This is a list of towns and cities in Norway. The Norwegian language word means a town or city–there is no distinction between the two words as there is in English. Historically, the designation of town/city was granted by the king, but since 1996 that authority was given to the local municipal councils for each municipality in Norway. In Norway today, there are 108 towns/cities, but they have no legal authority or powers and they are not an administrative body, it is simply a designation. All local government rests with the municipality which may or may not have a town/city located within it.

History Historically, the words (market town), (small seaport), or were used for a town or city. Each of these were granted certain special rights based on their classification and they did hold administrative authority within their borders. A ladested was subordinate to a kjøpstad and over time some of the ladesteds were "upgraded" to the status of kjøpstad in order to gain more trading rights. In 1665, Norway had 20 towns. There were 9 full market towns (kjøpstad): Bergen, Oslo, Trondheim, Tønsberg, Stavanger, Skien, Fredrikstad, Halden, and Kristiansand. There were two mountain towns {bergstad): Kongsberg and Røros. There were 9 market seaports (ladested): Larvik, Moss, Porsgrunn, Molde, Kragerø, Risør, Holmestrand, Mandal, and Drammen (which was actually 2 towns: Bragernes and Strømsø). All of the ladested places on this list were later upgraded to kjøpstads. During the 1800s, urbanization took hold in Norway and many new towns/cities were added. The special trading rights for towns/cities were abolished in 1857.

In 1946, Norwegian municipalities were each assigned a municipality number, a four-digit codes based on ISO 3166-2:NO. Towns/cities got a municipality number in which the third digit was a zero and rural municipalities were given other numbers. In 1952 the special classifications of for towns/cities (kjøpstad, bergstad, and ladested) were entirely rescinded from the law and replaced by the simple classification of . Starting on 1 January 1965, the government's focus was moved from the individual towns/cities to their corresponding municipalities. All Norwegian towns/cities and rural municipalities were classified as either a (urban municipality) or (rural municipality). This distinction was rescinded by The Local Government Act of 1992.

Between 1960 and 1965 many Norwegian municipalities were merged. For instance when the urban Brevik Municipality merged with both the urban Porsgrunn Municipality and the rural Eidanger Municipality, the new municipality was also called Porsgrunn Municipality and it kept the municipality number for Porsgrunn. As a result, Brevik was no longer considered an urban municipality/town. On another note, when the urban Hønefoss Municipality was merged with the rural Hole Municipality, Norderhov Municipality, Tyristrand Municipality, and Ådal Municipality to form the new Ringerike Municipality, Ringerike retained the old municipality number of Hønefoss Municipality meaning that it retained its town/city status. The same thing happened to Egersund and Florø.

Before 1996, the city status was awarded by the king and Government through the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development. Since then, the status of town/city is decided by each municipal council and then it is formally accepted by the state. Since 1997, a municipality must have a minimum of 5,000 inhabitants in order to declare city status for one of its settlements. In 1999, the municipal council of Bardu Municipality declared city status for Setermoen, only to be rejected because the municipality fell short of the population limit. One exception is Honningsvåg in Nordkapp Municipality, where the municipality actually has less than 5,000 inhabitants but declared city status before the limit was implemented by law in 1997.

Because of the new laws in 1996-1997, Norway witnessed a rapid rise in the number of cities after that time. A number of relatively small settlements are now called by, such as Brekstad with 1,828 inhabitants and Kolvereid with 1,448 inhabitants. Among the cities of today which got this status before 1996, Tvedestrand with 1,983 inhabitants is the smallest. On another note, the laws of 1996 allowed some settlements which lost their city status in the 1960s to regain it.

Oslo, founded in the 11th century, is the largest city and also the capital of Norway. Oslo is the only city in Norway that is consolidated with its municipality and county, thus the city of Oslo, Oslo Municipality, and Oslo County are all one unified unit of government.

Cities and towns in Norway

City Municipality County Town status YearTypeAssigned by Alta Alta Municipality Finnmark 2000 Kommunestyre Arendal Arendal Municipality Agder LadestedKjøpstad Christian IVFrederik IV Askim Indre Østfold Municipality Østfold 1996 Kommunestyre Bardufoss Målselv Municipality Troms 2021 Kommunestyre Bergen Bergen Municipality Vestland 1070 Kjøpstad Olav Kyrre Bodø Bodø Municipality Nordland 1816 Kjøpstad Karl II Brekstad Ørland Municipality Trøndelag 2005 Kommunestyre Brevik Porsgrunn Municipality Telemark 1845–19632009 Kjøpstad Oscar IKommunestyre Brumunddal Ringsaker Municipality Innlandet 2010 Kommunestyre Bryne Time Municipality Rogaland 2001 Kommunestyre Brønnøysund Brønnøy Municipality Nordland 1923–19632000 Ladested Haakon VIIKommunestyre Drammen Drammen Municipality Buskerud 1811 Kjøpstad Frederik VI Drøbak Frogn Municipality Akershus 1842–19612006 Kjøpstad Karl III JohanKommunestyre Egersund Eigersund Municipality Rogaland 1798 Ladested Christian VII Elverum Elverum Municipality Innlandet 1996 Kommunestyre Fagernes Nord-Aurdal Municipality Innlandet 2007 Kommunestyre Farsund Farsund Municipality Agder 1795 Ladested Christian VII Fauske Fauske Municipality Nordland 1998 Kommunestyre Finnsnes Senja Municipality Troms 2000 Kommunestyre Flekkefjord Flekkefjord Municipality Agder 1842 Kjøpstad Karl III Johan Florø Kinn Municipality Vestland 1860 Ladested Karl IV Fosnavåg Herøy Municipality Møre og Romsdal 2000 Kommunestyre Fredrikstad Fredrikstad Municipality Østfold 1567 Kjøpstad Frederik II Førde Sunnfjord Municipality Vestland 1997 Kommunestyre Gjøvik Gjøvik Municipality Innlandet 1861 Kjøpstad Karl IV Grimstad Grimstad Municipality Agder LadestedKjøpstad Christian VIIKarl II Halden Halden Municipality Østfold 1665 Kjøpstad Frederik III Hamar Hamar Municipality Innlandet 1848 KjøpstadKjøpstad Harald HardrådeOscar I Hammerfest Hammerfest Municipality Finnmark 1789 Kjøpstad Christian VII Harstad Harstad Municipality Troms 1904 Ladested Oscar II Haugesund Haugesund Municipality Rogaland LadestedKjøpstad Oscar IKarl IV Hokksund Øvre Eiker Municipality Buskerud 2002 Kommunestyre Holmestrand Holmestrand Municipality Vestfold 17441752 LadestedKjøpstad Christian VIFrederik V Honningsvåg Nordkapp Municipality Finnmark 1996 Kommunestyre Horten Horten Municipality Vestfold LadestedKjøpstad Oscar IHaakon VII Hønefoss Ringerike Municipality Buskerud 1852 Kjøpstad Oscar I Jessheim Ullensaker Municipality Akershus 2012 Kommunestyre Jørpeland Strand Municipality Rogaland 1998 Kommunestyre Kirkenes Sør-Varanger Municipality Finnmark 1998 Kommunestyre Kolvereid Nærøysund Municipality Trøndelag 2002 Kommunestyre Kongsberg Kongsberg Municipality Buskerud BergstadKjøpstad Christian IVChristian VII Kongsvinger Kongsvinger Municipality Innlandet 1854 Kjøpstad Oscar I Kopervik Karmøy Municipality Rogaland 1866–19641996 Ladested Karl IVKommunestyre Kragerø Kragerø Municipality Telemark 1666 Kjøpstad Frederik III Kristiansand Kristiansand Municipality Agder 1641 Kjøpstad Christian IV Kristiansund Kristiansund Municipality Møre og Romsdal 1742 Kjøpstad Christian VI Langesund Bamble Municipality Telemark 1765–19631997 Ladested Frederik VKommunestyre Larvik Larvik Municipality Vestfold 1671 Kjøpstad Christian V Leirvik Stord Municipality Vestland 1997 Kommunestyre Leknes Vestvågøy Municipality Nordland 2002 Kommunestyre Levanger Levanger Municipality Trøndelag 1836–19611997 Kjøpstad Karl III JohanKommunestyre Lillehammer Lillehammer Municipality Innlandet 1827 Kjøpstad Karl III Johan Lillesand Lillesand Municipality Agder 1821–19611996 Ladested Karl III JohanKommunestyre Lillestrøm Lillestrøm Municipality Akershus 1997 Kommunestyre Lyngdal Lyngdal Municipality Agder 2001 Kommunestyre Mandal Lindesnes Municipality Agder 1921 Kjøpstad Haakon VII Mo i Rana Rana Municipality Nordland 1923–19631997 Ladested Haakon VIIKommunestyre Moelv Ringsaker Municipality Innlandet 2010 Kommunestyre Molde Molde Municipality Møre og Romsdal 1742 Kjøpstad Christian VI Mosjøen Vefsn Municipality Nordland 1875–19611998 Ladested Oscar IIKommunestyre Moss Moss Municipality Østfold 1720 Kjøpstad Frederik IV Mysen Indre Østfold Municipality Østfold 1997 Kommunestyre Måløy Kinn Municipality Vestland 2004 Kommunestyre Namsos Namsos Municipality Trøndelag 1845 Ladested Oscar I Narvik Narvik Municipality Nordland 1902 Kjøpstad Oscar II Notodden Notodden Municipality Telemark 1913 Kjøpstad Haakon VII Odda Ullensaker Municipality Vestland 2004 Kommunestyre Orkanger Orkland Municipality Trøndelag 2014 Kommunestyre Oslo Oslo Municipality Oslo 1048 Kjøpstad Harald Hardråde Otta Sel Municipality Innlandet 2000 Kommunestyre Porsgrunn Porsgrunn Municipality Telemark LadestedKjøpstad Frederik IIIKarl III Johan Raufoss Vestre Toten Municipality Innlandet 2019 Kommunestyre Risør Risør Municipality Agder LadestedKjøpstad Christian IVFrederik IV Rjukan Tinn Municipality Telemark 1996 Kommunestyre Røros Røros Municipality Trøndelag 1646 Bergstad Christian IV Rørvik Nærøysund Municipality Trøndelag 2020 Kommunestyre Sandefjord Sandefjord Municipality Vestfold 1845 Kjøpstad Oscar I Sandnes Sandnes Municipality Rogaland 1860 Ladested Karl IV Sandnessjøen Alstahaug Municipality Nordland 1999 Kommunestyre Sandvika Bærum Municipality Akershus 2003 Kommunestyre Sarpsborg Sarpsborg Municipality Østfold 1016 Kjøpstad Olav II Sauda Sauda Municipality Rogaland 1999 Kommunestyre Ski Nordre Follo Municipality Akershus 2004 Kommunestyre Skien Skien Municipality Telemark 1358 Kjøpstad Hákon VI Magnússon Skudeneshavn Karmøy Municipality Rogaland 1857–19641996 Ladested Oscar IKommunestyre Sortland Sortland Municipality Nordland 1997 Kommunestyre Stathelle Bamble Municipality Telemark 1774–19631997 Ladested Christian VIIKommunestyre Stavanger Stavanger Municipality Rogaland 1125 Kjøpstad Sigurd Jorsalfare Stavern Larvik Municipality Vestfold 1943–19881999 Kjøpstad Haakon VIIKommunestyre Steinkjer Steinkjer Municipality Trøndelag 1857 Ladested Oscar I Stjørdalshalsen Stjørdal Municipality Trøndelag 1997 Kommunestyre Stokmarknes Hadsel Municipality Nordland 2000 Kommunestyre Svelvik Drammen Municipality Buskerud 1845 Ladested Oscar I Svolvær Vågan Municipality Nordland 1918–1964 1996 Ladested Haakon VIIKommunestyre Tromsø Tromsø Municipality Troms 1794 Kjøpstad Christian VII Trondheim Trondheim Municipality Trøndelag 997 Kjøpstad Olav Tryggvason Tvedestrand Tvedestrand Municipality Agder 1836–19601997 Ladested Karl III JohanKommunestyre Tynset Tynset Municipality Innlandet 2020 Kommunestyre Tønsberg Tønsberg Municipality Vestfold Kjøpstad Unknown Ulsteinvik Ulstein Municipality Møre og Romsdal 2000 Kommunestyre Vadsø Vadsø Municipality Finnmark 1833 Kjøpstad Karl III Johan Vardø Vardø Municipality Finnmark 1789 Kjøpstad Christian VII Verdalsøra Verdal Municipality Trøndelag 1998 Kommunestyre Vinstra Nord-Fron Municipality Innlandet 2013 Kommunestyre Åkrehamn Karmøy Municipality Rogaland 2002 Kommunestyre Ålesund Ålesund Municipality Møre og Romsdal LadestedKjøpstad Karl III JohanOscar I Åndalsnes Rauma Municipality Møre og Romsdal 1996 Kommunestyre Åsgårdstrand Horten Municipality Vestfold 1650–19642010 Ladested Frederik IIIKommunestyre Notes: Former towns