Klaukkala

Klaukkala (ˈklɑu̯ˌkːɑlɑ; Klövskog ˈklø̂ːvskuːɡ, ˈkløːvskuːɡ) is the southern-most urban area (taajama) of the Nurmijärvi municipality in Uusimaa, Finland, located near Lake Valkjärvi. It is the largest urban area in Nurmijärvi, and despite the fact that it officially has the status of a village, it's often mistakenly thought to be a separate town due to its size and structure. In the 2010s, Klaukkala's urban area grew to be part of the larger Helsinki urban area. Klaukkala has a population of over 20,000 and is the fastest-growing area of Nurmijärvi; almost half of the total population of the municipality lives in Klaukkala. Its population began to rise in the 1960s, when it surpassed the church village of Nurmijärvi. In the 1970s, Klaukkala also grew larger than Rajamäki, which until then was the largest of Nurmijärvi's villages. At that time, Klaukkala's population was over 2,500. Klaukkala has significant migration mainly from the Helsinki conurbation; being a rural village a half-hour's drive away from the Helsinki centre, it especially attracts families with children. Unfortunately, due to the enormous population growth, the village is also infamous for its growing traffic, which causes local problems at the mornings and afternoons. In the early 2000s, many detached houses were built in Klaukkala, but the situation has changed as up to three-quarters of the new houses are apartment, terraced and semi-detached houses. The name of Klaukkala in Finnish is based on the name of the house, which in turn includes the name of the early host of the house, a variant of the name of Nikolaus, as well as Klaus, Klavus and Klåvus in Swedish. The name of the house is originally Finnish and its host is called "Klaukka". The names of the village used in history include Klöckeskoogh in 1527, Klockskoby in 1540, Klöckeskoby in 1544, Klauko in 1710 and Klaukala Hemmi in 1835. The name Klaukkala was officially established in 1866. In the present-day Swedish name, Klövskog, the first part klöv means hoof and the second part skog means forest.