Loimaa is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Southwest Finland region. The municipality has a population of 15,773 and covers an area of 851.93 square kilometers of which 3.96 km² is water.

Loimaa’s neighboring municipalities are Huittinen, Humppila, Koski Tl, Marttila, Oripää, Punkalaidun, Pöytyä, Somero, Säkylä and Ypäjä.

History

First mentions of Loimaa come from the year 1439 but a parish was founded in the area already a decade earlier. The town was founded in its current form in 1876 as the railway between Turku and Toijala was completed.

A legend of Prättäkitti is heavily associated with Loimaa.

The town of Loimaa merged with Loimaan kunta (literally “Municipality of Loimaa”) on January 1, 2005 and with the municipalities of Alastaro and Mellilä on January 1, 2009.

Culture

A local speciality is piapo, a version of kama.

Rompepäivät (lit. “junk days”) is an annual event that takes place in August. It brings together trunk show enthusiasts selling both old and new merchandise as well as food and entertainment. The trunk show is located at the historic market square of Loimaa, now known as Peltoinen, and draws in 8,000–10,000 visitors.

The local newspaper is called Loimaan Lehti. It first started publishing in 1915 and today comes out three times a week: Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Subdivisions and villages

Alastaron-Mäenpää, Eura, Haara, Haaroinen, Haitula, Hartoinen, Hattula, Hirvikoski, Hurskala, Ilmarinen, Inkilä, Joenperä, Juva, Karhula, Karsattila, Kartanonmäki, Kauhanoja, Kemppilä, Kesärlä, Klockarla, Koenperä, Kojonkulma, Krekilä, Kuninkainen, Kurittula, Kuttila, Köyliö, Lappijoki, Levälä, Lähde, Metsämaa, Mäenpää, Niemi, Niinijoki, Onkijoki, Pahikainen, Pappinen, Peltoinen, Piltola, Puujalkala, Raikkola, Seppälä, Sieppala, Suopelto, Torkkala, Vesikoski, and Vilvainen.

Sights

Mill of Vesikoski in the shores of river Loimijoki. Visible in the background are old industrial buildings.

• Alpo Jaakola Statue Park
• Heikintalo bison farm
• The church of Loimaa Proper
• Loimaa regional museum
• Mill of Krekilä
• Sarka, The Finnish Museum of Agriculture
• Mill of Vesikoski
• Loimaa railway station

Services 

There are services and apartment buildings in the center of Loimaa, but detached houses start within walking distance of the center. The city center has been somewhat silenced by the rise of supermarkets on the west side of the city center along Highway 9 leading from Turku to Tampere . In autumn 2012, Prisma and Citymarket were opened in the area.

The main health station of Loimaa Health Center is located in the city center. There are also health stations in Alastaro, Mellilä and Hirvikoski. Tyks Loimaa Hospital , maintained by the Hospital District of Southwest Finland , is located in the center on Seppäläntie.

Loimaa’s educational institutions include two secondary schools, Loimaa High School, Loimaa Vocational and Adult College, which consists of several different offices, and Loimaa Evangelical Folk High School . The Loimaa Regional Music College also operates in Loimaa.

Loimaan Lehti is a local newspaper published three times a week, with a circulation of 8,717 in 2010.