Helsinki|pages=122}}</ref>

===Ancient history===
Remains of an ancient rectangular dwelling dating to 6700 to 6500 BCE have been discovered in Brunaberg in Vantaa. At the time, the dwelling was located at the seashore near the mouth of the [[Keravanjoki]] river. The dwelling had been used for decades, apparently mostly in wintertime.<ref name="haggrén">{{Cite book|title=Muinaisuutemme jäljet|last=Georg Haggrén, Petri Halinen, Mika Lavento, Sami Raninen ja Anna Wessman|publisher=Gaudeamus|year=2015|isbn=978-952-495-363-4|location=Helsinki|pages=48, 62, 72}}.</ref>{{rp|48}} A graveyard-like dwelling dating to the [[Mesolithic]] has been discovered in Jönsas, which was located at the mouth of a seaside bay at the time.<ref name="haggrén"/>{{rp|48}} In the Stone Age, people in Vantaa sought their food mostly from the sea. Seals were an important quarry, but remains of [[harbour porpoise]]s have also been found at the numerous [[Neolithic]] dwelling sites at [[Jokiniemi]].<ref name="haggrén"/>{{rp|62}} Remains of permanent dwellings found from Stenkulla in [[Hakkila, Vantaa|Hakkila]] date from the same period.<ref name="haggrén"/>{{rp|78}}

There are considerably many findings from the [[Comb Ceramic culture]] in Vantaa.<ref>Pesonen, Petro: [https://web.archive.org/web/20160305021340/http://www.helsinki.fi/hum/arla/keram/maar_fot_t1.html Vantaa Maarinkunnas (KM 30460), tyypillistä kampakeramiikkaa], [[University of Helsinki]] 15 April 1999. Accessed on 9 September 2020.</ref> Many ancient clay figures representing humans have been found in Jokiniemi in Vantaa. They have been estimated to be of various ages from 5300 to 5500 years old.<ref>Andersson, Kukka: [https://www.hs.fi/kaupunki/vantaa/art-2000006567875.html Mies löysi oudon savimöykyn Vantaalta vuonna 1989 – Nyt selvisi, että se on 5 500 vuotta vanha patsas], ''[[Helsingin Sanomat]]'' 10 July 2020. Accessed on 9 September 2020.</ref><ref>Kettunen, Noora: [https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-7394470 Vantaan Jokiniemen kaivauksilta löytyi harvinainen savifiguuri], [[YLE]] 5 August 2014. Accessed on 9 September 2020.</ref><ref>Degerman, Risto: [https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-7478887 Vantaan muinaisjäänteet tutkitaan erikoiskameralla Oulussa], [[YLE]] 19 September 2014. Accessed on 9 September 2020.</ref> During the typical Comb Ceramic time, large amounts of [[flint]] were brought to Finland from the south and southeast, which was made into blades and points, as well as amber. The Comb Ceramic era humans also knew how to use bows and arrows as weapons.

[[Iron Age]] history in Vantaa is not very well known,<ref>[http://www.vantaansanomat.fi/artikkeli/382161-vantaalla-aloitetaan-aarteenetsinta Vantaalla aloitetaan aarteenetsintä], ''Vantaan Sanomat''. Accessed on 23 August 2017.</ref> but the entire [[Uusimaa]] area was still a sparsely populated backland of Tavastia at the end of the Iron Age.<ref>[http://arabianranta.fi/vanhakaupunki/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=61:esihistoriallinen-aika&catid=37:historia&showall=1 Vanhankaupungin historia], ''arabianranta.fi''. Accessed on 23 August 2017.</ref> The most researched Iron Age dwelling in Vantaa is located at the same site as the earlier Stone Age dwellings of Jönsas and Palmu. Remains of Morby ceramics have been discovered at these sites, and iron slag has also been discovered in Jönsas. Remains of fireplaces dating to the Iron Age have also been researched in Jönsas.<ref name="leskinen">Leskinen, Sirpa; Pesonen, Petro: ''Vantaan esihistoria'', city of Vantaa 2008. {{ISBN|978-952-443-255-9}}.</ref>{{rp|232}} Remains of dwellings dating to the 10th century have been discovered in Gubbacka in [[Länsisalmi]]<ref name="haggrén"/>{{rp|469}} as well as remains of smithies from the 12th and 13th centuries.<ref name="haggrén"/>{{rp|508}}

Information about ancient villages located in the Vantaa area can be found from concentration of soil visible in [[palynology|palynological analysis]] as well as retroactive reasoning based on nomenclature and historical documents. According to historian [[Saulo Kepsu]], Finnish population has spread from Tavastia to the Helsinki and Vantaa area in the 11th to 14th centuries, possibly even earlier. The Tavastians had fishing places and other pleasure grounds in the area.<ref name="leskinen"/>{{rp|243–247}}

===Swedish rule===
[[File:Pyhän Laurin kirkko.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Church of St. Lawrence, Vantaa|Church of St. Lawrence]] is the oldest building in the Helsinki capital region.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927170750/http://www.vantaanseurakunnat.fi/kirkot/plaurin_kirkko Pyhän Laurin kirkko], congregations of Vantaa 13 January 2006. Accessed on 9 September 2020.</ref> The church is located in the district of [[Helsingin pitäjän kirkonkylä]], which still remains one of the most Swedish-speaking areas of Vantaa.]]
[[File:Vanhankaupunginkoski2.jpg|thumb|right|Vanhankaupunginkoski.]]
Prior to the name ''Vantaa'' being taken into use in 1974, the area was known as ''Helsingin pitäjä'' ({{langx|sv|Helsinge}}; "[[Socken]] of Helsinki"). The rapids of river Vantaa were known as ''Helsingfors'', from which the current Swedish name of Helsinki derives. Early settlement in Vantaa was centered around the river, in [[Helsingin pitäjän kirkonkylä]] ("Helsinki Parish Village"), and from it the city's current [[coat of arms]] derived its imagery.

The [[Swedish colonisation of Finland|Swedish colonisation]] in Vantaa started in connection with the colonisation in the rest of [[Uusimaa]] in the late 13th century after the [[Second Swedish Crusade]]. The Swedes called the area ''[[Uusimaa|Ny land]]'' ("new land").<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080512081641/http://veta.yle.fi/svenskfinland/artikel.php?id=23&subject=mellannyland Nordsjö], [[YLE]]. Accessed on 25 April 2009.</ref> There was permanent settlement in the area of the branching point of the rivers in the 14th century.

The history of ''Helsingin pitäjä'' stretches at least to the 14th century. For a long time it was thought that the earliest record of the area was as ''Helsinge'' in 1351 when king [[Magnus IV of Sweden]] granted [[salmon]] fishing rights on the river ''Helsingaa'' (now known as the [[Vantaa (river)|river Vantaa]]) to the [[Estonia]]n [[Padise Abbey]]. However, according to current knowledge, the first mention of Vantaa was in a document given by king Magnus IV in [[Västerås]] on 14 September 1331, describing episcopal tithes, requiring a pound of butter for the bishop from every citizen of age 7 years or older.<ref>"Vantaa onkin kymmenen vuotta vanhempi", HS Metro 13 September 2018, p. 17.</ref>

Since the 14th century, the road between [[Turku]] and [[Vyborg]], [[King's Road (Finland)|King's Road]], has run through Vantaa. The road brought significant attention to the city, and its location on the salmon rich river led to a permanent population.

The river ''Helsingaa'' soon gave its name to the entire area, and also inspired the coat of arms of Vantaa. The Helsinki [[socken]] was born from the 1370s to the 1390s, and the [[Church of St. Lawrence, Vantaa|Church of St. Lawrence]] was built there in 1460. The church was located in a transport hub near the rivers of Vantaa and Kerava. Many roads also ran through the clerical centre: the King's Road from Turku to Vyborg and the Häme road to the [[Häme Castle]] and to the coast in the south. The first vicar in ''Helsingin pitäjä'' was mentioned in 1395. ''Helsingin pitäjä'' is seen as have established itself as a clerical and administrative parish in the 15th century, and the first mention of a church dedicated to [[Saint Lawrence]] in the area is from 1401. A local ''frälse'' family donated a land worth one ''skattmark'' from [[Rekola, Vantaa|Rekola]] to the church of St. Lawrence. The name ''Helsinge'' was first mentioned in 1428. In the same year, fishing rights in the area were moved over to the [[Archdiocese of Turku]], which helped the construction of a stone church to replace the old wooden one.

Justice in ''Helsingin pitäjä'' was the responsibility of its own district court. It is known that the parish had its own district court in the 16th century. The court could be held by deputies hired by high-ranking judges, so-called lawreaders. The use of lawreaders was common from the late 16th century to the 1680s.<ref name="kuisma">Kuisma, Markku: ''Kuisma, Markku: Helsingin pitäjän historia II. Vanhan Helsingin synnystä isoonvihaan 1150-1713'', city of Vantaa 1990. {{ISBN|951-8959-05-6}}.</ref>{{rp|43, 325, 336–337}}

Because of its poor location, [[Porvoo]] could not compete with the [[Hanseatic League|Hanseatic]] merchants in [[Tallinn]], so in 1550 king [[Gustav I of Sweden|Gustav Vasa]] decided to found the city of [[Helsinki]] at the site of ''Helsingin pitäjä'' at the mouth of the Helsingaa river. ''Helsingin pitäjä'' had already developed into a significant centre of marine trade in Uusimaa in the 1530s. However, the [[Vanhakaupunki]] area in Helsinki never became the city centre Gustav Vasa wanted during his lifetime.

In 1570, the 25-year Russian war also affected life in ''Helsingin pitäjä''. Increased stress, additional military tax and enemy attacks had their toll on the population and often led to farmsteads being deserted. In 1577 there were 51 farmsteads burned and raided by the enemy.<ref name="kuisma"/>{{rp|53, 83}} Serving food to and accommodating the military departments was the responsibility of police chief Olof Mårtensson, who lived at the Malmi horsestead. The largest department served by the police chief consisted of 40 horsemen from the Uppland unit in January 1576. As well as the Malmi horsestead, ''Helsingin pitäjä'' was also home to the horsesteads of Pukinmäki, Herttoniemi, Haltiala, Kirkonkylä, Meilby, Kulosaari and Heickby.<ref name="kuisma"/>{{rp|43, 325, 336–337}}

After the [[Treaty of Stolbovo]], the Diet of Helsinki granted the rights of a staple town to Helsinki for foreign trade in 1617. The wars against [[Poland]] and [[Germany]] in the 1620s led to many large manors for the nobility being built in ''Helsingin pitäjä'' to support the [[cavalry]], including [[Westerkulla]] and [[Hakunila]]. In autumn 1640, it was decided to move Helsinki from the Vanhakaupunki area to its current location at [[Vironniemi]]. The village of [[Töölö]] was annexed from ''Helsingin pitäjä'' to Helsinki proper in 1644, and in 1652 the parish congregation lost its independent status, and in order to support the economy of the Helsinki congregation, the entire church parish of Helsinki was annexed to the city congregation of Helsinki.<ref name="historiaa">[https://web.archive.org/web/20110806223849/http://www.vantaa.fi/i_perusdokumentti.asp?path=1;12743;1871 Vantaan historiaa], city of Vantaa. Accessed on 9 September 2020.</ref>

The [[Great Famine of 1695–1697]] also had its toll on ''Helsingin pitäjä''. Successive years of crop loss caused famine and mortality was high. As well as the peasants, the famine also affected servants of the crown, both the noble and the common estates, and the bourgeoisie.<ref name="kuisma"/>{{rp|349–353}}

During the [[Great Wrath]] Russian troops invaded ''Helsingin pitäjä'' in 1713. Some of the inhabitants fled to the mother country of Sweden or into nearby forests, some fought back against the invaders. As the invasion grew long, circumstances slowly settled and the [[Treaty of Nystad]] was made in autumn 1721. A second, shorter invasion, known as the [[Lesser Wrath]], happened from 1742 to 1743.

Circumstances in ''Helsingin pitäjä'' started improving in the 1720s, as it became one of the most important centres of early industry in Finland. Water-powered sawmills were built in the area, forming a significant concentration of export industry at the time. This export was directed both to central Europe and also far way to the [[Mediterranean Sea]] in the late 18th century. A significant export target for ''Helsingin pitäjä'' was located just near its coast: the construction of the [[Suomenlinna|Sveaborg]] fortress, started in 1748, required large amounts of workforce and agricultural and industrial products such as foodstuffs, wood, [[brick]] and [[calcium oxide|lime]].

''Helsingin pitäjä'' was a Swedish-speaking area. From the middle 18th century to the early 19th century, only about a tenth of the population of the parish spoke Finnish.<ref name="kuisma"/>{{rp|106–109, 396–397}}

===Grand Duchy of Finland under Russian rule===
[[File:Tikkurila railway station.jpg|thumb|right|The old station building of [[Tikkurila]]]]
[[File:Helsinge kyrkby.jpg|thumb|right|The historical parish of ''Helsingin Pitäjä'' in the late 1800s]]
[[Ore]] deposits in ''Helsingin pitäjä'' had been discovered in the 1700s, but weren't utilized until Finland transferred to Russian control in the early 1800s. Ore extraction and processing lead to rapid industrialization in the area, with communities forming around locations like [[Tikkurila]] and [[Kerava]]. The industrial community in Tikkurila included an [[expeller pressing]] plant, which currently operates in the area as the paint manufacturer [[Tikkurila (corporation)|Tikkurila Oyj]].

The capital of autonomous Finland was moved from Turku to Helsinki in the early 1800s and ''Helsingin pitäjä'' fell behind the growing population development of Helsinki proper. ''Helsingin pitäjä'' gained municipality rights in 1865 because of the first municipal law enacted in Finland, after which it was named ''Helsingin maalaiskunta/Helsinge kommun'' ("Rural Municipality of Helsinki"). In 1805 ''Helsingin pitäjä'' had 4840 inhabitants, Sveaborg had 4606 and Helsinki had 4337. After six decades ''Helsingin pitäjä'' had about 7000 inhabitants while Helsinki already had 23,000.<ref name="historiaa"/>

The parish assembly meeting in 1823 established the general order, which specified crimes and punishments they resulted in. One of the reasons the general order was made was the increase of rootless vagabonds in the society. The parish assembly meeting and participation of citizens in keeping up the order was needed, because the state officials failed to keep the poor-mannered part of the people under control. Crimes not resulting in a court session were handled in the parish assembly meeting by announcement from the [[lensmann|fief holder]].<ref name="kuisma"/>{{rp|106–109, 396–397}}

Interest towards a people's education increased in the early 19th century, when basic education still mostly depended on home tuition. By a suggestion from vicar Erik Crohns, a school was founded in Kirkonkylä in 1825 and a school master was hired.<ref name="litzén">Litzén, Aulikki; Vuori, Jukka: ''Helsingin maalaiskunnan historia 1865-1945''. City of Vantaa 1997. {{ISBN|951-8959-77-3}}.</ref>{{rp|19}}

The year 1865 is considered a significant year in the history of Vantaa, as municipal rule in Finland was established in that year and ''Helsingin pitäjä'' became ''Helsingin maalaiskunta'', the rural municipality of Helsinki. This also led to the congregation regaining its position as an independent vicar area. The railway centre of [[Malmi, Helsinki|Malmi]] became the administrative centre of the rural municipality.

In 1862, the railway between Helsinki and [[Hämeenlinna]] was constructed, and one of its seven stations was built in Tikkurila, on its intersection with King's Road. The Swedish architect Carl Albert Edelfelt designed a [[Renaissance Revival architecture|Renaissance Revival]] styled station building, which is the oldest extant station building in Finland and (as of 1978) has been adapted into the Vantaa City Museum. The old station building in Tikkurila is the only [[brick]] station building in Finland preserved in its original state. The building was designed by the provincial architect of the [[Häme Province]], [[Carl Albert Edelfelt]] (1818-1869).<ref name="historiaa"/> The railway brought industry and induced population growth.

The [[Finnish famine of 1866–1868]] decreased the population of Vantaa by 1300 people, and population growth was very slow for a whole decade. Only in the late 1870s Vantaa regained its population from 1865.<ref name="litzén"/>{{rp|25}} The elementary school in Kirkonkylä was founded on 15 September 1869, four years later than originally planned. There were two teachers, one for boys and one for girls.<ref name="litzén"/>{{rp|125}}

Four important roads passed through ''Helsingin pitäjä'' in the late 19th century: Hämeentie, the [[King's Road (Finland)|King's Road]], Nurmijärventie and Porvoontie. To the north of Kirkonkylä, Hämeentie leading north crossed the King's Road. The King's Road connected [[Turku]] with [[Vyborg]] and [[Saint Petersburg]]. The King's Road, leading northwest, started from Helsinki as an extension of Läntinen Viertotie (now known as [[Mannerheimintie]]). Porvoontie connected Hämeentie and the King's Road separating from Hämeentie between Viikki and Malminkylä and connecting to the King's Road in eastern [[Hakkila, Vantaa|Hakkila]].<ref name="litzén"/>{{rp|13–15}}

The largest industrial facility in ''Helsingin maalaiskunta'' in the late 19th century was the Arabia porcelain factory. Its production value was greater than that of all the other factories in the municipality put together. The factory was active in the village of Koskela, to the north of Helsinki, and was named after the villa Arabia previously located at the site of the factory.<ref name="litzén"/>{{rp|111}}

The growing city of Helsinki needed large amounts of building materials, brought from Uusimaa and Tavastia. Brick factories in ''Helsingin maalaiskunta'' were located in [[Tikkurila]], [[Lauttasaari]] and [[Kulosaari]].<ref name="litzén"/>{{rp|108}}

A brewery founded by J. K. Kröckell was active in [[Pitäjänmäki]], producing several styles of beer, sparkling wine, lemon-flavoured mead and a type of alcohol-free juice called Sorbus. The brewery horses carried malt products both to Helsinki and to the nearby railway station, continuing all the way to [[Tampere]]. The Pitäjänmäki brewery remained in action until 1914.<ref name="litzén"/>{{rp|108}}

In 1899, an edict about tightly populated communities came into force in Finland. During the next couple of decades, almost twenty tightly populated communities were founded in the area of ''Helsingin maalaiskunta''. Of these, [[Huopalahti]] separated into its own municipality in 1920, [[Oulunkylä]] in 1921 and [[Kulosaari]] in 1922. With the exception of Tikkurila, all these communities were discontinued in early 1946 as they were annexed to the city of Helsinki. The tightly populated community of Tikkurila was discontinued together with the rest of the tightly populated communities in Finland in early 1956.

===20th century to today===
[[File:Asematie Tikkurila 1957.jpg|thumb|right|Tikkurila along the Asematie street in 1957.]]
[[File:KehaIII vantaa2.jpg|thumb|right|A view of the [[Ring III]] beltway near the conncection to Kirkonkylä at the intersection to [[Finnish national road 45]], the largest intersection in Finland.]]
Electricity started replacing steam as an industrial power source in ''Helsingin maalaiskunta'' before [[World War I]]. The power station ''Oy Malmin Sähkölaitos Ab'' was founded in 1910, and another power station was founded in Oulunkylä in the following year. Malmin sähkölaitos, which had reached a central position, bought a lot from [[Tapanila]] for its new power plant. Construction of the power plant and distribution grid, led by [[Gottfried Strömberg]], was finished by the end of the year 1910.<ref name="litzén"/>{{rp|113–114}}

The [[Helsinki-Malmi Airport]] was built at [[Tattarinsuo]] in the Malmi area of ''Helsingin maalaiskunta'' in 1936. The soil in the area was very watery and converting it to an airfield was difficult. The airport was taken into use in December 1936. Before this, air traffic in Helsinki had been served by the [[Santahamina Airport]] in [[Santahamina]], which was also part of ''Helsingin maalaiskunta'' at the time.

During the great annexation of 1946 the municipalities of [[Huopalahti]], [[Oulunkylä]] and [[Kulosaari]] as well as about a third of the area of ''Helsingin maalaiskunta'' were annexed to the city of Helsinki. The rural municipality lost two thirds of its population, including [[Malmi, Helsinki|Malmi]] and [[Pitäjänmäki]]. In 1954 some of the areas of [[Korso]] in [[Tuusula]] and [[Kerava]] were annexed to the rural municipality of Helsinki, as well as a small part of Tuusula in 1959. [[Vuosaari]] was annexed to Helsinki in 1966.

The population development of ''Helsingin maalaiskunta'' grew rapidly after [[World War II]]. [[Tikkurila]] became the new municipal centre in the 1950s. New residential areas consisting mainly of detached houses developed among the main roads and new suburban centres developed along the railways running through the area, such as [[Rekola, Vantaa|Rekola]], [[Korso]] and [[Koivukylä]].

In 1952, the new [[Helsinki Airport|international airport]] of Helsinki opened in ''Helsingin maalaiskunta'' for the [[1952 Summer Olympics]], leading to the rural municipality becoming an important transport hub. The new airport split the municipality in half and brought large amounts of traffic and industry to its surroundings. The airport has become a significant part of the cityscape of Vantaa, and even today Vantaa is known abroad as an aviation city.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100611172749/http://www.sovereign-publications.com/vantaa.htm Vantaa – Logistics Excellence with Business Park Approach], city of Vantaa. Accessed on 9 September 2020.</ref>

Because of [[World War II]], many new urban areas had been born in Vantaa already in the 1940s, populated mainly by [[evacuation of Finnish Karelia|evacuees from Finnish Karelia]] and [[veteran|frontline soldiers]], as well as Helsinkians seeking a less densely populated area to live in. The first apartment building groups were built in Tikkurila, [[Satomäki]] and [[Vaarala]] in the 1950s, after which [[rural flight]] sped up construction of apartment buildings. In the record year 1970, the population of Vantaa grew by ten thousand people.

The [[Keimola Motor Stadium]] was built in 1966 along Finnish National Road 3, opposite the residential area of [[Kivistö]], and remained in operation until 1978. Construction of the new [[Keimolanmäki]] residential area in place of the former race track started in the 2010s.

In the early 20th century, the majority of the population of ''Helsingin maalaiskunta'' was Swedish-speaking. Afterwards, the rapid increase in the population has brought much more primarily Finnish-speaking population to the city, and today only 3.1 percent of the population in Vantaa are Swedish-speaking.

The roads in Finland were widened in the 1960s and 1970s, and the [[Ring III]] beltway was built to connect five national roads with each other. [[Myyrmäki]] became a second centre in the area after the construction of the Martinlaakso railway, which also sped up development in southwestern Vantaa. New residential suburbs were born along the main railway in the 1960s to 1980s, sped up by rural flight. Areas left outside the main traffic connections, such as [[Seutula]] in the west and [[Sotunki]] in the east, were left mainly unbuilt and rural-oriented.

In 1972, the municipality was renamed ''Vantaa'' ({{langx|sv|Vanda}}) and promoted to a kauppala ([[market town]]) (i.e. ''Vantaan kauppala/Vanda köping''). In 1974, the town got full city rights as ''Vantaan kaupunki/Vanda stad'' or "City of Vantaa".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vantaa.fi/fi/tietoa_vantaasta/vantaan_historiaa|title=Vantaan kaupunki – Vantaan historiaa |website=Vantaa.fi |access-date=16 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150217013048/http://www.vantaa.fi/fi/tietoa_vantaasta/vantaan_historiaa|archive-date=2015-02-17|url-status=dead}}</ref> The name "Vantaa" comes from the river Vantaa running through the city, along which settlement in the Vantaa area was originally centred. The 650th anniversary of Vantaa was celebrated in 2001.<ref name="historiaa"/>

The city grew rapidly starting from 1960s and a railway line was built to the western side of the city in 1970s.

Since the days of the rural municipality, Vantaa has rapidly developed to its current form because of [[rural flight]] and good traffic connections. Like the neighbouring city of [[Espoo]], Vantaa has many suburban [[commuter town]]s and lacks a specific city centre. The [[Helsinki Airport]], the busiest airport in Finland by far, is located in central Vantaa.

In 2015, an extension to the existing railway line, the [[Ring Rail Line]] opened, providing service to the airport and new residential and working districts. Along the ring road, new residential were constructed. The largest of these developments is the Kivistö suburb followed by the residential districts of Leinelä and Aviapolis. The Ring Rail Line connects the Vantaankoski railway to the [[Finnish Main Line]] via the [[Helsinki Airport]] at [[Hiekkaharju]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150721224725if_/http://portal.liikennevirasto.fi/sivu/www/f/hankkeet/kaynnissa/keharata/ajankohtaista/tiedotteet/viimeinenvuosikayntiin#.Va7MBHXnjeM Kehäradalla käynnistyy viimeinen rakennusvuosi], Finnish Traffic Administration, 13 June 2014. Accessed 7 December 2014.</ref>

The annual [[Beer floating]] summer event started in Vantaa in 1997. On 11 October 2002, an [[Myyrmanni bombing|explosion]] took place in the [[Myyrmanni]] shopping centre in Myyrmäki. Negotiations to resolve the [[Insurgency in Aceh|Aceh conflict]], led by former [[President of Finland]] [[Martti Ahtisaari]], were held in the [[Köningstedt Manor]] in Vantaa in early 2005.

To connect the municipality on the west–east, a new tramway is planned to open in 2030.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vantaa.fi/ratikka|title=Vantaan ratikka}}</ref> This tramway will run from the Helsinki-Vantaa airport through districts of Pakkala, Aviapolis and Koivuhaka to the administrative centre of Tikkurila and further onward to Hakkila and Länsimäki in the east. The tram will also provide a link to the Helsinki metro at Mellunmäki station. This tramline will be the first tram in Vantaa.

===History and etymology of nomenclature===
[[Swedish colonisation of Finland|Colonists]] arriving from [[Sweden]] in the 14th century settled in the area what is now Vantaa and named the river in the area as ''Helsingå'' or ''Helsingaa''. The etymology of this name is not known for sure, but according to an old tradition it probably comes from colonists who originally arrived at the [[Hälsingland]] area in Sweden.<ref name="granlund">Granlund, Åke: [http://www.hel.fi/static/tieke/digitoidut_asiakirjat/helsingin_kadunnimien_historia/pdf/Helsingin_kadunnimet_1.pdf Keskiaikaisia nimiä Helsingissä], nomenclature bureau of the city of Helsinki, 1970, pp. 13-15, 28-29. {{ISBN|951-771-220-0}}.</ref>

The same river has also been known as the river Vantaa (''Vanda å'' in [[Swedish language|Swedish]]). Unlike the name ''Helsingaa'', the name Vantaa comes from the Finnish-speaking Tavastian inhabitants upstream of the river. There is a village named Vantaa near the source of the river, at the area which now belongs to the city of [[Riihimäki]]. According to a theory, the name comes from the [[Finnish language|Finnish]] words ''vanan taka'', where ''vana'' means a riverbed and so Vantaa (possibly originally spelled "Vanantaa") means a place behind a riverbed.<ref name="granlund"/> Only later did the name also came to use also downstream and replace the old name ''Helsingaa''.<ref name="granlund"/>

The [[Vanhankaupunginkoski]] rapids at the mouth of the river Vantaa were originally known as ''Helsinge fors'' ("Helsinki rapids"), which also gave the name ''[[Helsinki|Helsingfors]]'' to the city founded along the rapids.

The Vantaa blast furnace founded at the shore of the [[Vantaankoski]] rapids in 1837 gave the name "Vantaa" to its entire environment.<ref>Aho, Kaija: [https://www.hs.fi/kaupunki/art-2000003815702.html Vana tai Vanantaka Vantaan nimen taustalla], ''[[Helsingin Sanomat]]'' 25 July 1999. Accessed on 21 December 2017.</ref>

By the new municipal law in 1865 the Finnish name of the municipality became ''Helsingin maalaiskunta'' ("the rural municipality of Helsinki"), when the concept of [[socken]]s in Finland was discontinued. The Swedish name remained as ''Helsinge'', in contrast to ''Helsingfors'', the Swedish name for Helsinki proper. When ''Helsingin maalaiskunta'' became a market town in 1972, proposed new names included ''Helsingin kauppala'', ''Helsinginjoen kauppala'' and ''Vantaanjoen kauppala''. The accepted name was ''Vantaan kauppala'' after the river Vantaa. Two years later Vantaa received city rights.

==Geography==
[[File:Vantaa-kartta-2.png|thumb|right|The districts and major regions of Vantaa]]

===Location===
Vantaa is located in southern Finland, in the [[Regions of Finland|region]] of [[Uusimaa]] and the [[Helsinki sub-region]]. It is separated from the [[Gulf of Finland]] by Helsinki. Prior to the abolition of [[Provinces of Finland|Finnish provinces]] in 2009, Vantaa was a part of the [[Southern Finland Province]].

The city borders [[Helsinki]], the Finnish capital, which is to the south and southwest. Other neighbouring municipalities are [[Espoo]] to the west; [[Nurmijärvi]], [[Kerava]], and [[Tuusula]] to the north; and [[Sipoo]] to the east. Vantaa is a part of the Finnish Capital Region, which is the inner core of the [[Helsinki capital region]].

===Subdivision===
{{Main|Districts of Vantaa}}
Vantaa is divided into seven major regions ({{langx|fi|suuralueet}}, {{langx|sv|storområden}}): [[Tikkurila]] ''(Dickursby)'', [[Hakunila]] ''(Håkansböle)'', [[Koivukylä]] ''(Björkby)'', [[Korso]], [[Aviapolis]], [[Myyrmäki]] ''(Myrbacka)'', and [[Kivistö]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vantaa.fi/en/safety/major_regions|title=City of Vantaa – The Major Regions of Vantaa|website=Vantaa.fi|date=14 April 2011|access-date=16 February 2015|archive-date=17 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150217014130/http://www.vantaa.fi/en/safety/major_regions|url-status=dead}}</ref> These major regions are then divided into a total of 60 city [[districts]], the most populated of which are [[Myyrmäki]], [[Martinlaakso]], [[Hakunila]], and [[Pakkala]].

===Features===
[[File:Vantaankoski2.jpg|thumb|right|Rapids of [[river Vantaa]]]]
[[File:Kuusijärvi lake in Vantaa.jpg|thumb|right|[[Kuusijärvi]] is a popular recreational area in summertime.]]
Vantaa consists mostly of lowlands cut up by [[river]]s. According to a survey done by the [[National Land Survey of Finland]] on 1 January 2022, Vantaa encompasses {{convert|{{#expr: {{Data Finland municipality/total area|Vantaa}}}}|km2}}, of which {{convert|{{#expr: {{Data Finland municipality/waters area|Vantaa}}}}|km2|abbr=on}} is water.<ref name="total_area" /> The city is mostly [[suburb]]an and [[urban area]] with some rural landscape, notably in the districts of [[Sotunki]] and [[Seutula]]. Average population density is {{convert|{{#expr: {{Data Finland municipality/population density|Vantaa}} round 2}}|PD/km2|abbr=on}}, which rises above {{convert|5000|PD/km2}} in concentrated urban districts like Myyrmäki and Tikkurila.

The [[river Vantaa]] runs through western Vantaa, and its [[tributary]] [[Keravanjoki]] runs through eastern Vantaa. In 1966, the rural municipality of Helsinki (now known as Vantaa) lost the district of [[Vuosaari]] to Helsinki proper, cutting it almost completely off from the sea.<ref>Kallaluoto, Timo: [https://web.archive.org/web/20210508045753/https://www.vantaa.fi/instancedata/prime_product_julkaisu/vantaa/embeds/vantaawwwstructure/134489_kaupsu_veromiehen_nimistotutkimus_05062017.pdf Kaupunginosa 52: Veromiehen nimistötutkimus], city of Vantaa 5 June 2017. Accessed on 12 March 2021.</ref> Up to 2008, Vantaa still reached the seashore at its southeastern corner at the [[Porvarinlahti]] bay, until the "[[Länsimäki|Västerkulla]] wedge" with its seashore was annexed into Helsinki together with part of [[Sipoo]] in 2009.<ref>Jutila, Henri: [https://www.uudenmaanliitto.fi/files/17098/Uudenmaan_alue-_ja_yhdyskuntarakennekartasto_E154-2015.pdf Uudenmaan liiton julkaisuja E 154: Uudenmaan alue- ja yhdyskuntarakennekartasto] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220407132521/https://www.uudenmaanliitto.fi/files/17098/Uudenmaan_alue-_ja_yhdyskuntarakennekartasto_E154-2015.pdf |date=2022-04-07 }}, Regional Council of Uusimaa 2015. Accessed on 12 March 2021.</ref><ref>"[https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-5755525 Vantaa luovuttaa kaistaleen Helsingin ja Sipoon väliin]", [[YLE]], 12 December 2006, updated on 30 October 2008. Accessed on 12 March 2021.</ref> Thus Vantaa formally became the second largest inland city in the [[Nordic countries]] after [[Tampere]].{{citation needed|date=September 2022}}

For its area, Vantaa has relatively few lakes. The city encompasses two natural lakes: ''Kuusijärvi'' in [[Kuninkaanmäki]] and  ''Lammaslampi'' [[Pähkinärinne]], [[Hämeenkylä]]. In addition to these, there is an [[artificial lake]], ''Silvolan tekojärvi''. Vantaa shares two lakes with [[Espoo]]: ''Odilampi'' and ''Pitkäjärvi''. Of the lakes in the [[Sipoonkorpi National Park]], [[Bisajärvi]] and most of [[Gumböle träsk]] are located in Vantaa. Ponds formed in sand pits include [[Vetokannas]], renovated into a swimming beach and the Vaaralanlammet ponds in [[Vaarala]].<ref name="kartta">[http://kartta.vantaa.fi/ kartta.vantaa.fi], city of Vantaa. Accessed on 28 May 2016.</ref>

The easternmost districts of Vantaa, [[Rajakylä]] and [[Länsimäki]], are located right next to the border to Helsinki and are connected to the Helsinki districts of [[Vesala]] and [[Mellunmäki]]. Part of the turnstile of the [[Mellunmäki metro station]] is located in Vantaa.<ref>[https://www.hel.fi/hkl/fi/metrolla/metroasemat/mellunmaki Mellunmäki], city of Helsinki. Accessed on 2 December 2020.</ref>

Vantaa exhibits frequent exposed [[granite]] [[bedrock]] ground, which is common in Finland. Resulting from erosion in the [[last glacial period]] (about 10,000 years ago), elevated surfaces often lack soil ([[superficial deposits]]), revealing bare stone unsuitable for most plant life. Other geological impacts of the last Ice Age include a series of [[esker]]s running through central Vantaa, which is one of the best sources of [[groundwater]] in the city. After the glacial period, most of the area of the current city of Vantaa was underwater except for the highest hills. As the land rose, bays stretching far inland were left behind, along with the river Vantaa, which changed its discharge from [[Mätäoja]] to Keravanjoki about two millennia ago. The bays flushed against the hills leaving shore formations still visibile today. They also formed flat deposits of clay at the bottom, which now form valleys especially along the rivers.{{citation needed|date=September 2022}}

===Flora===
[[File:Tammisto la3.jpg|thumb|[[Tammisto]] forest nature reserve]]
Vantaa belongs to the [[taiga]] zone and its flora represents the southern parts of the zone. Vantaa is located at the border between the southern boreal zone characteristic of inland southern Finland and the hemiboreal subzone characteristic of southwestern Finland.

The hemiboreal subzone is a transition subzone between coniferous and deciduous forests, and deciduous trees growing naturally in the subzone include [[oak]]s and [[elm]]s. The river valleys running through Vantaa have previously been full of lush groves, but today most of them are farmed land. However, at some places they are connected to lush [[temperate broadleaf and mixed forests|mixed forests]], transitioning into shadowy spruce forests at some places.

There are prominent [[Alnus glutinosa|alder]] meadows along the river Mätäoja, which are home to various rare insect and plant species. The most common type of forest in Vantaa is a blueberry conifer forest with spruce and birch trees, whereas dry forests are only located at bare cliff areas.

The second most common forest type in Vantaa is the more lush grove-like forest. Its undergrowth includes blueberry, [[wood sorrel]], [[Paris quadrifolia|herb Paris]] and [[lady fern]], as well as [[wood anemone]] at some places.

There are lush groves growing mosaically among the forests, containing common southern grove plants such as the [[Anemone hepatica|liverwort]]. The groves in Vantaa vary greatly, ranging from moist and shady spruce groves growing [[ostrich fern]] to dry groves growing liverwort and [[common hazel]] and hardwood groves. In springtime during the first weeks of May the wood anemone flowers very noticeably in almost all groves and grove-like forests, which is characteristic to the forest growth in southwestern and southern Finland.

There is a centuries-old oak forest in the district of [[Tammisto]], which is considered to be the only natural oak forest in the Finnish capital area. The forest has been protected under the nature preservation law in 1946.<ref>[https://vav.fi/asunnon-hakijalle/kaupunginosasivut/tammisto/ Tammisto] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220927001807/https://vav.fi/asunnon-hakijalle/kaupunginosasivut/tammisto/ |date=2022-09-27 }}, VAV. Accessed on 2 December 2020.</ref>

Although Vantaa is a very urbanised area, a great deal of its surface area still remains as rural fields or forest. The city of Vantaa contains 12.41 square kilometres of nature preserved area (about 5% of the surface area of the city).<ref name="taskussa">{{cite book|editor-last=Rönn|editor-first=Sirpa|title=Vantaa taskussa|url=http://www.vantaa.fi/instancedata/prime_product_julkaisu/vantaa/embeds/vantaawwwstructure/107504_Taskutilasto_2013_SU.pdf|year=2013|publisher=Vantaa|language=fi|isbn=978-952-443-429-4|access-date=2022-09-27|archive-date=2016-06-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624095103/http://www.vantaa.fi/instancedata/prime_product_julkaisu/vantaa/embeds/vantaawwwstructure/107504_Taskutilasto_2013_SU.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> The first nature preserve area in Vantaa was founded in 1946 in [[Tammisto]]. There are two especially protected species in the nature preserve areas in Vantaa, the beetle species ''[[Hylochares cruentatus]]'' and the orchid species ''[[Malaxis monophyllos]]''.<ref>[http://www.vantaa.fi/vapaa-aika/luonto_ja_ulkoilu/luonnonsuojelu/luonnonsuojelualueet Luonnonsuojelualueet], city of Vantaa.</ref>

===Climate===
[[File:At the eastern end of Matarinkoski, Vantaa, Finland, 2021 February - 2.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Matarinkoski]] rapids area in winter.]]
Vantaa has a [[humid continental climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: Dfb). The city has four distinct seasons, the amount of precipitation is relatively uniform throughout the year. The driest season is spring. Summers are generally relatively warm and winters are cold. Although the city does not have a coastline along the [[Baltic Sea]], it is close enough to experience the mitigating influence of the sea and the [[Gulf Stream]]. The record low temperature in Vantaa is {{convert|-35.9|C}} and the record high temperature is {{convert|34.0|C}}.
<div style=width:80%>
{{Weather box
| location = [[Helsinki Airport]] (Vantaa) 1991–2020 normals, records 1952–present
| collapsed = Yes
| metric first = Yes
| single line = Yes
| Jan record high C = 8.2
| Feb record high C = 10.0
| Mar record high C = 17.5
| Apr record high C = 24.0
| May record high C = 29.6
| Jun record high C = 31.7
| Jul record high C = 33.7
| Aug record high C = 31.5
| Sep record high C = 27.7
| Oct record high C = 18.2
| Nov record high C = 13.7
| Dec record high C = 10.8
| year record high C = 
| Jan high C = −1.8
| Feb high C = −2
| Mar high C = 2.2
| Apr high C = 9.1
| May high C = 16.0
| Jun high C = 20.1
| Jul high C = 23.0
| Aug high C = 21.2
| Sep high C = 15.7
| Oct high C = 8.6
| Nov high C = 3.4
| Dec high C = 0.4
| year high C = 9.7
| Jan mean C = −4.3
| Feb mean C = −4.9
| Mar mean C = −1.4
| Apr mean C = 4.5
| May mean C = 10.9
| Jun mean C = 15.3
| Jul mean C = 18.3
| Aug mean C = 16.6
| Sep mean C = 11.6
| Oct mean C = 5.8
| Nov mean C = 1.4
| Dec mean C = −1.9
| year mean C = 6.0
| Jan low C = -7.1
| Feb low C = -7.9
| Mar low C = −5
| Apr low C = 0.1
| May low C = 5.3
| Jun low C = 10.2
| Jul low C = 13.3
| Aug low C = 12.0
| Sep low C = 7.7
| Oct low C = 2.8
| Nov low C = −1
| Dec low C = −4.4
| year low C = 2.2
| Jan record low C = −35.9
| Feb record low C = −33.3
| Mar record low C = −27.2
| Apr record low C = −16.9
| May record low C = −5.6
| Jun record low C = −0.6
| Jul record low C = 3.7
| Aug record low C = 0.4
| Sep record low C = −7.3
| Oct record low C = −14.5
| Nov record low C = −20.8
| Dec record low C = −32.3
| year record low C = 
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm = 54
| Feb precipitation mm = 41
| Mar precipitation mm = 34
| Apr precipitation mm = 36
| May precipitation mm = 39
| Jun precipitation mm = 64
| Jul precipitation mm = 64
| Aug precipitation mm = 78
| Sep precipitation mm = 62
| Oct precipitation mm = 79
| Nov precipitation mm = 70
| Dec precipitation mm = 62
| year precipitation mm = 
| Jan rain days = 24
| Feb rain days = 21
| Mar rain days = 16
| Apr rain days = 12
| May rain days = 12
| Jun rain days = 14
| Jul rain days = 13
| Aug rain days = 15
| Sep rain days = 15
| Oct rain days = 18
| Nov rain days = 21
| Dec rain days = 24
| year rain days = 
| unit rain days = 0.1 mm
| Jan sun = 38
| Feb sun = 74
| Mar sun = 131
| Apr sun = 196
| May sun = 275
| Jun sun = 266
| Jul sun = 291
| Aug sun = 219
| Sep sun = 143
| Oct sun = 84
| Nov sun = 37
| Dec sun = 26
| year sun = 
| Jan percentsun = 17
| Feb percentsun = 28
| Mar percentsun = 38
| Apr percentsun = 43
| May percentsun = 54
| Jun percentsun = 52
| Jul percentsun = 52
| Aug percentsun = 48
| Sep percentsun = 39
| Oct percentsun = 30
| Nov percentsun = 17
| Dec percentsun = 15
| year percentsun = 
| Jan snow days = 26.4
| Feb snow days = 25.7
| Mar snow days = 25.2
| Apr snow days = 8.4
| May snow days = 0.4
| Jun snow days = 0.0
| Jul snow days = 0.0
| Aug snow days = 0.0
| Sep snow days = 0.1
| Oct snow days = 2.5
| Nov snow days = 13.6
| Dec snow days = 19.3
| year snow days = 121.6
| source 1 = FMI climatological normals for Finland 1991-2020<ref name="FMI"/> Weatheronline.co.uk<ref name="Weatheronline.co.uk">{{cite web|url=https://www.weatheronline.co.uk/weather/maps/city?FMM=1&FYY=1991&LMM=12&LYY=2020&WMO=02974&CONT=euro&REGION=0004&LAND=FI&ART=SNT&R=0&NOREGION=1&LEVEL=162&LANG=en&MOD=tab|title=Weatheronline.co.uk}}</ref>
| source 2 = record highs and lows<ref name="FMI open data">{{cite web |title=FMI open data |url=https://www.ilmatieteenlaitos.fi/ilmastollinen-vertailukausi |access-date=5 September 2025 |publisher=FMI}}</ref>
| date = October 2021
| source = 
| Jul avg record low C = 8.6
| Aug avg record low C = 6.1
| Jun avg record low C = 4.1
| Sep avg record low C = 0.4
| May avg record low C = -1.2
| Oct avg record low C = -5.6
| Apr avg record low C = -6.2
| Nov avg record low C = -10.0
| Mar avg record low C = -14.8
| Dec avg record low C = -15.7
| Jan avg record low C = -20.5
| Feb avg record low C = -19.9
| year avg record low C = -23.9
| Jan avg record high C = 4.3
| Feb avg record high C = 4.2
| Mar avg record high C = 9.3
| Apr avg record high C = 18.1
| May avg record high C = 24.9
| Jun avg record high C = 26.6
| Jul avg record high C = 28.7
| Aug avg record high C = 27.2
| Sep avg record high C = 21.6
| Oct avg record high C = 14.8
| Nov avg record high C = 9.1
| Dec avg record high C = 5.4
| year avg record high C = 29.7
}}
</div>

The coldest month of the year is in February, when the average temperature based on measurements from 1981 to 2010 was -5.8 degrees Celsius.<ref name="lämpötila">[https://ilmatieteenlaitos.fi/tilastoja-vuodesta-1961 Lämpötila- ja sadetilastoja vuodesta 1961: Vantaa, Helmikuu], [[Finnish Meteorological Institute]]. Accessed on 22 May 2019.</ref> After this, the temperatures rise rapidly. The average temperature in April for the same period is +4.0 degrees and the one in May is +10.5 degrees. The warmest month of the year is in July, when the average temperature is +17.7 degrees. The second warmest month is in August with an average temperature of +15.7 degrees and the third warmest is June with an average temperature of +14.7 degrees.<ref name="lämpötila"/> The average number of hot weather days in Vantaa is 17, of which over half occur in July on average. In sporadic years hot weather can extend to September. The summer thunderstorm period in Vantaa is very short and varying: it typically starts around [[Midsummer]]  and ends in middle August, peaking at the end of July.

The temperatures lower in autumn slower than they rise in spring. The average day temperature in November is +0.3 degrees and the one in December is -3.3 degrees.<ref name="lämpötila"/> In autumn and early winter low pressure storm fronts move eastwards from the [[Atlantic Ocean]] passing over Vantaa. Vantaa's location in [[Fennoscandia]] warmed by the [[Gulf Stream]] near the coast of the Gulf of Finland makes Vantaa a clearly more temperate area than the average based on its latitude. For example, the southern tip of [[Greenland]] is located south of Vantaa, as are the tundra areas of the [[Labrador Peninsula]]. The period when Vantaa is normally covered in snow is typically from late December to early April, after which the snow rapidly melts away.

Spring in Vantaa experiences significantly less rain than autumn. The average monthly rainfall in February through May is only about 30 to 40 millimetres. In summer the weather becomes rainier, and the average monthly rainfall in July through November is 60 to 80 millimetres. The rainfall varies greatly throughout the year: in the late months of the year there are monthly rainfalls of less than 20 millimetres, as well as over 200 millimetres. Respectively, the weather becomes drier in the early months of the year. The total average rainfall in Vantaa in a year is 682.9 millimetres.<ref name="lämpötila"/>

==Demographics==

=== Population ===

{{Historical populations
| title= Historical population
| percentages = pagr
|state = collapsed
 |1805|4840
 |1865|6974
 |1880|7819
 |1890|8865
 |1900|11110
 |1910|18321
 |1920|22368
 |1930|23558
 |1940|31511
 |1950|14976
 |1960|41907
 |1970|72215
|1972|97062
|1980|132050
|1990|154933
|2000|178471
|2010|200055
|2020|237231
 |footnote=Source: [[Statistics Finland]] (1972-2020)<ref name="Stat-finland-population-38,000-persons"/>
}}
The city of Vantaa has {{formatnum: {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Vantaa }}}} inhabitants, making it the {{ordinal|{{Data Finland municipality/population count sequence|Vantaa}}}} most populous municipality in Finland. The city of Vantaa is part of the [[Helsinki metropolitan area]], which is the largest urban area in Finland with {{formatnum: {{#expr: {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Helsinki}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Espoo}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Vantaa}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Mäntsälä}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Pornainen}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Kauniainen}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Kirkkonummi}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Vihti}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Nurmijärvi}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Hyvinkää}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Tuusula}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Kerava}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Järvenpää}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Sipoo}} }} }} inhabitants. The city of Vantaa is home to 4% of Finland's population. 29.2% of the population has a foreign background, which is three times higher than the national average.<ref name="statistics-finland-population-2024-final">{{cite web |url= https://stat.fi/en/publication/cm1jg8tr20lco07vwvoif9s6i |title= Number of foreign-language speakers exceeded 600,000 during 2024  |date= 2025-04-04 |series= Population structure |publisher= Statistics Finland |issn= 1797-5395  |access-date=2025-04-06 }}</ref>

In 2017, 69% of people aged 15 and over in Vantaa had completed higher education,<ref>[https://pxnet2.stat.fi/PXWebPXWeb/pxweb/fi/StatFin/StatFin__kou__vkour/statfin_vkour_pxt_001.px/ 15 vuotta täyttänyt väestö koulutusasteen, kunnan, sukupuolen ja ikäryhmän mukaan muuttujina Vuosi, Alue, Koulutusaste, Ikä ja Sukupuoli]{{Dead link|date=September 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Statistics Finland. Accessed on 7 May 2019.</ref> meaning that 31% of the population had completed primary education at most. 38% had completed upper secondary education. Of the population with tertiary education (31%), 9% had the lowest degree, 12% had a lower degree and 9% had a higher degree.

The average income in Vantaa is lower than elsewhere in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, but still higher than in the rest of Finland.<ref>[https://www.is.fi/taloussanomat/oma-raha/art-2000001526297.html Vantaalla tienataan 10 prosenttia muuta Suomea enemmän], ''[[Ilta-Sanomat]]'' 10 September 2007. Accessed on 2 December 2020.</ref> On the other hand, housing in Vantaa is on average cheaper than in Helsinki and Espoo. Income levels in Vantaa vary widely due to differences between suburbs and single-family areas. On average, women in Vantaa earn about 71% of men's income, which is slightly higher than the Finnish average (69%). Many families with children live in Vantaa, accounting for about 55% of all households. Women make up 50.2% of the population of Vantaa.

{{Bar chart
| title   = Population size 1980–2020<ref name="Stat-finland-population-38,000-persons">{{Cite web | url=https://stat.fi/en/publication/cl8lprraorrr20dut5a0tywm5 | title=Number of foreign-language speakers grew by nearly 38,000 persons | date=31 May 2023 | publisher=Statistics Finland | access-date=12 September 2023 | language=en }}</ref>
| label_type  = Year
| data_type   = Population
| bar_width = 47
| width_units = em
| label1  = 1980
| label2  = 1985
| label3  = 1990
| label4  = 1995
| label5  = 2000
| label6  = 2005
| label7  = 2010
| label8  = 2015
| label9  = 2020 
| data_max      = 245000
| data1  = 132050
| data2  = 143844
| data3  = 152263
| data4  = 166480
| data5  = 178471
| data6  = 187281
| data7  = 200055
| data8  = 211206
| data9  = 237231
}}

=== Languages ===
{{Pie chart
|thumb = right
|direction=row
|caption = Population by<br/>mother tongue (2024)<ref name="statistics-finland-population-2024-final"/>
|label1 = Finnish
|value1 = 69.1
|color1 = #002F6C
|label2 = Russian
|value2 = 4.3
|color2 = #D52B1E
|label3 = Estonian
|value3 = 3.4
|color3 = #0072CE
|label4 = Arabic
|value4 = 2.4
|color4 = #165D31
|label5 = Swedish
|value5 = 2.1
|color5 = #FFCD00
|label6 = Albanian
|value6 = 2.0
|color6 = #E41E20
|label7 = Somali
|value7 = 1.3
|color7 = #4189DD
|label8 = English
|value8 = 1.3
|color8 = #FFFFFF
|label9 = Other
|value9 = 14.1
|color9 = #C5C5C5
}}
The city of Vantaa is officially [[bilingual]], with both [[Finnish language|Finnish]] and [[Swedish language|Swedish]] as official languages. {{As of|2024}}, the majority of the population, {{Formatnum: {{pct|{{Data Finland municipality/native language Finnish|Vantaa}}|{{Data Finland municipality/native language total|Vantaa}}|1}}}}, spoke Finnish as their first language. There are {{formatnum: {{Data Finland municipality/native language Swedish|Vantaa }} }} [[Swedish-speaking population of Finland|Swedish speakers]] in Vantaa, or {{Formatnum: {{pct|{{Data Finland municipality/native language Swedish|Vantaa}}|{{Data Finland municipality/native language total|Vantaa}}|1}}}} of the population. This compares with {{Formatnum: {{pct|{{Data Finland municipality/native language Swedish|Helsinki}}|{{Data Finland municipality/native language total|Helsinki}}|1}}}} in Helsinki and {{Formatnum: {{pct|{{Data Finland municipality/native language Swedish|Espoo}}|{{Data Finland municipality/native language total|Espoo}}|1}}}} in Espoo.<ref name="statistics-finland-population-2024-final"/> The number of Swedish speakers in Vantaa has remained more or less constant over the decades, but the proportion of Swedish speakers in the city has declined steadily as a result of immigration. In 1960, about ten per cent of the population of Vantaa spoke Swedish. In 1980, the proportion was about five per cent. Since the beginning of the 20th century, Vantaa has been a predominantly Finnish-speaking municipality.

Vantaa remains officially bilingual, as the Finnish Language Act states that a municipality must be declared bilingual if the number of speakers of the official minority language (Finnish or Swedish) is at least 8% of the population or 3,000 people.<ref>[https://www.finlex.fi/fi/lainsaadanto/2003/423 Kielilaki] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080506120630/http://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/ajantasa/2003/20030423#L1P5 |date=2008-05-06 }}, Ministry of Justice in Finland 15 December 2014.</ref> In relation to the total population, the proportion of Swedish speakers in Vantaa is the lowest of all bilingual municipalities in Finland. Among Vantaa's districts, the proportion of Swedish speakers was highest in [[Helsingin pitäjän kirkonkylä]] (19.0%), [[Sotunki]] (16.6%) and [[Luhtaanmäki]] (11.5%) in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.aluesarjat.fi/ |title=Aluesarjat.fi - Taulukko: Vantaan väestö äidinkielen mukaan 1.1. |access-date=2022-09-29 |archive-date=2020-04-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421153224/http://www.aluesarjat.fi/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The number of people who speak [[Sámi languages|Sámi]], Finland's third official language, is only {{formatnum: {{Data Finland municipality/native language Sami|Vantaa }} }} inhabitants. In Vantaa, {{Formatnum: {{pct|{{Data Finland municipality/native language other|Vantaa}}|{{Data Finland municipality/native language total|Vantaa}}|1}}}} of the population speak a [[First language|mother tongue]] other than Finnish or Swedish.<ref name="statistics-finland-population-2024-final"/> As [[English language|English]] and [[Swedish language|Swedish]] are compulsory school subjects, functional bilingualism or trilingualism acquired through language studies is not uncommon.

There are at least 100 different languages spoken in Vantaa. The most common foreign languages are [[Russian language|Russian]] (4.3%), [[Estonian language|Estonian]] (3.4%), [[Arabic]] (2.4%), [[Albanian language|Albanian]] (2.0%), [[Somali language|Somali]] (1.3%) and [[English language|English]] (1.3%).<ref name="statistics-finland-population-2024-final"/>

=== Immigration ===
{|class="wikitable" style="float:right;" 
|colspan="3"|'''Population by country of birth (2024)'''<ref name="statistics-finland-population-2024-final"/>
|-\
! Nationality || Population || %
|-
|{{flag|Finland}} || 189,666 || 75.5
|-
|{{flag|Estonia}} || 8,437 || 3.4
|-
|{{flag|Soviet Union}} || 7,561 || 3.0
|-
|{{flag|Iraq}} || 3,619 || 1.4
|-
|{{flag|Yugoslavia}} || 2,236 || 0.9
|-
|{{flag|Russia}} || 1,951 || 0.8
|-
|{{flag|Vietnam}} || 1,880 || 0.7
|-
|{{flag|India}} || 1,824 || 0.7
|-
|{{flag|Somalia}} || 1,747 || 0.7
|-
|{{flag|Philippines}} || 1,615 || 0.6
|-
|{{flag|Afghanistan}} || 1,430 || 0.6
|-
|{{flag|Turkey}} || 1,414 || 0.6
|-
|{{flag|Ukraine}} || 1,406 || 0.6
|-
|Other || 26,483 || 10.5
|- 
|}
{{As of|2024}}, there were 73,487 people with a migrant background living in Vantaa, or 29% of the population.{{refn|Statistics Finland classifies a person as having a "foreign background" if both parents or the only known parent were born abroad.<ref name="statistics-finland-persons-with-foreign-background">{{cite web |access-date=18 September 2023 |title=Persons with foreign background |publisher=Statistics Finland |url=https://www.stat.fi/tup/maahanmuutto/maahanmuuttajat-vaestossa/ulkomaalaistaustaiset_en.html |archive-date=5 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210105084300/https://www.stat.fi/tup/maahanmuutto/maahanmuuttajat-vaestossa/ulkomaalaistaustaiset_en.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>|group=note}} There were 61,603 residents who were born abroad, or 25% of the population. The number of foreign citizens living in Vantaa was 42,366.<ref name="statistics-finland-population-2024-final"/>

Among the major Finnish cities, Vantaa has the highest proportion of immigrants – more than three times the national average. Moreover, the city's new residents are increasingly of foreign origin. This will increase the proportion of foreign residents in the coming years.

=== Religion ===

In 2023, the [[Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland|Evangelical Lutheran Church]] was the largest religious group with 47.0% of the population of Vantaa. Other religious groups accounted for 4.5% of the population. 48.6% of the population had no religious affiliation.<ref>[https://pxdata.stat.fi/PXWeb/pxweb/en/StatFin/StatFin__vaerak/statfin_vaerak_pxt_11ra.px Key figures on population by region, 1990-2023] Statistics Finland</ref> The [[Orthodox Church of Finland|Finnish Orthodox Church]] had 1.2% of the population. The proportion of members of the Lutheran Church has steadily decreased in the 21st century, while the proportion of people with no religious affiliation has steadily increased.<ref name="väestö2019">[https://www.vantaa.fi/instancedata/prime_product_julkaisu/vantaa/embeds/vantaawwwstructure/151877_Vantaan_vaesto_2019-2020.pdf Vantaan väestö 2019/2029] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200712132846/https://www.vantaa.fi/instancedata/prime_product_julkaisu/vantaa/embeds/vantaawwwstructure/151877_Vantaan_vaesto_2019-2020.pdf |date=2020-07-12 }}, city of Vantaa. Accessed on 24 September 2020.</ref>

==== Lutheran congregations ====
[[File:Vantaa - Metsola - Korson helluntaiseurakunta - m.jpg|thumb|right|The Korso Pentecostal congregation in March 2017.]]
According to the 2018 division of Vantaa, the following congregations of the [[Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland]] are located in Vantaa:
* Congregation of Hakunila
* Congregation of Hämeenkylä
* Congregation of Korso
* Congregation of Rekola
* Congregation of Tikkurila (formerly known as the Finnish-speaking congregation of Helsingin pitäjä)
* Congregation of Vantaankoski (formerly known as the congregation of Vantaa)
* Vanda svenska församling (formerly known as Helsinge svenska församling)

Together these congregations form the Union of congregations in Vantaa (Finnish: ''Vantaan seurakuntayhtymä'', Swedish: ''Vanda kyrkliga samfällighet'').

Since 2016 Vantaa has been home to the Lutheran congregation of the Holy Trinity belonging to the [[Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland]].<ref>[http://www.lhpk.fi/pyhan-kolminaisuuden-luterilainen-seurakunta-perustettiin-vantaalle/ Pyhän Kolminaisuuden luterilainen seurakunta perustettiin Vantaalle], Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland. Accessed on 8 June 2016.</ref>

==== Other congregations ====
Of the congregations of the [[Orthodox Church of Finland]], the Orthodox congregation of Helsinki is active in Vantaa.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://ort.fi/seurakunnat-hiippakunnat-ja-luostarit/seurakunnat/helsingin-ortodoksinen-seurakunta | title=Helsingin ortodoksinen seurakunta | access-date=2022-09-30 | archive-date=2023-06-06 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230606072107/https://ort.fi/seurakunnat-hiippakunnat-ja-luostarit/seurakunnat/helsingin-ortodoksinen-seurakunta | url-status=dead }}</ref> The Tikkurila Orthodox Church is located near the Tikkurila sports park in [[Viertola]]<ref name="kartta"/><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170222162232/http://www.hos.fi/www/fi/Kirkot_toiminta-alueet/Vantaa/Tikkurila.html Kristuksen taivaaseen astumisen kirkko], Orthodox congregation of Helsinki. Accessed on 28 May 2016.</ref>

Of the member congregations of the Pentecostal Church of Finland, the Myyrmäki Pentecostal congregation, Vantaan Kotikirkko and Vantaan Minttukirkko are active in Vantaa. Independent [[Pentecostalism|Pentecostal]] congregations in Vantaa include the Credo church, the Korso Pentecostal congregation and Seutulan Betania.<ref>[https://suomenhelluntaikirkko.fi/seurakunnat/ Seurakunnat] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210906183526/https://suomenhelluntaikirkko.fi/seurakunnat/ |date=2021-09-06 }}, Pentecostal Church of Finland. Accessed on 6 September 2021.</ref>

The Vantaa free congregation, belonging to the Free Church of Finland, is located in Hiekkaharju, and the congregation has also founded the Free congregation of western Vantaa in [[Askisto]] in western Vantaa.

The Finnish branch office of the [[Jehovah's Witnesses]], which is the highest level of the organisation in Finland, is located in [[Koivuhaka]]. There are two [[Kingdom Hall]]s in Vantaa, in Koivuhaka and in [[Martinlaakso]].

==Economy==
===Economy of the city of Vantaa===
[[File:Finnair headquarters 02.JPG|thumb|[[Finnair]] headquarters]]
[[File:Jumbo Park.JPG|thumb|The [[Jumbo shopping centre]] in the [[Pakkala]] district of Vantaa is the third largest [[shopping centre]] in Finland.]]
In the latest years, Vantaa has stabilised its economy via an economy and debt program accepted in 2012. The growth of the loan stock was stopped by the end of the council term from 2013 to 2017. In 2016 the city managed to decrease its loan stock a little, which had grown to over one billion euro.

Vantaa has been in increasing debt since the early 2000s, due to a decrease in state funding and an increase in investments. A contributing factor to its situation is the high concentration of families with children, leading to comparatively larger social expenditure.<ref>[http://www.asukasomistajat.com/content/pdf/Kuntakonsernianalyysi-Vantaa.pdf Vantaan kuntakonsernianalyysi 2005], Bo-Erik Ekström 28.10.2005.</ref> According to the former mayor Juhani Paajanen, the worst expenditures have ended, and the city's gains are increasing.<ref>[http://www.vantaanlauri.fi/arkisto/2006/2006-01-12/ajankohtaista/Kaupunkien_yhdistaminen] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121215015328/http://www.vantaanlauri.fi/arkisto/2006/2006-01-12/ajankohtaista/Kaupunkien_yhdistaminen|date=2012-12-15}}</ref>

On a nation-wide perspective, Vantaa has a high level of tax income, but in perspective of the capital region, the tax income of Vantaa is lower than those of Espoo and Helsinki. The state subsidy system and its stabilisation of tax income based on a nation-wide comparison have been seen as problematic because of special challenges of the cities in the capital region and because of constant rapid growth.

The municipal tax in Vantaa is 19.00%, which is clearly below the average in Finland and one of the lowest in the large cities.<ref name="valkama">Valkama, Pekka: [https://www.hel.fi/hel2/tietokeskus/julkaisut/pdf/17_04_25_Tyopapereita_5_Valkama.pdf Suurten kaupunkien vuoden 2016 tilinpäätöskooste], information centre of the city of Helsinki. Accessed on 27 September 2017.</ref> The last time Vantaa raised its municipal tax was in 2010. The state of Finland has raised the lower limit of the property tax because of new legislation.

In a comparison of characteristic figures of large cities Vantaa has developed positively in the latest years. In regard to municipal concerns and financing various investments, the differences in loan amounts in the cities have balanced out.<ref name="valkama"/> In the early 2000s over half of the city's debt consisted of rental apartments owned by the city (managed by the company VAV Asunnot Oy). On the other hand, the city ended up in a crisis mainly because it had made large investments in its own balance with borrowed money. The city has hardly sold any of its property in the early 2000s.<ref>Ekström, Bo-Erik; Board & Management Services Oy: [http://www.asukasomistajat.com/content/pdf/Kuntakonsernianalyysi-Vantaa.pdf Vantaan kuntakonsernianalyysi 2005], Asukasomistajat 28 October 2005.</ref>

===Jobs and industry===
[[File:Juna Lentoaseman rautatieasemalla.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Ring Rail Line]] provides a railway connection to the airport.]]
[[File:FinaviaHQVantaa.jpg|thumb|right|The head office of Finavia at the [[Helsinki Airport]].]]
[[File:Pöyry hdqtrs.jpg|thumb|right|The head office of Pöyry in [[Martinlaakso]].]]
Because of good traffic connections, Vantaa has a large amount of food, HVAC and machinery industry as well as businesses. There are industrial areas along the Ring III beltway, particularly near the airport and in the neighbouring districts of [[Viinikkala]], [[Veromies]], [[Pakkala]] and [[Koivuhaka]] as well as in [[Hakkila, Vantaa|Hakkila]], connected to the main railway line by a branch terminal line. The [[Aviapolis]] area has developed around the airport, containing many businesses in logistics and high technology. In 2000 74.6% of the jobs in the city were in services, 23.8% in refinery and only 0.5% in agriculture. In 2001 the rate of self-sufficiency in jobs in Vantaa had risen to 97.1%. In the 2000s the number of jobs in Vantaa had grown by about 15%.{{citation needed|date=October 2022}}

Of those employed, two thirds are in the [[private sector]]. The most common industries in Vantaa include the [[Food industry|food]], [[Building services engineering|architectural engineering]], and [[Machine industry|machine]] industries. In 2007, the unemployment rate was 6.3%.

Companies that have their headquarters in Vantaa (at the [[Helsinki Airport]], in [[Aviapolis]]) include [[Finnair]], [[Finavia]] and [[Nordic Regional Airlines]].<ref name="finavia">[http://www.finavia.fi/about_finavia/contact]  {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100217011959/http://www.finavia.fi/about_finavia/contact|date=2010-02-17}}</ref><ref name="airfinland">"[http://www.airfinland.fi/oy_air_finland_ltd_in_english/ Oy Air Finland Ltd in English] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120625210504/http://www.airfinland.fi/oy_air_finland_ltd_in_english/ |date=2012-06-25 }}." [[Air Finland]]. Retrieved on 25 February 2010.</ref><ref name="blue1">{{cite web|url=http://www.blue1.com/Tiedostot/privacypolicy.pdf|title=Edulliset Lennot ja Lentoliput – Hae ja Varaa Lennot - SAS|website=Blue1.com|access-date=24 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120310072751/http://www.blue1.com/Tiedostot/privacypolicy.pdf|archive-date=10 March 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>"[http://flynorra.com/about-us/?lang=en About Us] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230929102942/https://flynorra.com/about-us/?lang=en |date=2023-09-29 }}." [[Nordic Regional Airlines]]. Retrieved on October 25, 2016. "Nordic Regional Airlines Oy Öljykuja 2, 01530 Vantaa, Finland"</ref> Companies with headquarters in Vantaa outside of Aviapolis include [[R-kioski]], [[Tikkurila Oyj]], [[Veikkaus|Veikkaus Oy]], and [[Metsähallitus]]. [[Fujifilm]] Finland has its headquarters in Vantaa.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/19961223155800/http://www.fuji.fi/ Home]. Fujifilm Finland. 23 December 1996. Retrieved on 28 April 2019. "Fuji Finland Oy Niittytie 27 A, 01300 Vantaa"</ref>

An interesting future possibility for Vantaa and for the entire capital region comes from the [[Ring Rail Line]], which allows for significant increase in the number of apartments and jobs and provides a direct rail connection from the main railway line to the [[Helsinki Airport]]. The Ring Rail Line required an investment of over one hundred million euro from Vantaa. The city of Helsinki had been proposing the idea of joining the municipalities in the capital region, in order to better develop the area, for decades. The cities of Vantaa, Espoo and Kauniainen have rejected this idea each time, although Vantaa has done so a bit more slowly than the others. The municipal and city managers of Vantaa have repeatedly rejected Helsinki's proposal fearing Vantaa would become a "backyard" of Helsinki. Helsinki has been expanding towards Vantaa throughout the 20th century, including the great annexation in 1946 and the annexation of [[Vuosaari]] in 1966. Through the annexation of [[Östersundom]] in [[Sipoo]] and the [[Länsimäki|Västerkulla]] wedge to Helsinki in 2009, Vantaa lost its only connection to the sea, becoming the second-largest inland city in the Nordic countries, after [[Tampere]].

==Arts and culture==
[[File:Vantaa-heureka.jpg|thumb|Science centre [[Heureka]]]]

===Vantaa culture award===
The Vantaa culture award is awarded each year as a recognition of significant contributions to the arts and the artistic life in the city, to a person living in Vantaa or to a community active in the city. The award was first awarded in 1976.<ref name="palkinto">[http://www.vantaa.fi/hallinto_ja_talous/talous_ja_strategia/avustukset/kulttuuriavustukset_ja_-palkinnot/vantaan_kulttuuripalkinto Vantaan kulttuuripalkinto], city of Vantaa. Accessed on 2 July 2016.</ref>

The decision to award the Vantaa culture award is made by the city council. In 2015, the award was worth 10 thousand euro. Award winners include jazz musician [[Juhani Aaltonen]], musicians [[Maarit Hurmerinta|Maarit]] and [[Sami Hurmerinta]], sculptor [[Heikki Häiväoja]], director [[Matti Kassila]], architect [[Alpo Halme]], writer [[Virpi Hämeen-Anttila]] together with here husband professor [[Jaakko Hämeen-Anttila]], actor [[Lasse Pöysti]], the Raatikko dance theatre, entertainer [[Virve Rosti]], writer [[Alpo Ruuth]], opera singer [[Esa Runttunen]] and the Vantaa children's ballet.<ref name="palkinto"/>

===Symbols===
The signature animal of Vantaa is the [[salmon]], also featured in the coat of arms of the city, the traditional dish is [[fish soup|salmon soup]] and the signature plant is the [[viola riviniana|common dog-violet]].<ref name="lyhyesti">[http://www.vantaa.fi/hallinto_ja_talous/tietoa_vantaasta/tilastot_ja_tutkimukset/vantaa_lyhyesti Lyhyesti tietoa Vantaasta], city of Vantaa.</ref><ref>Halonen, Kaisa; Kulmavuori, Heli; Riutta, Nina: [https://web.archive.org/web/20160625101712/http://www.valomerkki.fi/vantaan-lauri/vantaan-lauri-arkisto/10_loytoa_vantaalta 10 löytöä Vantaalta], congregations of Vantaa 10 January 2006. Accessed on 29 May 2016.</ref>

===Music===
There are about 20 choirs in Vantaa,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vantaa.fi/fi/kulttuuri/kulttuurialan_yhdistykset/kuorot|title=Vantaan kaupunki – Kulttuuri|website=Vantaa.fi|access-date=16 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150217020052/http://www.vantaa.fi/fi/kulttuuri/kulttuurialan_yhdistykset/kuorot|archive-date=2015-02-17|url-status=dead}}</ref> like [[Vantaan Laulu]] and [[Vantaa Chamber Choir]]. Three actively performing [[concert band]]s [[Tikkurilan Soittokunta]], [[Lumon Puhaltajat]] and [[Puhallinorkesteri Louhi]] exist at the east, north and west corners of the city respectively.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vantaa.fi/fi/kulttuuri/kulttuurialan_yhdistykset/orkesterit_soittokunnat_ja_yhtyeet|title=Vantaan kaupunki – Kulttuuri |website=Vantaa.fi |access-date=16 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150217015958/http://www.vantaa.fi/fi/kulttuuri/kulttuurialan_yhdistykset/orkesterit_soittokunnat_ja_yhtyeet|archive-date=2015-02-17|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Vantaa Pops]] (Vantaan Viihdeorkesteri in Finnish), conducted by a Welshman Nick Davies,<ref>[http://www.hs.fi/kulttuuri/artikkeli/Nick+Davies+Vantaan+viihdeorkesterin+ylikapellimestariksi/1135259753244]  {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116150821/http://www.hs.fi/kulttuuri/artikkeli/Nick+Davies+Vantaan+viihdeorkesterin+ylikapellimestariksi/1135259753244|date=2013-01-16}}</ref> is the only professional full symphonic [[pops orchestra]] in Finland.

[[File:Skorpparit ankkarokkaavat.jpg|thumb|right|[[Scorpions (band)|Scorpions]] performing at [[Ankkarock]] in 2003.]]
[[Ankkarock]] was a rock music festival held every summer in [[Korso]] between 1989 and 2010.

[[Louhela Jam]] is the oldest continuously organised rock music festival in Vantaa. The festival lasts one day and is free of charge. It is held in the Jokiuomanpuisto park between [[Louhela]] and [[Martinlaakso]] on the first Sunday in June after the end of the spring semester in school.<ref>[http://louhelajam.fi/ Louhela Jam]. Accessed on 29 March 2019.</ref>

The Tikkurila Festival, held on a weekend in late July at the Hiekkaharju sports field represents newer summer festival tradition in Vantaa.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160630083811/http://www.vantaansanomat.fi/artikkeli/278122-uusi-jattifestari-aloittaa-vantaalla-%E2%80%93-tikkurila-festivaalilla-nahdaan-huippuartist Uusi jättifestari aloittaa Vantaalla – Tikkurila-festivaalilla nähdään huippuartisteja], ''Vantaan Sanomat'' 4 February 2014. Accessed on 30 May 2016.</ref><ref>[http://tikkurilafestivaali.fi/ Tikkurila Festivaali]. Accessed on 30 May 2016.</ref>

The ''Vantaan barokki'' festival was held in summertime for sixteen years until its discontinuation in 2008. The ''Vantaan musiikkijuhlat'' festival was founded in 2010, continuing the previous festival's tradition in concentrating on older music. The newer festival covers a longer time period, and according to the artistic director [[Markku Luolajan-Mikkola]] the festival concentrates more on periodical instruments than any specific time period.<ref>[https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-5610555 Vantaan barokin renesanssi], [[YLE]] 6 August 2010.</ref>

The ''Herättäjäjuhlat'' festival of the [[Awakening (Finnish religious movement)|Awakening]] movement was held in Vantaa in 2016.<ref>[https://herattajajuhlat.fi/4040-vuodet-1893 Vuodet -1893] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120180026/https://herattajajuhlat.fi/4040-vuodet-1893 |date=2022-01-20 }}, Herättäjäjuhlat. Accessed on 27 March 2022.</ref>

===Museums===
[[File:Cubes at Heureka, optical illusion.jpg|thumb|left|The symbol of Heureka, ''Neljä kuutiota'' ("Four cubes") by Anssi Asunta, is an optical illusion looking like cubes.]]
[[Tikkurila]] is home of the major [[science centre]] in Finland, [[Heureka]], opened in April 1989. The purpose of the science centre is to develop the understanding of scientific information and to develop methods of scientific education. The name Heureka refers to the famous statement "I have found it!" by [[Archimedes]].

[[File:Vataa Tikkurila Old Railway Station.JPG|thumb|right|The city museum of Vantaa in Tikkurila.]]
The city museum of Vantaa is located in the old station building of the [[Tikkurila railway station|railway station]] in Tikkurila<ref>[http://www.museot.fi/museohaku/index.php?museo_id=21920 Vantaan kaupunginmuseo] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221009050339/https://museot.fi/museohaku/index.php?museo_id=21920 |date=2022-10-09 }}, Museokortti. Accessed on 30 May 2016.</ref><ref>[http://www.vantaa.fi/vapaa-aika/kulttuuri/vantaan_kaupunginmuseo Vantaan kaupunginmuseo Tikkurilassa], city of Vantaa. Accessed on 30 May 2016.</ref> which has exhibitions with various themes on local history. The museum is housed in the oldest station building in Finland, designed by [[Carl Albert Edelfelt]] and completed in 1861. The museum moved to the building after it was renovated in autumn 1990.<ref>[http://www.vantaa.fi/vapaa-aika/kulttuuri/vantaan_kaupunginmuseo/tietoa_museosta Tietoa museosta], city of Vantaa. Accessed on 30 May 2016.</ref> The first two floors of the red brick museum building host exhibits and the third floor hosts the offices of the museum staff.

The [[Finnish Aviation Museum]] is located in Vantaa, near [[Helsinki Airport]].

===Concert house Martinus===
The concert house Martinus in [[Martinlaakso]], built in 1987, offers premises for various events ranging from meetings and seminars to cultural events.

Because of its good [[acoustics]], the concert hall has been used for many musical recordings. The hall has also been used for many television recordings. There are 444 guest seats in the hall, of which six are seats for disabled people.<ref>[https://www.vantaa.fi/vapaa-aika/kulttuuri/kulttuuritalo_martinus/tilavuokraus Martinuksen vuokrattavat tilat], city of Vantaa. Accessed on 24 February 2019.</ref> The foyer of the concert hall can host small-scale concerts and other events. Martinus is the home hall of the Vantaa entertainment orchestra run by Nick Davies.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20190225044811/https://viihdeorkesteri.fi/historia/ Historia – Vantaan Viihdeorkesteri]. Accessed on 24 February 2019.</ref>

===Myyrmäkitalo===
The Myyrmäkitalo all-activity house in western Vantaa hosts the [[Myyrmäki library]] offering services at a main library scale (another such library in Vantaa is the [[Tikkurila library]]), the Vantaa art museum Artsi and a rising auditorium with 188 seats. The auditorium hosts the film theatre [[Kino Myyri]]. Main users of the educational facilities of the house include the Vantaa school of arts, the Vantaa adult education institute and many hobby clubs. The house, built in autumn 1993, is located near the [[Myyrmäki railway station]] and the [[Myyrmanni]] shopping centre.

===Food culture===
In the 1980s, [[salmon casserole]], [[fish soup|salmon soup]] and ''[[vol-au-vent]]'' filled with salmon were chosen as the traditional dishes in Vantaa.<ref>Kolmonen, Jaakko 1988: ''Kotomaamme ruoka-aitta: Suomen, Karjalan ja Petsamon pitäjäruoat'', p. 62. Helsinki: Patakolmonen Ky.</ref>

==Politics==
[[File:Vantaa city hall 1.jpg|thumb|The city hall of Vantaa, located in [[Tikkurila]]]]
Vantaa’s city council has 67 seats. Following the [[2025 Finnish municipal elections]] the council seats are allocated in the following way: [[Social Democratic Party of Finland|Social Democratic Party]] 21 seats (+5), [[National Coalition Party]] 18 seats (-), [[Green League]] 9 seats (-), [[Finns Party]] 7 seats (-5), [[Left Alliance (Finland)|Left Alliance]] 6 seats (+2), [[Centre Party (Finland)]] 3 seats (+1), [[Christian Democrats (Finland)|Christian Democrats]] 2 seats (-), [[Swedish People's Party of Finland]] 1 seat (-1).<ref>https://vaalit.yle.fi/kv2025/tulospalvelu/en/municipalities/92/</ref>

===Mayors===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Mayor
! Birth – death
! In office
|-
| [[Lauri Korpinen (mayor)|Lauri Korpinen]]
| 1896–1975
| 1957–1961
|-
| [[Lauri Lairala]]
| 1926–2012
| 1961–1989
|-
| [[Pirjo Ala-Kapee-Hakulinen|Pirjo Ala-Kapee]]
| 1944–
| 1989–1997
|-
| [[Erkki Rantala]]
| 1946–2014
| 1997–2003
|-
| [[Juhani Paajanen]]
| 1947–
| 2003–2011
|-
| [[Jukka Peltomäki]]
| 1949–
| 2011
|-
| [[Kari Nenonen]]
| 1953–
| 2012–2018
|-
|[[Ritva Viljanen]]
|1958–
|2018–2023
|-
|[[Pekka Timonen]]
|1966–
|2023–
|}

==Infrastructure==
===Services===
[[File:Tikkurilan kirjasto.jpg|thumb|right|The main library of Vantaa, in [[Tikkurila]]]]
There are eight healthcare stations in Vantaa. Most of the major districts have their own healthcare stations, although the Aviapolis major districts are served by healthcare stations from neighbouring major districts.<ref>[http://www.vantaa.fi/terveysasemat Terveysasemat] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220308140958/https://www.vantaa.fi/terveysasemat |date=2022-03-08 }}, city of Vantaa. Accessed on 28 May 2016.</ref> Vantaa has two [[hospital]]s, [[Peijas Hospital]] in [[Asola, Vantaa|Asola]] and Katriina Hospital in [[Seutula]]. Peijas is responsible for [[Emergency medicine|emergency]] and short-term health services, while Katriina specializes in [[long-term care]] and [[elderly care]].

Vantaa is a constituent of the [[:fi:Vantaan ja Keravan hyvinvointialue|Wellbeing services county of Vantaa and Kerava]].

The Vantaa branch of the [[Helsinki Metropolitan Area Libraries|HelMet]] library network has 12 [[libraries]] in Vantaa, with a total of 441,736 books in 2011.<ref name="taskussa"/> The main library is in [[Tikkurila]].<ref>Suojanen, Armi: [http://www.vantaansanomat.fi/artikkeli/358663-sunnuntaista-sukeutui-hyva-paiva-kayda-kirjastossa Sunnuntaista sukeutui hyvä päivä käydä kirjastossa], ''Vantaan Sanomat'' 28 January 2016. Accessed on 10 June 2016.</ref>

===Sports===
[[File:Flamingo Spa Vesipuisto.jpg|thumb|left|Flamingo Spa at the [[Flamingo, Finland|Flamingo Entertainment Center]] in the [[Aviapolis]] district]]
[[File:Hakunilan uimahalli.jpg|thumb|right|The Hakunila swimming pool.]]
For sports, Vantaa has five [[Public bathing|swimming halls]], four sports halls,<ref>[http://www.vantaa.fi/vapaa-aika/liikunta/sisaliikuntapaikat/liikuntahallit Liikuntahallit], city of Vantaa. Accessed on 10 June 2016.</ref> several [[gym]]s,<ref>[http://www.vantaa.fi/vapaa-aika/liikunta/uimahallit_ja_kuntosalit Uimahallit ja kuntosalit], city of Vantaa. Accessed on 10 June 2016.</ref> 25 [[tennis court]]s,<ref>[http://www.vantaa.fi/vapaa-aika/liikunta/ulkoliikuntapaikat/tenniskentat Tenniskentät], city of Vantaa. Accessed on 10 June 2016.</ref> indoor ice rinks in Tikkurila and Myyrmäki,<ref>[http://www.vantaa.fi/vapaa-aika/liikunta/sisaliikuntapaikat/jaahallit Jäähallit], city of Vantaa. Accessed on 10 June 2016.</ref> 69 [[hockey rink|hockey]] and [[ice rink|skating rink]]s,<ref>[http://www.vantaa.fi/vapaa-aika/liikunta/ulkoliikuntapaikat/ulkojaat Ulkojäät], city of Vantaa. Accessed on 10 June 2016.</ref> 16 lit-up [[running track]]s,<ref>[http://www.vantaa.fi/vapaa-aika/liikunta/ladut_ja_reitit/kuntoradat_ Kuntoradat], city of Vantaa. Accessed on 10 June 2016.</ref> and 14 [[skatepark]]s.<ref>[https://www.vantaa.fi/vapaa-aika/liikunta/ulkoliikuntapaikat/skeittipaikat Skeittipaikat], city of Vantaa. Accessed on 25 October 2019.</ref>

Additionally, Vantaa has three [[golf course]]s. There are two 18-hole golf courses in [[Keimola]], a 9-hole golf course in the Hiekkaharju sports park (in the districts of [[Jokiniemi]] and [[Havukoski]]), and a golf course in [[Petikko]] which was expanded from 9 to 18 holes in 2018.<ref name="kartta"/><ref>[https://www.vantaa.fi/instancedata/prime_product_julkaisu/vantaa/embeds/vantaawwwstructure/118819_kaupsu_rekolanoja21112005.pdf_ Rekolanoja. Eilen, tänään ja huomenna]{{Dead link|date=October 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, city of Vantaa 2005. Accessed on 10 June 2016.</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170709153036/http://vantaangolfpuisto.fi/ Vantaan golfpuisto]. Accessed on 21 July 2017.</ref>

Vantaa is the center of Finnish [[Rugby union|rugby]] activities; the home of the [[Finland national rugby union team|Finnish national rugby team]] is located at the Ruutisavu Arena in the [[Hakunila]] district.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vantaa.fi/fi/ajankohtaista/uutinen/vantaasta-kotipesa-suomen-rugbymaajoukkueille-ensimmaiset-kansainvaliset-ottelut-lauantaina-1910-hakunilassa|title=Vantaasta kotipesä Suomen rugbymaajoukkueille - ensimmäiset kansainväliset ottelut lauantaina 19.10. Hakunilassa|publisher=City of Vantaa|date=15 October 2024|access-date=14 July 2025|language=fi}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://finland.rugby/2024/10/11/rugbyn-maaotteluille-uusi-koti-ruutisavu-areenasta/|title=Rugbyn maaotteluille uusi koti Ruutisavu Areenasta|publisher=[[Finnish Rugby Federation]]|access-date=14 July 2025|language=fi}}</ref>

===Transportation===
[[File:Helsinki-Vantaa departure hall2.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Helsinki Airport]] (HEL), although associated with Helsinki, is located in [[Aviapolis]], Vantaa.]]
[[File:Kivistön asema.jpg|thumb|right|[[Kivistö railway station]] along the [[Ring Rail Line]] in the [[Kivistö|Kivistö district]].]]
[[File:Kehä III Kalkkikallio.jpg|thumb|left|Ring III at Kalkkikallio in [[Kuninkaala]].]]
Vantaa infrastructurally serves as the transportational hub of the Helsinki metropolitan area. Several key [[freeways]] and [[highways]], such as [[Ring III]], [[Tuusulanväylä]] and [[Porvoonväylä]], originate in or pass through the municipality. Other widely used connections in the direction of Helsinki include [[Hämeenlinnanväylä]], [[Lahdenväylä]] and [[Vihdintie]].

[[Public transport]] in Vantaa consists of a [[bus]] network and [[Helsinki commuter rail|commuter rail]], provided by [[Helsinki Regional Transport Authority|HSL/HRT]] and [[VR Group|VR]]. Since the introduction of the [[Ring Rail Line]] in 2015, Vantaa has had a total of 14 stations. Key railway stations also act as central [[bus station]]s.

Bus transport in Vantaa is extensive: there are over one hundred bus lines in Vantaa, of which the majority are internal lines in Vantaa and the rest are regional lines travelling to Helsinki, Espoo and Kerava.

Of the express bus stops in Vantaa, the stops at [[Kaivoksela]], [[Martinlaakso]] and [[Keimolanportti]] are located along Hämeenlinnanväylä, while the stop at [[Tammisto]] is located along Tuusulanväylä and the stops at [[Vantaanportti]] and Ilmakehä are located between Tuusulanväylä and the Helsinki Airport. The stop at [[Tuupakka]] serves the express buses between the Helsinki Airport and [[Tampere]]. There are no express bus stops along Lahdenväylä in Vantaa. However, the express buses between [[Lahti]] and the Helsinki Airport stop at Korso. The express buses from the Helsinki Airport to [[Porvoo]] and [[Kotka]] stop at the Tikkurila intersection on the Ring III beltway.

[[File:Tikkurila railway station in Vantaa, Finland in March 2017.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Tikkurila railway station]] is the busiest railway station in Vantaa.]]
Two of the three railway lines exiting Helsinki pass through Vantaa, connecting the city's 14 stations. The [[Helsinki–Riihimäki railway]] passes through eastern Vantaa while the [[Ring Rail Line]] forms a loop throughout Vantaa, going from Helsinki via [[Myyrmäki railway station]] in western Vantaa to the [[Helsinki Airport station]] and then continuing via [[Tikkurila railway station]] in eastern Vantaa back to Helsinki. All long-distance trains exiting Helsinki via the Helsinki–Riihimäki railway stop at [[Tikkurila railway station]] in Vantaa, including trains going to [[Russia]].

The stations on the Vantaankoski railway are [[Myyrmäki railway station|Myyrmäki]], [[Louhela railway station|Louhela]], [[Martinlaakso railway station|Martinlaakso]] and [[Vantaankoski railway station|Vantaankoski]]. The stations on the Ring Rail Line are [[Vehkala railway station|Vehkala]], [[Kivistö railway station|Kivistö]], [[Aviapolis railway station|Aviapolis]], [[Helsinki Airport station|Helsinki Airport]] and [[Leinelä railway station|Leinelä]]. The stations on the main railway are [[Tikkurila railway station]], [[Hiekkaharju railway station|Hiekkaharju]], [[Koivukylä railway station|Koivukylä]], [[Rekola railway station|Rekola]] and [[Korso railway station|Korso]]. There are also direct local bus connections to the Helsinki Airport from the Martinlaakso and Vantaankoski stations as well as the Korso and Koivukylä stops. There are preliminary plans for a new station at [[Vallinoja]] between Korso and [[Savio (Kerava)|Savio]] with the working name ''Urpia''. In 2004 a fourth track to Kerava was added to the main railway, so local trains and long-distance trains now run on separate tracks. The Ring Rail Line was completed in 2015, connecting the main railway with the Vantaankoski railway, also travelling via the Helsinki Airport.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20180205002535/https://www.liikennevirasto.fi/keharata#.Wncnlqhl-Ul Kehärata], Finnish Traffic Administration. Accessed on 4 February 2018.</ref> The completion of the Ring Rail Line has sped up development of new residential and office areas. For example, the number of jobs in the Vantaankoski area has doubled. An idea contest was held for new design ideas in the area.<ref>[https://archive.today/20160118061924/http://www.uusivantaankoski.fi/ Uusi Vantaankoski -ideakilpailu], ''Uusi Vantaankoski''. Accessed on 13 January 2016.</ref>

[[File:Morning at EFHK.jpg|thumb|left|Airplanes at the [[Helsinki Airport]] on an August morning.]]
The largest [[airport]] in Finland, and the primary airport of metropolitan area, [[Helsinki Airport]], is located in Vantaa. It attracted a total of 17.1 million passengers in 2016 and a total of 18.9 million passengers in 2017.<ref>[https://www.finavia.fi/sites/default/files/documents/HEL%20matk%20kuukausittain-fi_0.pdf Matkustajat 2017 helsinki-vantaan lentoasema], Finavia. Accessed on 4 February 2018.</ref> The airport has done well in international comparisons.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130510182639/http://www.helsinki-vantaa.fi/enemman-tietoa/helsinki-vantaa-lyhyesti/palkinnot Helsinki-Vantaan palvelut palkittu useaan kertaan], Finavia. Accessed on 4 March 2021.</ref> The airport splits Vantaa roughly into an eastern and a western part: the administrative centre and the main concentration of population are mostly located in eastern Vantaa.

[[File:Vantaan ratikka -hanke.jpg|thumb|right|An information campaign for the planned [[Vantaa light rail]].]]
On 16 December 2019 the city council of Vantaa approved the investment of 400 million euro to the planning of the [[Vantaa light rail]] with votes 45 to 22.<ref>[https://www.hs.fi/kaupunki/art-2000006345601.html?share=7b5fbf0bfa8d006b8ecab67e5a7aa5ff Vantaan valtuusto väitteli liki viisi tuntia: pikaraitiotie voitti äänin 45–22], ''[[Helsingin Sanomat]]'' 16 December 2019. Accessed on 17 December 2019.</ref> The planned route leads from [[Mellunmäki]] via [[Hakunila]], [[Tikkurila]] and [[Aviapolis]] to the [[Helsinki Airport]].<ref>Kolehmainen, Tommi: [https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-9909019 Vantaa rakentaa pikaratikan – kyytiin pääsee ehkä vuonna 2030], [[YLE]] 31 October 2017. Accessed on 3 February 2021.</ref>

As a major transport hub, Vantaa suffers from extensive noise and pollution caused by airplanes, railways and motorways. According to noise research, over 77,000 citizens of Vantaa live in an area experiencing over 55&nbsp;dB of noise. Road noise in Vantaa is caused by the [[Ring III]] beltway, Hämeenlinnanväylä, Tuusulanväylä, Lahdenväylä and Porvoonväylä. About 7000 citizens of Vantaa live in an area experiencing noise from airplane traffic and about 9000 live in an area experiencing noise from railway traffic.<ref>Urho, Ted: [https://svenska.yle.fi/artikel/2014/12/02/det-har-leder-till-somnbrist-och-hjartproblem-i-vanda Det här leder till sömnbrist och hjärtproblem i Vanda], [[YLE]] 2 December 2014.</ref>

===Waste===
The largest waste incinerator in Finland, the [[Vantaa incinerator]], is located at Vantaa.

==Education==
[[File:Lumon lukio, Vantaa.jpg|thumb|right|The Lumo upper secondary school in [[Korso]].]]

===Primary education===
Vantaa offers diverse opportunities in primary education. The city has a total of 50 Finnish-speaking, five Swedish-speaking, and one English-speaking [[Primary school|primary]] and [[Middle school|junior high]] schools.<ref>[http://www.vantaa.fi/varhaiskasvatus_ja_koulutus/perusopetus/koulujen_ja_hallinnon_yhteystiedot Suomenkieliset peruskoulut], city of Vantaa. Accessed on 28 May 2016.</ref><ref>[http://www.vanda.fi/smabarnspedagogik_och_utbildning/grundlaggande_utbildning/skolornas_kontaktuppgifter Grundläggande utbildning. Skolornas kontaktuppgifter], city of Vantaa. Accessed on 28 May 2016.</ref> The schools come in various sizes, of which the smallest is the Swedish-speaking [[Kyrkoby skola]], which has been located in the same school building since 1837.<ref>[http://www.vanda.fi/smabarnspedagogik_och_utbildning/grundlaggande_utbildning/skolornas_kontaktuppgifter/skolornas_egna_sidor/kyrkoby_skola Kyrkoby skola], city of Vantaa. Accessed on 28 May 2016.</ref> In contrast, the largest primary schools in Vantaa are Finnish-speaking schools of over 800 students such as the Mikkola and Lehtikuusi schools.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160508121519/http://www.vantaa.fi/instancedata/prime_product_julkaisu/vantaa/embeds/vantaawwwstructure/122654_Peruskoulun_oppilaat_2014.pdf Peuruskoulun oppilaat 20.9.2014], city of Vantaa. Accessed on 28 May 2016.</ref>

===Secondary and vocational education===
Vantaa has five Finnish-speaking [[upper secondary school]]s, including [[Tikkurila Upper Secondary]], the largest upper secondary school in the Nordic Countries, as well as one Swedish-speaking upper secondary school. In addition, Vantaa has a [[Waldorf education|Steiner school]] including primary and secondary education, online education at the Sotunki Upper Secondary and adult education at the Tikkurila Upper Secondary.<ref name="lukiokoulutus">[http://www.vantaa.fi/varhaiskasvatus_ja_koulutus/lukiot_ja_ammatillinen_koulutus/lukiokoulutus Lukiokoulutus Vantaalla], city of Vantaa. Accessed on 28 May 2016.</ref>

For [[vocational education]], Vantaa has several [[vocational school]]s, such as the Varia vocational school, the Mercuria school of business economics, the Vocational school for probation, Työtehoseura and Edupoli, of which the latter two offer vocational training for youths and adults and hold vocational screening.<ref>[http://www.vantaa.fi/varhaiskasvatus_ja_koulutus/lukiot_ja_ammatillinen_koulutus/ammatillinen_koulutus Ammatillinen koulutus Vantaalla], city of Vantaa. Accessed on 28 May 2016.</ref> Vocational education for special groups is offered by the Vantaa offices of the Vocational school Live and the Kiipula vocational school. It is also possible to take the Finnish matriculation examination in connection with vocational education (a double examination for example in the Varia vocational school).<ref name="lukiokoulutus_ja">[https://web.archive.org/web/20160513095647/http://www.vantaa.fi/instancedata/prime_product_julkaisu/vantaa/embeds/vantaawwwstructure/119634_valintaopas_2016_lukio-_ja_ammaillinen_koulutus.pdf Lukiokoulutus ja ammatillinen koulutus Vantaalla], city of Vantaa 2016. Accessed on 9 June 2016.</ref>

===Tertiary education===
[[File:Vantaan musiikkiopisto - Tikkurilan kirjastotalo - 2. krs - Tikkurila - Vantaa - m.jpg|thumb|right|The Vantaa institution for music.]]
Vantaa has two [[University of applied sciences (Finland)|universities of applied sciences]]: [[Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences|Metropolia]] and [[Laurea University of Applied Sciences|Laurea]]. Metropolia has offices in [[Myyrmäki]] (technical education and Metropolia Business School) and [[Tikkurila]] (institution for design). Laurea offers education in communications and social and healthcare in Tikkurila.<ref>[https://www.laurea.fi/ Laurea University of applied sciences]. Accessed on 10 June 2016.</ref>

===Educational institutions===
The Vantaa institution for adult education is one of the largest educational institutions in Finland. Education is also provided by the Vantaa institution for arts, the Vantaa institution for music, the Vantaa institution for creative writing and a couple of private educational institutions.

===Education for immigrants===
It is possible to study the [[Finnish language]] at various places all over Vantaa. Some courses can be taken for free and some require payment.<ref>[http://www.vantaa.fi/varhaiskasvatus_ja_koulutus/aikuiskoulutus/koulutusta_maahanmuuttajille Koulutusta maahanmuuttajille], city of Vantaa. Accessed on 9 June 2016.</ref>

==Notable people==
<!---♦♦♦ Only add a person to this list if they already have their own article on the English Wikipedia ♦♦♦---> 
<!---♦♦♦ Please keep the list in alphabetical order by LAST NAME ♦♦♦--->
*[[Anna Abreu]] (born 1990), pop singer
*[[Mika Häkkinen]] (born 1968), racing driver and [[1998 Formula One World Championship|1998]] and [[1999 Formula One World Championship|1999 Formula One]] champion
*[[Jani Kautto]] (born 1989), ice hockey player
*[[Lauri Markkanen]] (born 1997), professional basketball player
*[[Käärijä|Jere Pöyhönen]] (born 1993), rapper and singer
*[[Jarkko Ruutu]] (born 1975), ice hockey player
*[[Tuomo Ruutu]] (born 1983), ice hockey player
*[[Constance Ullner]] (1856-1926),  writer

==International relations==
===Twin towns and sister cities===
Vantaa is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:<ref name="taskussa"/>
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|
*[[File:Flag of Norway.svg|23px]] [[Askim]], Norway (1951)
*[[File:Flag of Germany.svg|23px]] [[Frankfurt (Oder)|Frankfurt an der Oder]], Germany (1987)
*[[File:Flag of Sweden.svg|23px]] [[Huddinge]], Sweden (1951)
*[[File:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg|23px]] [[Jinan]], [[Shandong]], [[China]] (2001)
||
*[[File:Flag of Russia.svg|23px]] [[Kineshma]], Russia (1969)
*[[File:Flag of Denmark.svg|23px]] [[Lyngby-Taarbæk]], Denmark (1951)
*[[File:Flag of Israel.svg|23px]] [[Matte Yehuda]], Israel (1967)
*[[File:Flag of the Czech Republic.svg|23px]] [[Mladá Boleslav]], Czech Republic (1978)
||
*[[File:Flag of Germany.svg|23px]] [[Rastatt (district)|District of Rastatt]], Germany (1968)
*[[File:Flag of Hungary.svg|23px]] [[Salgótarján]], Hungary (1976)
*[[File:Flag of Iceland.svg|23px]] [[Seyðisfjörður]], Iceland (1980)
*[[File:Flag of Poland.svg|23px]] [[Słupsk]], Poland (1987)
|}

==Gallery==
<gallery class="center" widths="150px" heights="120px"> <!-- No need to add more images; that is what Commons is for. -->
File:Silkkitehtaantie 2, Kielotorni and Valon kortteli by Kielotie in Tikkurila, Vantaa, Finland, 2021 May.jpg|The part of the city centre in [[Tikkurila]] with Vantaan Sarastus and [[Kielotorni]] apartment buildings
File:Vantaa church.jpg|[[The Church of St. Lawrence, Vantaa|The Church of St. Lawrence]] ({{langx|fi|Pyhän Laurin kirkko}}), the oldest church of Vantaa ({{Circa|1460}}) in the [[Helsinki Parish Village]]
File:Helsinki-Vantaa airport.jpg|Aerial view of [[Helsinki Airport]], located in [[Lentokenttä]], Vantaa
File:Tikkurila Old Railway Station.jpg|The old railway station building of Tikkurila, now a museum
</gallery>
{{wide image|Kauppakeskus Jumbo wide (cropped).jpg|900px|alt=Panorama of shopping centre in Aviapolis|A panoramic view of [[Jumbo Shopping Centre]] in [[Aviapolis]], Vantaa. [[Ring III]] runs through the foreground.}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Finland|Europe|Geography|Cities}}
* [[:Category:People from Vantaa|People from Vantaa]]
* [[Districts of Vantaa]]
** [[Aviapolis]]
** [[Korso]]
** [[Myyrmäki]]
** [[Tikkurila]]
* [[Pro Vantaa]]

=== Features and services in Vantaa ===
* [[Ankkarock]]
* [[Flamingo Entertainment Centre]]
* [[Heureka]]
* [[Jumbo Shopping Centre]]
* [[Myyrmanni]]

=== Neighboring urban areas ===
* [[Hyrylä]]
* [[Kerava]]
* [[Klaukkala]]

=== Transport in Vantaa ===
* [[Ring III]]
* [[Ring Rail Line]]
* [[Tuusula Highway]]
{{Clear}}

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links|auto=yes|d=yes}}
*[https://www.vantaa.fi/en City of Vantaa] – Official website
*[https://www.heureka.fi/?lang=en Heureka, the Finnish Science Center]
*[https://www.finavia.fi/en/airports/helsinki-airport Helsinki Airport]
*[https://kaupunginmuseo.vantaa.fi/en/vantaa-city-museum Vantaa City Museum]

{{Geographic location
 | Centre = Vantaa
 | N  = [[Tuusula]], [[Kerava]]
 | E  = [[Sipoo]]
 | S  = [[Helsinki]]
 | W  = [[Espoo]]
 | NW = [[Nurmijärvi]]
}}
{{navboxes|title=Articles related to Vantaa|list=
{{Vantaa}}
{{Uusimaa}}
{{50 most populous Finnish municipalities}}
}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Vantaa| ]]
[[Category:Greater Helsinki]]
[[Category:Cities and towns in Finland]]