Võhma

Võhma
Võhma town hall, former fire station
Võhma town hall, former fire station
Võhma is located in Estonia
Võhma
Võhma
Location in Estonia
Coordinates: 58°37′59″N 25°33′00″E / 58.633°N 25.550°E / 58.633; 25.550
CountryEstonia
CountyViljandi County
MunicipalityPõhja-Sakala Parish
Population
 (2026)[1]
 • Total
1,219
 • Rank39th
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)

Võhma is a town in Põhja-Sakala Parish, Viljandi County, central Estonia.

History

The settlement dates to the sixteenth century. The German-language name of the town was Wöchma. It began to grow when a railway station, located on the Tallinn - Viljandi railway line operated by Elron (rail transit), opened in 1899. Võhma was named a borough in 1945 and a town in 1993.[2] In the period from 1928 to 1996 it was largely known for its slaughterhouse. The closure of the slaughterhouse caused a spike in unemployment, but the town has somewhat rebounded since then.

During the Cold War it was home to Võhma air base. It was located 4km north of Võhma, in Ollepa.[3]

Notable residents

  • Riho Lahi (1904–1995), writer, journalist and cartoonist.
  • Heiki Raudla (born 1949), educator, cartoonist and politician; Mayor of Viljandi, 1991 to 1992
  • Jarmo Ahjupera (born 1984), footballer, played about 200 games and 22 for Estonia

References

  1. ↑ "Population by sex, age group and place of residence after the 2017 administrative reform, 1 January". Statistics Estonia. Retrieved 2021-12-27.
  2. ↑ "Võhma linn - Põhja-Sakala vald". failid.pohja-sakala.ee. Retrieved 2026-08-08.
  3. ↑ "Võhma (Ollepa) lennuväli - Eesti Sõjaajaloo Andmebaas". db.esap.ee. Retrieved 2026-08-08.