Hankasalmi is a municipality of Finland.

It is located in the Central Finland region. The municipality has a population of 4,549 (31 December 2023) and covers an area of 687.75 square kilometres (265.54 sq mi) of which 115.89 km (44.75 sq mi) is water. The population density is 7.96 inhabitants per square kilometre (20.6/sq mi).

The municipality is unilingually Finnish.

Hankasalmi is the only authentic rural municipality in Jyväskylä, that offers its inhabitants and guests a wide range of opportunities in the housing, work and leisure sectors. Comprehensive services and good transport links by highway and rail ensure smooth handling. Hankasalmi has several elementary schools, a high school, and a high school where you can take part in high-level navigation training.

Geography

Neighbouring municipalities are Kangasniemi, Konnevesi, Laukaa, Pieksämäki, Rautalampi and Toivakka.

There are all together 97 lakes in Hankasalmi. The biggest lakes are Kynsivesi-Leivonvesi, Armisvesi and Kuuhankavesi.

Villages

• Halttula

History

The name Hankasalmi was first mentioned in 1552 when it was a wilderness owned by the Tavastians of Hauho. The settlement has existed at least since 1559. In 1561, it was transferred to the new Rautalampi parish, which was largely settled by Savonians.

Hankasalmi became an independent parish in 1802, but administratively it remained a part of Rautalampi until 1872, when the modern Hankasalmi municipality was formed. Parts of it were also taken from Pieksämäki, Kangasniemi and Laukaa.

Notable individuals

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• Aimo Minkkinen, longtime head of the Tampere Lenin Museum
• Antero Halonen, boxer
• Kaarlo Kartio, actor
• Kalevi Tarvainen, linguist and professor
• Kari Ihalainen, javelin thrower and track and field coach
• Lauri W. Pääkkönen, elementary school teacher and writer
• Matti A. Karjalainen, professor at the Helsinki University of Technology
• Matti Makkonen, politician
• Matti Rutanen, folk artist
• Mika Mölsä, crime journalist and fiction writer
• Niina Mäkinen, ice hockey player
• Onni Haini, journalist and writer
• Onni Pellinen, Olympic wrestler
• Paavo Rautkallio, politician
• Unto Poikolainen, Pesäpallo player
• Vilho Ylönen, cross-country skier and rifle shooter

Twin towns - sister cities

Hankasalmi is twinned with:

• Häädemeeste, Estonia
• Karmøy, Norway
• Mjölby, Sweden