Karmøy Municipality

Karmøy Municipality
Karmøy kommune
Rogaland within Norway
Karmøy within Rogaland
Coordinates: 59°15′23″N 05°14′57″E / 59.25639°N 5.24917°E / 59.25639; 5.24917
CountryNorway
CountyRogaland
DistrictHaugaland
Established1 Jan 1965
Administrative centreKopervik
Government
 • Mayor (2023)Leiv Arne Marhaug (H)
Area
 • Total
230.01 km2 (88.81 sq mi)
 • Land219.46 km2 (84.73 sq mi)
 • Water10.55 km2 (4.07 sq mi)  4.6%
 • Rank#295 in Norway
Highest elevation
171.58 m (562.9 ft)
Population
 (2026)
 • Total
43,990
 • Rank#26 in Norway
 • Density191.3/km2 (495/sq mi)
 • Change (10 years)
 +4.3%
DemonymsKarmøybu
Kartabu
Official language
 • Norwegian formNeutral
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
ISO 3166 codeNO-1149
WebsiteOfficial website

Karmøy is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway, located in the traditional district of Haugaland. Karmøy Municipality was established in 1965 upon the merger of seven former municipalities. It has three towns: Kopervik, which is the administrative centre, Åkrehamn on the west coast, and Skudeneshavn at the southern tip of the island. There are also many notable villages including Avaldsnes, Eike, Ferkingstad, Kolnes, Norheim, Sandve, Torvastad, Veavågen, Visnes, and Vormedal.

Karmøy Municipality is Rogaland county’s third most populous municipality, after Stavanger Municipality and Sandnes Municipality. The 230.01-square-kilometre (88.81 sq mi) municipality is the 295th largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Karmøy Municipality is the 26th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 43,990. The municipality's population density is 191.3 inhabitants per square kilometre (495/sq mi) and its population has increased by 4.3% over the previous 10-year period.

Karmøy Municipality encompasses several islands and a smaller mainland area. The largest island, also named Karmøy, has an area of 177.9-square-kilometre (68.7 sq mi), making it the largest island in Rogaland and the 23rd largest in Norway. The island is connected to the mainland by the Karmsund Bridge and the Karmøy Tunnel. Approximately 34,100 of the municipality’s inhabitants live on the island, making it the most populous island in South Norway and the second most populous in the country, while around 10,000 reside on the mainland, among them in the settlements of Norheim and Vormedal. The municipality is also noted for its industries and fishing, as well as for its heather moors and white sand surfing beaches.