Oulainen is a town and a municipality of Finland, founded in 1865. It received township rights in 1977.

It is located in the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of 7,152 and covers an area of 597.53 square kilometres of which 10.01 km². Neighbouring municipalities are Alavieska, Haapavesi, Merijärvi, Pyhäjoki, Raahe and Ylivieska.

The municipality is unilingually Finnish. The municipality has previously also been known as “Oulais” in Swedish documents, but is today referred to as “Oulainen” also in Swedish.

In addition to the town center, the municipality includes the villages of Kilpua, Lehtopää, Matkaniva, Petäjäskoski, Piipsjärvi and Honkaranta.

Attractions 

• The state of Väinölä
• The world’s hub
• Rumakivi

Food culture 

Oulaisten pitäjäruoiksi was named in the 1980s piimävellin like huituvelli , little meat or diced beef in the oven, as well as hernetuuvinki and pottuvoi or mashed potatoes . 

Nature 

The city of Oulainen is located in the transition zone of Central and Northern Ostrobothnia. The city ‘s landscape is dominated by flat and wooded moraine and marshes . 

The bedrock is of varying rock species composition. the northern part of the area is predominantly granite . Dark black gabbro and diabase occur near Pyhäjoki . Diabase, the so-called Oulainen’s black granite has been mined as a monument and building stone, which has been used e.g. Finlandia Hall in Helsinki . There is gneiss and mica in the southern parts of the city . 

The most important waterway is the Pyhäjoki River, which flows from the east to the west across the city. 940 meters long and 6.2 meters high Oulaistenkoski, Vääräkoski and Hirsikoski. The coat of arms of Oulainen tells of a time when Pyhäjoki was a significant crab river and Oulainen a center for crab fishing and trade. However, the eruption of the river and the crab plague raging in the area in the 1960s almost completely destroyed the river’s crab population. The most significant tributaries of the Pyhäjoki River are Vaikonoja and Piipsanjoki. The lakes to be mentioned are Piipsjärvi and Likalanjärvi..

There are few bogs in Oulu compared to many surrounding communities. In contrast, boggy forests account for almost 40 percent of the land area. Bogs is more than half of the peatland area, but also bogs are found. Lingonberry-type pine forests are predominant in the eastern parts of the city, but the proportion of spruce is increasing to the west.

The largest employers

• The city of Oulainen
• Oulaskangas Hospital 
• Taukokangas Rehabilitation Center (about 100 people)
• Oulu University of Applied Sciences
• River Valley Education Association
• Oulainen Transport
• construction company Lehto Group 
• Sievin Jalkine , Oulainen factory 
• SSAB , Oulainen factory 
• Track Sport , supplier of sports arenas 
• Junnikkala Oy, Oulainen sawmill 
• Rakennusliike Sorvoja Oy
• Vattenfall