Farsund Municipality
Farsund kommune | |
|---|---|
View of the Farsund town harbour | |
Agder within Norway | |
Farsund within Agder | |
| Coordinates: 58°04′58″N 06°45′10″E / 58.08278°N 6.75278°E | |
| Country | Norway |
| County | Agder |
| District | Lister |
| Established | 1 Jan 1838 |
| • Created as | Formannskapsdistrikt |
| Administrative centre | Farsund |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2023) | Ingrid Williamsen (FrP) |
| Area | |
• Total | 262.58 km2 (101.38 sq mi) |
| • Land | 251.76 km2 (97.21 sq mi) |
| • Water | 10.82 km2 (4.18 sq mi) 4.1% |
| • Rank | #276 in Norway |
| Highest elevation | 487.23 m (1,598.5 ft) |
| Population (2026) | |
• Total | 9,949 |
| • Rank | #113 in Norway |
| • Density | 39.5/km2 (102/sq mi) |
| • Change (10 years) | |
| Demonym(s) | Farsunder or Farsundar (also: Listelending or Listring) |
| Official language | |
| • Norwegian form | Bokmål |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| ISO 3166 code | NO-4206 |
| Website | Official website |


Farsund (Norwegian: ['fɑːʂʉn] ⓘ) is a municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Lister. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Farsund.
The 262.58-square-kilometre (101.38 sq mi) municipality is the 276th largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Farsund Municipality is the 113th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 9,949. The municipality's population density is 39.5 inhabitants per square kilometre (102/sq mi) and its population has increased by 2.5% over the previous 10-year period.
The inhabitants of Farsund are concentrated in three centres of population: the town of Farsund (population: 3,531), Vanse (population: 2,075), and Vestbygda (population: 1,136). Loshavn with its wooden buildings is located outside the town of Farsund. Other villages in Farsund include Ore, Rødland, and Sande.
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the Farsundet strait, a narrow strait through which the Lyngdalsfjorden passes as it goes by the town of Farsund. The first element of the name comes from the small island of Farøy which sits in the Farsund strait. The name of the island comes from the word far which means "travel" or "journey" (similar to the English word farewell meaning "good journey"). The last element is sund which means "strait" or "sound".
The coat of arms has been used since 1900 or 1901. The blazon is "Or, a mount surmounted by four linden trees vert". This means the arms have a field (background) has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The charge is a group of linden trees on a green hill. This design was chosen to represent the town of Farsund since there were four old linden trees on the town square. Originally, these trees grew in the garden of the Lund merchant dynasty, where they were probably planted in the middle of the 18th century. The trees also appear in the trade seal of the family. In 1957, the old trees were removed and replaced with new ones. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.
There is evidence of settlement in Farsund and Lista since the Stone Age.
Farsund held a strategic location in the Atlantic wall during World War II, with the Lundebanen and over 400 bunkers built in Farsund municipality, many that can be visited. Between 1940 and 1945, large Soviet prison camps were located at Lista, with prison camps at Kåde and Ore holding over 600 prisoners. The Soviet prisoners were used as forced labour to build Farsund Airport, bunkers, barracks, and fortifications .
The town of Farsund previously had a hospital, Farsund Hospital, which was closed down in 2007.
The town of Farsund was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law), although it was already recognized as a ladested (trading port) in 1795. The small town existed on its own for many years. On 1 January 1903, a small area in the neighboring Vanse Municipality (population: 99), located just outside the town of Farsund, was transferred into the town. Again, in 1948 another small area from the neighboring Lista Municipality (population: 64) was transferred into the town of Farsund.
During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1965, the following areas were merged to form an enlarged Farsund Municipality:
On 1 January 1971, the Ytre og Indre Skarstein farms (population: 21) located along the western shore of the Rosfjorden were transferred from Lyngdal Municipality to Farsund Municipality.
Historically, this municipality was part of the old Vest-Agder county. On 1 January 2020, the municipality became a part of the newly-formed Agder county (after Aust-Agder and Vest-Agder counties were merged).
Farsund Municipality is responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Agder District Court and the Agder Court of Appeal.
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Farsund Municipality is made up of 29 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 5 | |
| Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) | 10 | |
| Conservative Party (Høyre) | 4 | |
| Industry and Business Party (Industri‑ og Næringspartiet) | 1 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 4 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 2 | |
| Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 2 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 8 | |
| Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) | 6 | |
| Conservative Party (Høyre) | 4 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 5 | |
| Red Party (Rødt) | 1 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 3 | |
| Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 6 | |
| Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) | 6 | |
| Conservative Party (Høyre) | 6 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 5 | |
| Pensioners' Party (Pensjonistpartiet) | 1 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 2 | |
| Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 4 | |
| Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) | 10 | |
| Conservative Party (Høyre) | 6 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 4 | |
| Pensioners' Party (Pensjonistpartiet) | 1 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 1 | |
| Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 7 | |
| Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) | 9 | |
| Conservative Party (Høyre) | 5 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 5 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 1 | |
| Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 5 | |
| Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) | 6 | |
| Conservative Party (Høyre) | 6 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 5 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 2 | |
| Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 3 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 4 | |
| Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) | 6 | |
| Conservative Party (Høyre) | 10 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 5 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 1 | |
| Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 2 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 3 | |
| Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) | 6 | |
| Conservative Party (Høyre) | 11 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 5 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 2 | |
| Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 5 | |
| Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) | 6 | |
| Conservative Party (Høyre) | 8 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 5 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 2 | |
| Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 1 | |
| Cross-party list (Tverrpolitisk liste) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 9 | |
| Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) | 8 | |
| Conservative Party (Høyre) | 12 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 10 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 1 | |
| Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 3 | |
| Non-party list (Upolitisk liste) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 45 | |
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 11 | |
| Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) | 4 | |
| Conservative Party (Høyre) | 16 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 8 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 2 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 3 | |
| Non-party list (Upolitisk liste) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 45 | |
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 8 | |
| Conservative Party (Høyre) | 18 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 8 | |
| New People's Party (Nye Folkepartiet) | 1 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 3 | |
| Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 4 | |
| Non-party list (Upolitisk liste) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 45 | |
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 8 | |
| Conservative Party (Høyre) | 15 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 9 | |
| New People's Party (Nye Folkepartiet) | 4 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 3 | |
| Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Joint list of the Liberal Party and Non-party list (Fellesliste: Venstre og Upolitisk List) | 5 | |
| Total number of members: | 45 | |
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 9 | |
| Conservative Party (Høyre) | 11 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 7 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 3 | |
| Socialist People's Party (Sosialistisk Folkeparti) | 1 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 12 | |
| Local List(s) (Lokale lister) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 45 | |
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 8 | |
| Conservative Party (Høyre) | 13 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 7 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 3 | |
| Socialist People's Party (Sosialistisk Folkeparti) | 1 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 13 | |
| Total number of members: | 45 | |
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 5 | |
| Conservative Party (Høyre) | 8 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 2 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 6 | |
| Total number of members: | 21 | |
| Note: On 1 January 1965, Herad Municipality, Lista Municipality, and Spind Municipality were merged into Farsund Municipality. | ||
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 4 | |
| Conservative Party (Høyre) | 8 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 3 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 6 | |
| Total number of members: | 21 | |
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 6 | |
| Conservative Party (Høyre) | 7 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 3 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 5 | |
| Total number of members: | 21 | |
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 5 | |
| Conservative Party (Høyre) | 8 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 1 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 6 | |
| Total number of members: | 20 | |
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 4 | |
| Conservative Party (Høyre) | 8 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 2 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 6 | |
| Total number of members: | 20 | |
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 5 | |
| Conservative Party (Høyre) | 7 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 3 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 5 | |
| Total number of members: | 20 | |
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 2 | |
| Conservative Party (Høyre) | 11 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 7 | |
| Total number of members: | 20 | |
| Note: Due to the German occupation of Norway during World War II, no elections were held for new municipal councils until after the war ended in 1945. | ||
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 2 | |
| Conservative Party (Høyre) | 11 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 7 | |
| Total number of members: | 20 | |
The mayor (Norwegian: ordfører) of Farsund Municipality is the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. The following people have held this position:
The largest industries are Alcoa Lista, an aluminium plant that employs 270; A maker of auto parts, Aludyne Norway has c. 250 employees.
Farsund Aluminium Casting AS, which makes auto parts out of aluminium. Historically, shipping and fisheries have also been important. Farsund is the largest agricultural district in the county of Vest-Agder, having 26 square kilometres (10 sq mi) productive land, 88 square kilometres (34 sq mi) of forest, and 11 square kilometres (4.2 sq mi) freshwater areas. Farsund was already organized as a trading centre in 1795, and in 1995 celebrated its 200-year jubilee.
Trade and shipping laid the foundation for prosperity, and "the city of the strait" was a period one of the world's largest shipping towns in relation to the size of population.
Farsund is a coastal municipality in the far southwestern part of Norway, bordering Kvinesdal Municipality in the north and Lyngdal Municipality in the north and east. It sits along the North Sea and the Fedafjorden and Listafjorden lie along the northwestern side of the municipality and the Lyngdalsfjorden lies in the eastern part of the municipality. The municipality includes two large peninsulas jutting out into the ocean: Lista and Spindslandet. The highest point in the municipality is the 487.23-metre (1,598.5 ft) tall mountain Kalåskniben, located on the border with Lyngdal Municipality. The coastal municipality has two lighthouses: Lista Lighthouse in the west and Søndre Katland Lighthouse in the south.
Farsund has a temperate oceanic climate (Cfb). The driest season is April - July, and the wettest season is October - January. In January 1942, Lista recorded a low of −22.3 °C (−8.1 °F), and July 2001 recorded a high of 29.3 °C (84.7 °F). The Lista lighthouse weather station has been recording since 1867.
| Climate data for Lista Lighthouse in Farsund 1991-2020, extremes 1932-2025 (14 m) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 10.1 (50.2) |
10.9 (51.6) |
15.6 (60.1) |
23.0 (73.4) |
26.5 (79.7) |
28.3 (82.9) |
29.3 (84.7) |
29.1 (84.4) |
26.9 (80.4) |
18.4 (65.1) |
14.4 (57.9) |
11.2 (52.2) |
29.3 (84.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 4.5 (40.1) |
3.9 (39.0) |
5.3 (41.5) |
9 (48) |
12.6 (54.7) |
15.3 (59.5) |
17.9 (64.2) |
18.5 (65.3) |
15.7 (60.3) |
11.5 (52.7) |
7.8 (46.0) |
5.4 (41.7) |
10.6 (51.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 2.7 (36.9) |
1.9 (35.4) |
3.2 (37.8) |
6.2 (43.2) |
9.8 (49.6) |
12.7 (54.9) |
15.4 (59.7) |
15.9 (60.6) |
13.3 (55.9) |
9.4 (48.9) |
6 (43) |
3.7 (38.7) |
8.4 (47.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 0.6 (33.1) |
0 (32) |
1.2 (34.2) |
3.7 (38.7) |
7.2 (45.0) |
10.3 (50.5) |
12.9 (55.2) |
13.3 (55.9) |
11 (52) |
7.1 (44.8) |
3.9 (39.0) |
1.3 (34.3) |
6.0 (42.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −22.3 (−8.1) |
−14.8 (5.4) |
−13.7 (7.3) |
−6.9 (19.6) |
−1.0 (30.2) |
2.0 (35.6) |
6.1 (43.0) |
6.2 (43.2) |
2.4 (36.3) |
−3.9 (25.0) |
−10.0 (14.0) |
−16.0 (3.2) |
−22.3 (−8.1) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 127.1 (5.00) |
89.9 (3.54) |
87.7 (3.45) |
63.3 (2.49) |
61.1 (2.41) |
62.9 (2.48) |
81.1 (3.19) |
106 (4.2) |
116 (4.6) |
142.7 (5.62) |
129.2 (5.09) |
128.2 (5.05) |
1,195.2 (47.12) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm) | 16 | 15 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 156 |
| Source 1: Norwegian Meteorological Institute | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: NOAA - WMO averages 91-2020 Norway | |||||||||||||
Seven large burial mounds that have been restored, are visible; they are part of Lundefeltet ('the Lunde field') on Lista, a peninsula; one of the graves is of a woman and it is dated to c. 500 AD.
The Huseby Stone (Huseby-steinen) is a rune stone, tentatively dated to the 12th century. The Lunde Stone has petroglyphs and is c. 3500 years old.
The Church of Norway has three parishes (sokn) within Farsund Municipality. It is part of the Lister og Mandal prosti deanery in the Diocese of Agder og Telemark.
| Parish (sokn) | Church name | Location of the church | Year built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farsund | Frelserens Church | Farsund | 1905 |
| Spind Church | Rødland | 1776 | |
| Herad | Herad Church | Sande | 1957 |
| Lista | Vanse Church | Vanse | c. 1037 |
| Vestbygda Chapel | Vestbygd | 1909 |
Farsund Airport, Lista (FAN) was closed in 2002. The airport had from 1955 to 2002 scheduled traffic to Stavanger, Bergen and Oslo. Airlines which have frequented at Lista are among others Braathens SAFE, Norving and Air Stord.
The Airport was built by Luftwaffe in 1940, and they operated the airport with several fighter squadrons during World War II. After the war, the Royal Norwegian Air Force took over the airport, and for a period it was used as training camp for conscripts.
Today, the airport is privatized and is an industrial area with only minor GA-traffic.
Farsund has 3 primary schools, located in Farsund, Vanse, and Borhaug. Furthermore, there are two junior high schools, in Farsund and Vanse, and two high schools also located in Farsund and Vanse.
Farsund has sister city agreements with the following places:

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