thumb|right|300px|Map of Norway with important cities

This is a list of towns and cities in Norway. The Norwegian language word means a town or city–there is no distinction between the two words as there is in English. Historically, the designation of town/city was granted by the king, but since 1996 that authority was given to the local municipal councils for each municipality in Norway. In Norway today, there are 108 towns/cities, but they have no legal authority or powers and they are not an administrative body, it is simply a designation. All local government rests with the municipality which may or may not have a town/city located within it.

History

Historically, the words (market town), (small seaport), or were used for a town or city. Each of these were granted certain special rights based on their classification and they did hold administrative authority within their borders. A ladested was subordinate to a kjøpstad and over time some of the ladesteds were "upgraded" to the status of kjøpstad in order to gain more trading rights. In 1665, Norway had 20 towns. There were 9 full market towns (kjøpstad): Bergen, Oslo, Trondheim, Tønsberg, Stavanger, Skien, Fredrikstad, Halden, and Kristiansand. There were two mountain towns {bergstad): Kongsberg and Røros. There were 9 market seaports (ladested): Larvik, Moss, Porsgrunn, Molde, Kragerø, Risør, Holmestrand, Mandal, and Drammen (which was actually 2 towns: Bragernes and Strømsø). All of the ladested places on this list were later upgraded to kjøpstads. During the 1800s, urbanization took hold in Norway and many new towns/cities were added. The special trading rights for towns/cities were abolished in 1857.

Before 1996, the city status was awarded by the king and Government through the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development. Since then, the status of town/city is decided by each municipal council and then it is formally accepted by the state. Since 1997, a municipality must have a minimum of 5,000 inhabitants in order to declare city status for one of its settlements. In 1999, the municipal council of Bardu Municipality declared city status for Setermoen, only to be rejected because the municipality fell short of the population limit. One exception is Honningsvåg in Nordkapp Municipality, where the municipality actually has less than 5,000 inhabitants but declared city status before the limit was implemented by law in 1997.

Because of the new laws in 1996-1997, Norway witnessed a rapid rise in the number of cities after that time. A number of relatively small settlements are now called by, such as Brekstad with 1,828 inhabitants and Kolvereid with 1,448 inhabitants. Among the cities of today which got this status before 1996, Tvedestrand with 1,983 inhabitants is the smallest. On another note, the laws of 1996 allowed some settlements which lost their city status in the 1960s to regain it.

Oslo, founded in the 11th century, is the largest city and also the capital of Norway. Oslo is the only city in Norway that is consolidated with its municipality and county, thus the city of Oslo, Oslo Municipality, and Oslo County are all one unified unit of government. || || Kommunestyre

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| Arendal || Arendal Municipality || Agder || || Ladested<br />Kjøpstad || Christian IV<br />Frederik IV

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| Askim || Indre Østfold Municipality || Østfold || 1996 || || Kommunestyre

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| Bardufoss || Målselv Municipality || Troms || 2021 || || Kommunestyre

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| Bergen || Bergen Municipality || Vestland || 1070 || Kjøpstad || Olav Kyrre

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| Bodø || Bodø Municipality || Nordland || 1816 || || Kommunestyre

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| Brevik || Porsgrunn Municipality || Telemark || 1845–1963 || Kjøpstad<br /> ||Oscar I<br />Kommunestyre

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| Brumunddal || Ringsaker Municipality || Innlandet || 2010 || || Kommunestyre

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| Bryne || Time Municipality || Rogaland || 2001 || || Kommunestyre

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| Brønnøysund || Brønnøy Municipality || Nordland || 1923–1963 || Kjøpstad || Frederik VI

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| Drøbak || Frogn Municipality || Akershus || 1842–1961 || Kjøpstad<br /> || Karl III Johan<br />Kommunestyre

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| Egersund || Eigersund Municipality || Rogaland || 1798 || Ladested || Christian VII

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| Elverum || Elverum Municipality || Innlandet || 1996 || || Kommunestyre

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| Farsund || Farsund Municipality || Agder || 1795 || Ladested || Christian VII

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| Fauske || Fauske Municipality || Nordland || 1998 || || Kommunestyre

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| Finnsnes || Senja Municipality || Troms || 2000 || || Kommunestyre

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| Fredrikstad || Fredrikstad Municipality || Østfold || 1567 || Kjøpstad || Frederik II

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| Førde || Sunnfjord Municipality || Vestland || 1997 || || Kommunestyre

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| Holmestrand || Holmestrand Municipality || Vestfold || 1744<br />1752 || || Kommunestyre

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| Jørpeland || Strand Municipality || Rogaland || 1998<br />1802 || Kjøpstad || Frederik III

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| Kristiansand || Kristiansand Municipality || Agder || 1641 || Kjøpstad || Christian IV

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| Kristiansund || Kristiansund Municipality || Møre og Romsdal || 1742<br />1997 || || Kommunestyre

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| Mandal || Lindesnes Municipality || Agder || 1921<br />1997 || Ladested<br /> || Oscar II<br />Kommunestyre

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| Moss || Moss Municipality|| Østfold || 1720 || Kjøpstad || Frederik IV

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| Mysen || Indre Østfold Municipality || Østfold || 1997 || || Kommunestyre

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| Oslo || Oslo Municipality || Oslo || 1048 || Kjøpstad || Harald Hardråde

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| Otta || Sel Municipality || Innlandet || 2000 || || Kommunestyre

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| Risør || Risør Municipality || Agder || || Ladested<br />Kjøpstad || Christian IV<br />Frederik IV

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| Rjukan || Tinn Municipality || Telemark || 1996 || || Kommunestyre

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| Sandefjord || Sandefjord Municipality || Vestfold|| 1845 || || Kommunestyre

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| Ski || Nordre Follo Municipality || Akershus || 2004<br />1999<br /> 1996 || || Kommunestyre

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| Tønsberg || Tønsberg Municipality || Vestfold|| || Kjøpstad || Unknown

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| Ulsteinvik || Ulstein Municipality || Møre og Romsdal || 2000 || || Kommunestyre

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| Vadsø || Vadsø Municipality || Finnmark || 1833 || Kjøpstad || Christian VII

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| Verdalsøra || Verdal Municipality || Trøndelag || 1998 || || Kommunestyre

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| Vinstra || Nord-Fron Municipality || Innlandet || 2013 || || Kommunestyre

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| Åkrehamn || Karmøy Municipality || Rogaland || 2002<br />1848<br />2010 || Ladested<br /> || Frederik III<br />Kommunestyre

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! colspan="6" style="text-align: left;" | Notes:

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Former towns

{| class="wikitable sortable"

! rowspan=2|City !! rowspan=2|Municipality !! rowspan=2|County !! colspan=3|Town status !! rowspan=2|Reason for<br />lost status

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!Year!!Type!!Assigned by

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| Holmsbu || Hurum Municipality || Buskerud || 1847–1964 || Ladested || Oscar I || Municipal merger

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| Hvitsten || Vestby Municipality || Akershus || 1837–1964 || Ladested || Karl III Johan || Municipal merger

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| Hølen || Vestby Municipality || Akershus || 1837–1943 || Ladested || Karl III Johan || Municipal merger

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| Setermoen || Bardu Municipality || Troms|| 1999–1999 || || Kommunestyre || Disallowed by government