Tromsø Municipality

The 2521 km2 municipality is the 21st largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Tromsø is the 12th-most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 78,745. The municipality's population density is 31.2 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 10% over the previous 10-year period. The city of Tromsø (within Tromsø Municipality) is the largest urban area in Northern Norway and the third largest north of the Arctic Circle anywhere in the world (following Murmansk and Norilsk). The center of the city of Tromsø is located on the island of Tromsøya, but the urban area also encompasses part of the nearby mainland and part of the island Kvaløya. Tromsø is 350 km north of the Arctic Circle. Tromsøya is connected to the mainland by the Tromsø Bridge and the Tromsøysund Tunnel, and to the island of Kvaløya by the Sandnessund Bridge. The municipality is milder than most settlements on the same latitude, due to the effect of the westerlies reaching this far north, as well as the North Atlantic Drift, a branch of the Gulf Stream. Tromsø's latitude of just below 70°N renders annual midnight suns and polar nights depending on the season. Tromsø contains the highest number of old wooden houses in Northern Norway, the oldest dating from 1789. Tromsø is a cultural hub for the region, with several festivals taking place in the summer. Due to its location, many countries had consulates or missions in Tromsø in the 1990s.

• Name — Tromsø • Native Name — Romssa suohkan • Nickname — Nordens Paris (Paris of the North), Ishavsbyen, 9000-byen • Id Number — 5501 • County — Troms • District — Hålogaland • Capital — Tromsø • Established — 1838 01 01 • Preceded — none • Population Demonym — Tromsøværing • Language — Neutral • Website — www.tromso.kommune.no • Mayor — Gunnar Wilhelmsen • Mayor Party — Ap • Mayor As Of — 2019 • Elevation Max M — 1830.7 • Area Rank — 21 • Area Total Km2 — 2520.80 • Area Land Km2 — 2472.43 • Area Water Km2 — 48.37 • Area Water Percent — 1.9 • Population As Of — 2024 • Population Rank — 12 • Population Total — 78745 • Population Density Km2 — 31.2 • Population Increase — 10

The city of Tromsø was established as an independent municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). The city was completely surrounded by the Tromsøe landdistrikt (the rural municipality of Tromsø / later renamed Tromsøysund Municipality), but they were governed separately. As the city grew in size, areas were added to the city from the rural district. On 1 January 1861, an area of Tromsøysund Municipality (population: 110) was transferred to the city of Tromsø. On 1 January 1873, an unpopulated area of Tromsøysund Municipality was transferred to the city. On 1 July 1915, another area of Tromsøysund Municipality (population: 512) was merged into the city of Tromsø. On 1 January 1955, the Bjerkaker area on Tromsøya (population: 1,583) was transferred from Tromsøysund Municipality to the city of Tromsø. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the city of Tromsø (population: 12,602), Tromsøysund Municipality (population: 16,727), most of Ullsfjord Municipality except for the Svendsby area (population: 2,019), and most of Hillesøy Municipality except for the parts on the island of Senja (population: 1,316) were all merged to form a new, larger Tromsø Municipality. On 1 January 2020, the municipality became a part of the newly created Troms og Finnmark county, which replaced the old Troms county. On 1 January 2024, Troms og Finnmark county was divided and the municipality once again became part of Troms county.

• Illustration — A relief of the arms on a façade of Storgata 65 building known as Rødbanken The coat of arms (current version) was granted on 22 July 1983, although a variation of these arms has been in use since 1870. The official blazon is "Azure, a reindeer trippant argent" (I blått en gående sølv rein). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a reindeer. The reindeer has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. It is often surmounted by a mural crown with five or four turrets. The municipal authority currently uses a stylised rendering drawn by Hallvard Trætteberg (1898–1987) and adopted by royal resolution on 24 September 1941. The idea for a coat of arms for Tromsø was presented by A. T. Kaltenborn in 1855 and the coat of arms was first used in connection with the Industry and Crafts Exhibition in Tromsø in 1870. Over time, the background colour has been changed between blue and red. At one point it also used a natural landscape in the background. Although reindeer played little or no role in the city, Tromsø was the administrative center of the vast surrounding areas in the county were reindeer herding was common in this part of Northern Norway.

• Illustration — Tromsø Cathedral The Church of Norway has eight parishes (no) within Tromsø Municipality. It is part of the Tromsø domprosti (arch-deanery) in the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland. Churches in Tromsø Municipality • Parish (no) — Church name — Location of the church — Year built • Tromsø Domkirken — Tromsø Cathedral — Tromsø — 1861 • Elverhøy — Elverhøy Church — Tromsø — 1803 • Grønnåsen — Grønnåsen Church — Tromsø — 1996 • Hillesøy — Hillesøy Church — Brensholmen, Kvaløya — 1889 • Kroken — Kroken Church — Kroken — 2006 • Kvaløy — Kvaløy Church — Kaldfjord — 1962 • Tromsøysund — Arctic Cathedral — Tromsdalen — 1965 • Ullsfjord — Lakselvbukt Church — Lakselvbukt — 1983 • Ullsfjord Church — Sjursnes — 1862 • Jøvik Chapel — Jøvika — 1920

Tromsø is the 12th largest municipality in Norway with a population of 78,745. The city is home to the world's northernmost university and also houses the northernmost botanical garden and planetarium. The city centre is located on the east side of the Tromsøya island — over 300 km north of the Arctic Circle at. Suburban areas include Kroken, Tromsdalen (on the mainland, east of Tromsøya), the rest of the Tromsøya island, and the eastern part of the large Kvaløya, west of the Tromsøya island. The Tromsø Bridge and Tromsøysund Tunnel both cross the Tromsøysundet strait connecting the mainland with Tromsøya by road. On the western side of the city, the Sandnessund Bridge connects Tromsøya island with Kvaløya island. The highest point in the municipality is the 1830.7 m tall mountain Jiehkkevárri. There are also many other tall mountains within the municipality including Hamperokken, Store Blåmannen, Store Fornestinden, and Tromsdalstinden. The Lyngen Alps mountain range lies along the Tromsø-Lyngen municipal border. There are many islands within the municipality of Tromsø including Hillesøya, Kvaløya, Rebbenesøya, Ringvassøya, Store Sommarøya, and Tromsøya. There are also several fjords that are located in Tromsø including the Balsfjorden, Kaldfjorden, Malangen, and Ullsfjorden.

Tromsø municipality spans a large area with complex terrain. As a result of this there is a great variety in climatic conditions within the municipality.

The western part of the municipality has islands facing the Norwegian sea, like Rebbenesøya, Sommerøya and the outer parts of Kvaløya. Here the winter temperatures are milder, while the summers are cooler than in the city of Tromsø itself.

The mountains in the municipality have a tundra climate and are covered by snow and ice for most of the year. The Gjerdvassbu station in Lyngen, just outside of municipality border at 704 m above msl recorded a maximum snow depth of 360.0 cm at in 2025 for example. That year August was the only month without a snow cover.

Tromsø 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 Nord-Troms og Senja District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal. As of 2026, the municipality is on the Robek list or Register for Governmental Approval of Financial Obligations, putting some constraints on incurring financial obligations.

The municipal council (Bystyre) of Tromsø Municipality is made up of 43 representatives that are elected for four year terms. Tromsø introduced so-called "parliamentary rule" in 2011. The Municipal council elects an executive body, byrådet ("the city council"), consisting of six byråder ("city councilors"). In theory, these are equivalent to the cabinet members of a parliamentary government. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

The mayor (ordfører) of Tromsø Municipality is the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. Here is a list of people who have held this position: • 1838–1840: Ulrik Frederik Lange • 1841–1841: Theodor B. Holst • 1842–1842: Jørgen Christian Dreyer • 1843–1844: Ulrik Frederik Lange • 1845–1845: Otto Th. Krogh • 1846–1848: Ulrik Frederik Lange • 1849–1850: Martinus Nissen Drejer • 1851–1851: Peder Hanssen • 1852–1852: Martinus Nissen Drejer • 1853–1853: Peder Hanssen • 1854–1856: Hans Blom • 1857–1859: Johannes Steen (V) • 1859–1859: Martinus Nissen Drejer • 1860–1862: Johannes Steen (V) • 1862–1862: Peder Hanssen • 1863–1863: Martinus Nissen Drejer • 1864–1865: Johannes Steen (V) • 1865–1867: Martinus Nissen Drejer • 1868–1868: Nils J. Nilsen • 1869–1869: Ole Christian Berge • 1870–1874: Casper R. Knap • 1874–1874: Ole Christian Berge • 1875–1881: Jens A. H. Killengreen • 1882–1882: Andreas R. Moursund • 1883–1885: Paul Steenstrup Koht (V) • 1885–1886: Andreas R. Moursund • 1887–1889: Hans Jacob Horst (V) • 1889–1890: Nicolai N. Wulff • 1891–1891: Peder Kjerschow • 1891–1891: Peter K. Johnsgaard • 1891–1894: Anton Næss • 1895–1896: Peter K. Johnsgaard • 1897–1897: Richard Killengreen • 1898–1898: Samuel Arnesen • 1898–1898: Daniel Mack • 1899–1899: Just Knud Qvigstad (H) • 1900–1903: Thomas Eidem (V) • 1904–1904: Oscar Schønberg • 1905–1905: Just Knud Qvigstad (H) • 1906–1906: Thomas Eidem (V) • 1907–1907: Just Knud Qvigstad (H) • 1908–1908: Arnold Holmboe (V) • 1909–1909: Herman Meinich (H) • 1910–1912: Thomas Eidem (V) • 1913–1914: Arnold Holmboe (V) • 1914–1916: Olaf Martin Kolsum (V) • 1917–1917: Arnold Holmboe (V) • 1918–1919: Ragnvald Gabrielsen • 1920–1921: Otto Hjersing Munthe-Kaas (H) • 1922–1922: Thorvald B. Moe • 1923–1925: Olaf Martin Kolsum (V) • 1926–1926: Johan Rydningen • 1926–1927: Olaf Fjalstad • 1928–1928: Mathias A. Hellebust • 1929–1932: Jens Isak de Lange Kobro (V) • 1933–1934: Olaf Martin Kolsum (V) • 1935–1936: Nils Meland • 1937–1941: Alfred Nilsen (V) • 1941–1941: Birger Motzfeldt (NS) • 1942–1942: Ole Thyholdt (NS) • 1942–1942: Hjalmar Høyem (NS) • 1943–1944: Peder Larsen (NS) • 1944–1944: Anders O. Gagnås (NS) • 1944–1945: Idar Schiefloe (NS) • 1945–1945: Lars Nordmo (NS) • 1945–1945: Jens Isak de Lange Kobro (V) • 1946–1952: Ingvald Jaklin (Ap) • 1953–1964: Wictor Robertsen (Ap) • 1966–1973: Kåre Nordgård (Ap) • 1973–1975: Helge Jacobsen (Ap) • 1976–1977: Arne Norgård (Sp) • 1978–1979: Helge Jacobsen (Ap) • 1980–1995: Erlend Rian (H) • 1995–1999: Alvhild Yttergård (H) • 1999–2007: Herman Kristoffersen (Ap) • 2007–2011: Arild Hausberg (Ap) • 2011–2015: Jens Johan Hjort (H) • 2015–2016: Jarle Aarbakke (Ap) • 2016–2019: Kristin Røymo (Ap) • 2019–present: Gunnar Wilhelmsen (Ap)

• Illustration — Coastal Seafood Center in Northern Norway (Kystens Hus) Tromsø is one of the largest fishing ports in Norway. Secondary to fishing, the University of Tromsø is a center for Arctic research. Tourism has exploded as an alternative economic resource in recent decades. There are now direct flights from many European countries. In 2021, the US Navy opened facilities to service American submarines at the port, after undergoing a significant expansion in 2020.

Tromsø Municipality has sister city agreements with the following places: • Anchorage, United States (1969) • Gaza City, The Palestinian Authorities (2001) • Kemi, Finland (1940) • Luleå, Sweden (1950) • Quetzaltenango, Guatemala (1999) • Zagreb, Croatia (1971) Tromsø signed a sister city agreement with Murmansk, Russia, on 10 July 1972 and terminated it on 22 October 2022, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.