The municipality was founded in 1876.Utsjoki have two official languages: Finnish and Northern Sami. It is the municipality in Finland with the largest portion of Sami speakers; 46.6% of the population.
The border to Norway follows the river Teno which flows into the Arctic Sea. The river is a popular site for recreational fishing because it is rich in salmon. The most northern village in Finland and in the European Union is Nuorgam which is also the most northern land border crossing in the world.
Utsjoki is the northern end of highway 4, the longest highway in Finland. The European route E75 runs along the Sami Bridge further to Norway
