There are at least 15 communities in the United States that are paired with municipalities in Finland as “Sister Cities” in cultural exchange.
Several are members of the official Sister Cities International program. Sister Cities International was founded by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956 to strengthen global relationships and encourage cultural, educational and humanitarian exchanges.
Cities that currently are paired in the formal Sister Cities program, or informally in Finland and the U.S. include:
Members of Sister Cities International
- Espoo and Irving, Texas
- Järvenpää and Pasadena, California
- Kuopio and Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Rauma and Boynton Beach, Florida
- Salo and St. Anthony, Minnesota
- Vaasa and Bellingham, Washington
Other sister city affiliations
- Hanko and Canterbury, Connecticut
- Jakobstad and Jamestown, New York
- Kajaani and Marquette, Michigan
- Kokkola and Fitchburg, Massachusetts
- Lappeenranta and Lake Worth, Florida
- Lapua and Lantana, Florida
- Porvoo and Hancock, Michigan
- Rovaniemi and Cadillac, Michigan
- Tampere and Syracuse, New York
If you know of others, please contact me with the information at kathusitalo @ mac.com so that they can be added.
Sources include SISTERCITIES.ORG, Sister Cities of the World, WIKIPEDIA
Marquette, Michigan and Kajaani, Finland have been “Sister Cities” since July 30, 1997. Marquette is in the Upper Peninsula on the Lake Superior shore, and Kajaani is in the heart of Finland in the Kainuu province, about 370 miles north of Helsinki. The Peter White Library in Marquette has displays about its Sister City of Kajaani, Finland as well as objects from its other Sister City, Higashiomi, Japan.
