NorwayCounty number 50
Trøndelag is a county in Norway with 38 municipalities. Trøndelag connects Trondheim’s knowledge economy with farming districts, forests, aquaculture coasts and mountain areas. Nidaros, Røros and Southern Sámi communities reveal different historical layers, while technology and food production link the region with modern Norway.
Content updated:
SSB · 2026
See how many people live in the county, how many homes it has, and which municipalities have the most residents. Figures are from Statistics Norway (SSB).
Ranked by municipal population, rather than the size of cities or urban settlements. A municipality may contain several settlements and extensive rural areas.
2026 · SSB
Choose a municipality to open its profile. Small island municipalities are marked with a dot.
Known for
Nidaros Cathedral and Røros’s timber houses
The Trondheimsfjord is surrounded by Trondheim, Stjørdal and Innherred’s farming districts. Coastal islands include seafood municipalities Hitra and Frøya; Namdalen lies to the north, with mountain communities and the Swedish border south and east. The county combines urban life, food production, ocean and forests. Municipality maps clarify differences between coastal connections and larger continuous inland areas.
Medieval Nidaros was a religious and political centre, while copper mining created Røros’s distinctive mountain community. Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag merged on 1 January 2018, before the other 2020 county mergers. Rindal transferred from Møre og Romsdal in 2019, and Halsa joined Heim in Trøndelag in 2020. The history also includes Southern Sámi communities and livelihoods beyond the towns.
Copper was discovered near Røros in 1644; mining ended in 1977. The wooden town, smelting remains and transport landscape show how work and daily life adapted to the mountain climate.
Trøndelag has farming and forestry value chains, with dairy production particularly important. Fishing and aquaculture shape parts of the coast. Research and education provide expertise for industry, marine suppliers and technology. Cooperation between resource-rich districts and knowledge institutions is central. Reindeer husbandry is also a livelihood and part of Southern Sámi culture, requiring connected grazing areas.
AtB provides information about buses, boats and other public connections in Trøndelag. Trondheim-area travel differs from coastal and mountain needs. Islands, long distances and transfers make the full journey important when choosing housing or education. Local routes and demand-responsive services vary; use current municipal travel information rather than county averages to assess accessibility.
NTNU’s largest study environment is in Trondheim, while Nord University has sites including Levanger, Steinkjer, Stjørdal and Namsos. Education therefore extends beyond the largest city. Nidaros and Røros offer different perspectives on religion, work and social organisation; Southern Sámi culture adds another regional continuity. These communities explain Trøndelag’s modern knowledge economy and deep historical roots.
The Trondheim area has a large education and labour market, while farming, seafood and local services create different district settlement patterns. Population trends can therefore diverge within the county. Southern Sámi reindeer husbandry uses landscapes across municipal boundaries, showing that administrative maps do not represent every identity. Municipality profiles describe local development without equating the county with Trondheim alone.
The adopted regional energy-transition plan is being followed up through energy saving, better use of surplus heat and development of local energy areas. Implementation must balance more renewable power with nature protection.
Landscapes, heritage sites and buildings offer a concrete view of the county’s history. Continue to the guides to these places and their municipalities.
Egge museum places Steinkjer’s history within a landscape of farmyards, burial mounds and former centres of power. Its open-air buildings and exhibitions connect the Viking-era chieftain’s seat with nineteenth-century farming and the town between the world wars.
Hegra festning is a fortified hillside above the Stjørdal valley. Built after Norway's separation from Sweden, its tunnels, trenches and gun positions became the setting for sustained Norwegian resistance during the invasion of 1940.
Nidarosdomen is Trondheim’s richly decorated cathedral, built over the burial place associated with Saint Olav. Its famous west front tells a story of medieval ambition, catastrophic fire and a major modern reconstruction through architecture and sculpture.
Trøndelag · 38 municipalities
Find local figures, history, education, housing and public services. Each municipality’s population figure refers to the stated period.
Residents · Q2 2026 · SSB
Norway has three elected levels of government: the state, county authorities and municipalities. A county is both a geographical area and the territory of an elected regional authority.
Responsibilities include upper secondary education, county roads, public transport, public dental services and regional development. These tasks connect municipalities.
Local responsibilities include primary and lower secondary schools, kindergartens, health and care services and land-use planning. Kommuneportal explains these at municipal level.
The County Governor represents the state regionally. This is a separate institution from the elected county authority. Oslo has both municipal and county responsibilities.
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Registry date: · Content updated:
A county total is shown only when every municipality has comparable figures from the same source and period. Land area excludes freshwater and sea. Density uses population and land area from the same year.
The same municipality membership is used; changes across a documented geographical break are withheld.
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