Marupe Municipality
9 km from Riga, just outside the airport. Medieval Mary's Mills became a logistics hub. City status (2022) after absorbing Babīte. Population 21,500+.
Mārupe exists because Riga International Airport does. The airport sits just outside town boundaries, 9 km from Riga's center. Every flight in and out of Latvia passes over this municipality.
The name derives from the Mārupīte—"Mara's river," a Daugava tributary where the historic Maras (Mary's) Mills once ground grain for the Riga Cathedral chapter. Medieval merchants and Teutonic knights traveled these routes centuries before airport construction.
The 2021 reform expanded Mārupe by absorbing Babīte Municipality. In 2022, the town received city status—recognition that suburb had become urban. Population now exceeds 21,500 across the municipality. The largest employers are logistics companies: road transport (Kreiss), auto parts distribution (Inter Cars Latvija), electronics wholesalers.
Mārupe attracts families seeking green space near Riga's amenities—the classic suburban bargain. By 2026, its future depends on two factors: Riga Airport's traffic and whether suburban development patterns hold as remote work reshapes commuting. Either way, the planes will keep flying over Mary's river.