This is a list of former municipalities of Norway — municipalities that have ceased to exist at some point in time (some have later been re-established).
When the local council system was introduced in Norway in 1837-38, the country had 392 municipalities. By 1958, the number had grown to a total of 744 rural municipalities, 64 city municipalities as well as a small number of small seaports with ladested status. A committee led by Nikolai Schei, formed in 1946 to examine the situation, proposed hundreds of mergers to reduce the number of municipalities and improve the quality of local administration. Most of the mergers were carried out, albeit to significant popular protest. By 1966, most of the mergers had been carried out and there were only 470 municipalities remaining. This number continued to slowly decrease throughout the remainder of the 20th century.
By January 2002, there were 434 municipalities in Norway, and Erna Solberg, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development at the time, expressed a wish to reduce the current tally by 100. The Ministry spent approximately on a project to look into the possibilities in this field, and referendums were held in several municipalities in conjunction with the municipal elections of 2003. A small number of municipalities agreed to the plan; for instance Frei Municipality merged with Kristiansund Municipality on 1 January 2008. Others rejected the possibility following the referendums, such as Hobøl Municipality merging with Spydeberg Municipality or Hol Municipality merging with Ål Municipality. The project was abandoned by Solberg's successor Åslaug Haga in early 2006. In 2016 and 2017, when Erna Solberg was the Prime Minister of Norway, she and her government pushed for further municipal consolidations which mostly took place in 2020, reducing the number of municipalities to 356. On 1 January 2024 Ålesund was split and the municipality of Haram was re-established, bringing the total number of municipalities in Norway to 357.
Some municipalities ceased to exist only for a limited amount of time, such as Flakstad Municipality and Hole Municipality (which were former municipalities between 1964 and 1976). In cases like these, the mergers of municipalities were reversed and the former municipalities once again became self-governing. On the other hand, a small number of newly created municipalities were abolished in the same way, for instance Tolga-Os Municipality, which came into being as a result of a 1966 merger which was reversed in 1976.
List by county (pre-2020 division)
Akershus Former Fate Result Year Aker Incorporated into Oslo Oslo 1948 Aurskog Merged with Nordre Høland, Setskog and Søndre Høland Aurskog-Høland 1966 Blaker Incorporated into Sørum Sørum 1962 Drøbak Incorporated into Frogn Frogn 1962 Feiring Incorporated into Eidsvoll Eidsvoll 1964 Fet Merged with Skedsmo and Sørum Lillestrøm 2020 Høland Split in two Nordre HølandSøndre Høland 1924 Hølen Incorporated into Vestby Vestby 1946 Kråkstad Incorporated into Ski Ski 1964 Lillestrøm Incorporated into Skedsmo Skedsmo 1962 Nordre Høland Merged with Aurskog, Setskog and Søndre Høland Aurskog-Høland 1966 Oppegård Merged with Ski Nordre Follo 2020 Setskog Merged with Aurskog, Nordre Høland and Søndre Høland Aurskog-Høland 1966 Skedsmo Merged with Fet and Sørum Lillestrøm 2020 Ski Merged with Oppegård Nordre Follo 2020 Son Incorporated into Vestby Vestby 1964 Son/Hølen Split in two SonHølen 1847 Søndre Høland Merged with Aurskog, Nordre Høland and Setskog Aurskog-Høland 1966 Sørum Merged with Fet and Skedsmo Lillestrøm 2020
Aust-Agder Former Fate Result Year Austre Moland Merged with Flosta and Stokken Moland 1962 Barbu Incorporated into Arendal Arendal 1902 Dypvåg Incorporated into Tvedestrand Tvedestrand 1960 Eide Incorporated into Landvik Landvik 1962 Evje Merged with Hornnes Evje og Hornnes 1960 Evje og Vegusdal Split in two EvjeVegusdal 1877 Fjære Incorporated into Grimstad Grimstad 1971 Flosta Merged with Austre Moland and Stokken Moland 1962 Gjøvdal Incorporated into Åmli Åmli 1960 Herefoss Incorporated into Birkenes Birkenes 1967 Hisøy Incorporated into Arendal Arendal 1992 Holt Incorporated into Tvedestrand Tvedestrand 1960 Hornnes Merged with Evje Evje og Hornnes 1960 Hornnes og Iveland Split in two HornnesIveland 1886 Hylestad Incorporated into Valle Valle 1962 Høvåg Incorporated into Lillesand Lillesand 1962 Landvik Incorporated into Grimstad Grimstad 1971 Moland Incorporated into Arendal Arendal 1992 Mykland Incorporated into Froland Froland 1967 Stokken Merged with Austre Moland and Flosta Moland 1962 Søndeled Incorporated into Risør Risør 1964 Tovdal Incorporated into Åmli Åmli 1967 Tromøy Incorporated into Arendal Arendal 1992 Vegusdal Incorporated into Birkenes Birkenes 1967 Vestre Moland Incorporated into Lillesand Lillesand 1962 Øyestad Incorporated into Arendal Arendal 1992
Buskerud Former Fate Result Year Eiker Split in two Nedre EikerØvre Eiker 1885 Gol og Hemsedal Split in two GolHemsedal 1897 Hurum Merged with Asker and Røyken Asker 2020 Hønefoss Merged with Hole, Norderhov, Tyristrand and Ådal Ringerike 1964 Nedre Eiker Incorporated into Drammen Drammen 2020 Norderhov Merged with Hole, Hønefoss, Tyristrand and Ådal Ringerike 1964 Nore Merged with Uvdal Nore og Uvdal 1962 Røyken Merged with Asker and Hurum Asker 2020 Sandsvær Split in two Ytre SandsværØvre Sandsvær 1908 Strømm Incorporated into Svelvik Svelvik 1964 Strømsgodset Incorporated into Skoger Skoger 1843 Tyristrand Merged with Hole, Hønefoss, Norderhov and Ådal Ringerike 1964 Uvdal Merged with Nore Nore og Uvdal 1962 Ytre Sandsvær Incorporated into Kongsberg Kongsberg 1964 Øvre Sandsvær Incorporated into Kongsberg Kongsberg 1964 Ådal Merged with Hole, Hønefoss, Norderhov and Tyristrand Ringerike 1964
Finnmark Former Fate Result Year Alta-Talvik Split in two AltaTalvik 1863 Kvalsund Incorporated into HammerfestHammerfest2020 Nord-Varanger Incorporated into Vadsø Vadsø 1964 Polmak Incorporated into Tana Tana 1964 Sørøysund Incorporated into Hammerfest Hammerfest 1992 Talvik Incorporated into Alta Alta 1964
Hedmark Former Fate Result Year Brandval Merged with Kongsvinger and Vinger Kongsvinger 1964 Furnes Merged with Ringsaker and Nes Ringsaker 1964 Hof Incorporated into Åsnes Åsnes 1963 Kvikne Divided among several municipalities RennebuTynset 1966 Nes Merged with Ringsaker and Furnes Ringsaker 1964 Rendal Split in two Ytre RendalØvre Rendal 1880 Romedal Incorporated into Stange Stange 1964 Sollia Incorporated into Stor-Elvdal (and moved from Oppland county to Hedmark county Stor-Elvdal 1965 Tolga-Os Split in two OsTolga 1976 Vang Merged with Hamar Hamar 1992 Vinger Merged with Kongsvinger (town) and Brandval Kongsvinger 1964 Ytre Rendal Merged with Øvre Rendal Rendalen 1965 Øvre Rendal Merged with Ytre Rendal Rendalen 1965 Åsnes og Våler Split in two VålerÅsnes 1854
Hordaland Former Fate Result Year Alversund Incorporated into Lindås Lindås 1964 Arna Incorporated into Bergen Bergen 1972 Bergen landdistrikt Incorporated into Bergen Bergen 1877 Bremnes Incorporated into Bømlo Bømlo 1964 Bruvik Divided among several municipalities VaksdalOsterøy 1964 Eid Incorporated into Fjelberg Fjelberg 1855 Evanger Divided among several municipalities VossVaksdal 1964 Fana Incorporated into Bergen Bergen 1972 Finnås Split in three BremnesBømloMoster 1916 Fjelberg Incorporated into Kvinnherad Kvinnherad 1965 FjellMerged with Øygarden and Sund Øygarden 2020 FusaMerged with Os Bjørnafjorden 2020 Granvin Incorporated into Voss Voss 2020 Hamre Divided among several municipalities OsterøyMeland 1964 Haus Divided among several municipalitiesOne part was incorporated into Osterøy, the other changed its name to Arna OsterøyArna 1964 Herdla Divided among several municipalities AskøyØygardenMelandFjell 1964 Hjelme Merged with Herdla Øygarden 1964 Hordabø Merged with Manger, Sæbø and parts of Austrheim, Herdla, and Lindås Radøy 1964 Hosanger Divided among several municipalities OsterøyLindås 1964 Hålandsdal Incorporated into Fusa Fusa 1964 JondalMerged with Odda and Ullensvang Ullensvang 2020 Kinsarvik Incorporated into Ullensvang Ullensvang 1964 Laksevåg Incorporated into Bergen Bergen 1972 LindåsMerged with Meland and Radøy Alver 2020 Manger Merged with Hordabø, Sæbø and parts of Austrheim, Herdla and Lindås Radøy 1964 MelandMerged with Lindås and Radøy Alver 2020 Moster Incorporated into Bømlo Bømlo 1964 OddaMerged with Jondal and Ullensvang Ullensvang 2020 OsMerged with Fusa Bjørnafjorden 2020 RadøyMerged with Lindås and Meland Alver 2020 Røldal Incorporated into Odda Odda 1964 Skånevik Divided among several municipalities EtneKvinnherad 1965 Strandebarm Incorporated into Kvam Kvam 1965 Strandvik Incorporated into Fusa Fusa 1964 Sund Merged with Fjell and Øygarden Øygarden 2020 Sæbø Merged with Hordabø, Manger and parts of Austrheim, Herdla, and Lindås Radøy 1964 Valestrand Incorporated into Sveio Sveio 1964 Varaldsøy Divided among several municipalities KvamKvinnherad 1965 Vikebygd Divided among several municipalities SveioØlen 1964 Vossestrand Incorporated into Voss Voss 1964 Ølen Incorporated into Vindafjord Vindafjord 2006 Årstad Incorporated into Bergen Bergen 1915 Åsane Incorporated into Bergen Bergen 1972
Møre og Romsdal Former Fate Result Year Bolsøy Incorporated into Molde Molde 1964 Borgund Incorporated into Ålesund Ålesund 1968 Brattvær Merged with Edøy and Hopen Smøla 1960 Bremsnes Divided among several municipalities AverøyFreiKristiansund 1964 Bud Incorporated into Fræna Fræna 1964 Dalsfjord Incorporated into Volda Volda 1964 Edøy Merged with Brattvær and Hopen Smøla 1960 Eid Merged with Grytten, Hen, Voll and part of Veøy Rauma 1964 Eid og Voll Split in two EidVoll 1874 Eide Merged with FrænaHustadvika2020 Eresfjord og Vistdal Incorporated into Nesset Nesset 1964 Frei Incorporated into Kristiansund Kristiansund 2008FrænaMerged with EideHustadvika 2020 Grip Incorporated into Kristiansund Kristiansund 1964 Grytten Merged with Eid, Hen, Voll and part of Veøy Rauma 1964 Halsa Merged with Hemne and part of Snillfjord Heim 2020 Haram Merged with Sandøy, Skodje, Ørskog, and Ålesund Ålesund 2020*In 2024, Haram Municipality became a municipality once again. Hen Merged with Eid, Grytten, Voll and part of Veøy Rauma 1964 Hjørundfjord Incorporated into Ørsta Ørsta 1964 Hopen Merged with Brattvær and Edøy Smøla 1960 Hustad Incorporated into Fræna Fræna 1964 Kornstad Divided among several municipalities AverøyEide 1964 Kvernes Merged with most of Bremsnes and Kornstad Averøy 1964 Midsund Merged with Molde and Nesset Molde 2020 Nesset Merged with Molde and Midsund Molde 2020 Norddal Merged with Stordal Fjord 2020 Rovde Divided among several municipalities SandeVanylven 1964 Sandøy Merged with Haram, Skodje, Ørskog, and Ålesund Ålesund 2020 Skodje Merged with Sandøy, Haram, Ørskog, and Ålesund Ålesund 2020 Stangvik Divided among several municipalities SurnadalSunndalTingvoll 1965 Stemshaug Incorporated into Aure Aure 1965 Stordal Merged with Norddal Fjord 2020 Straumsnes Incorporated into Tingvoll Tingvoll 1964 Sunnylven Incorporated into Stranda Stranda 1965 Syvde Incorporated into Vanylven Vanylven 1964 Sør-Aukra Merged with a part of Vatne Midsund 1965 Tresfjord Incorporated into Vestnes Vestnes 1964 Tustna Incorporated into Aure Aure 2006 Valsøyfjord Divided among several municipalities HalsaAure 1965 Vartdal Incorporated into Ørsta Ørsta 1964 Vatne Divided among several municipalities HaramMidsund 1965 Veøy Divided among several municipalities MoldeRauma 1964 Vigra Incorporated into Giske Giske 1964 Voll Merged with Eid, Grytten, Hen and part of Veøy Rauma 1964 Øksendal Incorporated into Sunndal Sunndal 1960 Øre Incorporated into Gjemnes Gjemnes 1965 Ørskog Merged with Haram, Sandøy, Skodje, and Ålesund Ålesund 2020 Ålvundeid Incorporated into Sunndal Sunndal 1960 Åsskard Incorporated into Surnadal Surnadal 1965
Nordland