Kristiansand Region ( no, Kristiansandregionen) is a statistical metropolitan region in
Agder
Agder is a county (''fylke'') and traditional region in the southern part of Norway. The county was established on 1 January 2020, when the old Vest-Agder and Aust-Agder counties were merged. Since the early 1900s, the term Sørlandet ("south ...
county in southern
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 is centered on the city of
Kristiansand
Kristiansand is a seaside resort city and municipality in Agder county, Norway. The city is the fifth-largest and the municipality the sixth-largest in Norway, with a population of around 112,000 as of January 2020, following the incorporation ...
. The region consist of six municipalities in the centre of
Southern Norway
Southern Norway ( no, Sørlandet; lit. "The Southland") is the geographical region (''landsdel'') along the Skagerrak coast of southern Norway. The region is an informal description since it does not have any governmental function. It roughl ...
.
Vennesla
Vennesla is a municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sørlandet. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Vennesla. Other villages in Vennesla include Grovane, Hægeland, Hom ...
,
Iveland
Iveland is a municipality in Agder County, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Setesdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Birketveit. Other villages in the municipality include Bakken, Skaiå, and ...
, and
Birkenes are inland municipalities while
Kristiansand
Kristiansand is a seaside resort city and municipality in Agder county, Norway. The city is the fifth-largest and the municipality the sixth-largest in Norway, with a population of around 112,000 as of January 2020, following the incorporation ...
,
Lindesnes
Lindesnes ( en, the Naze) is a municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sørlandet. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Mandal. Other villages in Lindesnes include Åvik, Høll ...
, and
Lillesand
Lillesand () is List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Agder counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Districts of Norway, traditional district of Southern Norway, Sørlandet. The administrative center of the municipality ...
are coastal municipalities. Kristiansand is the largest municipality in population in the region.
Municipalities
The following municipalities are part of this region:
Geography
The Kristiansand region lies along the southern coast of Norway, centered around the city of
Kristiansand
Kristiansand is a seaside resort city and municipality in Agder county, Norway. The city is the fifth-largest and the municipality the sixth-largest in Norway, with a population of around 112,000 as of January 2020, following the incorporation ...
. The region borders the
Lister Region
Lister Region ( no, Listerregionen) is a region in Southern Norway. It consist of the municipalities Farsund, Flekkefjord, Hægebostad, Kvinesdal, Lyngdal, and Sirdal. The region borders to Kristiansand Region in the east, Setesdal to the north, ...
to the west, the region of
Setesdal
Setesdal (; older name: Sætersdal) is a valley and a traditional district in Agder County in southern Norway. It consists of the municipalities of Bykle, Valle, Bygland, Iveland, and Evje og Hornnes.
The Otra river flows through the valley of ...
to the northwest (with
Evje
Evje is a former municipality in the old Aust-Agder county in Norway. The municipality existed from 1877 until 1960. It was located in what is now the eastern part of the present-day municipality of Evje og Hornnes in the Setesdal valley of Ag ...
as the administrative centre), and
Østre Agder
Østre Agder is a district or region in Agder county in southern Norway. The district covers the eastern, coastal areas of the county including the eight municipalities of Arendal, Tvedestrand, Risør, Grimstad, Gjerstad, Vegårshei, Åmli, a ...
to the northeast (with
Arendal
Arendal () is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Agder counties of Norway, county in southeastern Norway. Arendal belongs to the Districts of Norway, region of Southern Norway, Sørlandet. The administrative centre of the munici ...
as the administrative centre).
Urban areas
![Tangvall](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Tangvall.png)
The city of
Kristiansand
Kristiansand is a seaside resort city and municipality in Agder county, Norway. The city is the fifth-largest and the municipality the sixth-largest in Norway, with a population of around 112,000 as of January 2020, following the incorporation ...
is the main urban area for the Kristiansand region. The borough
Kvadraturen is the city downtown centrum and administrative centre for Kristiansand municipality. The borough has a population of 5,750 and is the least populated borough in Kristiansand. Vest-Agder County's government building is also located in Kristiansand.
Other larger urban areas in the region include the village of
Vennesla
Vennesla is a municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sørlandet. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Vennesla. Other villages in Vennesla include Grovane, Hægeland, Hom ...
which is the administrative centre of Vennesla municipality, and it has a population of nearly 13,000.
Nodeland
Nodeland is a village in Kristiansand municipality in Agder county, Norway. Nodeland was the administrative centre of former Songdalen municipality which was merged into Kristiansand in 2020. The village is located about northwest of the city ce ...
is the administrative centre for
Songdalen
Songdalen is a former municipality in the old Vest-Agder county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1964 until 2020 when it was merged with Søgne and Kristiansand municipalities to form a new, much larger Kristiansand municipality in what i ...
municipality, and it has a population of about 3,500.
Søgne
Søgne is a former municipality in the old Vest-Agder county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until 2020 when it was merged with the municipalities of Songdalen and Kristiansand into the "new" Kristiansand municipality in what is no ...
municipality's administrative centre is
Tangvall
Tangvall is a village in Kristiansand municipality in Agder county, Norway. It was the administrative centre of the old Søgne municipality which existed until 2020. The village is located along the European route E39 highway and the river Søgnee ...
(also referred to as Søgne). Tangvall is located right next to the
European route E39
European route E39 is the designation of a north–south road in Norway and Denmark from Klett, just south of Trondheim, to Aalborg via Bergen, Stavanger and Kristiansand. In total, there are nine ferries, more than any other single road in Eu ...
highway. It has nearly 10,000 residents.
Lillesand
Lillesand () is List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Agder counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Districts of Norway, traditional district of Southern Norway, Sørlandet. The administrative center of the municipality ...
municipality's administrative centre is the town of
Lillesand
Lillesand () is List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Agder counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Districts of Norway, traditional district of Southern Norway, Sørlandet. The administrative center of the municipality ...
which has a population of about 7,500.
Birkeland, the administrative centre of
Birkenes municipality, has a population of almost 3,000.
Cities and towns
![Bystranda, Kristiansand](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/Bystranda%2C_Kristiansand.png)
Cities and towns in Norway are designated with this special status by the government.
City status City status is a symbolic and legal designation given by a national or subnational government. A municipality may receive city status because it already has the qualities of a city, or because it has some special purpose.
Historically, city status ...
in Norway has no special benefits anymore, but historically it did. Cities and towns in Norway are called '. Other urban areas without that status are called ' which roughly translates as village in English.
Kristiansand
Kristiansand is a seaside resort city and municipality in Agder county, Norway. The city is the fifth-largest and the municipality the sixth-largest in Norway, with a population of around 112,000 as of January 2020, following the incorporation ...
and
Lillesand
Lillesand () is List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Agder counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Districts of Norway, traditional district of Southern Norway, Sørlandet. The administrative center of the municipality ...
are the only cities/towns in the region.
Villages and suburbs
![Nodelandsheia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/Nodelandsheia.png)
Some of the larger villages and suburban areas in the region include
Hægeland
Hægeland or Hægelandskrossen is a village in Vennesla municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located along the northeastern shore of the lake Hægelandsvatnet, a short distance south of the Kilefjorden. The Norwegian National Roa ...
and
Skarpengland
Skarpengland is a village in Vennesla municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located along the Norwegian National Road 9 about east of the village of Øvrebø and about north of Homstean. The large village of Vennesla lies about ...
in Vennesla;
Finsland,
Brennåsen
Brennåsen is a village in Kristiansand municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located along the river Songdalselva, about southeast of the village of Nodeland and about north of the village of Volleberg. The European route E39 ...
,
Volleberg
Volleberg is a village in Kristiansand municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located along the river Songdalselva, in former Songdalen municipality, right on the border with former Søgne municipality (pre 2020). The European rout ...
, and
Nodeland
Nodeland is a village in Kristiansand municipality in Agder county, Norway. Nodeland was the administrative centre of former Songdalen municipality which was merged into Kristiansand in 2020. The village is located about northwest of the city ce ...
,
Vedderheia
Vedderheia is a village in Kristiansand municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located about north of the village of Lunde. The area is entirely a residential community with most people working in the nearby villages of Lunde, Høl ...
,
Høllen
Høllen is a fishing village in Kristiansand municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located at the mouth of the river Søgneelva, between the villages of Eig to the west, Tangvall to the north, and Åros to the east. Høllen is ...
,
Ã…ros
Åros is a village in Røyken in Asker municipality in Viken county, Norway. The population of Åros (2005) is about 1 142.
Location
Ã…ros is located on the peninsula of Hurumlandet along the western side of the Oslofjord. The river Ã…rose ...
, and
Langenes in Kristiansand; and
Engesland,
Herefoss
Herefoss is a village in Birkenes municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located on the northeastern end of the Herefossfjorden which is a large lake on the river Tovdalselva. The Norwegian National Road 41 runs through the village ...
,
Oggevatn, and
Vegusdal
Vegusdal is a former municipality in the old Aust-Agder county in Norway. The municipality existed from 1877 until its dissolution in 1967. It was located in the northwestern part of the present-day municipality of Birkenes in Agder county. Th ...
in Birkenes. Lillesand has the village areas of
Kroksteinåsen,
Borkedalen, and
Møglestu.
Kristiansand municipality also has some large suburban areas in some part-boroughs of the boroughs, like in
VÃ¥gsbygd
VÃ¥gsbygd is a borough and disrict in the city of Kristiansand which lies in the municipality of Kristiansand in Agder county, Norway. It is the largest borough and district in Kristiansand. Until 1965, VÃ¥gsbygd was a part of Oddernes municipal ...
has larger suburban areas like
Voiebyen
Voiebyen is a district in the city of Kristiansand in Agder county, Norway. The district has a population of about 6,000 people in 2014 and it is a part of the borough of VÃ¥gsbygd in the southwestern part of the city. The district of VÃ¥gsbygd l ...
,
Slettheitoppen in
Slettheia
Slettheia is a district in the borough VÃ¥gsbygd in the city of Kristiansand in Agder county, Norway. The population was about 4,000 in 2014. It is the most populated immigrant settlement in Kristiansand. The district was the childhood home for ...
,
Ã…sane
Ã…sane is a borough of the city of Bergen in Vestland county, Norway. The borough makes up the northern part of the city, north of the city centre.
Ã…sane is connected to downtown Bergen by the E16/ E39 highway. The E16 highway continues on t ...
and the island
Flekkerøy
Flekkerøy or Flekkerøya is an island and residential district in Kristiansand municipality in Agder county, Norway. The district is located within the borough of Vågsbygd, and it consists of 4 main neighborhoods: Berge/Andås, Kjære, Lindebà ...
.
Grim
Grim may refer to:
People
* Grim (surname)
* Myron Grim Natwick (1890–1990), American artist, animator and film director best known for drawing Betty Boop
Mythical or fictional characters
* Grim, Old Norse ''GrÃmr'', from the Norse saga ''Gr ...
has one large suburban area:
Hellemyr
Hellemyr is a district in the city of Kristiansand in Agder county, Norway. It has a population of 2,990 (in 2014). The district is located in the borough of Grim. The district of Tinnheia lies to the east, the district of Slettheia lies to the so ...
.
Mosby and
Strai
Strai is a village and a district in the municipality of Kristiansand in Agder, Norway. It is located in the borough of Grim. Its population (2014) is about 1,000. The district of Mosby lies to the north, the districts of Lund, Kvadraturen, and ...
is smaller suburbs farer away from the city. At
Lund
Lund (, , ) is a city in the southern Swedish provinces of Sweden, province of Scania, across the Øresund, Öresund strait from Copenhagen. The town had 91,940 inhabitants out of a municipal total of 121,510 . It is the seat of Lund Municipali ...
,
Gimlekollen
Gimlekollen is a district in the city of Kristiansand in Agder county, Norway. It is a part of the borough of Lund
Lund (, , ) is a city in the southern Swedish province of Scania, across the Öresund strait from Copenhagen. The town had 91, ...
and
Justvik
Justvik or Gjusvik is a village and district in the municipality of Kristiansand in Vest-Agder county, Norway. Its population (as of January 2014) is 2,770. The village of Justvik is located on the west shore of the Topdalsfjorden, just north of ...
is the larger suburban areas while
Gimlevang
Gimle is a neighbourhood in the city of Kristiansand in Agder county, Norway. It's located in the borough of Lund. It is located near the neighborhoods of Oddemarka and Presteheia. The neighborhood of Kjøita lies to the southwest and the neighb ...
, Sødal, Hamreheia and Kuholmen is smaller suburbs in the Lund borough. And in
Oddernes
Oddernes is a borough in the city of Kristiansand which lies in the municipality of Kristiansand in Agder county, Norway. The borough covers eastern Kristiansand on the east side of the Topdalsfjorden and the Varodd Bridge. The borough include ...
is
HÃ¥nes
Hånes is a district in the city of Kristiansand in Agder county, Norway. It has a population of about 4,000 (2014). Hånes is a part of the borough of Oddernes and it borders the districts of Søm and Randesund to south, the district of Tveit t ...
,
Søm
Søm is a district in the city of Kristiansand in Agder county, Norway. With a population of about 9,500 (2022), it is the third largest district in Kristiansand. The district is a part of the borough of Oddernes. Søm has borders with the distri ...
and
Hamresanden, Brattvollshei at
Tveit
Tveit is a village and surrounding district in Oddernes borough in the city of Kristiansand in Agder county, Norway. The Tveit district is located in the northeastern part of Kristiansand, northeast of the Topdalsfjorden along the lower part of ...
,
Tømmerstø
Tømmerstø is a neighbourhood in the city of Kristiansand in Agder county, Norway. It's located in the borough of Oddernes and in the district of Randesund. The neighborhood of Odderhei lies to the northwest, Holte and Frikstad lie to the north ...
, Dvergsnes,
Odderhei and
Holte
Holte is a suburban district in Rudersdal Municipality on the northern outskirts of Copenhagen, Denmark. The local town centre is centred on Holte station and is surrounded by extensive areas of single-family, detached homes as well as several ...
at
Randesund
Randesund is a village and district within the city of Kristiansand in Agder county, Norway. The district is located within the borough of Oddernes along the southern coastline between the two fjords Kvåsefjorden and Topdalsfjorden and south of ...
.
Transportation
Airports
The only publicly open airport in the region is
Kristiansand Airport, Kjevik
Kristiansand Airport ( no, Kristiansand lufthavn; ) is an international airport serving Kristiansand Municipality in Agder county, Norway. The airport is located in the district of Tveit in the Oddernes borough, about by road and by air from t ...
, it had about 1 million travelers in 2014.
Railroads
There are three open train stations in the region;
Kristiansand Station,
Vennesla Station
Vennesla Station ( no, Vennesla stasjon) is a railway station located in the village of Vennesla in the municipality of Vennesla in Agder county, Norway. Located along the Sørlandet Line, the station is served by express trains to Oslo and Krist ...
, and
Nodeland Station
Nodeland Station ( no, Nodeland stasjon) is a railway station of the Sørlandet Line situated in the village of Nodeland in Kristiansand municipality in Agder county, Norway. Located from Oslo Central Station, it is served by long-distance train ...
which all operate on the
Sørlandsbanen railway. Nodeland Station gets trains from
Stavanger Station
Stavanger Station ( no, Stavanger stasjon) is a railway station in Stavanger municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is located in the centre of the Stavanger (city), city of Stavanger and it is the terminus of the Sørlandet Line. The station ...
to Kristiansand which at selective hours continues to
Oslo Central Station
Oslo Central Station ( no, Oslo sentralstasjon, abbreviated ) is the main railway station in Oslo, and the largest railway station within the entire Norwegian railway system. It connects with Jernbanetorget station. It's the terminus of Dramme ...
. Vennesla Station gets train traffic from Oslo to Kristiansand which at selective hours continues to Stavanger.
Roads
![E18](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/E18.jpg)
The
European route E18
European route E18 runs from Craigavon in Northern Ireland to Saint Petersburg in Russia, passing through Scotland, England, Norway, Sweden and Finland. It is about in length.
Although the designation implies the possibility of a through jo ...
highway is the main road for eastern Kristiansand and Lillesand, it is highway from Kristiansand, through Lillesand towards Arendal. It has four lanes to Grimstad and two lanes from Grimstad to Arendal. E18 continues through Aust-Agder and on to
Oslo
Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
. The
European route E39
European route E39 is the designation of a north–south road in Norway and Denmark from Klett, just south of Trondheim, to Aalborg via Bergen, Stavanger and Kristiansand. In total, there are nine ferries, more than any other single road in Eu ...
highway is the main road for western Kristiansand, lower Songdalen, and Søgne. It is highway from downtown Kristiansand to
Hellemyr
Hellemyr is a district in the city of Kristiansand in Agder county, Norway. It has a population of 2,990 (in 2014). The district is located in the borough of Grim. The district of Tinnheia lies to the east, the district of Slettheia lies to the so ...
, and from Brennåsen in Songdalen, to Tangvall in Søgne. E39 continues through Vest-Agder and on to
Stavanger
Stavanger (, , American English, US usually , ) is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Norway. It is the fourth largest city and third largest metropolitan area in Norway (through conurbation with neighboring Sandnes) and the a ...
.
Norwegian National Road 9
Norwegian National Road 9 ( no, Riksvei 9, ) is often called the ''Setesdal Road'' ( no, Setesdalsveien) and it is the main thoroughfare through the Setesdalen valley. It runs from the city of Kristiansand in the southern coast of Norway, throu ...
is a national road from downtown Kristiansand through Vennesla municipality and the villages of
Øvrebø
Øvrebø is a rural district and village in Vennesla municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located about north-northwest of the city of Kristiansand. The village of Skarpengland lies about east of Øvrebø.
The district of Øvre ...
and
Hægeland
Hægeland or Hægelandskrossen is a village in Vennesla municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located along the northeastern shore of the lake Hægelandsvatnet, a short distance south of the Kilefjorden. The Norwegian National Roa ...
. The road continues north to
Evje
Evje is a former municipality in the old Aust-Agder county in Norway. The municipality existed from 1877 until 1960. It was located in what is now the eastern part of the present-day municipality of Evje og Hornnes in the Setesdal valley of Ag ...
and the
Setesdalen
Setesdal (; older name: Sætersdal) is a valley and a traditional district in Agder County in southern Norway. It consists of the municipalities of Bykle, Valle, Bygland, Iveland, and Evje og Hornnes.
The Otra river flows through the valley o ...
valley.
Norwegian National Road 41
Norwegian National Road 41 (''Rv 41''; also known as the ''Telemarksveien'') is a Norwegian national road that runs through Vestfold og Telemark and Agder counties in Norway. The road runs between the village of Brunkeberg in Kviteseid munici ...
is a national road from Timeneskrysset in Kristiansand through
Tveit
Tveit is a village and surrounding district in Oddernes borough in the city of Kristiansand in Agder county, Norway. The Tveit district is located in the northeastern part of Kristiansand, northeast of the Topdalsfjorden along the lower part of ...
and on through the municipality Birkenes.
Norwegian County Road 461 is the main road from E39 to Nodeland and through Songdalen municipality. Norwegian County Road 405 is the main road from R9 to the town Vennesla. Norwegian County Road 454 is the main road from R9 to Øvrebø.
Norwegian National Road 456 is the main road from E39 through Tangvall and Langenes in Søgne, it continues through the borough of Vågsbygd and ends with a highway tunnel from Vågsbygd to Hannevika where it meets E39 again. Norwegian County Road 402 goes from E18 in Lillesand to Birkeland.
Education
In the region, there are high schools in Kristiansand, Lillesand, Søgne, Vennesla, and Øvrebø. In Kristiansand, there is also a cathedral high school. The
University of Agder
The University of Agder ( no, Universitetet i Agder), formerly known as Agder College and Agder University College, is a public university with campuses in Kristiansand and Grimstad, Norway. The institution was established as a university co ...
is located in Kristiansand. There are also
folk high school
Folk high schools (also ''Adult Education Center'', Danish: ''Folkehøjskole;'' Dutch: ''Volkshogeschool;'' Finnish: ''kansanopisto'' and ''työväenopisto'' or ''kansalaisopisto;'' German: ''Volkshochschule'' and (a few) ''Heimvolkshochschule;'' ...
s such as the ''Agder Folkehøgskole'' in Søgne and ''NLA Mediehøgskolen Gimlekollen'' in Kristiansand.
See also
*
Metropolitan Regions of Norway
There are 16 statistical metropolitan areas in Norway, of which six count as "Greater City Regions" (''Storbyregioner'') and ten as "City Regions" (''Byregioner''). The classification comes from ''Storbymeldingen'' (The Greater City Report) from t ...
References
External links
Region KristiansandStatistics Norway Q3 2013
{{Metropolitan areas of Southern Norway
Metropolitan regions of Norway
Kristiansand
Lillesand
Birkenes
Vennesla
Iveland
Lindesnes