In Sweden, Haparanda border to the municipalities of Övertorneå to the north and Kalix to the west.

Haparanda is located on the western side of where the Torne River discharges into the Gulf of Bothnia. On the other side of the river lies the Finn town Tornio (or i in Swedish). Haparanda and Tornio have a treaty of twin towering, and call themselves EuroCity.

When Sweden lost Finland in 1809, the borders were drawn along the rivers of Tornio and Muonio, thus separating Tornio and Haparanda between a national border. The relationships between the neighbouring towns have however always been friendly.

Haparanda was made a city of merchancy (i) in 1821, and received its charted in 1842.

An IKEA department store will open in the town in the winter 2006