Østfold is a traditional region, a former

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

and a current electoral district in southeastern

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

. It borders

Akershus Akershus () is a traditional region and current electoral district in Norway, with Oslo as its main city and traditional capital. It is named after the Akershus Fortress in Oslo. From the middle ages to 1919, Akershus was a fief and main county ...

and southwestern

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

(

Västra Götaland County Västra Götaland County ( sv, Västra Götalands län) is a county or '' län'' on the western coast of Sweden. The county is the second most populous of Sweden's counties and it comprises 49 municipalities (''kommuner''). Its population of 1 ...

and

Värmland Värmland () also known as Wermeland, is a '' landskap'' (historical province) in west-central Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Dalsland, Dalarna, Västmanland, and Närke, and is bounded by Norway in the west. Latin name versions are ''Va ...

), while

Buskerud Buskerud () is a former county and a current electoral district in Norway, bordering Akershus, Oslo, Oppland, Sogn og Fjordane, Hordaland, Telemark and Vestfold. The region extends from the Oslofjord and Drammensfjorden in the southeast to Hardan ...

and

Vestfold Vestfold is a traditional region, a former county and a current electoral district in Eastern Norway. In 2020 the county became part of the much larger county of Vestfold og Telemark. Located on the western shore of the Oslofjord, it bordered th ...

are on the other side of

Oslofjord The Oslofjord (, ; en, Oslo Fjord) is an inlet in the south-east of Norway, stretching from an imaginary line between the and lighthouses and down to in the south to Oslo in the north. It is part of the Skagerrak strait, connecting the Nor ...

. The county's administrative seat was

Sarpsborg Sarpsborg ( or ), historically Borg, is a city and municipality in Viken county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Sarpsborg. Sarpsborg is part of the fifth largest urban area in Norway when paired with neigh ...

. The county controversially became part of the newly established

Viken County Viken may refer to: *Viken, Scandinavia, a historical region *Viken (county), a Norwegian county established in 2020 *Viken, Sweden, a bimunicipal locality in Skåne County, Sweden *Viken (lake), a lake in Sweden, part of the part of the Göta cana ...

on 1 January 2020. Many manufacturing facilities are situated here, such as the world's most advanced

biorefinery A biorefinery is a refinery that converts biomass to energy and other beneficial byproducts (such as chemicals). The International Energy Agency Bioenergy Task 42 defined biorefining as "the sustainable processing of biomass into a spectrum of bio ...

Borregaard Borregaard is a Norwegian company, established in 1889 in the southeastern town of Sarpsborg in Østfold county. Its main products were traditionally pulp and paper. The company later started producing chemicals based on timber as a raw materi ...

Fredrikstad Fredrikstad (; previously ''Frederiksstad''; literally "Fredrik's Town") is a city and municipality in Viken county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Fredrikstad. The city of Fredrikstad was founded in 15 ...

has shipyards. There are granite mines in Østfold and stone from these were used by

Gustav Vigeland Gustav Vigeland (11 April 1869 – 12 March 1943), born as Adolf Gustav Thorsen, was a Norwegian sculptor. Gustav Vigeland occupies a special position among Norwegian sculptors, both in the power of his creative imagination and in his product ...

. The county slogan is "The heartland of Scandinavia". The local dialects are characterized by their geographical proximity to Sweden.

The name

The old name of the

was ''Fold''; ''Østfold'' means 'the region east of the Fold' (see also

). The name was first recorded in 1543; in the Middle Ages the name of the county was ''Borgarsysla'' 'the county/sýsla of the city Borg (now

)'. Later, when Norway was under Danish rule, the Danish king divided the area into many baronies. These were merged into one county (

amt Amt is a type of administrative division governing a group of municipalities, today only in Germany, but formerly also common in other countries of Northern Europe. Its size and functions differ by country and the term is roughly equivalent to ...

) in 1662 - and it was then named ''Smaalenenes Amt'' 'the

consisting of small

len Len or LEN may refer to: People and fictional characters * Len (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Lén, a character from Irish mythology * Alex Len (born 1993), Ukrainian basketball player * Mr. Len, American hip hop DJ *Le ...

'. The name was changed back to ''Østfold'' in 1919.

History

Østfold is among the nation's oldest inhabited regions, with petroglyphs (rock drawings) and burial mounds throughout the area. In the

Viking Age The Viking Age () was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonizing, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. It followed the Migration Period and the Ger ...

, the area was part of

Vingulmark Vingulmark (Old Norse ''Vingulmörk'') is the old name for the area in Norway which today makes up the counties of Østfold, western parts of Akershus (excluding Romerike), and eastern parts of Buskerud (Hurum and Røyken municipalities), and inclu ...

, which in turn was part of

Viken Viken may refer to: *Viken, Scandinavia, a historical region *Viken (county), a Norwegian county established in 2020 *Viken, Sweden, a bimunicipal locality in Skåne County, Sweden *Viken (lake), a lake in Sweden, part of the part of the Göta cana ...

and included Båhuslen (which is now the Swedish province called ''Bohuslän''). It was partly under Danish rule until the time of

Harald Fairhair Harald Fairhair no, Harald hårfagre Modern Icelandic: ( – ) was a Norwegian king. According to traditions current in Norway and Iceland in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, he reigned from 872 to 930 and was the first King of Nor ...

. Later, when Norway was under Danish rule, the Danish king divided the area into many baronies. The barony of ''Heggen og Frøland'', consisting of the municipalities

Askim Askim () is a town and a former municipality in (from January 1, 2020) Indre Østfold Kommune in the former county of Østfold county (from January 1, 2020 a part of Viken county), Norway. The administrative centre of the Askim municipality wa ...

Eidsberg Eidsberg was a municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality was the town of Mysen. In 2020, Eidsberg was absorbed into the Indre Østfold municipality. Eidsberg was established as a municipality on 1 Jan ...

and

Trøgstad Trøgstad is a municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Skjønhaug. The municipality is divided into the parishes of Skjønhaug, Havnås and Båstad. The parish of ''Trygstad'' was ...

, originally belonged to

- but it was transferred to Østfold in 1768. In October 2018, Norwegian archaeologists headed by the archaeologist Lars Gustavsen announced the discovery of a buried long Gjellestad Viking ship. An ancient well-preserved Viking cemetery for more than 1000 years was discovered using ground-penetrating radar. Archaeologists also revealed at least seven other previously unknown burial mounds and the remnants of five longhouses with the help of the radar survey.

Geography

Østfold sits between the

Oslo Fjord The Oslofjord (, ; en, Oslo Fjord) is an inlet in the south-east of Norway, stretching from an imaginary line between the and lighthouses and down to in the south to Oslo in the north. It is part of the Skagerrak strait, connecting the Nor ...

and

. It is dominated by flat landscape with a lot of woodland in the north and along the Swedish border, a major lake system in the central part, and densely populated lowland area along the coast, with a relatively large

archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands, or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands. Examples of archipelagos include: the Indonesian Archi ...

’s longest river, the

Glomma The Glomma, or Glåma, is Norway's longest and most voluminous river. With a total length of , it has a drainage basin that covers fully 13% of Norway's surface area, all in the southern part of the country. Geography At its fullest length, the ...

, flows through the county and out into the Oslo Fjord in

Demography

Most of the county's population is located in the coastal area. The cities of

Moss Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and hor ...

, and

Halden Halden (), between 1665 and 1928 known as Fredrikshald, is both a town and a municipality in Viken county, Norway. The municipality borders Sarpsborg to the northwest, Rakkestad to the north and Aremark to the east, as well as the Swedish muni ...

are situated here, along with some relatively highly populated rural municipalities. Including these coastal cities, Østfold also has another two cities,

and

Mysen Mysen is the administrative center of the municipality of Eidsberg in the county of Østfold in Norway. The town is named after the old farm of Mysen ( Norse ''Mysin'', from ''*Mosvin''), since the town is built on its ground. The first element i ...

Transport and infrastructure

Østfold is located strategically between Oslo and Sweden. The main highway E6 between Oslo and Gothenburg runs as a motorway through the county from the southern border with Sweden and the border with Akershus county. The main highway E18 between Oslo and Stockholm goes through the county from the Swedish border in a southeast-northwest direction. The railway from Oslo to Gothenburg runs roughly parallel with E6, and there is also a railway between Ski and Sarpsborg that covers the inner part. There is no public airport in the county. Moss Airport was one but is now closed. The main airport for Østfold is the

Oslo Airport, Gardermoen Oslo Airport ( no, Oslo lufthavn; ), alternatively referred to as Oslo Gardermoen Airport or simply Gardermoen, is the international airport serving Oslo, Norway, the capital and most populous city in the country. A hub for Flyr, Norse Atlan ...

, with a population of more than 2 million people within two hours distance.

Health care

Aimed at covering general medical needs of Østfold County and estby MunicipalityØstfold Hospital provides medical services, diagnostics, treatment and rehabilitation to the population of the area. Hospitals, clinics or health stations are located in all municipalities of the county.

Municipalities

Østfold had 18 municipalities:

Districts

Kala Kala or Kalah may refer to: Religion Hinduism *Kāla, a Sanskrit word meaning ''time'' *Kāla, a Hindu deity of time, destiny, death and destruction closely related to Yama and Shiva. *Kalā, a Sanskrit word meaning ''performing arts'' * Kala Bo, ...

Skjeberg Skjeberg is a district of Sarpsborg, Østfold County, Norway. Skjeberg was formerly a municipality in Østfold County. The last administrative centre was at Borgenhaugen. As of 2018, Skjeberg has a population of 1,397. The parish of Skjeberg ...

Cities

Parishes

* Aremark * Asak * Askim * Berg * Borge * Båstad * Degernes * Domkirken i Borge, see Vestre Fredrikstad *

* Enningdal * Fredrikshald, see Halden *

* Glemmen * Gressvik * Hafslund * Halden * Heli * Hobøl * Hovin * Hvaler * Hærland * Idd * Ingedal * Kråkerøy * Moss * Onsøy * Os * Rakkestad * Rokke * Rolvsøy * Rygge * Rødenes * Rømskog * Råde * Sarpsborg *

Skiptvet Skiptvet is a municipality in Viken county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Meieribyen. Skiptvet was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see '' formannskapsdistrikt''). General information Na ...

* Skjeberg * Skjebergdalen * Spjærøy (Dypedal) * Spydeberg * St. Peter's * Svinndal * Tom * Tomter * Torsnes * Trøgstad * Trømborg * Tune * Ullerøy (Ullerø) * Varteig * Vestre Fredrikstad * Våler * Østre Fredrikstad * Øymark * Fredrikstad Branch (LDS, 1852–1925) * Fredrikstad (Kristi Menighet, 1893–1914) * Vestre Fredrikstad (Kristi Menighet, 1904–1933) * Halden Branch (LDS, 1854–1949) * Moss Branch (LDS, 1905–1949) * Sarpsborg Branch (LDS, 1931–1949) * Sarpsborg (Metodistkirken, 1840–1923)

Villages

Alshus Alshus is a village in the municipality of Fredrikstad, Norway, situated on the island and former municipality of Kråkerøy. Its population ( SSB 2005) is 1,019. Alshus is placed at the eastern coast of Kråkerøy (directly translated to Crow Isla ...

Borgenhaugen Borgenhaugen is a borough in the city of Sarpsborg, Norway, located east of the city centre. Before 1992, Borgenhaugen was a part of Skjeberg municipality. The old Skjeberg council hall (''rådhus'') is located here Local placenames * Surfellingen ...

Degernes Degernes is a village and parish in Rakkestad municipality in Østfold county, Norway. History Rakkestad was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). It was divided into the parishes of Rakkestad, Degernes, an ...

Elvestad Elvestad is a well-known traffic junction area and a village in the Hobøl municipality in the Østfold county, Norway. It is where the "Riksvei" ( country road route) 120 and Europe Way (European route) E18 cross each other. Riksvei 120 goes be ...

Engalsvik Engelsviken is a village in Fredrikstad municipality, Norway. As of 2003 it is considered by Statistics Norway as a part of the Greater Lervik area. In popular culture In the television show Bones A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes pa ...

Fosby Fosby is the administrative centre of Aremark, Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian P ...

Fuglevik Fuglevik is a village in the municipality of Rygge, Norway. It is located near the Oslofjord, a few kilometres south of Moss Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryoph ...

Glosli Glosli is a village in the eastern part of Fredrikstad municipality, Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost porti ...

* Gressvik *

Greåker Greåker is a borough in the city of Sarpsborg, Norway, located 7 km west of the city centre. Before 1992 Greåker was a part of Tune municipality. It is situated at the river Glomma between Sarpsborg and Fredrikstad. The borough of Greåke ...

Grimstad Grimstad () is a municipality in Agder county, Norway. It belongs to the geographical region of Sørlandet. The administrative center of the municipality is the town of Grimstad. Some of the villages in Grimstad include Eide, Espenes, Fevik, ...

Hafslund Hafslund is a borough located east of the city centre in the city of Sarpsborg, Norway, Before 1992, Hafslund was a part of Skjeberg municipality. The name Hafslund, which is composed of ''Hafr'', the Old Norse name for husband and ''lundr'' mean ...

* Hamnås * Hasle * Hauge *

Heiås Heiås is a village in the municipality of Trøgstad, Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scand ...

Herføl Herføl is a sparsely populated, wooded island in the municipality of Hvaler in Østfold, Norway. The island has an area of 1,9 km² and is designated with postal code 1690. See also *Ytre Hvaler National Park Ytre Hvaler National Par ...

Hærland Hærland is a village in the municipality of Eidsberg, Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Sc ...

Høysand Høysand is a village in Sarpsborg municipality, Norway. Located just south of the village Skjeberg, it is a part of the urban area of the same name, which has a population of 1,919 at the 2006 census. References

Villages in Østfold S ...

Ise Ise may refer to: Places *Ise, Mie, a city in Japan **Ise Grand Shrine, a Shinto shrine located in Ise, Mie *Ise Ekiti, a city in Nigeria *Ise, Norway, a village in Norway *Ise Province, an ancient province of Japan *River Ise, a tributary of the R ...

Isebakke Isebakke is a village in the municipality of Halden, Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandin ...

Jelsnes Jelsnes is a village in Sarpsborg municipality, Norway. Its population is 308. Jelsnes is located in the north of Tunøya, and belonged to Tune municipality before 1992. The mayor of Sarpsborg Sarpsborg ( or ), historically Borg, is a city and m ...

* Kambo *

Karlshus Karlshus village is the administrative centre of the Råde municipality, Norway. Its population is 1,952, with 1,073 residents per km2 (2008).Kirkebygden Kirkebygden is the administrative centre of Våler municipality, Østfold, Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost ...

Knapstad Knapstad is a village in the municipality of Hobøl, Norway. Its population (2005) is 1,133, of which 78 people live within the border of the neighboring municipality Spydeberg Spydeberg was a municipality in former Østfold county, Norway, until ...

Kornsjø Kornsjø is a village in Enningdalen in Halden, Norway on the border to Sweden. The village has 250 residents (2001). At Kornsjø is the border crossing for the railway lines the Østfold Line (Norway) and the Norway/Vänern Line (Sweden). Previou ...

* Korshavn *

Kykkelsrud Kykkelsrud is a village in Askim municipality, Norway. Located a few kilometres west of the town Askim, it is a part of the urban area of the same name, which has a population of 12,570. Kykkelsrud, located on the east bank of the Glomma river, has ...

Larkollen Larkollen is a village in Moss municipality, Norway. Its population is 1,382. Larkollen was the landfall on the main route between Oslo (then called Christiania) and Copenhagen for several centuries. The lee side of the islands Sletter, Eldøy ...

Lervik Lervik is a village in the municipality of Fredrikstad, Norway, located by the Oslofjord The Oslofjord (, ; en, Oslo Fjord) is an inlet in the south-east of Norway, stretching from an imaginary line between the and lighthouses and down to ...

Missingmyr Missingmyr is a village in the municipality of Råde, Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandina ...

Mørkfoss Mørkfoss is a small village in Trøgstad municipality, Viken, Norway. It is located in the southern end of lake Øyeren, at the continuation of Glomma river. Mørkfoss has traces of a dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow ...

Prestebakke Prestebakke is a village in the municipality of Halden in Østfold Østfold is a traditional region, a former county and a current electoral district in southeastern Norway. It borders Akershus and southwestern Sweden (Västra Götaland Coun ...

Ringvoll Ringvoll is a village in the municipality of Hobøl, Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandi ...

Rostadneset Rostadneset is a village in the municipality of Fredrikstad, Norway, north of the city of Fredrikstad in the former municipality Rolvsøy. Its population (Statistics Norway, SSB 2005) is 277. References Villages in Østfold ...

Rygge Rygge was a municipality in Østfold county, Norway. It was merged into Moss municipality on January 1, 2020. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Rygge. Rygge was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see ...

* Rød * Saltnes * Sandbakken *

Sandum Sandum is a village in Rømskog municipality, Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian ...

Sellebakk Sellebakk is a community in the town of Fredrikstad in Norway. It is located in the former municipality Borge, on the eastern bank of Glomma. Lisleby is located to the west. Sellebakk is also sometimes written as Selbak.Skantebygda Skantebygda is a village in Rakkestad municipality, Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandina ...

Skjærhalden Skjærhalden is the administrative centre of Hvaler municipality, Norway. It is located on the island Kirkeøy Kirkeøy is the largest island in the Norwegian municipality of Hvaler. Its name means "church island" and is derived from Hvaler Church ...

* Skjærvika *

Skjønhaug Skjønhaug is a village in the municipality of Trøgstad, Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Sc ...

* Slevik * Slitu *

Solbergfoss Solbergfoss is a small village in Askim municipality, Norway. Located a few miles north of the town Askim on the east bank of the Glomma The Glomma, or Glåma, is Norway's longest and most voluminous river. With a total length of , it has a drain ...

Sponvika Sponvika is a village in Halden municipality, Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian ...

Stikkaåsen Stikkaåsen is a village in Sarpsborg municipality, Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandina ...

Strømsfoss Strømsfoss is a village in Aremark municipality, Norway. Here, the Øymarksjøen- Rødenessjøen-Ara-Aspern-Femsjøen watershed meets the national road between Aremark and Rakkestad as well as the county road between Aremark and Ørje. Strømsfoss ...

Svinesund Svinesund is a sound separating the Swedish municipality of Strömstad in the province of Bohuslän in the county of Västra Götaland from the Norwegian municipality of Halden in the county of Viken. Two bridges, the old and new Svinesund Bri ...

* Svinndal *

Tistedalen Tistedalen is a part of Halden in Østfold Østfold is a traditional region, a former county and a current electoral district in southeastern Norway. It borders Akershus and southwestern Sweden ( Västra Götaland County and Värmland), wh ...

Tomter Tomter is a village in Indre Østfold municipality in the county of Viken, Norway. As of 2022, Tomter has 2108 inhabitants. It is the largest village in the former Hobøl municipality, now part of Indre Østfold. Tomter is situated approximately ...

Tosebygda Tosebygda is a village in the municipality of Trøgstad, Norway. It is located at in the western part of the municipality, between Askim and Skjønhaug Skjønhaug is a village in the municipality of Trøgstad, Norway Norway, officially ...

Trømborg Trømborg is a small village in the municipality of Eidsberg, Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of t ...

Ullerøy Ullerøy is a peninsula and urban area in the municipality of Sarpsborg in Østfold, Norway. As of 2009, the population was 363. Before 1992 Ullerøy was a part of Skjeberg municipality. Ullerøy Church Ullerøy Church (''Ullerøy kirke'') was fi ...

Utgård Utgård is a village on the island Vesterøy in Hvaler municipality, Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost port ...

Varteig Varteig is a village in Sarpsborg and a former municipality in Østfold County, Norway. Summary Varteig is located north of the city of Sarpsborg and east of the Glomma river. Varteig was part of the Tune municipality until 1861. It was designat ...

Våk Våk is a village in the municipality of Våler, Østfold, Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of th ...

* Yven *

Ørje Ørje is the administrative centre of Marker municipality, Norway, not far from the Swedish border. Its population (2013) is 1,881. Ørje was founded in the 1880s around a timber-processing mill. Engebret Soot had built the first Norwegian cana ...

Ørmen Ørmen is a village in the municipality of Fredrikstad, Norway. In the past, the village was also a train station on the Østfold Line. The station was opened on 1 October 1914 although passenger service ended 1 April 1957. The station then func ...

* Øyenkilen * Årum

Former Municipalities

Berg Berg may refer to: People *Berg (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) *Berg Ng (born 1960), Hong Kong actor * Berg (footballer) (born 1989), Brazilian footballer Former states *Berg (state), county and duchy of the Holy ...

* Borge *

Glemmen Glemmen is a parish and former municipality with the city of Fredrikstad, Østfold county, Norway. History The parish of ''Glemminge'' was established as a municipality 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). A part of Glemmen with 2,013 inhabi ...

Idd Idd is a parish and former municipality in Halden, Østfold county, Norway. The parish of ''Id'' was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). The rural municipality was (together with Berg) merged with the city o ...

Jeløy Jeløy (until 1920 named ''Moss herred'' - ''Moss rural district'') was a former municipality in Østfold county, Norway. Jeløy was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). It was merged with the urban municipali ...

Kråkerøy Kråkerøy is an island and a former municipality in Viken county, Norway. The island of Kråkerøy was separated from Glemmen as a municipality of its own January 1, 1908. At that time Kråkerøy had a population of 3,311. The rural municipality ...

Onsøy Onsøy is a peninsula and a former municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre was Gressvik. History The parish of ''Onsø'' was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). A part of Onsøy w ...

Rolvsøy Rolvsøy is a village, an island, and a former municipality in Viken county, Norway. It was created by a split from Tune on 1 January 1911. At that time Rolvsøy had a population of 2,381. On 1 January 1994 Rolvsøy was incorporated into the mu ...

Rødenes Rødenes is a former municipality in the former Østfold county, Norway. The parish of ''Rødenæs'' was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). The district of Rømskog was separated from Rødenes as a municip ...

Torsnes Torsnes is a former municipality in Østfold county, Norway. It is the site of Torsnes Church (''Torsnes kirke''). History Torsnes was created by a split from Borge on 1 January 1910. At that time Torsnes had a population of 1,538. On 1 January ...

* Tune *

Øymark Øymark is a former municipality now located in Marker municipality in Østfold county, Norway. Øymark was originally a part of Aremark formannskapsdistrikt (from 1837), but on 1 July 1903 Øymark was separated from Aremark to form a separate ...

Coat of arms

The coat of arms is from modern times (1958). The lines represent sunrays at

sunrise Sunrise (or sunup) is the moment when the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon in the morning. The term can also refer to the entire process of the solar disk crossing the horizon and its accompanying atmospheric effects. Terminology Al ...

in the

east East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fa ...

. (See above under the name.) They also represent the worship of the

Sun The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is a nearly perfect ball of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core. The Sun radiates this energy mainly as light, ultraviolet, and infrared radi ...

in the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

(depicted in several

rock carvings A petroglyph is an image created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, or abrading, as a form of rock art. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions ...

found in the county).

Notable people

Roald Amundsen Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen (, ; ; 16 July 1872 – ) was a Norwegian explorer of polar regions. He was a key figure of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. Born in Borge, Østfold, Norway, Amundsen bega ...

(1872–1928) - Explorer of polar regions *

Berit Ås Berit Ås (born ''Skarpaas'', 10 April 1928 in Fredrikstad, Norway) is a Norwegian politician, psychologist, and feminist, who is currently Professor Emerita of social psychology at the University of Oslo. She was the first leader of the Social ...

- Politician, professor and feminist. *

Thea Foss Thea Christiansen Foss (8 June 1857 – 7 June 1927) was the founder of Foss Launch and Tug Company, Foss Maritime, the largest tugboat company in the western United States. She was the real-life person on which the fictional character "Tugboat ...

(1857–1927) - founder of Foss Maritime *

Hans Nielsen Hauge Hans Nielsen Hauge (3 April 1771 – 29 March 1824) was a 19th-century Norwegian Lutheran lay minister, spiritual leader, business entrepreneur, social reformer and author. He led a noted Pietism revival known as the Haugean movement. Hauge is also ...

- (3 April 1771 – 29 March 1824) - Lay preacher * Peder Christian Hjorth - (1792-1855) - Norwegian politician *

Egil Olsen Egil Roger Olsen (born 22 April 1942), nicknamed Drillo, is a Norwegian football manager and former footballer. He is best known as a highly successful manager of the Norway national football team. He has since been manager of the Iraq national ...

- Norwegian Football coach. *

Karl Ouren Karl Ouren (February 5, 1882 – January 3, 1943) was an American artist best known for his paintings of Norwegian landscapes and scenes, particularly those featuring winter and snow. Background Karl Peter Andreas Ouren was born in Halden, i ...

(1882–1943) - Norwegian-American artist *

Petter Solberg Petter Solberg (born 18 November 1974) is a Norwegian former professional rally and rallycross driver. Solberg debuted in the World Rally Championship in 1998 and was signed by the Ford factory team in 1999. The following year, Solberg started ...

- Rally driver *

Nils Otto Tank Nils Otto Tank (March 11, 1800 – May 4, 1864) was a Norwegian born, Moravian Church missionary and teacher. He was a pioneer settler in Wisconsin. Background Nils Otto Tank was born near Halden in Østfold, Norway. He was the son of a wealthy ...

(1800–1864) -

Moravian Church The Moravian Church ( cs, Moravská církev), or the Moravian Brethren, formally the (Latin: "Unity of the Brethren"), is one of the oldest Protestantism, Protestant Christian denomination, denominations in Christianity, dating back to the Bohem ...

religious leader *

Harald Zwart Harald Zwart (born 1 July 1965) is a Dutch-Norwegian film director. Life and career Although born in the Netherlands, Zwart was raised in Fredrikstad, Norway. By age eight, he had started making short films. He attended the Dutch Film Academy in ...

- Movie director and producer

External links

Østfold fylke website (in Norwegian and English)

Statistics and basic interpretation regarding Østfold (in Norwegian)

Excavation of longhouse from the Roman Iron Age

References

;Notes {{DEFAULTSORT:Ostfold Former counties of Norway 2020 disestablishments in Norway Populated places disestablished in 2020 States and territories disestablished in 2020