Helsingin Sanomat was launched in 1889 under the original name Päivälehti. A group of Finnish nationalists gathered in Helsinki to establish this newspaper while Finland remained a Grand Duchy under Russian rule.
The Erkko family controlled Helsingin Sanomat as a family business for decades. Eljas Erkko served as both publisher and Finland's foreign minister during the run-up to the Winter War.
Soviet Union officials frequently accused Helsingin Sanomat of being an instrument of US propaganda because the paper declared political independence and non-alignment in 1932. The Soviet Embassy in Helsinki regularly protested against editors for their reporting despite these pressures.
Erja Yläjärvi became the new editor-in-chief of Helsingin Sanomat in August 2023. This appointment followed the resignation of Kaius Niemi who faced legal trouble after being arrested for driving under the influence in April 2023.
The English-language International Edition ran from the 14th of September 1999 until the 26th of October 2012. A Russian-language service operated until the 6th of October 2014 before being discontinued.