Saarijärvi

Neighbouring municipalities are Kannonkoski, Karstula, Multia, Soini, Uurainen, Ähtäri and Äänekoski. The municipality is unilingually Finnish. The neighboring municipality of Pylkönmäki was merged with the Saarijärvi municipality on 1 January 2009. There are 241 lakes in Saarijärvi altogether. The biggest lakes are Pyhäjärvi, Summanen and Lake Saarijärvi. The home of the peasant Bonden Paavo (Saarijärven Paavo), who persists through hardship and adversity, in the poem by Johan Ludvig Runeberg. Juho Hyytiäinen, the great grandfather of Pamela Anderson, left the village in 1908, emigrating to the American continent. In the 1980s, the traditional parish dishes of Saarijärvi were suutarinpaisti ("cobbler's roast") made by vendace and mashed potatoes called perupuuro, rutabaga-made porridge with lingonberries preserved in water, and charred fish.

• Name — Saarijärvi • Official Name — Saarijärven kaupunki Saarijärvi stad • Settlement Type — Town • Shield Size — 120x80px • Subdivision Type — Country • Subdivision Name — Finland • Subdivision Type1 — Region • Subdivision Name1 — Central Finland • Subdivision Type2 — Sub-region • Subdivision Name2 — Saarijärvi-Viitasaari sub-region • Leader Title — Town manager • Leader Name — Satu Autiosalo • Established Title — Charter • Established Date — 1866 • Established Title2 — City rights • Established Date2 — 1986 • Timezone — EET • Utc Offset — +02:00 • Timezone Dst — EEST • Utc Offset Dst — +03:00

Saarijärvi has existed since the mid-16th century, when it was a part of the Rautalampi parish. Saarijärvi acquired its first church in 1628, which was also when the Laukaa parish, including Saarijärvi, was separated from Rautalampi. Saarijärvi became a separate parish in 1639 as Palvasalmi. At the time, the parish also included Karstula, Kyyjärvi, Pylkönmäki and a part of Konginkangas. The parish was renamed to Saarijärvi sometime after 1690. Karstula, including Kyyjärvi, was separated in 1887, Konginkangas in 1895 (partially from Viitasaari) and Pylkönmäki in 1914. Saarijärvi became a town in 1986. Pylkönmäki rejoined Saarijärvi in 2009.

Saarijärvi is twinned with: • Gran, Norway • Kungsbacka, Sweden • Trittau (Amt), Germany

Saarijärvi is served by OnniBus.com route Helsinki—Jyväskylä—Kokkola.

• Matthias Calonius (1738 – 1817) • Samuli Häkkinen (1857 – 1918) • Otto Stenroth (1861 – 1939) • Adiel Paananen (1897 – 1968) • Tarmo Manni (1921 – 1999) • Toivo Hyytiäinen (1925 – 1978) • Kain Tapper (1930 – 2004) • Jarkko Nikara (born 1986) • Jussi Karvinen (born 1984)