Rauma Municipality Rauma kommune | |
|---|---|
View of Åndalsnes in Rauma | |
Møre og Romsdal within Norway | |
Rauma within Møre og Romsdal | |
| Coordinates:62°30′17″N07°46′55″E / 62.50472°N 7.78194°E /62.50472; 7.78194 | |
| Country | Norway |
| County | Møre og Romsdal |
| District | Romsdal |
| Established | 1 Jan 1964 |
| • Preceded by | Eid,Grytten,Hen,Voll, &Veøy municipalities |
| Administrative centre | Åndalsnes |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2019) | Yvonne Wold (SV) |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,449.26 km2 (559.56 sq mi) |
| • Land | 1,390.18 km2 (536.75 sq mi) |
| • Water | 59.08 km2 (22.81 sq mi) 4.1% |
| • Rank | #61 in Norway |
| Highest elevation | 1,998.73 m (6,557.5 ft) |
| Population (2024) | |
• Total | 7,299 |
| • Rank | #141 in Norway |
| • Density | 5/km2 (13/sq mi) |
| • Change(10 years) | |
| Demonym | Raumaværing[2] |
| Official language | |
| • Norwegian form | Neutral |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| ISO 3166 code | NO-1539[4] |
| Website | Official website |
Rauma is amunicipality inMøre og Romsdalcounty,Norway. It is part of thetraditional district ofRomsdal. Theadministrative centre is the town ofÅndalsnes. Other settlements in Rauma include the villages ofMåndalen,Innfjorden,Veblungsnes,Verma,Isfjorden,Eidsbygda,Rødven,Åfarnes, andMittet. Most settlement in the municipality is located along the fjords and in the Romsdalen valley.
The municipality surrounds part of the southern end ofRomsdalsfjorden and theIsfjorden and it also includes theRomsdalen valley andRomsdalsalpene mountains. In the lower part of the valleys and around Romsdal Fjord and Rødvenfjorden are drivenagriculture with emphasis on livestock. The clothing industry has traditionally been a dominant industry in the municipality, especially inIsfjorden. In the summer, Rauma has a fairly large amount of tourist traffic. The top tourist attractions include mountain climbing/hiking,salmon fishing,Trollstigen, and the historicRødven Stave Church.[5]
The 1,449-square-kilometre (559 sq mi) municipality is the 61st largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Rauma Municipality is the 141st most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 7,299. The municipality'spopulation density is 5 inhabitants per square kilometre (13/sq mi) and its population has decreased by 2.1% over the previous 10-year period.[6][7]
The municipality of Rauma was established on 1 January 1964 when the following neighboring municipalities were merged together:[8]
On 1 January 2021, the 53-square-kilometre (20 sq mi)Vågstranda area in the northwestern part of Rauma Municipality was transferred to the neighboringVestnes Municipality.[9]


The municipality is named after theRauma River (Old Norse:Raumr), which flows through theRomsdalen valley into theRomsdal Fjord. It is uncertain if the fjord is named after the river or the river is named after the fjord. The nameRauma likely comes from the wordraum which has an unknown meaning, or it could come from the wordraumr which means "roaring waterfall".[5][10]
Thecoat of arms was granted on 4 November 1983. The officialblazon is"Azure, threepiles issuant from baseargent" (Norwegian:I blått tre opprette sølv spisser). This means the arms have a bluefield (background) and thecharge is threepiles pointing upwards from the base of theshield. The charge has atincture ofargent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The design was chosen to represent the sky and three local mountains (Vengetindane,Trolltindane andRomsdalshornet). The arms were designed by Jarle Skuseth. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.[11][12][13]
TheChurch of Norway has six parishes (sokn) within Rauma Municipality. It is part of theIndre Romsdal prosti (deanery) in theDiocese of Møre.
| Parish (sokn) | Church name | Location of the church | Year built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eid og Holm | Eid Church | Eidsbygda | 1796 |
| Holm Church | Holm | 1907 | |
| Rødven Church | Rødven | 1907 | |
| Rødven Stave Church | Rødven | c. 1200 | |
| Grytten | Grytten Church | Veblungsnes | 1829 |
| Hen | Hen Church | Isfjorden | 1831 |
| Kors | Kors Church | Marstein inRomsdalen | 1797 |
| Voll | Voll Church | Måndalen | 1896 |
| Innfjorden Chapel | Innfjorden | 1976 | |
| Øverdalen | Øverdalen Church | Verma | 1902 |

The municipality surrounds the eastern part ofRomsdal Fjord,Isfjorden, andRødvenfjorden, and it is south of theLangfjorden. It also surrounds theRomsdalen valley and theRauma River from the mouth to theInnlandet county border.
TheKyrkjetaket andGjuratinden mountains lie in the northeastern part of the municipality. The mountainsDønttinden,Mannen,Romsdalshornet,Store Trolltinden,Trollryggen,Store Venjetinden, and theTroll Wall are all in the central part of the municipality in theRomsdalsalpene mountain range. The mountainsKaritinden,Høgstolen, andPuttegga are located in the southwestern part of the municipality. Part ofReinheimen National Park lies within the municipality. The highest point in the municipality is the 1,998.73-metre (6,557.5 ft) tall mountainPuttegga.[1]

European Route E136,Norwegian County Road 63, andNorwegian County Road 64 all pass through the municipality. TheTrollstigen road is part of County Road 63 in Rauma, and it is a famous tourist attraction due to the manyhairpin turns on the steep road.
TheRauma railway line also runs through the municipality, over theKylling Bridge, and terminates atÅndalsnes Station. The nearest airports areÅlesund Airport, Vigra which is 135 kilometres (84 mi) by road from Åndalsnes andMolde Airport which is 55 kilometres (34 mi) by road plus a road ferry.
Rauma Municipality is responsible forprimary education (through 10th grade), outpatienthealth services,senior citizen services,welfare and othersocial services,zoning,economic development, and municipalroads and utilities. The municipality is governed by amunicipal council ofdirectly elected representatives. Themayor isindirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council.[14] The municipality is under the jurisdiction of theNordmøre og Romsdal District Court and theFrostating Court of Appeal.
Themunicipal council (Kommunestyre) of Rauma Municipality is made up of 27 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by politicalparty.
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 2 | |
| Progress Party(Fremskrittspartiet) | 4 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 3 | |
| Industry and Business Party(Industri‑ og Næringspartiet) | 1 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 5 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 12 | |
| Total number of members: | 27 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 5 | |
| Progress Party(Fremskrittspartiet) | 1 | |
| Green Party(Miljøpartiet De Grønne) | 1 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 6 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 1 | |
| Pensioners' Party(Pensjonistpartiet) | 1 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 5 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 7 | |
| Total number of members: | 27 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 5 | |
| Progress Party(Fremskrittspartiet) | 2 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 8 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 2 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 7 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 2 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 27 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 6 | |
| Progress Party(Fremskrittspartiet) | 4 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 5 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 3 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 6 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 27 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 6 | |
| Progress Party(Fremskrittspartiet) | 4 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 3 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 3 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 6 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 2 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 2 | |
| Rauma Party(Raumapartiet) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 27 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 6 | |
| Progress Party(Fremskrittspartiet) | 5 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 3 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 3 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 5 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 3 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 27 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 11 | |
| Progress Party(Fremskrittspartiet) | 4 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 6 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 6 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 7 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 3 | |
| Total number of members: | 37 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 11 | |
| Progress Party(Fremskrittspartiet) | 2 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 5 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 5 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 10 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 2 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 37 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 11 | |
| Progress Party(Fremskrittspartiet) | 3 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 7 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 7 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 9 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 5 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 3 | |
| Total number of members: | 45 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 15 | |
| Progress Party(Fremskrittspartiet) | 4 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 9 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 7 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 5 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 2 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 3 | |
| Total number of members: | 45 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 15 | |
| Progress Party(Fremskrittspartiet) | 3 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 8 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 8 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 6 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 2 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 3 | |
| Total number of members: | 45 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 14 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 10 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 9 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 8 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 4 | |
| Total number of members: | 45 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 14 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 7 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 10 | |
| New People's Party(Nye Folkepartiet) | 1 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 9 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 2 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 45 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 17 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 5 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 9 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 10 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 4 | |
| Total number of members: | 45 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 15 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 5 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 9 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 9 | |
| Socialist People's Party(Sosialistisk Folkeparti) | 3 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 4 | |
| Total number of members: | 45 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 18 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 4 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 10 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 9 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 4 | |
| Total number of members: | 45 | |
| Note: On 1 January 1964,Eid Municipality,Grytten Municipality,Hen Municipality,Voll Municipality, and part ofVeøy Municipality were merged to form the new Rauma Municipality. | ||

Themayor (Norwegian:ordfører) of Rauma 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:[28]
Rauma is frequently visited by tourists, especially due to the major sights:
