Zircons from six samples collected from igneous and metamorphic rocks were dated using the NORDSIM ion microprobe, in order to investigate the tectonic evolution of the Palaeoproterozoic Svecofennian Orogen in southwestern Finland. These rocks represent pre-collisional, collisional and post-collisional stages of the orogeny. The ion microprobe results reveal two age groups of granodioritic-tonalitic rocks. The intrusions have different tectonic settings: the Orijärvi granodiorite represents pre-collisional 1.91-1.88 Ga island-arc-related magmatism and yielded an age of 1898 ± 9 Ma, whereas the collision-related Masku tonalite was dated at 1854 ± 18 Ma. The latter age accords with more accurate previous conventional zircon age data and constrains the emplacement age of collisional granitoids to ≈ 1.87 Ga. This is interpreted to reflect the collision between the Southern Svecofennian Arc Complex with the Central Svecofennian Arc complex and the formation of a suture zone between them during D2 deformation. Granulite facies metamorphism in the Turku area was dated at 1824 + 5 Ma using zircons from leucosome in the Lemu metapelite. This age constrains D3 folding related to post-collisional crustal shortening in this area. Crustal melting continued until ≈ 1.81 Ga, as indicated by the youngest leucosome zircons and metamorphic rims of enderbite zircons. New metamorphic zircon growth took place in older granitoids at granulite facies, but not at amphibolite facies. Detrital zircons with ages between 2.91 and 1.97 Ga were found in the mesosome of the Lemu metapelite and 2.64-1.93 Ga inherited cores were found in the 1.87 Ga Masku tonalite. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.