In 1967 the "City of Haparanda" was merged with the rural municipalities Karl Gustav and Nedertorneå.

However, it prefers to use the title stad ("city") for the whole territory, including the non-urban parts.

Haparanda Municipality is located on the western side of where the Torne River discharges into the Bay of Bothnia.

Although Haparanda has a boat harbor, it is not accessible for larger vessels and is not, as often thought, the Baltic Sea's northernmost port, that honor most probably belonging to Töre further west on the Swedish coast.

[7] Haparanda has a high degree of people of foreign background since records were kept in 2002, mainly a result of cross-border connections with Tornio and Finland.