Sandefjord () is a
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
in
Vestfold
Vestfold () is a county and a current electoral district in Norway. Located on the western shore of the Oslofjord, it borders Buskerud and Telemark counties. The county administration is located in Tønsberg, Norway's oldest city, and the larg ...
county,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
. It is located in the
traditional district of
Vestfold
Vestfold () is a county and a current electoral district in Norway. Located on the western shore of the Oslofjord, it borders Buskerud and Telemark counties. The county administration is located in Tønsberg, Norway's oldest city, and the larg ...
. The
administrative centre
An administrative centre is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune, is located.
In countries with French as the administrative language, such as Belgi ...
of the municipality is the
city of Sandefjord. Other population centres in Sandefjord include
Andebu,
Fevang,
Fokserød,
Fossnes,
Freberg,
Hafallen,
Helgerød,
Himberg,
Høyjord,
Kodal,
Lahelle,
Melsomvik,
Råstad,
Solløkka,
Stokke,
Storevar,
Strand, and
Unneberg.
The municipality is the 233rd largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Sandefjord is the most populous municipality in Vestfold and the 14th most populous municipality in Norway, with a population of 65,574. The municipality's
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
is and its population has increased by 6.5% over the previous 10-year period.
Sandefjord is known for its rich
Viking
Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden),
who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9� ...
history and the prosperous
whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales for their products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that was important in the Industrial Revolution. Whaling was practiced as an organized industry as early as 875 AD. By the 16t ...
industry, which made Sandefjord the richest city in Norway.
Today, it has built up the third-largest merchant fleet in Norway.
Sandefjord Museum is the only museum in Europe dedicated to whaling, and is home to
Gokstad Mound where the 9th-century
Gokstad Ship
The Gokstad ship is a 9th-century Viking ship found in a burial mound at Gokstad in Sandar, Norway, Sandar, Sandefjord, Vestfold, Norway. It is displayed at the Viking Ship Museum (Oslo), Viking Ship Museum in Oslo, Norway. It is the largest pr ...
was discovered.
Sandefjord has numerous nicknames, including the
whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales for their products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that was important in the Industrial Revolution. Whaling was practiced as an organized industry as early as 875 AD. By the 16t ...
"capital" of Norway or as the undisputed summer city of
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
. Sandefjord is also known as the "whaling capital of the world."
It has also been dubbed the "Bathing City" (Badebyen), due to its many beaches and former resort spas.
It is still considered a resort town, due to high numbers of visitors during summer months.
Sandefjord has become a transportation hub, home of
Torp Airport, one of Norway's largest airports. Daily ferry connections to Sweden are provided by
Color Line from the city harbor.
European Route E18
European route E18 runs between Craigavon, County Armagh, Craigavon in Northern Ireland and Saint Petersburg in Russia, passing through Scotland, England, Norway, Sweden and Finland. It is about in length.
Although the designation implies the ...
, one of Norway's main north–south highways, traverses the municipality.
Sandefjord is a stronghold for the
Conservative Party; the Conservative coalition received over 70 percent of votes cast in 2011. Current mayor is
Bjørn Ole Gleditsch from the Conservative Party, who has been mayor since 2004.
General information

The
ladested of
Sandefjord
Sandefjord () is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. It is located in the Traditional districts of Norway, traditional district of Vestfold. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Sandefjord ...
was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see
formannskapsdistrikt
() was the name of a Norwegian self-governing municipality. The name was used from the establishment these municipalities in 1838 until the name fell out of use in 1863.
The municipalities had their legal basis from two laws enacted on 14 Jan ...
law). In 1845, the ladested of Sandefjord was made a
kjøpstad
A (historically ''kjøbstad'', ''kjöbstad'', or ''kaupstad'', from ) is an old Scandinavian term for a "market town" in Denmark–Norway for several hundred years. Kjøpstads were places of trade and exporting materials (e.g. timber, flour, iron ...
(giving it market town rights). On 1 January 1889, a part of the neighboring municipality of
Sandeherred (population: 318) was transferred into Sandefjord. In 1931, an area of the neighboring municipality of
Sandar (population: 66) was transferred into Sandefjord. In 1950, another area of the neighboring municipality of
Sandar (population: 226) was transferred into Sandefjord.
During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the
Schei Committee
The Schei Committee () was a committee named by the Government of Norway to look into the organization of municipalities in Norway post-World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a ...
. On 1 January 1968 the municipality of Sandefjord (population: 6,242) was merged with the surrounding municipality of
Sandar (population: 24,898), creating a much larger municipality of Sandefjord.
On 1 January 2017, the rural municipalities of
Andebu and
Stokke were merged into Sandefjord as part of a nationwide municipal reform. This merger was the first one to take place during the reform.
Etymology
The name Sandefjord was first mentioned in chapter 169 of ''
Sverris saga
''Sverris saga'' is one of the Kings' sagas. Its subject is King Sverre Sigurdsson of Norway (r. 1177–1202) and it is the main source for this period of Norwegian history. As the foreword tells us, the saga in its final form consists of mo ...
'' from the year 1200. It was then referring to the fjord which is now known as ''Sandefjordsfjord''.
The municipality (originally the city of Sandefjord) is named after the local fjord, now called
Sandefjordsfjorden since the
city of Sandefjord grew up at the head of the fjord. The first element of the name comes from the old ''Sande'' farm (). The old farm name is the
plural
In many languages, a plural (sometimes list of glossing abbreviations, abbreviated as pl., pl, , or ), is one of the values of the grammatical number, grammatical category of number. The plural of a noun typically denotes a quantity greater than ...
form of which means "
sand
Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is usually defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural ...
" or "
sandbanks". The last element comes from the word which means "
fjord
In physical geography, a fjord (also spelled fiord in New Zealand English; ) is a long, narrow sea inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Antarctica, the Arctic, and surrounding landmasses of the n ...
".
Coat of arms

Sandefjord has had two coats of arms over the course of its history.
The original
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...
was granted on 9 May 1914 and they were in use until 1 January 2017.
The official
blazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct an accurate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The visual d ...
is ''"
Or, a Viking ship sable with a sail
paly gules and argent under a whale
embowed"''. This means the arms have a
field (background) has a
tincture
A tincture is typically an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Solvent concentrations of 25–60% are common, but may run as high as 90%.Groot Handboek Geneeskrachtige Planten by Geert Verhelst In chemistr ...
of
Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The arms usually showed a
mural crown
A mural crown () is a Crown (headgear), crown or headpiece representing city walls, fortified tower, towers, or fortresses. In classical antiquity, it was an emblem of tutelary deities who watched over a city, and among the ancient Rome, Romans ...
over the shield. The
charge
Charge or charged may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Charge, Zero Emissions/Maximum Speed'', a 2011 documentary
Music
* ''Charge'' (David Ford album)
* ''Charge'' (Machel Montano album)
* '' Charge!!'', an album by The Aqu ...
is a Viking ship with a red and white striped sail with an arched whale over the top. The
Viking ship
Viking ships were marine vessels of unique structure, used in Scandinavia throughout the Middle Ages.
The boat-types were quite varied, depending on what the ship was intended for, but they were generally characterized as being slender and flexi ...
symbolizes the famous
Gokstad ship
The Gokstad ship is a 9th-century Viking ship found in a burial mound at Gokstad in Sandar, Norway, Sandar, Sandefjord, Vestfold, Norway. It is displayed at the Viking Ship Museum (Oslo), Viking Ship Museum in Oslo, Norway. It is the largest pr ...
, which was found in Sandefjord in 1880, one of the best preserved Viking ships known. The whale symbolizes that in the late 19th and early 20th century, Sandefjord was a main home port for
whalers operating in the southern oceans. The arms were designed by
Andreas Bloch. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.
The current
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...
was approved for use starting on 1 January 2017, after the merger of
Andebu,
Stokke, and Sandefjord. The official
blazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct an accurate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The visual d ...
is ''"
Or, a whaler with raised harpoon on a boat issuant from the base
sable
The sable (''Martes zibellina'') is a species of marten, a small omnivorous mammal primarily inhabiting the forest environments of Russia, from the Ural Mountains throughout Siberia, and northern Mongolia. Its habitat also borders eastern Kaz ...
"'' (). This means the arms have a
field (background) has a
tincture
A tincture is typically an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Solvent concentrations of 25–60% are common, but may run as high as 90%.Groot Handboek Geneeskrachtige Planten by Geert Verhelst In chemistr ...
of
Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The
charge
Charge or charged may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Charge, Zero Emissions/Maximum Speed'', a 2011 documentary
Music
* ''Charge'' (David Ford album)
* ''Charge'' (Machel Montano album)
* '' Charge!!'', an album by The Aqu ...
is a whaler with a harpoon standing on a boat that is coming out of the base of the shield. The arms show part of a local whale hunting monument to symbolize the historical importance of
whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales for their products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that was important in the Industrial Revolution. Whaling was practiced as an organized industry as early as 875 AD. By the 16t ...
. The arms were designed by Erik Raastad from Sandefjord who called the design "courage and strength". There were also minor modification done by the heraldic expert Jan Eide from Oslo. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.
History
Viking history

Sandefjord has been inhabited for thousands of years.
Excavations indicate that people have inhabited Sandefjord for around 3,000 years. Rock carvings at Haugen farm by
Istrehågan in Jåberg are dated to 1,500–500 BCE.
Haugen farm is home to Vestfold county's largest
petroglyph
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 ...
site.
In 1961–1962, 78 rock carvings were discovered at the site. They consist of ships, spiral figures, circular hollows, and much more.
The Vikings lived in Sandefjord and surrounding areas about 1,000 years ago, and numerous Viking artifacts and monuments can be found in Sandefjord.
One of the most important remains from the
Viking Age
The Viking Age (about ) was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonising, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. The Viking Age applies not only to their ...
was found at the grave site ''
Gokstadhaugen'' (Gokstad Mound) in Sandefjord. The
Gokstad ship
The Gokstad ship is a 9th-century Viking ship found in a burial mound at Gokstad in Sandar, Norway, Sandar, Sandefjord, Vestfold, Norway. It is displayed at the Viking Ship Museum (Oslo), Viking Ship Museum in Oslo, Norway. It is the largest pr ...
was excavated by
Nicolay Nicolaysen
Nicolay Nicolaysen (14 January 1817 - 22 January 1911) was a Norway, Norwegian Archaeology, archaeologist and Norway's first state employed antiquarian. He is perhaps best known for his excavations of the ship burial at Gokstad ship burial, Gok ...
and is now in the
Viking Ship Museum in Oslo. The ''
Viking
Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden),
who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9� ...
'', an exact replica of the Gokstad ship, crossed the Atlantic Ocean from
Bergen
Bergen (, ) is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestland county on the Western Norway, west coast of Norway. Bergen is the list of towns and cities in Norway, second-largest city in Norway after the capital Oslo.
By May 20 ...
to be exhibited at the
World's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair, was a world's fair held in Chicago from May 5 to October 31, 1893, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. The ...
in Chicago in 1893. A
replica
A replica is an exact (usually 1:1 in scale) copy or remake of an object, made out of the same raw materials, whether a molecule, a work of art, or a commercial product. The term is also used for copies that closely resemble the original, without ...
of the Gokstad ship, called ''
Gaia
In Greek mythology, Gaia (; , a poetic form of ('), meaning 'land' or 'earth'),, , . also spelled Gaea (), is the personification of Earth. Gaia is the ancestral mother—sometimes parthenogenic—of all life. She is the mother of Uranus (S ...
'', currently has Sandefjord as home port.
Other known replicas include the ''Munin'', (a half scale replica) located in Vancouver, Canada.
The Gokstad Ship, Norway's largest preserved Viking ship, was discovered during an excavation at
Gokstad Mound in 1880. The Vikings first settled here due to its speedy route from Sandefjord and along the coast.
Viking settlements and grave sites have been discovered in Sandefjord.
Sandefjord functioned as a seaport defined by the twin industries of shipping and shipbuilding throughout the 1600s and 1700s. It was formally recognized as a market town (
kjøpstad
A (historically ''kjøbstad'', ''kjöbstad'', or ''kaupstad'', from ) is an old Scandinavian term for a "market town" in Denmark–Norway for several hundred years. Kjøpstads were places of trade and exporting materials (e.g. timber, flour, iron ...
) by
King Oscar in 1845. Its population at the time was 749 residents.
Health resort

The
city of Sandefjord became known as a world-renowned health resort destination between 1837 and 1939. Royalty and Prime Ministers from throughout Europe visited the town for its spas in the late 1800s. It gained its reputation as a health and pleasure community when
Sandefjord sulfur spa and resort () was established in 1837. It was the first spa in town and functioned as a medical institution focusing on the treatment of symptoms for rheumatic diseases. The original bathhouse has been restored and is now a culture house by the city center.
It was one of Europe's most visited baths until its closure in 1939.
[.]
Around 50,000 people, mostly Norwegians, visited the bath from 1837 to 1939. A majority of spa visitors were from Norway, but international guests from Germany,
Britain
Britain most often refers to:
* Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales
* The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...
, and the United States also visited the spas of Sandefjord.
Today the bath's building, ''
Kurbadet'', has been restored and hosts cultural events and various annual activities.
Town fires
Sandefjord has experienced numerous town fires, including a town fire in 1800 which led to most of the town burning down and subsequently having to be rebuilt.
An additional fire in 1900 destroyed 56 houses and caused major damage.
Sandefjord's ships and the shipping industry remained untouched from the major fire of March 1900.
The fire, which started on the night before 16 March 1900, led to the entire city center burning down, including important business offices. Both newspapers in town, ''
Sandefjords Blad'' and ''Vestfold'', saw their offices burnt down. Six jewelry stores, three watchmakers, eight grocery stores, and a variety of other shops were destroyed. The fire started in the factory ''Nordmannen''. The fire caused the loss of 51 buildings for a total value of in addition to in loss of store items.
Sandefjord Church (built in 1872) also burnt down during the town fire of 1900.
A new town fire on 27–28 March 1915 led to the death of two people and destroyed seven farms. Large parts of the street Storgata were also destroyed.
Whaling and ships

Sandefjord is perhaps best known as a whaling community. The centre of the world's modern whaling industry was located in town, and local residents not only made up practically all the crew on the Norwegian whaling fleet, but substantial numbers of them also worked within the whaling industry in nearby countries. For over fifty years in the late 1800s, Sandefjord functioned as the world center for the whaling industry, including the manufacture and equipment of whaling vessels, floating factories, and whale-catchers.
Sandefjord has also been named the "whaling capital of the world."
There were 25 whaling companies that were established in Sandefjord between 1905 and 1914.
During the 1911–1912 season, Sandefjord had 27 whaling companies with a total of 115 vessels. This made up over 30 percent of the world's whaling firms.

Starting in 1850, a number of ships from Sandefjord were
whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales for their products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that was important in the Industrial Revolution. Whaling was practiced as an organized industry as early as 875 AD. By the 16t ...
and
sealing in the
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five oceanic divisions. It spans an area of approximately and is the coldest of the world's oceans. The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) recognizes it as an ocean, ...
and along the coast of
Finnmark
Finnmark (; ; ; ; ) is a counties of Norway, county in northern Norway. By land, it borders Troms county to the west, Finland's Lapland (Finland), Lapland region to the south, and Russia's Murmansk Oblast to the east, and by water, the Norweg ...
. The first whaling expedition from Sandefjord to the
Antarctic Ocean
The Southern Ocean, also known as the Antarctic Ocean, comprises the southernmost waters of the world ocean, generally taken to be south of 60th parallel south, 60° S latitude and encircling Antarctica. With a size of , it is the seco ...
was sent in 1905. Towards the end of the 1920s, Sandefjord had a fleet of 15
factory ship
A factory ship, also known as a fish processing vessel, is a large ocean-going vessel with extensive on-board facilities for processing and freezing caught fish or whales. Modern factory ships are automated and enlarged versions of the earlier ...
s and more than 90 whalers. In 1954, more than 2,800 men from the district were hired as crew on the whalers, but from the mid-1950s whaling was gradually reduced. The number of southbound expeditions rapidly decreased during the 1960s, and the 1967–1968 season became the last for Sandefjord.
In 1971, Sandefjord's last whale processing vessel was sold to
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
.
The shipping industry was gradually readjusted from whaling to other ship types during this period. The local
Framnæs Mekaniske Værksted and
Jotun Group Private Ltd. had major roles in this business.
Today, the memories of this important period of Sandefjord's history are kept alive at the
Whaling Museum (). This museum is the only museum in Europe specializing in whales and the history of whaling.
The history of the whalers can also be explored at the Museum's Wharf with a visit aboard the
whale-catcher ''
Southern Actor
''Southern Actor'' is a former whale catcher, currently a museum ship based in Sandefjord, Norway and owned by Sandefjord Museum. It is the only whale catcher from the Modern Whaling Epoch still to be in its original working order. Over 100,000 h ...
''.
Whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales for their products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that was important in the Industrial Revolution. Whaling was practiced as an organized industry as early as 875 AD. By the 16t ...
is considered to be the industry which made Sandefjord the richest city in Norway.
Sandefjord also has shipping traditions of tall sailing ships and steam ships. The full-rigged sailing ship ''
Christian Radich'', three-masted
barquentine
A barquentine or schooner barque (alternatively "barkentine" or "schooner bark") is a sailing vessel with three or more masts; with a square rigged foremast and fore-and-aft rigged main, mizzen and any other masts.
Modern barquentine sailing ...
''
Endurance
Endurance (also related to sufferance, forbearance, resilience, constitution, fortitude, persistence, tenacity, steadfastness, perseverance, stamina, and hardiness) is the ability of an organism to exert itself and remain active for a ...
'',
whale catcher ''
Jason
Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece is featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Med ...
'' and
Viking ship
Viking ships were marine vessels of unique structure, used in Scandinavia throughout the Middle Ages.
The boat-types were quite varied, depending on what the ship was intended for, but they were generally characterized as being slender and flexi ...
replica ''
Viking
Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden),
who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9� ...
'' were some of the many ships built by
Framnæs Mekaniske Værksted.
Hans Albert Grøn of Sandefjord established the first whaling station in the
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands ( ) (alt. the Faroes) are an archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean and an autonomous territory of the Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark. Located between Iceland, Norway, and the United Kingdom, the islands have a populat ...
in 1894, which was located at
Gjánoyri on the island of
Streymoy
Streymoy (, ) is the largest and most populated island of the Faroe Islands. The capital, Tórshavn, is located on its southeast coast. The name means "island of currents". It also refers to the largest region of the country that also includes the ...
.
As of 1903, half of all whaling companies in the Faroe Islands were operated out of Sandefjord.
Furthermore, Sandefjord was the headquarters of the
South African Whaling Company (SAWC), which was established in 1908 and managed by shipowner
Johan Bryde of Sandefjord. Sandefjordian whaling firms were also established on the coast of Africa, in
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
,
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
,
Western Australia
Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...
, among other places.
Antarctic expeditions

Towards the beginning of
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, Norwegian whaling spread throughout the world, most and foremost from Sandefjord. Expeditions from Sandefjord went as far as
Norwegian Bay
Norwegian Bay () is an Arctic Ocean waterway in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, Canada. Amund Ringnes Island is to the northwest (separated by the Hendriksen Strait from Cornwall Island), and Axel Heiberg Island is to the north. (Both Amun ...
in Australia,
Stewart Island
Stewart Island (, ' glowing skies', officially Stewart Island / Rakiura, formerly New Leinster) is New Zealand's third-largest island, located south of the South Island, across Foveaux Strait.
It is a roughly triangular island with a la ...
in New Zealand,
Walvis Bay
Walvis Bay (; ; ) is a city in Namibia and the name of the bay on which it lies. It is the List of cities in Namibia, second largest city in Namibia and the largest coastal city in the country. The city covers an area of of land.
The bay is a ...
in Namibia,
Corral, Chile
Corral is a town, commune, and sea port in Valdivia Province, Los Ríos Region, Chile. It is located south of Corral Bay. During the colonial period, Corral was the headquarters of the Valdivian Fort System, which protected Valdivia. Economic ...
, and also isolated places such as
Kerguelen Islands
The Kerguelen Islands ( or ; in French commonly ' but officially ', ), also known as the Desolation Islands (' in French), are a group of islands in the subantarctic, sub-Antarctic region. They are among the Extremes on Earth#Remoteness, most i ...
,
South Georgia Island
South Georgia is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic Ocean that is part of the British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. It lies around east of the Falkland Islands. ...
,
Bouvet Island
Bouvet Island ( ; ) is an uninhabited subantarctic volcanic island and dependency of Norway. It is a protected nature reserve, and situated in the South Atlantic Ocean at the southern end of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, it is the world's most extre ...
, and the
Southern Ocean
The Southern Ocean, also known as the Antarctic Ocean, comprises the southernmost waters of the world ocean, generally taken to be south of 60th parallel south, 60° S latitude and encircling Antarctica. With a size of , it is the seco ...
.
In the 1910s, affluent resident
August F. Christensen was given a grant to practice whaling outside
Peru
Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
and
Ecuador
Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...
. He was also appointed Ecuador's consul to Norway. He achieved an agreement with Ecuadorian government officials which allowed Norwegians to inhabit the
Galápagos Islands
The Galápagos Islands () are an archipelago of volcanic islands in the Eastern Pacific, located around the equator, west of the mainland of South America. They form the Galápagos Province of the Republic of Ecuador, with a population of sli ...
, and also receive of land, pay no taxes for ten years, and be allowed to keep their Norwegian citizenship.
Christensen created huge local interest of Galápagos, and the local company ''
La Colonia de Floreana A/S'' was established on 21 March 1925. Its main goal was to exploit the Norwegian fishing rights at the Galápagos Islands. A ship named ''Floreana'' departed from Sandefjord on 15 May 1925, equipped with enough men and goods to establish a colony.
On 16 November 1904,
Carl Anton Larsen of Sandefjord established the whaling community of
Grytviken
Grytviken ( ) is a Hamlet (place), hamlet on South Georgia in the South Atlantic. Formerly a whaling station, it was the largest settlement on the island. Grytviken is located at the head of King Edward Cove within the larger Cumberland East Bay, ...
, the largest settlement in
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (SGSSI) is a British Overseas Territory in the southern Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote and inhospitable collection of islands, consisting of South Georgia and a chain of smaller islands known as the ...
.
South Georgia Island
South Georgia is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic Ocean that is part of the British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. It lies around east of the Falkland Islands. ...
lies a few thousand kilometers east of
Cape Horn
Cape Horn (, ) is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island. Although not the most southerly point of South America (which is Águila Islet), Cape Horn marks the nor ...
.
Nils Larsen (1900–1976) was a sea captain from Sandefjord, famous for his expeditions of
Antarctica
Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole. ...
in the early 20th century. It was under his expeditions that Norway achieved annexation of
Bouvet Island
Bouvet Island ( ; ) is an uninhabited subantarctic volcanic island and dependency of Norway. It is a protected nature reserve, and situated in the South Atlantic Ocean at the southern end of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, it is the world's most extre ...
in 1927 and
Peter I Island
Peter I Island () is an uninhabited volcanic island in the Bellingshausen Sea, from continental Antarctica. It is territorial claims in Antarctica, claimed as a Dependent territory, dependency of Norway and, along with Bouvet Island and Queen Ma ...
two years after. A cove on Antarctica's Peter I Island is named
Sandefjord Cove in honor of Larsen's hometown.
Sandefjord Ice Bay in continental Antarctica is also named after Sandefjord.
Mount Nils Larsen in
Queen Maud Land
Queen Maud Land () is a roughly region of Antarctica Territorial claims in Antarctica, claimed by Norway as a dependent territory. It borders the claimed British Antarctic Territory 20th meridian west, 20° west, specifically the Caird Coast, ...
,
Mount Nils in
Enderby Land
Enderby Land is a projecting landmass of Antarctica. Its shore extends from Shinnan Glacier at about to William Scoresby Bay at , approximately of the earth's longitude (planets), longitude. It was first documented in western and eastern liter ...
and
Nils Larsen Glacier are examples of many geographical names given in honor of Nils Larsen.
World War II
A week after
Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung ( , , 9 April – 10 June 1940) was the invasion of Denmark and Norway by Nazi Germany during World War II. It was the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign.
In the early morning of 9 April 1940 (, "Weser Day"), Ge ...
, German forces entered Sandefjord on 16 April 1940. About 30-40 men arrived in semi-trucks from
Horten
Horten () is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. It is located in the Traditional districts of Norway, traditional district of Jarlsberg. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Horten (town) ...
under the leadership of Erik von Drydalski. After handing their directives to Sandefjord police chief Kjartan Bruun Hansen, the men left for Hotel Atlantic, where they established their headquarters in Sandefjord. German troops in Sandefjord soon rose to 200. At the beginning of the
German occupation of Norway
The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany during the Second World War began on 9 April 1940 after Operation Weserübung. Conventional armed resistance to the German invasion ended on 10 June 1940, and Nazi Germany controlled Norway until th ...
, a German ''Hafenkapitän'' (
harbormaster
A harbourmaster (or harbormaster, see spelling differences) is an official responsible for enforcing the regulations of a particular harbour or port, in order to ensure the safety of navigation, the security of the harbour and the correct opera ...
) was placed at Tollboden, and a representative for
Admiral Norwegen was placed in an office building at
Framnes verft. German soldiers could be seen marching throughout the city. At the beginning of the occupation, over 2,000 German officers visited ''Socitetsbygningen'' (today's
Park Hotel), which belonged to
Sandefjord Spa. The
Nazi flag was waving over the building during the visit. Norwegian students were told to learn the German language, and handed out a book, ''
Deutsche Fibel''. They were also given a copy of Adolf Hitler's book ''
Mein Kampf
(; ) is a 1925 Autobiography, autobiographical manifesto by Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler. The book outlines many of Political views of Adolf Hitler, Hitler's political beliefs, his political ideology and future plans for Nazi Germany, Ge ...
'' translated into the Norwegian language.
German forces constructed two coastal forts in Sandefjord, located at the southern tips of two local peninsulas:
Vesterøya and
Østerøya. The largest German construction in Sandefjord took place at
Folehavna, where a fortress was erected in the spring of 1941. Four cannons with a target range of were installed at the site, along with a tunnel. The four cannons were installed in concrete gun pits on the sloping rocks. German construction also took place by the lake
Goksjø
Goksjø is a lake on the border of Larvik Municipality and Sandefjord Municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The lake is located about to the northwest of the Sandefjord (town), town of Sandefjord and about to the south of the village of Kod ...
, and also at Jernbaneallén, where a former garage structure was turned into a prison camp.
Many local residents were killed during World War II, including a number of seamen. Håkon Andersen of Framnes was killed onboard ''Arcturus'' when the ship was attacked by British
Beaufighters. Albert K. J. Skålsvik (1921–1944) of Krokemoa, a member of the Norwegian Homefleet ("Hjemmeflåten"), was 18 years when the war broke out. Skålsvik was killed, along with the captain, when the ship ''DS Kong Bjørn'' was attacked by allied warplanes by
Ryvingen Lighthouse in 1944. He is now commemorated at the
Hall of Remembrance in the town of
Stavern in neighborin
Larvik Municipality
Larvik () is a municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Vestfold. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Larvik. Other main population centres in the municipality include the ...
. Skålsvik's younger brother, Bernard, was also a part of the Homefleet and was killed at age 17 in 1945.
Radios were illegal, and people of Sandefjord such as Henry Melby of
Gokstad was arrested for having a radio in 1942. He was incarcerated at the tanker ''Inger Johanne'', which was attacked by allied warplanes in 1944, killing 15 people, including Henry Melby.
In the fall of 1941, German occupation forces replaced Sandefjord's city manager Finn Sandberg with
NS-member
Frithjof Holtedahl who was soon appointed mayor. The neighboring
Sandar Municipality received its NS mayor in November 1941, Ole Kristian Holtan.
Olaf Bøe from
Nasjonal Samling
The Nasjonal Samling (, NS; ) was a Norway, Norwegian far-right politics, far-right political party active from 1933 to 1945. It was the only legal party of Norway from 1942 to 1945. It was founded by former minister of defence Vidkun Quisling a ...
was appointed editor for
Sandefjords Presse by
Anders Beggerud in 1944.
Following World War II, Norway became one of the founding members of
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
and several air bases were constructed in Norway using NATO funds. One of these was
Sandefjord Airport Torp
Sandefjord Airport, Torp (; ) is a minor international airport located northeast of Sandefjord and south of Oslo in Norway. The airport features a runway aligned 18/36. Torp partially serves as a regional airport for Vestfold and in part as a ...
, which was to be used by the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
in case of war. Construction began in 1953 and was completed in July 1956.
SAS merge
The municipalities of Sandefjord (S),
Andebu (A) and
Stokke (S) merged on 1 January 2017. The merge was the first of numerous nationwide merges following a municipal reform by the
Solberg Cabinet.
The "new" municipality became the most populous in Vestfold county.
Proposed names for the "new" municipality were
Gokstad,
Sandar, and
Torp, however, the name ''Sandefjord'' was ultimately kept.
A poll conducted by the ''
Sandefjords Blad'' newspaper in January 2015 called 600 residents in Andebu, 750 in Stokke, and 1,000 in Sandefjord. All were given the question "Do you think Stokke, Andebu, and Sandefjord should establish one single municipality?". About 69% of Sandefjord residents answered "yes", while 64% (Andebu) and 61% (Stokke) answered "yes" in Stokke and Andebu.
Few Stokke residents read ''
Sandefjords Blad'', the main newspaper of Sandefjord, and relatively few residents commute to the
city of Sandefjord for work. Despite this, Stokke residents voted to merge with Sandefjord due to two key features: its wealth and the nearby international airport.
About 78 percent of Stokke residents ultimately voted to merge into Sandefjord during the September 2015 elections.
Population growth
The municipality experienced a 98.6 percent population growth from 1875 to 1900. Even not including the boundary adjustments between the municipalities of Sandar and Sandefjord in 1888, this population increase was substantially higher than most Norwegian cities. Sandar experienced the largest population growth of any Norwegian town, and over twice the growth of other towns in Vestfold County.
From 1875 to 1900, the disposable income of people from Sandefjord increased by over 200 percent.
Total assets in local banks also increased, and in 1895–1900, total assets went from
NOK
Nok is a village in Jaba, Nigeria, Jaba Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria. The village is an archeological site.
Archaeology
The discovery of terracotta figurines at this location caused its name to be used for the Nok culture, ...
0.6 to 1.9 million in Aktiekreditbanken and from NOK 1.1 million to 1.3 million in Sandefjords Sparebank.
Even after whaling lost its importance, Sandefjord remained Norway's richest city, and from 1913 to 1917, the median income increased by over 350 percent.
Norge Sandefjord (7998937239).jpg, Postcard of Sandefjord − about 1970
Ommestadkollen, Sandefjord, Vestfold, Norway - panoramio.jpg, Ommestadkollen
Sandefjord_(14547787946).jpg, Sandefjord in 1947
Geography

Sandefjord is a coastal municipality on the western shore of the
Oslo Fjord. It can be described as a suburb of
Oslo
Oslo ( or ; ) 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 1,064,235 in 2022 ...
, situated southwest of the capital.
Sandefjord is the largest municipality in
Vestfold
Vestfold () is a county and a current electoral district in Norway. Located on the western shore of the Oslofjord, it borders Buskerud and Telemark counties. The county administration is located in Tønsberg, Norway's oldest city, and the larg ...
county. Its coastline has various beaches and sheltered coves, and several forests are scattered across the municipality.
The two
peninsulas
A peninsula is a landform that extends from a mainland and is only connected to land on one side. Peninsulas exist on each continent. The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula.
Etymology
The word ''peninsula'' derives , . ...
called
Østerøya ("East Island") and
Vesterøya ("West Island") contribute to a total coastline of , and form the
Sandefjordsfjorden and
Mefjorden. The coastline offers a wide variety of sandy beaches,
skerries, and
islet
An islet ( ) is generally a small island. Definitions vary, and are not precise, but some suggest that an islet is a very small, often unnamed, island with little or no vegetation to support human habitation. It may be made of rock, sand and/ ...
s, along with
bay
A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a ''gulf'', ''sea'', ''sound'', or ''bight''. A ''cove'' is a small, ci ...
s and sloping rocks. Forested areas are often laced with paths and lighted for trails for summer hikes and winter skiing. Of Sandefjord's total area, (31%) is agricultural and (26%) is forest. About 2 percent is made up of lakes and rivers.
Sandefjord is located east of
Larvik Municipality
Larvik () is a municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Vestfold. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Larvik. Other main population centres in the municipality include the ...
, west of
Færder Municipality
Færder is a municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Vestfold. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Borgheim. Other villages in the municipality include Årøysund, Bj ...
, and southwest of
Tønsberg Municipality.
The coastal municipality includes about 124 islands.
Small island bays give shelter for overnight campers, and many islets have relatively accessible beaches.
Sandefjord is home to several peninsulas, including the
Vesterøya, the
Østerøya, the
Engø
Engø or Engøy is a peninsula in Sandefjord Municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. It is located between the Tønsbergfjorden and Lahellefjorden, about to the east of the Sandefjord (town), city of Sandefjord. The island of Natholmen lies jus ...
, Marøy, and Årø. The island of
Langøya
Langøya is the third largest island of Norway (outside of Svalbard), with an area of . The island is a part of the Vesterålen archipelago in Nordland county, Norway. The island includes Bø Municipality and Øksnes Municipality as well as pa ...
(Langø) is the largest island at , while other islands include the Ravnø, the Skogøy/Storøya, the
Natholmen, the Storholmen, the Ormestadholmen, the Grindholmen, and the
Granholmen. Despite its location in between Flautangen and Lindholmen (both part of
Færder Municipality
Færder is a municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Vestfold. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Borgheim. Other villages in the municipality include Årøysund, Bj ...
) in the
Tønsbergfjorden, the archipelago of
Stauper belongs to Sandefjord. It consists of ten large islands and a number of smaller skerries and islets.
There were two natural lakes in Sandefjord prior to the 2017 merger:
Goksjø
Goksjø is a lake on the border of Larvik Municipality and Sandefjord Municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The lake is located about to the northwest of the Sandefjord (town), town of Sandefjord and about to the south of the village of Kod ...
, which is the third-largest in
Vestfold
Vestfold () is a county and a current electoral district in Norway. Located on the western shore of the Oslofjord, it borders Buskerud and Telemark counties. The county administration is located in Tønsberg, Norway's oldest city, and the larg ...
County, and the smaller lake Napperødtjern.
Napperødtjern lies a few hundred meters north of Goksjø and is a
nature preserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geolog ...
surrounded by swamp forests and wetland.
Artificial ponds include
Bugårdsdammen,
Brydedammen, Virikdammen, Kroksjø, Veradammen, Svarttjern, and others. Local wildlife such as moose, deer, and avifauna can often be observed near freshwater lakes and rivers.
Sandefjord has four fjords:
Sandefjordsfjord,
Lahellefjord,
Mefjord, and
Tønsbergfjord, which it shares with neighboring
Tønsberg
Tønsberg (), historically Tunsberg, is a List of towns and cities in Norway, city in Tønsberg Municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. It is located about south-southwest of the capital city of Oslo on the western coast of the Oslofjord near ...
and
Færder
Færder is a municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Vestfold. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Borgheim. Other villages in the municipality include Årøysund, Bj ...
municipalities.
The highest point in the municipality is
Brånafjell at , which lies northwest of the village of
Høyjord.
Hjertås at above sea level is the highest point within the
city of Sandefjord. From the peak are surrounding views of the
Oslofjord
The Oslofjord (, ; ) is an inlet in southeastern Norway. The fjord begins at the small village of Bonn in Frogn, Frogn Municipality and stretching northwards to the city of Oslo, and then curving to the east and then south again. It then flows s ...
,
Vealøs by
Skien
Skien () is a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Grenland, although historically it belonged to Grenmar/Skiensfjorden, while Grenland referred the Norsjø area and Bø. The administrative ...
,
Skrim and
Torp.
Climate
The climate of the entirety of Norway is extremely affected by the
Gulf Stream
The Gulf Stream is a warm and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and flows through the Straits of Florida and up the eastern coastline of the United States, then veers east near 36°N latitude (North Carolin ...
. Were it not for the warming effects of the Gulf Stream, coastal cities along the
Oslo Fjord would be up to colder. This means that the climate, the summers especially, are warmer than in other regions at the same latitude, i.e. the
State of Alaska or
Siberia
Siberia ( ; , ) is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has formed a part of the sovereign territory of Russia and its predecessor states ...
. Sandefjord has a higher latitude than
Juneau, Alaska
Juneau ( ; ), officially the City and Borough of Juneau, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital of the U.S. state of Alaska, located along the Gastineau Channel and the Southeast Alaska, Alaskan panhandle. Juneau was named the ...
; Sandefjord is at 59°08′N, while the capital of Alaska is at 58°18′N. Sandefjord experiences more sun than any other Norwegian municipality during the summer months.
Warm breezes from the
Skagerrak
The Skagerrak (; , , ) is a strait running between the North Jutlandic Island of Denmark, the east coast of Norway and the west coast of Sweden, connecting the North Sea and the Kattegat sea.
The Skagerrak contains some of the busiest shipping ...
cause a mild climate, and Sandefjord experiences the highest annual number of cloud-free days in Norway.
The climate is relatively mild for its latitude. Fields become green in early May, but the air remains slightly cold. The summer seldom begins before the end of May, when temperatures often rapidly increase. The whole month of June and most of July experience little darkness during night and
songbirds
A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds (Passerine, Passeriformes). Another name that is sometimes seen as the scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin ''oscen'', "songbird". The Passeriformes co ...
are silent for only 2–3 hours at most.
July is the warmest month of the year in Sandefjord when temperatures often rise above .
Sandefjord has a relatively humid
continental climate
Continental climates often have a significant annual variation in temperature (warm to hot summers and cold winters). They tend to occur in central and eastern parts of the three northern-tier continents (North America, Europe, and Asia), typi ...
(
Dfb) with warm summers, no dry season, and relatively much precipitation year long. During the colder season, which is from the end of November until early March, there is a 56 percent average chance that precipitation will be observed during a given day. The likelihood of snow falling is highest in late January and the season in which it is likely to snowfall spans from early November until early April. The coldest day of the year in Sandefjord is 4 February, with an average low temperature of and average high of only .
Villages
Sandefjord Municipality includes several larger urban areas in addition to the
city of Sandefjord (population: 45,816):
*
Stokke (2022 pop. 4,221)
*
Andebu (pop. 2,532)
*
Melsomvik (pop. 2,067)
*
Kodal (pop. 1,059)
*
Fossnes (pop. 650)
*
Høyjord (pop. 381)
A small part of Sandefjord,
the Himberg farm, is an
exclave
An enclave is a territory that is entirely surrounded by the territory of only one other state or entity. An enclave can be an independent territory or part of a larger one. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is s ...
inside the borders of the neighboring
Larvik Municipality
Larvik () is a municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Vestfold. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Larvik. Other main population centres in the municipality include the ...
.
All efforts at annexing Himberg into surrounding Larvik have been met with massive protests from local residents. A 1995 annexation attempt was ultimately canceled due to large protests from Himberg residents. Himberg is a rural agricultural community consisting of no more than ten households.
There are only four similar exclaves in Norway, and
Himberg is the most populous exclave in the nation, with a population of around 40. It is .
Government
Sandefjord Municipality is responsible for
primary education
Primary education is the first stage of Education, formal education, coming after preschool/kindergarten and before secondary education. Primary education takes place in ''primary schools'', ''elementary schools'', or first schools and middle s ...
(through 10th grade), outpatient
health services
Health care, or healthcare, is the improvement or maintenance of health via the preventive healthcare, prevention, diagnosis, therapy, treatment, wikt:amelioration, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other disability, physic ...
,
senior citizen
Old age is the range of ages for people nearing and surpassing life expectancy. People who are of old age are also referred to as: old people, elderly, elders, senior citizens, seniors or older adults. Old age is not a definite biological sta ...
services,
welfare
Welfare may refer to:
Philosophy
*Well-being (happiness, prosperity, or flourishing) of a person or group
* Utility in utilitarianism
* Value in value theory
Economics
* Utility, a general term for individual well-being in economics and decision ...
and other
social services
Social services are a range of public services intended to provide support and assistance towards particular groups, which commonly include the disadvantaged. Also available amachine-converted HTML They may be provided by individuals, private and i ...
,
zoning
In urban planning, zoning is a method in which a municipality or other tier of government divides land into land-use "zones", each of which has a set of regulations for new development that differs from other zones. Zones may be defined for ...
,
economic development
In economics, economic development (or economic and social development) is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and object ...
, and municipal
road
A road is a thoroughfare used primarily for movement of traffic. Roads differ from streets, whose primary use is local access. They also differ from stroads, which combine the features of streets and roads. Most modern roads are paved.
Th ...
s and utilities. The municipality is governed by a
municipal council
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough cou ...
of
directly elected representatives. The
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
is
indirectly elected
An indirect election or ''hierarchical voting,'' is an election in which voters do not choose directly among candidates or parties for an office ( direct voting system), but elect people who in turn choose candidates or parties. It is one of the o ...
by a vote of the municipal council.
The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the
Vestfold District Court and the
Agder Court of Appeal.
Mayors
Municipal council
The
municipal council
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough cou ...
of Sandefjord is made up of 45 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political
party
A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a Hospitality, host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will oft ...
.
Politics
Sandefjord is a stronghold for the
Conservative Party. In the
Norwegian local elections of 2011, 47.9% of voters voted for the Conservative Party. The right-wing parties received a total of 70.4% of the vote in Sandefjord, compared to 51.2% nationwide. The current mayor,
Bjørn Ole Gleditsch, was elected in 2004 with the support of the
Progress Party. Gleditsch is the wealthiest mayor to ever be elected in Norway.
Cathrine Andersen from the Progress Party has been deputy mayor since 2015.
Demographics
According to
Statistics Norway
Statistics Norway (, abbreviated to ''SSB'') is the Norwegian statistics bureau. It was established in 1876.
Relying on a staff of about 1,000, Statistics Norway publish about 1,000 new statistical releases every year on its web site. All rele ...
in 2017, the municipality was home to 62,622 residents. There were 2,797 vacation homes in Sandefjord as of 2018, and 2,19 people per housing unit. About 69% of residents are members of
Church of Norway
The Church of Norway (, , , ) is an Lutheranism, evangelical Lutheran denomination of Protestant Christianity and by far the largest Christian church in Norway. Christianity became the state religion of Norway around 1020, and was established a ...
, 18% are unaffiliated, and 12.8% are members of other religious communities. In addition to the local
Church of Norway
The Church of Norway (, , , ) is an Lutheranism, evangelical Lutheran denomination of Protestant Christianity and by far the largest Christian church in Norway. Christianity became the state religion of Norway around 1020, and was established a ...
churches, the municipality also houses various minor congregations, including an Adventist church and Methodist church.
Religious minorities with congregations in town include
Pentecostals
Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a movement within the broader Evangelical wing of Protestant Christianity that emphasizes direct personal experience of God through baptism with the Holy Spirit. The term ''Pentecostal'' is derived ...
(Salem),
Catholics
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
(
St. Johannes Døperen),
Methodists (Metodistkirken),
Seventh-day Adventists
The Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA) is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sabba ...
(Adventkirken),
Baptists
Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...
(Baptistkirken),
Norwegian Lutheran Mission (Den lille gren),
Jehovas Witnesses (Rikets Sal) and
Muslims
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
(Alkawther Islam Center and Sandefjord Islamic Center).
Baptists first established a congregation in town in the 1880s and Methodists in the 1890s.
Brunstad Christian Church
Brunstad Christian Church (BCC) is a worldwide evangelicalism, evangelical Non-denominational Christianity, non-denominational Christian church. Established in Norway early in the 20th century. It is represented by more than 220 churches in 54 co ...
(Smith's Friends) is an
evangelical
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of th ...
non-denominational
A non-denominational person or organization is one that does not follow (or is not restricted to) any particular or specific religious denomination.
The term has been used in the context of various faiths, including Jainism, Baháʼí Faith, Zoro ...
church which was established in neighboring
Horten Municipality
Horten () is a municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Jarlsberg. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Horten. Other population centers in Horten Municipality include the t ...
in 1905.
Brunstad Conference Center is the denomination's headquarters and is located in
Stokke. It is the only worldwide denomination which was established in Norway.
The largest minority groups in 2017 (first- and second generation immigrants) are Lithuanians (1.95%), Polish (1.93%), Iraqis (1.24%), Vietnamese (0.80%), Germans (0.71%), Swedes (0.69%), Kosovans (0.67%), Bosnians (0.64%), and Danes (0.51%).
After the merger with Stokke and Andebu in 2017, Sandefjord has a population of over 63,000. This makes Sandefjord to the 11th most populous municipality in Norway.
It is the most populous city in
Vestfold
Vestfold () is a county and a current electoral district in Norway. Located on the western shore of the Oslofjord, it borders Buskerud and Telemark counties. The county administration is located in Tønsberg, Norway's oldest city, and the larg ...
County;
One in four people from Vestfold county are from Sandefjord, or 25.2 percent of the county population.
Economy
Sandefjord is the wealthiest municipality in Norway.
Important industries in Sandefjord are information technology, chemical production, tourism, navigation, ship building and fishing.
It is home to the international airport
Torp Airport, paint producer
Jotun, the brewery
Grans Bryggeri, the chocolate factory
Hval Sjokoladefabrikk, and the engineering company Ramboll Oil & Gas. High-tech and information technology have become important industries in recent times,
represented by some of Norway's largest web shops: Komplett, mpx.no, and netshop.no.
The largest employer, besides the municipality itself, is
Jotun, which was established in Sandefjord in 1926. Jotun is now one of the world's largest manufacturers of paints and coating products.
As of February 2017, Jotun has a presence in over 100 countries and employed 9,500 employees worldwide. The Jotun Group operates four divisions, while its head office is located in Sandefjord.
As of 2016, Jotun had 9,800 employees including one thousand employees within Norway. It operated 37 factories in 21 countries and is represented in 120 countries through distributors, offices, and agents. It is owned by the
Gleditsch family and
Orkla ASA.
While Jotun by far is the largest company in
Vestfold
Vestfold () is a county and a current electoral district in Norway. Located on the western shore of the Oslofjord, it borders Buskerud and Telemark counties. The county administration is located in Tønsberg, Norway's oldest city, and the larg ...
county, the second-biggest company is
Komplett. A web shop operating in all of Scandinavia, Komplett had a
NOK
Nok is a village in Jaba, Nigeria, Jaba Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria. The village is an archeological site.
Archaeology
The discovery of terracotta figurines at this location caused its name to be used for the Nok culture, ...
7.3 billion revenue in 2015 and had 800 employees.
Sandefjord had Norway's most expensive seaside vacation homes as of 2011, with an average price of
NOK
Nok is a village in Jaba, Nigeria, Jaba Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria. The village is an archeological site.
Archaeology
The discovery of terracotta figurines at this location caused its name to be used for the Nok culture, ...
7.2 million. General property values in Sandefjord appreciated 25.7 percent between 2010 and 2015.

The largest companies in Sandefjord based on
operating income In accounting and finance, earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) is a measure of a firm's profit that includes all incomes and expenses (operating and non-operating) except interest expenses and income tax expenses.
Operating income and opera ...
in 2015:
Tourism
Sandefjord is dubbed a resort area due to its many summer visitors.
Sandefjord is also nicknamed the "Bathing City" due to its many beaches, islands and minor archipelagos. Beaches such as Vøra and nearby
Langeby on
Vesterøya attract summer visitors from
Oslo
Oslo ( or ; ) 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 1,064,235 in 2022 ...
and other larger Norwegian cities.
Sandefjord became a bathing destination when
sulphur
Sulfur (American spelling and the preferred IUPAC name) or sulphur (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth spelling) is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol S and atomic number 16. It is abundance of the chemical ...
was discovered in waters and
gyttja in 1837.
Sandefjord is home to over two thousand vacation homes, most of which are built along the seaside.
Sandefjord had Norway's most expensive vacation homes as of 2012; the mean vacation home price was
NOK
Nok is a village in Jaba, Nigeria, Jaba Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria. The village is an archeological site.
Archaeology
The discovery of terracotta figurines at this location caused its name to be used for the Nok culture, ...
7.1 million in 2012.

Sandefjord may be best known for its bathing and many beaches.
The city of Sandefjord is in the southern part of the municipality and it lies on a low, slightly inclined
strand, protected on three sides by hills, and only open towards the south where the
Sandefjordsfjord is located. It is known for its great bathing and pure sea water quality. It has a country-like appearance with clean streets and quaint roads. The area is dependent on the beaches during the summer season when many tourists arrive in Sandefjord.
The bathing season in Sandefjord generally begins on the first of June and runs through the last day of August.
Visitors to
Sandefjord Spa in the 19th century were the first tourists to the area, and this made Sandefjord into a popular holiday destination.
Sandefjord's fame as a seaside mecca dates back to 1837, when
sulphur springs first were discovered in town.
Sandefjord has been nicknamed "Eastern Norway's vacation paradise." A majority of current tourists and vacation homeowners are from the capital of
Oslo
Oslo ( or ; ) 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 1,064,235 in 2022 ...
.
Sandefjord is home to four hotels:
Scandic Park Hotel,
Hotel Kong Carl, Torp Hotel, and
Clarion Collection Hotel Atlantic.
Culture

The 9th century
Gokstad Ship
The Gokstad ship is a 9th-century Viking ship found in a burial mound at Gokstad in Sandar, Norway, Sandar, Sandefjord, Vestfold, Norway. It is displayed at the Viking Ship Museum (Oslo), Viking Ship Museum in Oslo, Norway. It is the largest pr ...
was discovered in Sandefjord during an 1880 excavation led by
Nicolay Nicolaysen
Nicolay Nicolaysen (14 January 1817 - 22 January 1911) was a Norway, Norwegian Archaeology, archaeologist and Norway's first state employed antiquarian. He is perhaps best known for his excavations of the ship burial at Gokstad ship burial, Gok ...
. The ship itself, which is now at the
Viking Ship Museum in Oslo, was built around year 910. It is the largest preserved Viking ship in Norway.
A Viking chieftain was buried at the
Gokstad Mound (), along with the Gokstad Ship. Interpretive signs have been put up at the Gokstad Mound on Helgerødveien.
Sandefjord has four churches remaining from the Middle Ages:
Høyjord Stave Church,
Kodal Church,
Skjee Church, and
Andebu Church. While Andebu Church has Norway's oldest parish register (dated 1623), Høyjord Stave Church is the only
stave church
A stave church is a medieval wooden Christian church building once common in north-western Europe. The name derives from the building's structure of post and lintel construction, a type of timber framing where the load-bearing ore-pine posts ...
left in
Vestfold
Vestfold () is a county and a current electoral district in Norway. Located on the western shore of the Oslofjord, it borders Buskerud and Telemark counties. The county administration is located in Tønsberg, Norway's oldest city, and the larg ...
county. Its chancel dates to the year 1100 and is the oldest part of the church. Burial mounds dating to the Viking Age can be seen around the church.
Sandar Church by
Sandefjord Station was constructed atop of the ruins of a medieval church dated to the 13th century. The present church, however, was erected in 1792.

Midtåsen Sculpture Park contains a collection of bronze and marble works by sculptor
Knut Steen, which is housed in a pine forest
pavilion
In architecture, ''pavilion'' has several meanings;
* It may be a subsidiary building that is either positioned separately or as an attachment to a main building. Often it is associated with pleasure. In palaces and traditional mansions of Asia ...
overlooking Sandefjord and the
Sandefjordsfjord. The former estate of shipping magnate
Anders Jahre is located at Midtåsen, and is now owned by the municipality. Guided tours of the villa are available. The villa was designed by architect
Arnstein Arneberg. It is located in a park.
Hjertnes Civic and Theater Center is home to three auditoriums and an outdoor amphitheater. A movie theater, City Hall and library are found at Hjertnes. Concerts, opera, and other cultural events also take place at Hjertnes Civic Center.
Art
Sandefjord is the city in Norway with the most sculptures per inhabitant. There are around 100 sculptures from over 50 artists and sculptors including Ørnulf Bast, Nils Aas, Dagfin Werenskiold,
Knut Steen, Per Krohg, Per Krogh, and others. Notable sculptures include the Whaler's Monument and the Sea Queen () by Arnold Haukeland, which is located outside Hjertnes Civic and Theater Center. Midtåsen Sculpture Park contains a collection of bronze and marble works by Knut Steen in a park and villa designed by
Arnstein Arneberg. Poseidon Sculpture Park, which is located in Badeparken, features Greek mythology sculptures by Nina Sundbye. Arne Durban's sculpture "Mother and Child" is located in the City Park (“Byparken”), while a sculpture of priest Magnus Brostrup Landstad made by Hans Holmen can be seen at ''Landstads plass'' by
Sandar Church. A polar bear sculpture by Skule Waksvik is located outside
Sandefjord Museum, while a whale jawbone arch is placed outside
Scandic Park Hotel. A memorial to fallen sailors (''Sjømannsminnesmerket'') was placed outside
Sandefjord Church in 1920 and was made by sculptor Gustav Lærum.
The fountain at Christopher Hvidts Plass, the Thaulow fountain, was donated to the city in 1875 by Heinrich Arnold Thaulow, the city's first physician and founder of
Sandefjord Spa. It is the city's oldest sculpture and its first donation.
In 2017, the NGO ''Art for All in the World'' conducted a project where seven mural artists contributed. A mural by Eduardo Kobra, “Peace between nations”, can be seen behind ''Peter Grøns gate 2B''. Street art by graffiti artist Victor Ash (artist), Victor Ash can be seen at ''Stockfeldsgate 6-8''.
Museums
Sandefjord is home to Europe's only museum dedicated to
whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales for their products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that was important in the Industrial Revolution. Whaling was practiced as an organized industry as early as 875 AD. By the 16t ...
, which is located in the city center.
The museum was one of the first original museums in Norway when established in 1917. Today it boasts over 150,000 photographs as well as exhibits of marine animals, a restored whale catcher, and more.
A whale catcher named ''
Southern Actor
''Southern Actor'' is a former whale catcher, currently a museum ship based in Sandefjord, Norway and owned by Sandefjord Museum. It is the only whale catcher from the Modern Whaling Epoch still to be in its original working order. Over 100,000 h ...
'' is docked at Museum's Wharf and is a part of the Maritime Museum. It is the only whale catcher from the Modern Whaling Epoch still to be in its original working order. It was constructed by Sevilla Whaling Co. in 1950 and brought to Sandefjord in 1989.
Museum's Wharf ("Museumsbrygga") was established in 1995 and both the ''Gaia ship'' and ''Southern Actor'' were placed at the wharf.
There are six protected buildings in Sandefjord as of 2008: City Museum (Bymuseet), Maritime Museum (Sjøfartsmuséet), and the three farms Elverhøy, Nordby, and Auve farms. The city's oldest house, which is located at Skippergaten 6 and was built in 1667, is also one of the city's protected structures.
The City Museum and Maritime Museum, along with
Sandefjord Museum, are the three museums found in Sandefjord. Sandefjord Museum is among the world's largest whaling museums.
It was established in 1917 and was a gift to the city from Lars Christensen.
Transportation
Sandefjord Airport Torp
Sandefjord Airport, Torp (; ) is a minor international airport located northeast of Sandefjord and south of Oslo in Norway. The airport features a runway aligned 18/36. Torp partially serves as a regional airport for Vestfold and in part as a ...
is one of Norway's largest airports, and is particularly known for its high number of international flights.
Torp is Norway's second-largest airport in terms of international flights in 2003. As of 2003, Torp had over one million annual passengers, of which around 50% were for international flights. Despite being located about south of Oslo, Torp is sometimes Oslo Airport location controversy#Torp and Rygge, called Oslo Airport Torp. It is reached with a free shuttle bus from Sandefjord Airport Station which is located along the Vestfold Line, Vestfoldbanen railway line.
Sandefjord Airport is a budget airline hub for airlines such as Widerøe, Ryanair, and Wizz Air. Torp offers direct routes to over 30 international and domestic destinations, including daily flights to European cities such as London and Amsterdam.
Sandefjord is served by frequent intercity trains to Oslo and onwards to Oslo Airport.
Daily ferries connect Sandefjord to Sweden.
Color Line ferries ''MS Color Hybrid'' and ''MS Color Viking, Color Viking'' connect the town to Strömstad in Sweden.
Fjord Line is another ferry service connecting Sandefjord and Sweden. The neighboring town of Larvik (town), Larvik is home to daily ferry operations between Norway and Hirtshals, Denmark. Scandi Line was a former ferry service operating ferries between Sandefjord and Sweden. Sandefjord is also home to a domestic ferry route: Jutøya, MF Jutøya transports people and goods to the nearby island of Veierland from Engø peninsula several times per day.
Sandefjord is also a cruise ship destination.
European route E18 traverses the municipality. It is one of Norway's most important main roads, and makes the drive to
Oslo
Oslo ( or ; ) 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 1,064,235 in 2022 ...
approximately 90 minutes.
Public transit
Sandefjord Station is the central train station and is served by regional trains operated by Vy. The main bus station is also located by Sandefjord Station. Fast and frequent express buses from Sandefjord shuttle along the European route E18 highway, connecting to Kristiansand (city), Kristiansand and linking key resorts in Southern Norway. Trains and buses for Sandefjord leave Oslo Central Station (Oslo S) every 30 minutes, and the journey takes two hours. The public transportation system in Sandefjord is known as Vestfold Kollektivtrafikk (VKT).
Besides Sandefjord Station, additional railway stations include Sandefjord Airport Station and Stokke Station. Torp Express Bus Service operates buses from Sandefjord Airport to Oslo. There are free shuttle buses between Sandefjord Airport Station and Sandefjord Airport.
Sport

Bugårdsparken, Bugårds Park is the sits of Sandefjord's largest sporting grounds and facilities, including areas for soccer, tennis, frisbee golf, handball, badminton, archery, rollerskating, horseback-riding, water sports, ice hockey, and ice skating. The park sits by List of schools in Sandefjord#Secondary/High Schools, Sandefjord High School and is also home to a walking path, duck pond and designated picnic areas. The swimming center with its public pool is also located in Bugårds Park. Indoor handball courts are housed in Jotunhallen, while tennis courts are found in Pingvinhallen.
Sandefjord Golfbane is an 18-hole golf course located at Jåberg, about from the city center. It was designed by Peter Chamberlin. It was established in August 2009.
Professional sports
Sandefjord Fotball is a professional association football, football club which plays in Tippeligaen/Eliteserien (Norwegian Premier League). The team previously played home games at Storstadion, but has played at Komplett Arena since its opening in 2007. The club reached the Norwegian First Division in 1999, the year after its foundation.
Sandefjord is noted for its strong performance in professional handball. Sandefjord is home to two top league handball teams: Sandefjord TIF and IL Runar.
From 1991 to 2008 Sandefjord TIF won nine Men's Premier League and another local team, IL Runar, Runar Håndball, won four. Sandefjord TIF Handball won the Men's Premier League again in 2005–2006.
In professional ice skating, Sandefjord has been the location of Norwegian Allround Championships in 1928, 1958, and 1961.
The Gamle Stadion hosted motorcycle speedway around the pitch during the 1970s and held the final of the Norwegian Individual Speedway Championship in 1972.
Education

Sandefjord High School (SVGS) has about 2,000 students and is Norway's largest high school.
It is a result of the merge between Sandefjord's four former high schools.
Skagerak International School is also located in town and offers English-speaking kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, and high school. Other private schools include Moe School and Mokollen School. Skiringssal folkehøyskole is a folk high school in Sandefjord, which is owned by
Vestfold
Vestfold () is a county and a current electoral district in Norway. Located on the western shore of the Oslofjord, it borders Buskerud and Telemark counties. The county administration is located in Tønsberg, Norway's oldest city, and the larg ...
county.
There are six public middle schools in Sandefjord: Andebu, Breidablikk, Bugården, Ranvik, Stokke, and Varden middle schools. There are 21 public elementary schools in the municipality as well.
Sandefjord High School (SVGS) and its two-story facilities are located at Krokemoa near the Bugårdsparken, Bugårds Park. It is a public International Baccalaureate World School, but also offers general academics (the college preparatory ''studiespesialisering'' of the Norwegian school system), as well as elite sports, vocational education, and more.
Skagerak International School is a private, English-language, International Baccalaureate World School at Framnes. Its education is offered to both international and Norwegian students. Established as a High School in 1991, the school expanded to include a kindergarten as well as primary and middle schools in 2000. The basis of the education is formed by the International Baccalaureate Primary Years (PYP), Middle Years (MYP) and Diploma (DP) programs. Skagerak is located in a renovated shipyard on the waterfront at Framnaes shipyard, Framnes. Camps and excursions are offered for all primary and middle school students, as well as two or more annual trips abroad. High school students travel abroad for cultural and service-oriented trips, mostly to areas in Europe, Central Asia, and Africa. The High School is a member of UNESCO's ''SOUL'' project.
As of 2018, 250 students are enrolled at Pilot Flight Academy at Torp Airport.
Points of interest

Notable points of interest include:
* Gokstad Mound, Gokstad Burial Mound, site of the discovery of the 9th-century
Gokstad Ship
The Gokstad ship is a 9th-century Viking ship found in a burial mound at Gokstad in Sandar, Norway, Sandar, Sandefjord, Vestfold, Norway. It is displayed at the Viking Ship Museum (Oslo), Viking Ship Museum in Oslo, Norway. It is the largest pr ...
.
*
Sandefjord Museum (the Whaling Museum), Europe's only museum dedicated to the whaling industry.
** Gaia ship, 1990 replica of the
Gokstad Ship
The Gokstad ship is a 9th-century Viking ship found in a burial mound at Gokstad in Sandar, Norway, Sandar, Sandefjord, Vestfold, Norway. It is displayed at the Viking Ship Museum (Oslo), Viking Ship Museum in Oslo, Norway. It is the largest pr ...
at Museum's Wharf in Sandefjord Harbor.
**
Southern Actor
''Southern Actor'' is a former whale catcher, currently a museum ship based in Sandefjord, Norway and owned by Sandefjord Museum. It is the only whale catcher from the Modern Whaling Epoch still to be in its original working order. Over 100,000 h ...
,
whale-catcher turned museum ship. Only whale catcher from the Modern Whaling Epoch still to be in its original working order.
* Whaler's Monument, rotating bronze monument, erected in honor of pioneering whalers
*
Sandefjord Spa (Kurbadet), the 1899 thermal baths are housed in one of Scandinavia's largest wooden buildings.
* Bjerggata, one of the oldest parts of the
city of Sandefjord with preserved wooden houses.
* Hjertnes Civic and Theater Center, adjacent to Badeparken and
Scandic Park Hotel.
*
Sandar Church, built on ruins of a 13th-century medieval stone church. Present church was erected in 1792.
*
Sandefjord Church, 1903 church, home of Sandefjord Church Bells and host of various concerts and events.
*
Høyjord Stave Church, in
Andebu, only preserved
stave church
A stave church is a medieval wooden Christian church building once common in north-western Europe. The name derives from the building's structure of post and lintel construction, a type of timber framing where the load-bearing ore-pine posts ...
in
Vestfold
Vestfold () is a county and a current electoral district in Norway. Located on the western shore of the Oslofjord, it borders Buskerud and Telemark counties. The county administration is located in Tønsberg, Norway's oldest city, and the larg ...
County.
* Hvaltorvet Shopping Centre, largest shopping mall in Sandefjord, located in the city center.
* Harbour Chapel ("Bryggekapellet"), Europe's only floating church.
* Vesterøya#Folehavna Fort, Folehavna Fort, ruins from a German fortress constructed in 1941 during the
German occupation of Norway
The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany during the Second World War began on 9 April 1940 after Operation Weserübung. Conventional armed resistance to the German invasion ended on 10 June 1940, and Nazi Germany controlled Norway until th ...
.
* Sundås Fort, ruins from fortifications constructed in 1899 during the Union between Sweden and Norway.
*
Istrehågan, ancient burial ground which dates to the Roman Iron Age (Northern Europe), Roman Iron Age around 1500–500 BCE.
Recreation
Sandefjord has some of Eastern Norway's largest preserved coastal recreation areas.
This includes Yxnøy, which is one of the largest preserved nature areas along
Vestfold
Vestfold () is a county and a current electoral district in Norway. Located on the western shore of the Oslofjord, it borders Buskerud and Telemark counties. The county administration is located in Tønsberg, Norway's oldest city, and the larg ...
's coast.
There are of coastal hiking trails on
Østerøya peninsula, including to its southern tip where Østerøya#Tønsberg Barrel, Tønsberg Barrel is located. Tønsberg Barrel is an old beacon mentioned in ''
Sverris saga
''Sverris saga'' is one of the Kings' sagas. Its subject is King Sverre Sigurdsson of Norway (r. 1177–1202) and it is the main source for this period of Norwegian history. As the foreword tells us, the saga in its final form consists of mo ...
''. The coastal path at Østerøya (East Island) is an extension of the coastal path on
Vesterøya. These of hiking trails are part of the international North Sea Trail.
Additional hiking trails are found at Preståsen, Hjertnes Forest, Fjellvikåsen, Mokollen, Midtås, as well as the Culture Walk. There are also of hiking trails that are attached to trailheads by Heisetra in rural
Andebu.
Sandefjord is home to ten cross-country skiing trails (loipes).
Goksjø
Goksjø is a lake on the border of Larvik Municipality and Sandefjord Municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The lake is located about to the northwest of the Sandefjord (town), town of Sandefjord and about to the south of the village of Kod ...
is a lake on the border between Sandefjord and Larvik municipalities. It is the third-largest lake in
Vestfold
Vestfold () is a county and a current electoral district in Norway. Located on the western shore of the Oslofjord, it borders Buskerud and Telemark counties. The county administration is located in Tønsberg, Norway's oldest city, and the larg ...
county. Goksjø is popular for swimming, kayaking and fishing; some of the fish species found here are Northern pike, European perch, Ide (fish), Ide, Common dace, European eel, Salmon and Brown trout. Freshwater fishing is also common by rivers such as Svartåa in
Andebu and the Hagenes River in
Kodal. Numedalslågen, which is considered one of Norway's best salmon fishing rivers, is located in neighboring town of Larvik (town), Larvik.
Sandefjord is home to numerous campgrounds, all which are located along the seaside. Campgrounds include Asnes,
Langeby, Vøra, Sjøbakken, Strand Leirsted,
Solløkka, and islands such as
Granholmen and
Natholmen.
Langeby is considered Sandefjord's best beach by Frommer's
and Fodor's Travel Guides,
and is home to Langeby Camping which offers boat and kayak rentals. Tent camping is permitted on numerous nearby islands, including the Hellesøya and the Buerøya. Langeby lies adjacent to Vøra, a neighboring beach and campground. Vøra tends to get crowded during warm summer days due to tourism. It attracts summer vacationers from throughout Norway during warm summer months.
The archipelago of
Stauper in the
Tønsbergfjorden, between the island of Tjøme (island), Tjøme and the
Østerøya peninsula, is particularly popular during summer months. These islands are popular for swimming, kayaking, boating, and camping. It consists of four larger islands, four small islands, and a number of islets.
Tent camping is permitted in forests, a minimum of from the nearest settlement.
Beaches

Sandefjord's of coastline is home to various beaches:
* Asnes (Vesterøya, West Island): Campground, convenience store, public restrooms, diving boards, sloping rocks.
* Flautangen (Østerøya, East Island): Firepits, fishing, public restrooms.
* Vesterøya#Folehavna Fort, Folehavna (West Island): Hiking trails, fishing, sloping rocks. Ruins from a German fortress built in 1941.
* Fruvika (West Island): Firepits, benches, public restrooms.
*
Granholmen (islet): Campground, convenience store, public restrooms, pier, boat rentals, playground.
* Grubesand (West Island): 100-meter beach with hiking trails, firepits, sloping rocks, picnic tables, fishing, and public restrooms.
*
Langeby (West Island): Campground, convenience store, fishing, boat pier, restrooms, sloping rocks, floating platform, diving boards, showers, volleyball court, soccer field, playground.
* Sandtangen (
Goksjø
Goksjø is a lake on the border of Larvik Municipality and Sandefjord Municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The lake is located about to the northwest of the Sandefjord (town), town of Sandefjord and about to the south of the village of Kod ...
Lake): Freshwater beach with pier and floating platform.
* Skjellvika (Østerøya): Oceanside pier, diving boards, hiking trails, floating platform, sloping rocks.
* Strømbadet (city center): floating jetty for swimming in the Sandefjord Harbor. Access from Hjertnesstranda.
* Tangen (Vesterøya): Diving boards, floating platform, soccer field, playground, volleyball court, benches, toilets.
* Truber and Yxnøy (East Island): Sloping rocks, public restrooms, hiking trails, picnic tables.
* Vøra (Vesterøya): Campground, convenience store, volleyball court, public restroom, playground, soccer field, floating platform.

Additional beaches include Bogen (Nallberg), Brunstad, Kleivern, Korsvik, Kulerødvannet, Sandbånn and Rossnesodden (Melsomvik), Storevar, Stålerødvannet, Ertsvika, Strandvika, Albertstranda, Ormestadvika, Trollsvann, and Vårnes.
Several islands with beaches are only accessible by boat, including Gokstadholmen, Lindholmen, Gåsø, Furuholmen, Gåsøkalven, Ravnø, Buerøya and Hellesøya.
The lake
Goksjø
Goksjø is a lake on the border of Larvik Municipality and Sandefjord Municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The lake is located about to the northwest of the Sandefjord (town), town of Sandefjord and about to the south of the village of Kod ...
is home to beaches such as Gubbetangen and Sandtangen.
In the early 1940s, Sandefjord's mayor
Frithjof Holtedahl acquired the beaches of Asnes on
Vesterøya and Skjellvika on
Østerøya. Mayor Holtedahl was also instrumental in acquiring the beach Vøra in 1943.
Nature preserves
The early 1980s saw the establishment of several nature preserves in Sandefjord, including at
Fokserød, Strandvika, Hemskilen, and Vøra.
Sandefjord is home to 16
nature preserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geolog ...
s as of 2017:
* Dalaåsen (beech forest)
* Flisefyr-Hidalen (forest)
* Storås and Spirås (forest)
* Veggermyra og Nordre Skarsholttjønn (marsh)
* Langø (Sandefjord), Langø and Bokemoa (protected landscape)
* Robergvannet (wetland)
* Melsom (plant- and wildlife preserve)
* Napperødtjern (riparian forest)
*
Fokserød (beech forest)
* Holtan (plant preserve)
* Strandvika (riparian forest)
* Hemskilen (wetland)
* Vøra (geological area)
* Akersvannet (marsh)
Public parks
Public parks in Sandefjord include:

* Bugårdsparken ("the Bugårds Park"), 60-acre park that is home to Storstadion, a 20-acre duck pond, public pools, ice-skating rink, and a sports facilities.
* Byparken ("the Town Park"), built after the town fire of 1900. Home of the statue ''Mother and Child'' by Arne Durban.
The decision to establish a city park was made by the city council on 28 June 1901. In 1906, enough funds had been received to secure the land. The park has a cubic stone pedestal gifted to the city in May 1995 from Sandefjord Rotary. On this pedestal is where the "sculpture of the month" has been placed every month since 1995.
* Badeparken ("the bathing park"), 15-acre city park with fitness trail, an amphitheater, and playground, adjacent to
Scandic Park Hotel and Hjertnes Civic and Theater Center
** Poseidon Sculpture Park, sculpture park by Nina Sundbye established in 1995
* Andebuparken, park in the center of
Andebu
* Sandefjord Hundepark (Sandefjord Dog Park), dog park near Sandefjord Upper Secondary School managed by Sandefjord hundeklubb
* Midtåsen Sculpture Park, 15-acre park at Anders Jahre's former villa, sculptures and views of the
Sandefjordsfjord. The park was dedicated to artist
Knut Steen.
* Hjertnesstranda ("the Hjertnes Beach"), park at the harbor-front with barbecue grills, sand volleyball fields, benches, public toilets.
** Sandefjord Skatepark
* Kirkeparken ("the church park"), park immediately west of Sandefjord Church.
* Preståsen, park and recreation area situated on a high hill overlooking the city. Preståsen has various hiking trails, benches, a playground, barbecue sites, a water fountain, and
Brydedammen, which is a large pond. It has two access points from Bjerggata in the city center.
Fauna

Wildlife includes the Mountain hare, European badger, European beaver, Roe deer, Red deer, Moose, Red fox, European hedgehog, European pine marten, and Norway lemming. More rare but occasionally encountered are the Gray wolf, Eurasian lynx, Wolverine and Brown bear.
Wolves are extremely rare in Sandefjord, although they have been observed on numerous occasions. A wolf shot in neighboring Lardal in 2013 was the first wolf killed in
Vestfold
Vestfold () is a county and a current electoral district in Norway. Located on the western shore of the Oslofjord, it borders Buskerud and Telemark counties. The county administration is located in Tønsberg, Norway's oldest city, and the larg ...
County in over 100 years.
Common European Viper is the only venomous snake found in Norway. There are an additional two non-venomous snake species found in Vestfold County: European grass snake and European smooth snake. The Slowworm is considered a lizard.
Notable residents
Business & Public Service

* Christen Christensen (shipowner), Christen Christensen (1845–1923), a Norwegian shipyard and ship-owner
*
Johan Bryde (1858–1925), a ship owner and whaler, set up a whaling station in South Africa
*
Carl Anton Larsen (1860–1924), an Antarctic explorer, set up the Antarctic whaling industry and the settlement at
Grytviken
Grytviken ( ) is a Hamlet (place), hamlet on South Georgia in the South Atlantic. Formerly a whaling station, it was the largest settlement on the island. Grytviken is located at the head of King Edward Cove within the larger Cumberland East Bay, ...
on South Georgia (island), South Georgia
* Olaf Alfred Hoffstad (1865–1943), a botanist, school principal and Mayor of Sandefjord, 1911/1934
* Christian Theodore Pedersen (1876–1969), a Norwegian American seaman,
whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales for their products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that was important in the Industrial Revolution. Whaling was practiced as an organized industry as early as 875 AD. By the 16t ...
captain, and fur trader in Alaska, Canada, and the northern Pacific
* Lars Christensen (1884–1965), a Norwegian shipowner and whaling magnate
* Ole Aanderud Larsen (1884–1964), a ship designer and co-founder of the paint company
Jotun
* Ingrid Christensen (1891–1976), a polar explorer who was the first woman to set foot on
Antarctica
Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole. ...
*
Anders Jahre (1891–1982), a shipping magnate
* Odd Gleditsch, Sr. (1895–1990), a business entrepreneur and co-founder of the paint company
Jotun
* Theodore Theodorsen (1897–1978), a Norwegian American theoretical aerodynamicist
* Anton Fredrik Klaveness (1903–1981), Anton Fredrik Klaveness (1903–1981), a Norwegian equestrian and ship-owner
* Karenanne Gussgard (born 1940), a retired justice of the Supreme Court of Norway 1990/2010
*
Bjørn Ole Gleditsch (born 1963), an heir to paint company
Jotun; Mayor of Sandefjord since 2003
* Marie Benedicte Bjørnland (born 1965), the head of the Norwegian Police Security Service from 2012 to 2019
* Frederic Hauge (born 1965), an environmental activist who founded and runs Bellona Foundation
The Arts

* Ole Windingstad (1886–1959), a Norwegian conductor, pianist and composer
* Eline Nygaard Riisnæs (1913–2011), a pianist and musicologist at UiO
* Teddy Nelson (1939–1992), a country music singer, sang with Skeeter Davis
* Dag Solstad (born 1941), a Norwegian novelist, short-story writer and dramatist
* Shields and Yarnell, Lorene Yarnell (1944–2010), a dancer and actress, one of an American mime duo
* Karin Fossum (born 1954), a Norwegian author of crime fiction; the ''"Norwegian queen of crime"''
* Bent Hamer (born 1956, a film director, writer and producer
* Nils Mathisen (born 1959), a musician and composer who plays keyboards, violin, guitar and bass
* Anita Hegerland (born 1961), a singer
* Finn Gjerdrum (born 1961), a Norwegian film producer
* Ole Mathisen (born 1965), a saxophone and clarinet musician and composer
* Hans Mathisen (born 1967), a guitarist
* Petter Wettre (born 1967), a jazz musician (Saxophone) and composer
* Per Mathisen (born 1969), a bassist and composer
* Thomas Numme (born 1970), a television host
* Henrik Hagtvedt (born 1971), a scholar, artist, and author
* Espen Sandberg (born 1971), a Norwegian film director and advertising producer
* Joachim Rønning (born 1972), a film director
* Ina Wroldsen (born 1984), a Norwegian singer and songwriter
* Per Fredrik Åsly (born 1986) known as ''PelleK'', an actor, composer, singer, and YouTuber
* Apetor, Tor Eckhoff (1964–2021), a YouTuber
* Lukas Zabulionis (born 1992), a saxophonist and composer who lives in Sandefjord
Sport
* Thorbjørn Svenssen (1924–2011), a footballer with a then record of 104 caps for Norway national football team, Norway
* Solfrid Johansen (born 1956), a sport rower, came 4th & 5th at 1976 Summer Olympics, 1976 & 1984 Summer Olympics
* Erik Bjørkum (born 1965), a sailor and team silver medallist at the 1988 Summer Olympics
* Ronny Johnsen (born 1969), a Association football, footballer with 384 club caps and 62 for Norway national football team, Norway
* Morten Fevang (born 1975), a football midfielder with 400 club caps
* Geir Ludvig Fevang (born 1980), a retired football midfielder with 390 club caps
In popular culture
* Both directors of ''Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales'' (2017), Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg, are from Sandefjord.
* ''Hodet over vannet'' (1993) was filmed at Yxney on
Østerøya in Sandefjord.
The Head Above Water (film), 1996-remake is starring Cameron Diaz.
* ''Deadline Torp'' (2005), Norwegian film based on the 1994 Torp hostage crisis. It was directed by Nils Gaup and written by Jo Nesbø.
* An episode, "Power Junkies" (season 1), of ''Outrageous Acts of Science'' (2012) was partly shot in Sandefjord.
* Episode #5.26 of the British TV series ''Coach Trip'' (2010) was shot in Sandefjord.
* ''Den starkaste'' (1929), Swedish silent film partly shot in Sandefjord.
* ''Valfångare'' (1939), Swedish movie filmed in Sandefjord. It was directed by Anders Henrikson and Tancred Ibsen.
* Music video for "Belinda" (2021) by Marcus & Martinus was shot at Sandefjord Airport
* "Sang til Sandefjord", song played daily by Sandefjord Church
* Music video for "The Cabin" (2013) by Ylvis was shot in
Andebu, Sandefjord.
* Music video for "Hvalfangsmuseet" (2011) by Bare Egil Band was shot in Sandefjord.
* ''The Machinery'' (2020–), Viaplay TV show featuring Kristoffer Joner. It is based in and filmed in Sandefjord. Filming began in Sandefjord in 2019.
Sandefjord is mentioned in a number of songs, including "Ola var fra Sandefjord" (by Einar Rose, later recorded by the Johnny Band and others), "" (Anita Hegerland), "En sang om en sjømann" (Lillebjørn Nilsen), "Oasen 2014" (Tix), "Medvind" (Erik og Kriss), "Vanvittig Utopi II" (Gatas Parlament), "Så Det På TV" (Postgirobygget (band), Postgirobygget), and "Helt om natten, helt om dagen" (Lars Vaular).
Gallery
Haukerød Skolekorps 2016.jpg, Constitution Day (Norway), 17 May parade, 2016
Tønsberg tønne.jpg, Østerøya#Tønsberg Barrel, Tønsberg Barrel at the southern tip of Østerøya
Joachim Frich Sandefjord.jpg, Sandefjord in 1848, painting
Sandefjord kirke1.JPG, Sandefjord Church
Sandefjord innseiling IMG 6023.jpg, Seaside entry to Sandefjord
Annual report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution (1891) (17813080994).jpg, Gokstad Mound
GransBryggeri2.jpg, Grans Brewery
Sandefjord - building 10.jpg, Typical house in Bjerggata
Sandefjord_Næringsforening.jpg, Sandefjord, spring 2019
Sandefjord Hotel Atlantic.jpg, Clarion Collection Hotel Atlantic
SandefjordVGS1.jpg, Sandefjord High School is Norway's largest.
Sandefjord, Norway - panoramio (3).jpg, City Park (Byparken)
See also
* List of schools in Sandefjord
* ''
Sandefjords Blad'' (local newspaper)
* Larvik/Sandefjord Region, Larvik and Sandefjord metropolitan region
* Sang til Sandefjord
References
External links
Municipal fact sheetfrom
Statistics Norway
Statistics Norway (, abbreviated to ''SSB'') is the Norwegian statistics bureau. It was established in 1876.
Relying on a staff of about 1,000, Statistics Norway publish about 1,000 new statistical releases every year on its web site. All rele ...
*
*
Whaling MuseumSandefjord Public Library
The local history society "Gamle Sandefjord" – "Old Sandefjord"
A local history society dedicated to the erstwhile municipality of Sandar – Sandar Historielag i Sandefjord
A biographical dictionary of the population of the town of Sandefjord in 1801
A blog-format collection of potted biographies of people in Sandefjord who turn up in the sources as of 1762 as well as occasional articles based on that material, mostly in Norwegian
{{use dmy dates, date=December 2023
Sandefjord,
Municipalities of Vestfold
1838 establishments in Norway