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Horten

Horten, Norway kommune
Municipality
Coat of arms of Horten, Norway kommune
Coat of arms
Official logo of Horten, Norway kommune
Vestfold within
Norway
Coordinates: 59°25′15″N 10°25′58″E / 59.42083°N 10.43278°E / 59.42083; 10.43278Coordinates: 59°25′15″N 10°25′58″E / 59.42083°N 10.43278°E / 59.42083; 10.43278
Country Norway
County Vestfold
Administrative centre Horten
Government
 • Mayor (2015) Are Karlsen (Arbeiderpartiet)
Area
 • Total 70 km2 (30 sq mi)
 • Land 68 km2 (26 sq mi)
Area rank 407 in Norway
Population (2004)
 • Total 24,671
 • Rank 34 in Norway
 • Density 361/km2 (930/sq mi)
 • Change (10 years) 8.2 %
Demonym(s) Hortenser
Hortensar
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
ISO 3166 code NO-0701
Official language form Bokmål
Website www.horten.kommune.no
Data from Statistics Norway

About this sound Horten  is a town and municipality in Vestfold county, Norway—located along the Oslofjord. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Horten. The municipality also includes the villages of Borre, Åsgårdstrand, Skoppum, and Nykirke.

The town of Horten was separated from the municipality of Borre to become a municipality of its own in 1858. The neighboring municipalities of Borre and Horten were merged back together on 1 January 1988. The name of the new united municipality was first Borre, but after a referendum it was changed to Horten on 1 June 2002.

The local newspaper in Horten is named Gjengangeren, and covers mostly local news. It is also available online (see external links section).

The nearest train station in Horten is Skoppum. Skoppum is 1 hour and 10 minutes by train from Oslo Central station. By car Horten is reached by following E18 south, and is approx. 100 km (62 miles) from Oslo. The nearest airport is Sandefjord Airport Torp which is located about 30 minutes by train south of Skoppum.

The town is named after the old Horten farm (called "Hortan" in 1552), since it is built on the same ground. The name seems to be the finite form of hort m 'bulge' (but here in a weak form, Norse *horti). Several hills and mountains in Norway have the name Horten (or Horta, femininum), and here it could be referring to the hill Brårudåsen lying in the middle of the town.


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