Kokemäki

It is believed that the Iron Age town of Teljä was located next to the Kokemäenjoki river at Kokemäki. The oldest stone carving yet found in Finland, dated at 8,000 to 9,000 years old, was discovered in nearby Huittinen in 1903. The 10 cm elk's head is in a permanent exhibition at the National Museum of Finland in the capital, Helsinki. Archeological finds from in and around Kokemäki have been dated to the Middle Ages.

Kokemäki is thought to have been founded in the 12th century, maybe even earlier. The Kokemäki parish was established in 1324. While part of the Kingdom of Sweden, the administrative area (slottslän) of Kumogård (Kokemäenkartano) was created in 1331. Kokemäki served as the administrative centre of the historical province of Satakunta until 1634. The Medieval Kokemäki Castle was demolished in 1367.

The medieval trading route of Huovintie goes from Turku, by Kokemäki and the river of Kokemäenjoki. Along the Huovintie were guild houses where travellers could stay overnight. This was located near the Kokemäki church.

The legend states that in 1156 Bishop Henry of Uppsala visited Satakunta on a preaching tour as a part of Eric IX of Sweden's first crusade to Finland. St. Henry's Chapel is a neogothic style brick chapel one kilometre east of the town centre of Kokemäki. The chapel was built in 1857 on the site of a medieval wooden granary which was used by Bishop Henry. It is possible that the original building dates back to between the 12th and 15th century, making it the oldest remaining wooden building in Finland.

Kokemäki was granted a town charter in 1869.

During the Revolution of 1918 some one-hundred-fifty-three individuals were killed in the municipality of Kokemäki.

The municipality of Kauvatsa was merged with Kokemäki in 1969. Kokemäki was granted city status in 1977.