Hokksund is a town in the county of Buskerud in Eastern Norway. It is the largest population center and administrative center of the municipality of Øvre Eiker.

The town is located upstream of the Drammenselva river, about west of the city of Drammen and from the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The Vestfosselva river splits into two near Hokksund before meeting with Drammenselva near the center of the town. The Hellefoss hydro-electric station is located north of the town.

Etymology

The combination of two words–"Haug" from the name of a farm located here, and "sund" meaning "ferry place" became Haugsund, which later became Hokksund. Located at an altitude of , the town roughly covers an area of . The Drammenselva proceeds towards Drammen, where it flows into the fjord of Drammensfjorden. The Hellefoss hydro-electric station is located north of the town. The old settlements are located northeast of the Drammenselva river, while the newer settlements is location on the other side of the river.

|source 2 = Seklima.no (avg. high/low)

Economy

The town is located close to fertile agricultural lands. The local economy is based on forestry, and other engineering industries such as electricals and cement. Tourism also plays a vital role, with several hotels and a campsite located in the town. The existing station building was built in 1897 and is constructed in Renaissance style designed by Paul Due. The station is also part of the R12 route of the Oslo Commuter Rail between Kongsberg and Eidsvoll.

The nearest major airports are Oslo Airport, Gardermoen and Sandefjord Airport, Torp. Hokksund has an operating airfield. The town hall building was designed by architect Arnstein Arneberg.

Sport

The Vinsvollbanen is a motorcycle speedway venue located south of the town. It hosted the final of the Norwegian Individual Speedway Championship in 1988, 1995, 2005 and 2011.

Notable residents

thumb|upright=0.25|[[Jonas Lie (writer)|Jonas Lie]]

  • Jonas Lie (1833-1908), novelist, poet, and playwright.
  • Arne Nævra, (born 1953) politician and parliamentary representative
  • Ole Bremseth, (born 1961) a former ski jumper
  • Martinius Stenshorne, (born 2006) a racing driver

References

  • Pictures of Hokksund (1903-1927)