What Is the Capital of Finland? Helsinki

Q: What time zone is Helsinki in?

Helsinki is on UTC+2 — UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time). Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October.

Q: Which capital is closest to Helsinki?

Among the capitals of neighbouring countries, Stockholm (Sweden) is the closest, 396 km away in a straight line.

Helsinki at a glance

Name origin

The modern name is a Finnish derivation; King Gustav VASA of Sweden founded the city in 1550 as Helsingfors; the name came from Helsing, the Old Norwegian name for a local people, and the word fors, or "waterfall," referring to a waterfall at the city's original location on the Vantaa River.

Time zone

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time). Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October.

Coordinates

60 10 N, 24 56 E · IANA time zone Europe/Helsinki

Location of Finland

Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia

Capitals of neighbouring countries

Capitals closest to Helsinki

Straight-line distance between capitals.

Frequently asked questions about Helsinki

What is the capital of Finland?

The capital of Finland is Helsinki. About 1.3 million people live in the Helsinki urban area — 23.7% of the country's population.

Is Helsinki the largest city in Finland?

Yes — Helsinki is also the largest urban area of Finland (1.3 million).

What time zone is Helsinki in?

Helsinki is on UTC+2 — UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time). Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October.

Where does the name Helsinki come from?

The modern name is a Finnish derivation; King Gustav VASA of Sweden founded the city in 1550 as Helsingfors; the name came from Helsing, the Old Norwegian name for a local people, and the word fors, or "waterfall," referring to a waterfall at the city's original location on the Vantaa River.

Which capital is closest to Helsinki?

Among the capitals of neighbouring countries, Stockholm (Sweden) is the closest, 396 km away in a straight line.

Data: CIA World Factbook (public domain); population: World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0).

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