Äänekoski is a town in Finland. It is located in the Central Finland region, about 45 kilometres (28 mi) north of Jyväskylä. The town has a population of 17,971 and covers an area of 1,138.39 square kilometres (439.53 sq mi) of which 253.84 km2 (98.01 sq mi) is water. The population density is 20.32 inhabitants per square kilometre (52.6/sq mi).