Kuopio (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈkuo̯pio]) is a Finnish city and municipality located in the region of Northern Savonia (Pohjois-Savo). It has a population of 118,434, which makes it the ninth-most populous city in Finland. Kuopio has a total area of 4,326.35 square kilometres (1,670.41 sq mi), of which 719.85 km2 (277.94 sq mi) is water and half is forest. Though the city’s population is a spread-out 74/km2 (190/sq mi), the city's urban areas are populated comparably densely (urban area: 1,618 /km²), making Kuopio Finland’s second-most densely populated city.
Since 1969 Kuopio has grown extensively through municipality mergers. Kuopio’s population surpassed 100,000 when the town of Nilsiä joined the city in the beginning of 2013.