Facts about Espoo

The first inhabitants in Espoo arrived about 9,000 years ago. The permanent settlement was established during the 12th and the 13th centuries. The King’s Road passing through Espoo on its way from Turku to Viipuri (Vyborg) dates back to the 13th century. The oldest preserved building in Espoo, the Espoo Cathedral, originates from the 1490s.

In 1920, Espoo was a rural municipality with less than 9,000 inhabitants, 70 per cent of whom were Swedish-speaking. Of the whole population, 75 per cent made their living from agriculture. In the 1950s, a period of vivid development set in. The population grew rapidly, the building rate increased and the service trade became the most important source of employment. Espoo received its town charter in 1972.