Vantaa

Vantaa (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈʋɑntɑː]; Swedish: Vanda, Finland Swedish: [ˈvɑnːdɑ]) is a city in Finland. It is located to the north of the capital, Helsinki, in southern Uusimaa. The population of Vantaa is approximately 252,000. It is the 4th most populous municipality in Finland. Vantaa is part of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, which has approximately 1.6 million inhabitants. The administrative centre of Vantaa is located in the Tikkurila 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 240.35 square kilometres (92.80 sq mi), of which 1.97 km2 (0.76 sq mi) is water. Vantaa's significant attractions include 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 center. Vantaa is a bilingual municipality with Finnish and Swedish as its official languages. The population consists of 69% Finnish speakers, 2% Swedish speakers (the lowest percentage out of any bilingual municipality in Finland), and 29% speakers of other languages, which is well above the national average. According to the 2025 disturbance index used by the Finnish Police, Vantaa is currently the most dangerous city of Finland, and Myyrmäki its most dangerous district.