Vestfold

Vestfold (pronounced [ˈvɛ̂stfɔɫ] ^ⓘ) is a county in Norway. Located on the western shore of the Oslofjord, it borders Buskerud and Telemark counties. The capital and largest city of the county is Tønsberg, Norway's oldest city. With the exception of the city-county of Oslo, Vestfold is the smallest county in Norway by area.

Vestfold is located west of the Oslofjord, as the name indicates. It includes many smaller, but well-known towns in Norway, such as Holmestrand, Horten, Åsgårdstrand, Tønsberg, Sandefjord, Larvik and Stavern; these towns run from Oslo in an almost constant belt of urban areas along the coast, ending in Grenland in neighbouring county Telemark. The river Numedalslågen runs through the county. Many islands are located at the coast. Vestfold is mostly dominated by lowland and is among the best agricultural areas of Norway. Winters last about three months, while pleasant summer temperatures last from May to September, with a July average high of 17 °C (63 °F).

Vestfold is traditionally known for shipping and sailing. Sandefjord was formerly a headquarters for the Norwegian whaling fleet, and Horten used to be Norway's main naval port. The coastal towns of Vestfold now engage in fishing and shipbuilding. Some lumbering is carried on in the interior. The area also includes some of the best farmland in Norway.

Vestfold merged with neighboring Telemark on 1 January 2020 as part of a nationwide municipal reform. The new county was Vestfold og Telemark. Vestfold was re-established on 1 January 2024, following a vote of the county council of Vestfold og Telemark on 15 February 2022 to split the newly established county into its respective counties that existed before the merger took place; Telemark and Vestfold.

Vestfold was until 2019 the only county in which all municipalities had declared Bokmål to be their sole official written form of the Norwegian language. From its re-establishment in 2024, Vestfold is the only county in Norway to have Bokmål as the official written form.