Editing Kristiansand

{{Short description|City and municipality in Agder, Norway}}
{{distinguish|text=[[Kristiansund]], a city in Møre og Romsdal, western Norway}}
{{hatnote|Kristiansand municipality underwent a municipal merger on 1 January 2020.}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Kristiansand Municipality
| native_name        = Kristiansand kommune
| native_name_lang   = no
| official_name      = 
| other_name         = 
| settlement_type    = [[City]] and [[List of municipalities of Norway|municipality]]
| image_skyline      = {{Photomontage
| photo1a = Kvadraturen-01.jpg{{!}}The city center
| photo2a = Nupen2.JPG{{!}}Nupenparken
| photo2b = Kristiansand 2010-09-19 02.JPG
| photo3a = Domkirken Kristiansand NORWAY nygotisk Thrap-Meyer 1885 Cathedral Neo-Gothic church 2023-10-18 Torvet Fontenen Tårn tower Øvre Torv etc DSC09862.jpg{{!}}Kristiansand Cathedral
| photo3b = Posebyen i Kristiansand.jpg{{!}}Posebyen
| photo4a = Kvadraturen, Kristiansand, Norway - panoramio (8).jpg{{!}}Kvadraturen
| spacing = 1
| position = center
| color_border = white
| color =  white
| size = 266
}}
| imagesize          = 270px
| image_flag         = Former flag of Kristiansand.png
| image_shield       = Kristiansand komm.svg
| shield_size        = 120px
| pushpin_map        = Norway#Agder
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Norway##Location in Agder county
| pushpin_label = Kristiansand
| image_map          = NO 4204 Kristiansand.svg
| nickname           = Port of Norway
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = {{NOR}}
| subdivision_type1  = [[List of municipalities of Norway|Municipality]]
| subdivision_name1  = Kristiansand
| subdivision_type2  = [[Counties of Norway|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Agder]]
| subdivision_type3  = [[Districts of Norway|District]]
| subdivision_name3  = [[Kristiansand Region|Kristiansandregionen]]
| subdivision_type4  = [[Norwegian language|Official language]]
| subdivision_name4  = [[Bokmål]]
| leader_title       = Mayor
| leader_name        = Mathias Bernander
| established_title  = Established
| established_date   = [[1641]]
| area_total_km2     = 428.21
| area_urban_km2     = 25.03
| area_metro_km2     = 1892.8
| area_footnotes     = 
| population_as_of   = 31 December 2022
| population_total   = 117,237 {{increase}}
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_blank1_title = Municipality/Urban rank
| population_blank1  = [[List of municipalities of Norway|6th]]/[[List of urban areas in Norway by population|8th]]
| population_urban   = 125,000
| population_density_urban_km2 = auto
| population_blank2_title = Metro rank
| population_blank2  = [[Metropolitan regions of Norway|5th]]
| population_metro   = 155648
| population_density_metro_km2 = auto
| population_demonym = Kristiansander,{{efn|Written using [[Norwegian Bokmål]]}} Kristiansandar{{efn|Written using [[Norwegian Nynorsk]]}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Innbyggjarnamn |trans-title=Demonyms |url=http://www.sprakradet.no/sprakhjelp/Skriverad/navn-pa-steder-og-personer/Innbyggjarnamn/ |access-date=2022-08-03 |website=[[Language Council of Norway|Språkrådet]] |language=nn}}</ref>
| demographics_type1 = 
| demographics1_title1 = 
| demographics1_info1 = 
| demographics1_title2 = 
| demographics1_info2 = 
| demographics1_title3 = 
| demographics1_info3 = 
| timezone1          = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset1        = +01:00
| timezone1_DST      = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset1_DST    = +02:00
| coordinates        = {{coord|58|8|50|N|7|59|50|E|region:NO|display=inline,title}}
| website            = {{URL|http://www.kristiansand.kommune.no/}}
| leader_party       = [[Conservative Party (Norway)|H]]
| governing_body     = 
| government_type    = 
}}

'''Kristiansand''' is a city and [[Municipalities of Norway|municipality]] in [[Agder]] county, [[Norway]]. The city is the fifth-largest and the municipality is the sixth-largest in Norway, with a population of around 116,000 as of January 2020, following the incorporation of the municipalities of [[Søgne]] and [[Songdalen]] into the greater Kristiansand municipality.<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 November 2013 |title=Folkemengd og kvartalsvise befolkningsendringar, 3. kvartal 2013 |url=http://ssb.no/befolkning/statistikker/folkendrkv/kvartal/2013-11-21?fane=tabell#content |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202224335/http://www.ssb.no/befolkning/statistikker/folkendrkv/kvartal/2013-11-21?fane=tabell#content |archive-date=2 December 2013 |access-date=16 December 2013 |language=no}}</ref> In addition to the city itself, [[Statistics Norway]] count four other densely populated areas in the municipality: Skålevik in [[Flekkerøy]] with a population of 3,526 in the Vågsbygd borough, [[Strai]] with a population of 1,636 in the Grim borough, [[Justvik]] with a population of 1,803 in the Lund borough,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Justvik - landsby i kommunen Kristiansand. Befolkningen - hvor mange mennesker Justvik |url=http://befolkningen.com/norge/kristiansand/justvik |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029201103/http://befolkningen.com/norge/kristiansand/justvik |archive-date=29 October 2013 |access-date=2013-05-14 |publisher=Befolkningen.com}}</ref> and [[Tveit]] with a population of 1,396 ({{As of|2012|01|lc=on}}) in the Oddernes borough. Kristiansand is divided into five boroughs; -[[Grim, Vest-Agder|Grim]], which is located northwest in Kristiansand with a population of 15,000; [[Kvadraturen (Kristiansand)|Kvadraturen]], which is the centre and downtown Kristiansand with a population of 5,200; [[Lund, Kristiansand|Lund]], the second largest borough; [[Søgne]], with a population of around 12,000 and incorporated into the municipality of Kristiansand as of January 2020; [[Oddernes]], a borough located in the west; and [[Vågsbygd]], the largest borough with a population of 36,000, located in the southwest.

Kristiansand is connected by four main roads: [[European route E18|European Route E18]] from [[Oslo]], [[Aust-Agder]], covering the easternmost parts of Kristiansand; [[European route E39]] from [[Stavanger]], [[Flekkefjord]] and the coastal towns and villages in [[Vest-Agder]]; [[Norwegian National Road 9]] from [[Evje]], [[Setesdal]] and Grim; and [[Norwegian National Road 41]] from [[Telemark]], northern Aust-Agder, [[Birkeland, Aust-Agder|Birkeland]], Tveit and the airport [[Kristiansand Airport, Kjevik]]. Varodd Bridge is a large bridge and a part of [[European route E18|E18]], which stretches over [[Topdalsfjorden]].

Tourism is important in Kristiansand, and the summer season is the most popular for tourists. [[Kristiansand Zoo and Amusement Park|Kristiansand Zoo and Amusement park]] is the largest zoo in Norway. It receives over 900,000 visitors every year. Markens Street is the main pedestrian street in downtown Kristiansand. Bystranda is a city beach located in Kvadraturen; Hamresanden beach is the longest beach in Kristiansand. Hamresanden Camping is a popular family aciivity during the summer season. The city hosts a free weekly concert in downtown Kristiansand in the summertime. Outside the city is the industrial park [[Sørlandsparken]], which includes [[Sørlandssenteret]], Norway's largest mall.

==Name==
The city is named after the Dano-Norwegian King [[Christian IV of Denmark|King Christian IV]], who founded it on 5 July 1641. The second part of the city's name, ''sand'', comes from the [[Old Norse]] word {{wikt-lang|non|sandr}} which means "sand" or "sandy ground". This refers to the sandy headland upon which the city was originally built. (See also: [[Lillesand#Name]])

Historically, the name was usually written ''Christianssand'' until 1877, although the map of the [[Cartography|mapmaker]] [[Pontoppidan]] from 1785 spelled the name ''Christiansand'' (with a single 's'). In 1877, an official spelling reform aimed at bringing city names into line with regular Norwegian orthography changed it to ''Kristianssand''. [[Kristiansund (town)|Kristiansund]] and [[Oslo|Kristiania]] ([[Oslo]]), also had their spellings changed under the same reform. Despite that, a number of businesses and associations retain the "Ch" spelling. The name was again changed to its present form, ''Kristiansand'' (single "s"), in 1889.

In 2012, the city's mayor, [[Arvid Grundekjøn]], proposed that the city be renamed Christianssand, arguing that "Kristiansand" is grammatically meaningless and that Christianssand stands for tradition.<ref>{{Cite web |date=3 February 2012 |title=Kristiansand eller Christianssand? - Sørlandet - NRK Nyheter |url=http://www.nrk.no/nyheter/distrikt/sorlandet/1.7981794 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205040015/http://www.nrk.no/nyheter/distrikt/sorlandet/1.7981794 |archive-date=5 February 2012 |access-date=2013-05-14 |publisher=Nrk.no}}</ref> This proposal was not well received by the locals and the mayor has not pushed this further.

==History==
[[File:Oddernes kirke B.JPG|thumb|[[Oddernes Church]] in Lund, Kristiansand, erected around 1040]]
[[File:Kristiansand JW Edy.jpg|thumb|Kristiansand in summer 1800, painted by [[John William Edy|J. W. Edy]]]]

===Prehistory and early history===
The Kristiansand area has been inhabited since prehistoric times. In 1996, the well-preserved skeleton of a woman dating to approximately 6500&nbsp;BC was discovered in [[Søgne]] in western Kristiansand. This demonstrates very early habitation of the archipelago. Grauthelleren (''Grathelleren''), located on Fidjane, is believed to be a [[Stone Age]] settlement. The first discovery in Norway of a Sarup enclosure (a [[Neolithic]] form of ritual enclosure first identified at Sarup on the Danish island of [[Funen]]) was made in 2010 at Hamresanden and dates to c. 3400&nbsp;BC. Archaeological excavations to the east of [[Oddernes Church]] have uncovered rural settlements that existed during the centuries immediately before and after the start of the [[Common Era|common era]]. Together with a corresponding discovery in [[Rogaland]], these settlements are unique in the Norwegian context; isolated farms, rather than villages, were the norm in ancient Norway. Other discoveries in [[grave mound]]s around the church, in the Lund section of the city, indicate habitation beginning c.&nbsp;400&nbsp;AD, and 25 cooking pits that were found immediately outside the church wall in 1907 are probably even older. One of the largest [[Norse paganism|pre-Christian]] burial grounds in South Norway was formerly located to the south and west of the church. A royal centre is thought to have existed at Oddernes before 800, and the church was built around 1040.

Before the stone church was built, one or perhaps two wooden [[post church]]es are believed to have stood on the same spot. A few years ago, excavations were carried out under and around the runestone when it was moved to the church porch; the grave finds indicated that the churchyard must already have been unusually large in the [[High Middle Ages]]. This means that the area must have had a large population before it was reduced by the [[Black Death]].

In the 14th and 15th centuries, there was already a busy port and a small village on the [[Otra]] at the lowest point of today's Lund neighbourhood (Lahelle). Another important element in the development of Kristiansand was the harbor on the island of [[Flekkerøy]], which was the most important on the [[Skagerrak]] beginning in the 16th century and was first fortified under King [[Christian III of Denmark and Norway|Christian III]] in 1555. In 1635, King [[Christian IV of Denmark|Christian IV]] ordered his [[Seignory|feudal seigneur]], Palle Rosenkrantz, to move from Nedenes and build a royal palace on the island.

===Foundation to 1900===
[[File:Monument King Christian IV Kristianssand Noreg.JPG|thumb|right|Monument of King Christian IV, located in the Festningsgaten (The Fortress Street), Kristiansand. The plaque reads: "Christian IV Grunnla Vår By Anno 1641" - "Christian IV Founded Our City Anno 1641".]]
Christian IV (renowned for having founded many towns) visited the location in 1630 and 1635, and on 5 July 1641 formally founded the town of ''Christianssand'' on the "sand" on the opposite bank of the Torridalselva (Otra). The town was laid out in [[Renaissance architecture|Renaissance]] style on a [[grid plan]] (the central section now known as ''Kvadraturen'' = The Quarters), and merchants throughout Agder were commanded to move to the new town. In return, they were to receive a variety of trading privileges and a ten-year tax exemption.

In 1666, Christianssand became a [[garrison]] town and was heavily fortified. In 1682, King [[Christian V]] decided to relocate the [[Diocese of Agder og Telemark|bishopric]] there from [[Stavanger]]. Hence, the young city became the main city of the Christiansand Stift.

Christianssand experienced its first fire in 1734, which was devastating to the city. Later in the 18th century, after the [[American Revolutionary War]], the town's shipbuilders experienced an economic boom that lasted until the [[Napoleonic Wars]], which struck a severe blow to Kristiansand's overseas trade. [[Denmark–Norway]] supported France in the conflict, and as a result Norwegian ports including Kristiansand were [[blockade]]d by the [[Royal Navy]], as recounted in [[Henrik Ibsen]]'s ''[[Terje Vigen]]''. By the 1830s, the town's economy began to rebound, and the growth in the Norwegian shipping industry was important for Kristiansand. It was the only part of Norway where oak trees flourished, a major resource for the country's shipbuilding industry. Large numbers of lobsters were collected off the coast and sent to [[London]] during the mid-19th century. The population of Kristiansand was about 12,000 people by 1848.<ref>{{Cite book |title=The National Cyclopaedia of Useful Knowledge, Vol IV |date=1848 |publisher=Charles Knight |edition=First |location=London |page=526}}</ref>

On 1 January 1838, the new [[formannskapsdistrikt]] law went into effect. This new law granted municipal self-government throughout Norway. As a city, it formed its own municipal government and it was surrounded by the rural municipality of [[Oddernes (municipality)|Oddernes]].<ref name="Dag">{{Cite book |last=Jukvam |first=Dag |url=http://www.ssb.no/emner/00/90/rapp_9913/rapp_9913.pdf |title=Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen |publisher=[[Statistics Norway|Statistisk sentralbyrå]] |year=1999 |isbn=9788253746845 |language=no}}</ref>

The City of Kristiansand had a quarantine station for maritime traffic and hospital at [[Odderøy Island]] for [[cholera]] patients that opened in 1804. The city had far fewer deaths than the surrounding area, largely attributable to the quarantine station and the hospital. For example, during the period of 1833–1866, [[Drammen]] had 544 cholera patients, of which 336 died. During this same period, Kristiansand only experienced 15 deaths from cholera.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Torstveit |first1=L. |last2=Vesterhus |first2=P. |date=15 December 2005 |title=Kolera og karantene i Kristiansand |trans-title=Cholera and quarantine in Kristiansand |url=http://tidsskriftet.no/2005/12/medisinsk-historie/kolera-og-karantene-i-kristiansand |url-status=live |journal=Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen |language=no, en |volume=125 |issue=24 |pages=3490–3 |pmid=16357901 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180830174226/https://tidsskriftet.no/2005/12/medisinsk-historie/kolera-og-karantene-i-kristiansand |archive-date=30 August 2018 |access-date=2 May 2017}}</ref>

[[File:Kart over Kristiansand (1887).jpg|thumb|left|Map of downtown Kristiansand from 1887]]
Another important development during the 19th century was the foundation in 1881 of ''{{Not a typo|E|g}} Sindssygeasyl'', the second central psychiatric institution in Norway (after [[Gaustad]]). The psychiatric hospital drew highly specialized doctors to the city and also provided many jobs for women.

The most recent major fire, in 1892, left half the original section of the city in ashes. It burned buildings as far as [[Kristiansand Cathedral|the cathedral]], which had been rebuilt in brick after a previous fire in 1880.

===1900 onward===
With the development of [[hydropower]] in southern Norway, the city gradually developed an industrial base, particularly with the establishment in 1910 of the nickel refinery Kristiansands Nikkelraffineringsverk AS (later Falconbridge Nikkelverk,<ref name="archibald62">{{cite journal |doi=10.1007/BF03378184}}</ref> now Glencore Nikkelverk). From an economic perspective, the [[First World War]] was a good time for Kristiansand, as a neutral shipping city. The crises that followed with the [[gold standard]] politics of the 1920s and the [[Great Depression|world economic crisis]] of the 1930s were also deeply felt in a trading city like Kristiansand.

On 1 July 1921, the city of Kristiansand got larger by annexing a part of the neighboring municipality of [[Oddernes (municipality)|Oddernes]], gaining 2,164 more residents along with more land for the growing city.<ref name="Dag" />

The labour movement had important pioneers in the city, and [[Leon Trotsky]] spent about a year of his exile in the archipelago offshore from Kristiansand. [[Arnulf Øverland]] took him from [[Randesund]] to [[Ny-Hellesund]] in [[Søgne]] in 1936.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Langfeldt |first=Jan G. |title=Langfeldt-slektens og Ny-Hellesunds historie |year=2004 |isbn=82-994591-2-5 |page=80 |publisher=J.G. Langfeldt |language=no}}</ref> In the interwar period Kristiansand was a centre for intellectuals, especially after the architect Thilo Schoder settled there in 1932.

Kristiansand was attacked by [[Kriegsmarine|German naval forces]] and the [[Luftwaffe]] during the [[Operation Weserübung]] on 9 April 1940. The naval forces met fierce resistance from Norwegian [[coastal artillery]] at [[Odderøya]]. Bombs and grenades also hit the downtown and the 70 meter high church tower of the [[Kristiansand Cathedral]] was hit by accident. The third attack attempt on the city succeeded because a signal flag was confused with a French national flag and the misunderstanding was not discovered until it was too late. The city was occupied by a force of 800 men.

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the [[Schei Committee]]. On 1 January 1965, the city of Kristiansand (population: 27,100) was merged with the neighboring municipalities of [[Randesund (municipality)|Randesund]] (population: 1,672), [[Tveit (municipality)|Tveit]] (population: 2,802), and [[Oddernes (municipality)|Oddernes]] (population: 18,668) to create a much larger Kristiansand Municipality.<ref name="Dag" />

Post-war construction included further development of the Lund section, and in the 1960s and 1970s [[Vågsbygd]] to the west was developed into a section with 20,000 inhabitants. In the 1980s, industry and business in the city declined, in part because of the [[Hotel Caledonien fire|1986 fire at the Hotel Caledonien]]. But beginning in the second half of the 1990s, business increased in momentum with the development of enterprises for marine and offshore equipment, security technology and drilling.

The older municipal archives for Kristiansand (and the former municipalities) are currently held at the Inter-Municipal Archives in Vest-Agder (IKAVA). This includes documents concerning, for example, local councils, chairmanships, poor boards, school boards and archives including among other things personal documents in the form of client records, tax records, and also school records.

On 1 January 2020, the three neighbouring municipalities of Kristiansand, [[Songdalen]], and [[Søgne]] were merged to form one large municipality called ''Kristiansand''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nye Kristiansand |url=https://www.kristiansand.kommune.no/nye-kristiansand/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190901160910/https://www.kristiansand.kommune.no/nye-kristiansand/ |archive-date=1 September 2019 |access-date=2017-11-05 |publisher=Kristiansand kommune |language=no}}</ref>

===Coat-of-arms===
The arms of Kristiansand were granted on 8 December 1909 and are based on the oldest seal of the city, dating from 1643. In 1643 King Christian IV granted the young town the right to use a seal with the [[Coat of arms of Norway#Golden lion|Norwegian lion]] and the royal crown. The crown indicates that the city was founded by the king. The other major element in the arms is a tree. As the species of tree is not specified, there are several known versions with differently shaped trees. A second seal, from 1658, shows a tree with leaves and what look like pine cones.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Norske Kommunevåpen |year=1990 |title=Nye kommunevåbener i Norden |url=http://www.ngw.nl/int/nor/k/kristian.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070715090151/http://www.ngw.nl/int/nor/k/kristian.htm |archive-date=15 July 2007 |access-date=2008-09-27 |language=no}}</ref> On the base of the crown are the letters R. F. P., standing for ''Regna Firma Pietas'', "Piety strengthens the realm"; this was Christian IV's [[motto]]. Around the seal of the city is its motto, ''Cavsa Triumphat Tandem Bona'', "A good cause prevails in the end".<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 August 1989 |title=Regler om bruk av Kristiansands byvåpen og segl i ikke kommunalt øyemed |url=http://www.kristiansand.kommune.no/PageFiles/16611/Regler%20for%20bruk%20av%20byv%C3%A5penet.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131225223222/http://www.kristiansand.kommune.no/PageFiles/16611/Regler%20for%20bruk%20av%20byv%C3%A5penet.pdf |archive-date=25 December 2013 |access-date=2013-12-24 |publisher=Municipality of Kristiansand |language=no}}</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:Dueknipen.jpg|thumb|Dueknipen, Kristiansand]]
Kristiansand is strategically located on the [[Skagerrak]], and until the opening of the [[Kiel Canal]] between the [[North Sea]] and the [[Baltic Sea|Baltic]] was very important militarily and geopolitically. This meant that for centuries it served as a military stronghold, first as [[Harald Fairhair]]'s royal residence, then as a Danish-Norwegian fortress, and later as a garrison town. Kristiansand is a gateway to and from the continent, with ferry service to Denmark and a terminus of the railway line along the southern edge of South Norway. Geologically, this part of Agder is part of the Swedo-Norwegian Base Mountain Shield, the southwestern section of the [[Baltic Shield]], and consists of two main geological formations of [[Proterozoic]] rocks that were formed in the Gothic and later Swedo-Norwegian [[orogeny|orogenies]], with significant [[metamorphism]] during the latter.<ref>Ivar B. Ramberg ''et al''., ''Landet blir til – Norges geologi'', Norsk geologisk forening 2006 (2007), p. 71</ref> There is a substrate of 1,600&ndash;1,450 million-year-old [[slate]], [[quartzite]], [[marble]] and [[amphibolite]] with some [[hornblende]] [[gneiss]], and overlaid on this acidic surface structures of both [[granite]] and [[granodiorite]] (in general 1,250&ndash;1,000 million years old, in some places 1,550&ndash;1,480 million years old). The ''Bamblefelt'' geological area starts to the east of the municipality and extends to [[Grenland]].

The last Swedo-Norwegian formations are evident in large formations of granite. There are also incidences of [[gabbro]] and [[diorite]], less commonly [[eclogite]]. The [[Caledonian orogeny]] did not affect this area. Faults run southwest–northeast.<ref>[http://www.ngu.no/kart/bg250/ Berggrunnskart over Norge] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150118033550/http://www.ngu.no/kart/bg250/ |date=18 January 2015 }}, [[Norwegian Geological Survey]], 2006 {{in lang|no}}</ref> In ancient times there was a volcano off [[Flekkeroy]], which left deposits of volcanic rock just north of central Kristiansand, on the site of the estate of {{Not a typo|E|g}}, now occupied by the [[Hospital of Southern Norway]].

Near the city, there are deep woods. In [[Baneheia]] and at the former [[coastal artillery]] fortress on [[Odderøya]], there are lighted ski trails and walking paths specially prepared for [[wheelchair]] users. People go swimming in [[Baneheia]] in the summer as well

Two major rivers, the [[Otra]] and the [[Tovdalselva]], flow into the Skagerrak at Kristiansand.

===Climate===
[[File:Sjølyst, Kristiansand, Vest-Agder, Norway - panoramio.jpg|thumb|[[Fiskebrygga, Kristiansand|Fiskebrygga]]]]
Kristiansand has a temperate oceanic climate ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Cfb''). The coastal parts of the [[Skagerrak]] coast, which includes Kristiansand, is the sunniest part of Norway. Snow generally occurs in late December and in January and February; it may be heavy (the snow record at [[Kristiansand Airport, Kjevik|Kjevik airport]] is {{convert|170|cm|in}}) but rarely stays long on the coast; see [[Climate of Norway]]. Due to warming in the more recent decades, snow often melts after a few days.
In the summer most locals go to the [[Fiskebrygga, Kristiansand|Fiskebrygga]], the archipelago opposite the city, and Hamresanden Beach, which is located about 10 minutes from the city centre near Kjevik airport. People from Denmark, Sweden, Germany, the UK and other European countries also visit this beach in the summer during their travels.

The all-time high {{convert|32.6|C|1}} at Kristiansand airport was recorded August 1975. The all-time low at the airport {{convert|-28.2|C|1}} was recorded January 1982. The temperature seldom reaches {{convert|30|C|F|0}}, but most days in July reaches {{convert|21|C|F|0}} or more. The warmest month ever was July 1901 with mean {{convert|21.6|C|F|0}} at an earlier weather station (''Kristiansand S - Eg''). The warmest month at the airport was July 2018 with 24-hr average {{convert|19.9|C|F|0}} and average daily high {{convert|25.8|C|F|0}}. July 2018 was also the sunniest month on record with 422 sunhours, and the year 2018 recorded 2126 sunhours - despite December recording just 1 sunhr as cloudiest month on record in Kristiansand. The cloudiest July recorded 156 sunhours (2007). Kristiansand has the national record for the sunniest February (153 sunhrs in 1986), sunniest April (323 hrs in 2021), sunniest August (343 hrs in 1995) and sunniest September (241 hrs in 1959).
The wettest month on record was October 1976 with 560&nbsp;mm precipitation, and the driest was April 1974 with no precipitation at all. 
{{Weather box|width=auto
|location = Kristiansand Airport Kjevik 1991–2020 (12 m, extremes 1946–2021, sunhrs 1961–1990)
|collapsed = 
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|Jan record high C = 13.9  | Jan record low C = -28.2
|Feb record high C = 16.3  | Feb record low C = -27.9
|Mar record high C = 21.9  | Mar record low C = -21.7
|Apr record high C = 23.7  | Apr record low C = -11.7
|May record high C = 26.1  | May record low C = -4.0
|Jun record high C = 30.7  | Jun record low C = 0
|Jul record high C = 31.2  | Jul record low C = 3.7
|Aug record high C = 32.6  | Aug record low C = 1.9
|Sep record high C = 27.5  | Sep record low C = -2.3
|Oct record high C = 20.4  | Oct record low C = -8.4
|Nov record high C = 17.1  | Nov record low C = -18.8
|Dec record high C = 13.6  | Dec record low C = -22.9
|Jan high C = 3.2
|Feb high C = 3.7
|Mar high C = 6.2
|Apr high C = 10.5
|May high C = 15.4
|Jun high C = 18.9
|Jul high C = 21.1
|Aug high C = 20.4
|Sep high C = 16.5
|Oct high C = 11.5
|Nov high C = 6.9
|Dec high C = 3.9
|year high C = 
|Jan mean C = 0.2
|Feb mean C = 0.2
|Mar mean C = 2.3
|Apr mean C = 6
|May mean C = 10.7
|Jun mean C = 14.4
|Jul mean C = 16.6
|Aug mean C = 15.9
|Sep mean C = 12.4
|Oct mean C = 7.9
|Nov mean C = 4
|Dec mean C = 0.9
|year mean C = 
|Jan low C = -2.8
|Feb low C = -2.9
|Mar low C = -1.3
|Apr low C = 1.9
|May low C = 5.8
|Jun low C = 9.7
|Jul low C = 12
|Aug low C = 11.6
|Sep low C = 8.8
|Oct low C = 4.5
|Nov low C = 1
|Dec low C = -2.2
|year low C = 
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 147.2
|Feb precipitation mm = 98.2
|Mar precipitation mm = 87.5
|Apr precipitation mm = 64.8
|May precipitation mm = 80.3
|Jun precipitation mm = 85.5
|Jul precipitation mm = 80.6
|Aug precipitation mm = 120.7
|Sep precipitation mm = 134.3
|Oct precipitation mm = 169.7
|Nov precipitation mm = 161.3
|Dec precipitation mm = 151.4
|year precipitation mm = 
|unit precipitation days = 1.0&nbsp;mm
|Jan precipitation days= 15
|Feb precipitation days= 12
|Mar precipitation days= 10
|Apr precipitation days= 9
|May precipitation days= 9
|Jun precipitation days= 9
|Jul precipitation days= 10
|Aug precipitation days= 12
|Sep precipitation days= 12
|Oct precipitation days= 14
|Nov precipitation days= 15
|Dec precipitation days= 15
|Jan sun = 45
|Feb sun = 84
|Mar sun = 121
|Apr sun = 187
|May sun = 228
|Jun sun = 274
|Jul sun = 269
|Aug sun = 231
|Sep sun = 150
|Oct sun = 93
|Nov sun = 57
|Dec sun = 39
|year sun = 
|source 1= Seklima<ref>seklima.met.no</ref>
|source 2= NOAA-WMO averages 91-2020 Norway <ref>{{Cite web |title=NOAA WMO normals Norway 1991-2020 |url=https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Norway/CSV/?C=D;O=A}}</ref>
}}

{{Weather box|width=auto
|collapsed=yes
|location = Kristiansand (1960–1990)
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|Jan record high C = 13.9 | Jan record low C = -25.0
|Feb record high C = 16.3 | Feb record low C = -27.3
|Mar record high C = 21.9 | Mar record low C = -18.5
|Apr record high C = 23.7 | Apr record low C = -14.3
|May record high C = 27.7 | May record low C = -5.0
|Jun record high C = 30.4 | Jun record low C = 2.0
|Jul record high C = 32.0 | Jul record low C = 3.0
|Aug record high C = 34.2 | Aug record low C = 2.5
|Sep record high C = 28.0 | Sep record low C = -2.5
|Oct record high C = 22.4 | Oct record low C = -5.0
|Nov record high C = 17.1 | Nov record low C = -12.0
|Dec record high C = 13.6 | Dec record low C = -19.0
|Jan high C = 1.3
|Feb high C = 1.9
|Mar high C = 4.4
|Apr high C = 8.9
|May high C = 14.3
|Jun high C = 18.6
|Jul high C = 20.1
|Aug high C = 19.3
|Sep high C = 15.6
|Oct high C = 11.4
|Nov high C = 6.2
|Dec high C = 3.0
|year high C = 10.4
|Jan mean C = -1.8
|Feb mean C = -1.6
|Mar mean C = 1.1
|Apr mean C = 4.8
|May mean C = 10.0
|Jun mean C = 14.0
|Jul mean C = 15.6
|Aug mean C = 14.9
|Sep mean C = 11.7
|Oct mean C = 8.0
|Nov mean C = 3.2
|Dec mean C = -0.2
|Jan low C = −4.8
|Feb low C = −5.1
|Mar low C = -2.2
|Apr low C = 0.7
|May low C = 5.6
|Jun low C = 9.4
|Jul low C = 11.1
|Aug low C = 10.4
|Sep low C = 7.8
|Oct low C = 4.7
|Nov low C = 0.2
|Dec low C = -3.4
|year low C = 2.9
|Jan sun = 55.8
|Feb sun = 89.0
|Mar sun = 134.9
|Apr sun = 186.9
|May sun = 245.8
|Jun sun = 279.9
|Jul sun = 256.7
|Aug sun = 212.9
|Sep sun = 153.0
|Oct sun = 95.6
|Nov sun = 50.0
|Dec sun = 32.6
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 121
|Feb precipitation mm = 80
|Mar precipitation mm = 87
|Apr precipitation mm = 59
|May precipitation mm = 86
|Jun precipitation mm = 75
|Jul precipitation mm = 88
|Aug precipitation mm = 118
|Sep precipitation mm = 141
|Oct precipitation mm = 164
|Nov precipitation mm = 164
|Dec precipitation mm = 116
|year precipitation mm = 1380
|Jan snow cm= 15
|Feb snow cm= 20
|Mar snow cm=  5
|Apr snow cm=  0
|May snow cm=  0
|Jun snow cm=  0
|Jul snow cm=  0
|Aug snow cm=  0
|Sep snow cm=  0
|Oct snow cm=  0
|Nov snow cm=  0.5
|Dec snow cm= 15
|year snow cm= 50.5
|unit precipitation days = 1.0&nbsp;mm
|Jan precipitation days= 13
|Feb precipitation days= 10
|Mar precipitation days= 8
|Apr precipitation days= 8
|May precipitation days= 9
|Jun precipitation days= 9
|Jul precipitation days= 9
|Aug precipitation days= 11
|Sep precipitation days= 10
|Oct precipitation days= 15
|Nov precipitation days= 14
|Dec precipitation days= 13
|Jan snow days= 8
|Feb snow days= 8
|Mar snow days= 2
|Apr snow days= 0
|May snow days= 0
|Jun snow days= 0
|Jul snow days= 0
|Aug snow days= 0
|Sep snow days= 0
|Oct snow days= 0
|Nov snow days= 1
|Dec snow days= 6
|source 1= [http://worldweather.wmo.int/en/city.html?cityId=908], The Weather Network,<ref>{{Cite web |date=26 November 2014 |title=Climate Statistics for Kristiansand-Duekniben, Norway (2013-2014) |url=http://www.yr.no |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150310071423/http://www.yr.no/ |archive-date=10 March 2015 |access-date=26 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Yr - Været som var |url=http://www.yr.no/sted/Norge/Vest-Agder/Kristiansand/Kristiansand/statistikk.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129123005/http://www.yr.no/sted/Norge/Vest-Agder/Kristiansand/Kristiansand/statistikk.html |archive-date=29 November 2014 |access-date=2016-09-17 |publisher=yr.no}}</ref> Sunshine & Daylight Hours in Kristiansand<ref>{{Cite web |title=Yr - Sunshine & Daylight Hours in Kristiansand, Norway |url=http://www.kristiansand.climatemps.com/sunlight.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171012093532/http://www.kristiansand.climatemps.com/sunlight.php |archive-date=12 October 2017 |access-date=2016-09-17 |publisher=yr.no}}</ref>
}}

===Popular beaches===
[[File:Bystranda, Kristiansand.png|thumb|right|[[Bystranda]]]]
[[File:Hamresanden.png|thumb|[[Hamresanden]]]]
*[[Bystranda]] is a beach located at the city centre. It is east on Kvadraturen and at Tangen. Nearby the beach is the swimming complex Aquarama with both outdoor and indoor pools. Aquarama is next door to the "[[Scandic]] Hotel Bystranda", which is [[Southern Norway]]'s largest hotel. Some of Kristiansand's most expensive apartments are located east of the beach and near to Tangen. Some of Bystranda's facilities are beach volleyball, playgrounds, skateparks, stairs to the water at deeper ground and its easy design for handicapped people and children. In the middle of the bay, there is a sculpture in the water. [[Palmesus]] is a yearly beach festival held on Bystranda, it is [[Scandinavia]]'s largest beach festival.
*[[Hamresanden]] is located between [[Hånes]] and the airport [[Kristiansand Airport, Kjevik]]. It is {{convert|3|km|0|abbr=on}} long which makes it the longest beach in Kristiansand. There are three camping places and an apartment hotel at the beach. The name comes from the nearby subpart Hamre.
*Sømstranda is a nudist beach in Kristiansand located at [[Søm]].

===Boroughs===
{{More citations needed|section|date=March 2018|talk=Missing citations for boroughs in Kristiansand}}[[File:Vågsbygd-kristiansand.jpg|thumb|Vågsbygd]]
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Kristiansand boroughs area (city-parts)
|-
! Nr !! Boroughs !! Parts !! Population<ref name="Befolkning i Kristiansand">{{Cite web |title=Befolkning i Kristiansand |url=http://www.ssb.no/befolkning/artikler-og-publikasjoner/_attachment/182517?_ts=1469108bb18 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016191831/http://www.ssb.no/befolkning/artikler-og-publikasjoner/_attachment/182517?_ts=1469108bb18 |archive-date=16 October 2014 |access-date=2016-09-17 |publisher=ssb.no}}</ref>
|-
| 1 || [[Vågsbygd]] || [[Flekkerøy]], [[Vågsbygd]], [[Slettheia]], [[Voiebyen]] || 36,281
|-
| 2 || [[Grim, Kristiansand|Grim]] || [[Grim, Kristiansand|Grim]], [[Hellemyr]], [[Mosby, Norway|Mosby]], [[Strai]], [[Tinnheia]] || 16,020
|-
| 3 || [[Kvadraturen (Kristiansand)|Kvadraturen]] || [[Eg (Kristiansand)|Eg]], [[Kvadraturen (Kristiansand)|Kvadraturen]] ||5,200
|-
| 4 || [[Lund (Kristiansand)|Lund]] || [[Gimlekollen]], [[Justvik]], [[Lund, Kristiansand|Lund]], [[Ålefjær]] || 30,830
|-
| 5 || [[Oddernes]] || [[Hånes]], [[Randesund]], [[Søm]], [[Tveit]] || 19,080
|-
| -
|West
|Vågsbygd, Grim, Kvadraturen
|57,501
|-
| -
|East
|Lund, Randesund
|49,910
|}

===Parts===
{| class="wikitable floatleft sortable"
|+ Kristiansand parts area<ref name="Befolkning i Kristiansand" />
|-
! Nr !! Parts !! Population
|-
| 1 || [[Flekkerøy]] || 3,270
|-
| 2 || [[Voiebyen]] || 6,520
|-
| 3 || [[Vågsbygd]] || 22,000
|-
| 4 || [[Slettheia]] || 4,460
|-
| 5 || [[Hellemyr]] || 2,990
|-
| 6 || [[Tinnheia]] || 3,880
|-
| 7 || [[Grim, Kristiansand|Grim]] || 5,200
|-
| 8 || [[Kvadraturen (Kristiansand)|Kvadraturen]] || 5,200
|-
| 9 || [[Lund, Kristiansand|Lund]] || 10,950
|-
| 10 || [[Gimlekollen]] || 5,750
|-
| 11 || [[Strai]] || 1,860
|-
| 12 || [[Mosby, Norway|Mosby]] || 2,090
|-
| 13 || [[Justvik]] || 2,770
|-
| 14 || [[Ålefjær]] || 410
|-
| 15 || [[Tveit]] || 2,980
|-
| 16 || [[Hånes]] || 4,210
|-
| 17 || [[Søm]] || 9,410
|-
| 18 || [[Randesund]] || 2,480
|}

Kristiansand is partitioned into 18 parts and 217 subparts. Kristiansand is also divided into 5 boroughs.

Kvadraturen is the city center of Kristiansand. The area belonged to the farms {{Not a typo|E|g}} and Grim, and was a sandy plain covered with forest, and was called Sanden or Grimsmoen. Settlements were before the city was founded focused on loading and dumps at Lund, along Otra or Torridalselven and along Topdalsfjorden by [[Odderøya]] and [[Flekkeroy]] port. 
[[Christian IV]]'s town plan outlined the city center with 56 rectangular squares with five long blocks and eight cross streets. It was the squares along the Otra and east and west harbor, which was built first. 
Today Kvadraturen is a part of Kvadraturen/{{Not a typo|E|g}}, which has (as of 1 January 2005) 5510 inhabitants. The area [[Posebyen]] in Kvadraturen is Northern Europe's longest continuous wooden buildings. 
In the parts are among others [[Kristiansand Cathedral]], [[Kristiansand City Hall]], Wergeland Park, and the terminal for ferries to [[Hirtshals]] and [[Kristiansand Station]] is located in the parts western corner.
Vågsbygd has considerable industry, who has survived major changes. The largest employer is all the same Elkem Solar producing super clean Silicon for [[solar cells]], which are located in premises that Elkem previous Ferrosilicon factory Fiskå Verk. On [[Andøya]] it established a significant and advanced mechanical industry which produces offshore and marine cranes and other marine equipment in Andøya Industrial Park. [[Amfi Vågsbygd]] is a major shopping center in Vågsbygd. Outside of Andøya in Vågsbygd is Bredalsholmen Shipyard and Preservation Centre, a Centre for protection of vessels at the former Bredalsholmen yard. Bredalsholmen Shipyard and Preservation Centre is a national hub for maintenance of museum ships and cherish worthy coastal culture, and a drydock with considerable capacity.
[[File:Kristiansand.png|thumb|right|Streets of Lund during the night.]]
Lund is the second largest borough in Kristiansand with a population of 9,000 inhabitants in 2012. 14 June 1921 was the first 2.75&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> of Lund transferred to Kristiansand and 1 January 1965 was also the rest of Lund part of Kristiansand in the municipal amalgamation. In Lund, there are traces of humans dating back to the early [[Iron Age]], the [[Viking Age]] until the early [[Middle Ages]] various locations. There has been a settlement here since the [[Stone Age]]. During the Viking Age there was a great man's farm here. A Runestone at [[Oddernes Church|Oddernes church]] provides a connection to this farm. A large field with burial mounds formerly existed south and west of the church, and may also be associated with this farm. In 1492 robbers from the sea came and attacked Lund. This is mentioned in two letters located in the [[National Archives]]. The letters describe the attack that took place with a lot of violence against both women and men and that on both sides suffered casualties. No one know who the robbers were, but their centurion was named Per Syvertsen. The name suggests that he and his crew came from [[Norway]] or [[Denmark]].

Indre and Ytre [[Randesund]] is located between Kvåsefjorden in Høvåg and the Topdalsfjord in Oddernes. Several small islands are situated alongside the cost of Randesund, among them Randøya and Herøya, both popular with summer tourists. The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the island, Randøen (now known as Randøya). The first part of the name is rand (Old Norse: rǫnd) which means "boundary" or "edge" and the last part of the name is sund which means "strait". The name was previously spelled Randøsund.

[[Tveit]] is a village and a former municipality in [[Vest-Agder]] county. It is located in the present-day municipality of Kristiansand. Tveit is home to [[Kristiansand Airport, Kjevik]]. Tveit is located along the lower part of the [[Tovdalselva]] river, known as Topdalselva from the border with [[Aust-Agder]]. The population of Tveit is approximately 2,900 (2014).[[File:Grim-20.jpg|thumb|[[Tinnheia]] is a part in the [[Grim, Kristiansand|Grim]] borough]] [[File:Kjøita ved Nedre Lund.jpg|thumb|Nedre Lund]]
{{clear left}}

===Subparts===
[[File:Kuholmen2.jpg|thumb|Kuholmen]]
[[File:Høivoldbrygge1.jpg|thumb|Hamreheia]]
Some of the most populous basic unions in the following boroughs:
{{columns-list |colwidth=12em| 
'''[[Flekkerøy]]'''
*Berge
*[[Lindebø]]
*Mebø
*[[Skålevik]]
*[[Åshavn]]

'''[[Voiebyen]]'''
*[[Andøya (Vest-Agder)|Andøya]]
*[[Bråvann]]
*[[Kroodden]]
*[[Løvika (Kristiansand)|Løvika]]
*[[Møvik]]
*[[Møviklia]]
*[[Rådyr (Kristiansand)|Rådyr]]
*[[Skutevika]]
*[[Spinneren]]
*[[Steindalen]]
*[[Ternevig]]
*[[Voie]]
*[[Voietun]]
*[[Voielia]]
*[[Voieåsen]]

'''[[Vågsbygd]]'''
*[[Augland]]
*[[Auglandsbukta]]
*[[Auglandskollen]]
*[[Auglandslia]]
*[[Bjørklia (Kristiansand)|Bjørklia]]
*[[Furulia]]
*[[Granlia]]
*[[Kjerrheia]]
*[[Kjos Haveby]]
*[[Kjosneset]]
*[[Lumber (Kristiansand)|Lumber]]
*[[Nordtjønnåsen]]
*[[Skyllingsheia]]
*[[Smiebrygga]]
*[[Storenes]]
*[[Vågsbygd sentrum]]
*[[Åsane (Kristiansand)|Åsane]]

'''[[Slettheia]]'''
*[[Blørstad]]
*[[Fiskåtangen]]
*[[Gislemyr]]
*[[Gislemyrkollen]]
*[[Kartheia]]
*[[Karuss]]
*[[Rugde (Kristiansand)|Rugde]]
*[[Slettheitoppen]]
*[[Trane (Kristiansand)|Trane]]
*[[Trekanten (Kristiansand)|Trekanten]]
*[[Øvre Slettheia]]

'''[[Hellemyr]]'''
*[[Breimyr]]
*[[Fidjemoen]]
*[[Fjellro]]
*[[Hellemyrtoppen]]
*[[Rige (Kristiansand)|Rige]]
*[[Solkollen]]
*[[Vestheiene]]

'''[[Tinnheia]]'''
*[[Eigevannskollen]]
*[[Hannevika]]
*[[Hannevikåsen]]
*[[Koboltveien|Kobolt]]
*[[Kolsberg]]
*[[Kolsåsen]]
*[[Tinnheia sørvest]]
*[[Tinnheia torv]]
*[[Tinnheia nord]]

'''[[Grim, Vest-Agder|Grim]]'''
*[[Artillerivollen]]
*[[Bellevue (Kristiansand)|Bellevue]]
*[[Dalane (Kristiansand)|Dalane]]
*[[Enrum (Kristiansand)|Enrum]]
*[[Fagervoll]]
*[[Grim torv]]
*[[Grimsmyra]]
*[[Elisenhøy]]
*[[Idda (Kristiansand)|Idda]]
*[[Klappane]]
*[[Krossen (Kristiansand)|Krossen]]
*[[Møllevann]]
*[[Paradis (Kristiansand)|Paradis]]
*[[Suldalen]]

'''Kvadraturen'''
*[[Baneheia]]
*Byskogen
*[[Eg (Kristiansand)|Eg]]
*Eik
*Gravane
*Gyldengården
*[[Markens gate|Markens]]
*Nybyen
*[[Odderøya]]
*[[Posebyen]]
*Strandrponomaden
*[[Tangen (Kristiansand)|Tangen]]

'''Lund'''
*[[Agder Allé]]
*[[Bertesbukta]]
*Freyasdalen
*Gimle
*Gimlemoen
*Gimlevang
*Hamreheia
*[[Høivold Brygge|Høivold]]
*[[Kjøita]]
*[[Kuholmen]]
*[[Kongsgård Allé]]
*[[Louvisenlund]]
*Lund torv
*[[Marvika]]
*Narviga
*[[Oddemarka]]
*Prestevik
*Skaugo
*Steinkleiva
*[[Sødal]]
*Tobienborg
*Vallhalla
*[[Vige, Norway|Vige]]

'''[[Gimlekollen]]'''
*[[Fagerholt]]
*Gimlekollen midtre
*Gimlekollen vest
*Gimlekollen øst
*Hestnestangen
*Prestheia
*Tretjønn
*[[Vollevannet]]
*Volleåsen
*Vige
*Øvre Kongsgård

'''[[Strai]]'''
*Aukland
*Gangdalslia
*Haslevollen
*Kulia
*Sagebekk
*Straismoen
*[[Torridal]]
*Ytre Strai
*Øvre Strai

'''[[Mosby, Norway|Mosby]]'''
*Hauslia
*Høie
*Høielia
*[[Høietun]]
*Kiledalen
*Lillefjell
*Ravnåsen
*Rismoen
*Saga
*Ytre Mosby
*Øvre Mosby

'''[[Justvik]]'''
*Gjustvik
*[[Havlimyra]]
*Justlia
*[[Justnes]]
*[[Jærnesheia]]
*Kvernhusheia
*Skinnerheia

'''[[Ålefjær]]'''
*Bjåvannet
*Einerhaven
*Kostøl
*Ålefjær

'''[[Søm]]'''
*Bliksheia
*Fuglevik
*Gudbrandslia
*Haumyrheia
*Kjellevik
*Knarrevik
*[[Korsvik]]
*[[Liane, Norway|Liane]]
*[[Nordlia (Kristiansand)|Nordlia]]
*[[Rona (Kristiansand)|Rona]]
*[[Saltbustad]]
*[[Strømme]]
*Sømslia
*Torsvik
*Torsvikkleiva
*[[Vardåsen]]

'''[[Tveit]]'''
*[[Brattvollshei]]
*Boen
*Drangsholt
*Dønnestad
*Foss
*Hamre
*[[Hamresanden]]
*Kråkebumoen
*Moneheia
*Ryen
*Solsletta
*Ve

'''[[Hånes]]'''
*Bjørndalen
*Brattbakken
*[[Grovikheia]]
*Heståsen
*Hånestangen
*Hånni
*[[Lauvåsen]]
*Nedre Hånes
*Nedre Timenes
*Ronsbukta
*[[Strømsdalen]]
*[[Timenes]]

'''[[Randesund]]'''
*Bjørkestøl
*Butangen
*Drange
*Drangeskauen
*Dvergsnes
*Eftevåg
*Fidje
*[[Frikstad]]
*Hestehagen
*[[Holte]]
*Kirkevik
*[[Kongshavn]]
*Kvarnes
*Lykkedrag
*[[Odderhei]]
*[[Rabbersvik]]
*Skaupemyr
*Sommerro
*Stangenes
*[[Tømmerstø]]
*Tømmeråsen
*Vadvik
*Vrånes
}}

=== Søgne ===
{{main|Søgne}}
Søgne is a former municipality, located west of Kristiansand. The municipality was merged into a large municipality with the former municipality of [[Songdalen]] and the city of Kristiansand on 1 January 2020.

=== Songdalen ===
{{main|Songdalen}}
Songdalen is a former municipality, located northwest of Kristiansand. The municipality was merged into a large municipality with the former municipality of [[Søgne]] and the city of Kristiansand on 1 January 2020.

===Notable streets===
[[File:Markens gate-2013.JPG|thumb|Markens Pedestrian Street]]
[[File:Kongens gate, Kristiansand.jpg|thumb|Kongens gate]]
*Dronningens gate (Queens street) is a street that has its run from Havnegata Vestre harbor to Lund Bridge and is 980 meters long. 86 properties are matrikulert{{clarify|date=September 2024}} to the street. The street had in the 1700s the name Sand Alley.
*Elvegata (River street) has its run from Østre Strandgate to Tordenskjolds gate. It has a mix of newer business and residential buildings schools and nursing homes as well as a large percentage of older residential buildings in wood and masonry. On the south side of Østre Strandgate called extension of Elvegata for Tangen. 70 meters of the street, in the quarter between Dronningens gate and Tollbodgata is designated county road 26.
*Festningsgata is a street in Kvadraturen. The name is connected with [[Christiansholm Fortress]] from 1672 located in the street race extension towards the east harbor. The street stretches from Østre Strandgate to Tordenskjoldsgate and originally had the name Northern gate. The extension of the street during north of Tordenskjolds street is named Stener Heyerdahl street. The park south of Tordenskjolds street called Stener Heyerdahl park. This street stump and Festningsgata from Tordenskjolds street to Dronningens gate is part of the county road 28. From Vestre Strandgata to Tollbodgata buildings are listed by the walled green was introduced immediately after the fire in 1892 and forward.
*Henrik Wergelands gate is a street in Kvadraturen in Kristiansand. The street has its run from Vestre Strandgate to Elvegata. 118 properties are matrikulert to the street. It had previously named Consumer Julia Street. The street is named in honor of Norwegian poet [[Henrik Wergeland]]. In 1808 he had his early childhood in the town until he at nine moved with her family to [[Eidsvoll|Eidsvold]].
*[[Tollbodgata]] (Tollbooth street) has its run from Senior wharf at Vestre port to Elvegata by [[Otra]] and is identical with Route 27 in [[Vest-Agder]]. 77 properties are matrikulert to the street. The street has previously had the name Sten Alley. Tolbooth.
*[[Vestre Strandgate]] (Western Beach Street) is a street that has its run from Gravane to roundabout at Gartnerløkka where it meets [[European route E18|E18]] and continue to run in Rv9 ([[Setesdal]]sveien). It is part of the county road 471 from the roundabout at Gartnerløkka the junction with Dronnings gata. From Rådhusgata to Gravane has two parallel paths, an extension of Fv471 and a container that separates the harbor from including Tolbooth. The street has a number of key meeting places and city functions in terms of [[Radisson Hotel]],<ref>[https://www.radissonblu.com/en/hotel-kristiansand Radisson Blu Hotel Caledonien] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505133139/https://www.radissonblu.com/en/hotel-kristiansand |date=5 May 2016 }} {{in lang|en}}</ref> [[Agder Theater]], cinema, [[Clarion Hotel]],<ref>[https://www.nordicchoicehotels.com/clarion/clarion-hotel-ernst/ Clarion Hotel Ernst] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160509024624/https://www.nordicchoicehotels.com/clarion/clarion-hotel-ernst/ |date=9 May 2016 }} {{in lang|en}}</ref> [[Kristiansand Bus Terminal]] and [[Kristiansand Station]]. The street is characterized by restaurants, pubs and eating places, a number of shops and offices and a few apartments.

==Government==
[[File:Kristiansand Raadhus murbyen IMG 1791.JPG|thumb|[[Kristiansand City Hall]]]]
Kristiansand Municipality is responsible for [[primary education]] (through 10th grade), outpatient [[Health care|health services]], [[old age|senior citizen]] services, [[welfare spending|welfare]] and other [[Social work|social services]], [[zoning]], [[economic development]], and municipal [[road]]s and utilities. The municipality is governed by a [[Municipal council (Norway)|municipal council]] of [[Direct election|directly elected]] representatives. The [[mayor]] is [[Indirect election|indirectly elected]] by a vote of the municipal council.<ref name="ks">{{Cite encyclopedia |title=kommunestyre |encyclopedia=[[Store norske leksikon]] |publisher=[[Kunnskapsforlaget]] |url=https://snl.no/kommunestyre |date=2022-09-20 |editor-last=Hansen |editor-first=Tore |language=Norwegian |editor2-last=Vabo |editor2-first=Signy Irene |accessdate=2022-10-14}}</ref> Kristiansand has no local parliamentary government, but is managed by the [[Municipal council (Norway)|municipal council]] and an executive committee. The [[mayor]] is the spokesman for the city, head of the council and leader of the executive committee. In Kristiansand the mayor has represented the center-right parties since the late 1940s. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the [[Agder District Court]] and the [[Agder Court of Appeal]].

===Municipal council===
The [[Municipal council (Norway)|municipal council]] {{lang|no|(Bystyre)}} of Kristiansand is made up of 57 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political [[Political party|party]]. 
{{div col}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Kristiansand
|city                      = yes
|start                     = 2023
|end                       = 2027
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |title=Kommunestyrevalg 2023 - Agder |url=https://valgresultat.no/valg/2023/ko/agder/kristiansand#seats |access-date=2024-01-28 |publisher=[[Valgdirektoratet]]}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = 
|Total                     = 57
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 8
|Fremskrittspartiet        = 5
|Grønne                    = 2
|Høyre                     = 17
|INP                       = 1
|Kristelig_Folkeparti      = 7
|Konservativt              = 1
|Pensjonistpartiet         = 3
|Rødt                      = 2
|Senterpartiet             = 2
|Sentrum                   = 1
|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 4
|Venstre                   = 3
|otherparty                = Kleppe List
|otherparty_no             = Kleppelista
|otherparty_number         = 1
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Kristiansand
|city                      = yes
|start                     = 2019
|end                       = 2023
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |title=Kommunestyrevalg 2019 – Agder |url=https://valgresultat.no/valg/2019/ko/agder/kristiansand#seats |access-date=2020-12-06 |publisher=[[Valgdirektoratet]]}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 71
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 13
|Demokratene               = 10
|Fremskrittspartiet        = 4
|Grønne                    = 6
|Høyre                     = 13
|Kristelig_Folkeparti      = 8
|Kristne                   = 1
|Pensjonistpartiet         = 1
|Rødt                      = 2
|Senterpartiet             = 3
|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 4
|Venstre                   = 2
|otherparty                = Cross-party people's list for all Kristiansand<br />
|otherparty_no             = Tverrpolitisk Folkeliste For Hele Kristiansand
|otherparty_number         = 4
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Kristiansand
|city                      = yes
|start                     = 2015
|end                       = 2019
|reference                 = <ref name="ssb valg">{{Cite web |title=Table: 04813: Members of the local councils, by party/electoral list at the Municipal Council election (M) |url=https://www.ssb.no/en/statbank/table/04813/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419034538/https://www.ssb.no/en/statbank/table/04813/ |archive-date=19 April 2020 |access-date=6 December 2020 |publisher=Statistics Norway |language=no}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 53
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 15
|Demokratene               = 2
|Fremskrittspartiet        = 4
|Grønne                    = 3
|Høyre                     = 13
|Kristelig_Folkeparti      = 8
|Pensjonistpartiet         = 1
|Rødt                      = 1
|Senterpartiet             = 1
|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 2
|Venstre                   = 3
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Kristiansand
|city                      = yes
|start                     = 2011
|end                       = 2015
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |title=Kommunestyrevalg 2011 – Vest-Agder |url=https://valgresultat.no/valg/2011/ko/vest-agder/kristiansand#seats |access-date=2020-12-06 |publisher=[[Valgdirektoratet]]}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 53
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 14
|Demokratene               = 2
|Fremskrittspartiet        = 6
|Grønne                    = 1
|Høyre                     = 14
|Kristelig_Folkeparti      = 9
|Pensjonistpartiet         = 2
|Rødt                      = 1
|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 1
|Venstre                   = 3
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Kristiansand
|city                      = yes
|start                     = 2007
|end                       = 2011
|reference                 = <ref name="ssb valg" />
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 53
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 11
|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 2
|Rød_Valgallianse          = 1
|Senterpartiet             = 1
|Kristelig_Folkeparti      = 10
|Venstre                   = 2
|Høyre                     = 11
|Fremskrittspartiet        = 9
|Demokratene               = 2
|Grønne                    = 1
|Pensjonistpartiet         = 3
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Kristiansand
|city                      = yes
|start                     = 2003
|end                       = 2007
|reference                 = <ref name="ssb valg" />
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 53
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 8
|Fremskrittspartiet        = 8
|Høyre                     = 11
|Kristelig_Folkeparti      = 10
|Senterpartiet             = 1
|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 8
|Venstre                   = 2
|Grønne                    = 2
|Pensjonistpartiet         = 1
|Demokratene               = 2
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Kristiansand
|city                      = yes
|start                     = 1999
|end                       = 2003
|reference                 = <ref name="ssb valg" />
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 53
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 9
|Fremskrittspartiet        = 10
|Høyre                     = 15
|Kristelig_Folkeparti      = 10
|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 4
|Venstre                   = 3
|Pensjonistpartiet         = 1
|Grønne                    = 1
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Kristiansand
|city                      = yes
|start                     = 1995
|end                       = 1999
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1996 |title=Kommunestyrevalget 1995 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_c342.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140920122018/http://ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_c342.pdf |archive-date=20 September 2014 |access-date=2020-12-06 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo-Kongsvinger}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 53
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 11
|Fremskrittspartiet        = 8
|Høyre                     = 12
|Kristelig_Folkeparti      = 11
|Senterpartiet             = 1
|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 2
|Venstre                   = 3
|Pensjonistpartiet         = 3
|Rød_Valgallianse          = 1
|Grønne                    = 1
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Kristiansand
|city                      = yes
|start                     = 1991
|end                       = 1995
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1993 |title=Kommunestyrevalget 1991 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_c057.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150522201730/http://ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_c057.pdf |archive-date=22 May 2015 |access-date=2020-12-06 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo-Kongsvinger}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 77
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 12
|Fremskrittspartiet        = 8
|Høyre                     = 19
|Kristelig_Folkeparti      = 14
|Pensjonistpartiet         = 10
|Rød_Valgallianse          = 1
|Senterpartiet             = 3
|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 6
|Venstre                   = 2
|smallparty                = Joint list of the [[Green Party (Norway)|Green Party]] and Kristiansand city and environmental protection list
|smallparty_no             = Miljøpartiet De Grønne/Kristiansand By og Miljøvernliste
|smallparty_number         = 2
|smallparty_color          = linear-gradient(135deg, {{Party color|Green Party (Norway)}} 50%, #FFFFFF 50%);
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Kristiansand
|city                      = yes
|start                     = 1987
|end                       = 1991
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1988 |title=Kommunestyrevalget 1987 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_b765.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019115549/http://ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_b765.pdf |archive-date=19 October 2014 |access-date=2020-12-06 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo-Kongsvinger}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 77
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 15
|Fremskrittspartiet        = 10
|Høyre                     = 17
|Kristelig_Folkeparti      = 12
|Senterpartiet             = 1
|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 2
|Venstre                   = 8
|Pensjonistpartiet         = 6
|otherparty                = Kristiansand city and environmental protection list<br />
|otherparty_no             = Kristiansand By og Miljøvernliste
|otherparty_number         = 6
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Kristiansand
|city                      = yes
|start                     = 1983
|end                       = 1987
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1984 |title=Kommunestyrevalget 1983 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_b450.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019091914/http://ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_b450.pdf |archive-date=19 October 2014 |access-date=2020-12-06 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo-Kongsvinger}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 77
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 22
|Fremskrittspartiet        = 5
|Høyre                     = 25
|Kristelig_Folkeparti      = 15
|Senterpartiet             = 2
|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 2
|Venstre                   = 4
|otherparty                = Kristiansand city and environmental protection list<br />
|otherparty_no             = Kristiansand By og Miljøvernliste
|otherparty_number         = 2
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Kristiansand
|city                      = yes
|start                     = 1979
|end                       = 1983
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1979 |title=Kommunestyrevalget 1979 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_b093.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140929113607/http://ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_b093.pdf |archive-date=29 September 2014 |access-date=2020-12-06 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 77
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 18
|DLF                       = 1
|Fremskrittspartiet        = 1
|Høyre                     = 27
|Kristelig_Folkeparti      = 16
|Senterpartiet             = 3
|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 2
|Venstre                   = 5
|otherparty                = Kristiansand city and environmental protection list<br />
|otherparty_no             = Kristiansand By og Miljøvernliste
|otherparty_number         = 4
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Kristiansand
|city                      = yes
|start                     = 1975
|end                       = 1979
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1977 |title=Kommunevalgene 1975 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_a769.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315223921/http://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_a769.pdf |archive-date=15 March 2016 |access-date=2020-12-06 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 77
|Fremskrittspartiet        = 2
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 20
|DLF                       = 5
|Høyre                     = 19
|Kristelig_Folkeparti      = 20
|Senterpartiet             = 2
|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 3
|Venstre                   = 6
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Kristiansand
|city                      = yes
|start                     = 1971
|end                       = 1975
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1973 |title=Kommunevalgene 1972 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_a457.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160421043257/http://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_a457.pdf |archive-date=21 April 2016 |access-date=2020-12-06 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 77
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 24
|Høyre                     = 13
|Kristelig_Folkeparti      = 13
|Senterpartiet             = 4
|Sosialistisk_Folkeparti   = 5
|Venstre                   = 18
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Kristiansand
|city                      = yes
|start                     = 1967
|end                       = 1971
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1967 |title=Kommunevalgene 1967 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_a214.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160421035823/http://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_a214.pdf |archive-date=21 April 2016 |access-date=2020-12-06 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo |volume=I}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 77
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 26
|Høyre                     = 14
|Kristelig_Folkeparti      = 9
|Senterpartiet             = 3
|Sosialistisk_Folkeparti   = 2
|Venstre                   = 23
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Kristiansand
|city                      = yes
|start                     = 1963
|end                       = 1967
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1964 |title=Kommunevalgene 1963 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_xii_138.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160421050701/http://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_xii_138.pdf |archive-date=21 April 2016 |access-date=2020-12-06 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 61
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 25
|Høyre                     = 11
|Kristelig_Folkeparti      = 6
|Sosialistisk_Folkeparti   = 1
|Venstre                   = 18
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Kristiansand
|city                      = yes
|start                     = 1959
|end                       = 1963
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1960 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_xii_022.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160317152829/http://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_xii_022.pdf |archive-date=17 March 2016 |access-date=2020-12-05 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 61
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 23
|Høyre                     = 10
|NKP                       = 1
|Kristelig_Folkeparti      = 6
|Senterpartiet             = 1
|Venstre                   = 20
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Kristiansand
|city                      = yes
|start                     = 1955
|end                       = 1959
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1957 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1955 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_xi_252.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200214033802/https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_xi_252.pdf |archive-date=14 February 2020 |access-date=2020-12-06 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 61
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 24
|NKP                       = 1
|Høyre                     = 11
|Kristelig_Folkeparti      = 6
|Venstre                   = 19
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Kristiansand
|city                      = yes
|start                     = 1951
|end                       = 1955
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1952 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1951 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_xi_120.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160317192202/http://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_xi_120.pdf |archive-date=17 March 2016 |access-date=2020-12-06 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 60
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 23
|NKP                       = 2
|Høyre                     = 10
|Kristelig_Folkeparti      = 4
|Venstre                   = 18
|Local_Lists               = 3
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Kristiansand
|city                      = yes
|start                     = 1947
|end                       = 1951
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1948 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1947 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_x_165.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160316182828/http://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_x_165.pdf |archive-date=16 March 2016 |access-date=2020-12-06 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 60
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 21
|NKP                       = 3
|Høyre                     = 11
|Kristelig_Folkeparti      = 5
|Venstre                   = 14
|Local_Lists               = 6
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Kristiansand
|city                      = yes
|start                     = 1945
|end                       = 1947
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1947 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1945 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_x_133.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140825102312/http://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_x_133.pdf |archive-date=25 August 2014 |access-date=2020-12-06 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 60
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 24
|NKP                       = 3
|Høyre                     = 9
|Venstre                   = 13
|Local_Lists               = 11
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Kristiansand
|city                      = yes
|start                     = 1937
|end                       = 1941* 
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1938 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1937 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_ix_133.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306080913/http://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_ix_133.pdf |archive-date=6 March 2016 |access-date=2020-12-06 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 60
|Høyre                     = 10
|Venstre                   = 20
|Avholdspartiet            = 10
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 20
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Kristiansand
|city                      = yes
|start                     = 1934
|end                       = 1937 
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1935 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1934 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_ix_057.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305031248/http://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_ix_057.pdf |archive-date=5 March 2016 |access-date=2020-12-06 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 60
|Høyre                     = 11
|Venstre                   = 21
|Avholdspartiet            = 9
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 19
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Kristiansand
|city                      = yes
|start                     = 1931
|end                       = 1934 
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1932 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1931 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_viii_186.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160421021925/http://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_viii_186.pdf |archive-date=21 April 2016 |access-date=2020-12-06 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 60
|H/FV                      = 13
|Venstre                   = 18
|Avholdspartiet            = 11
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 18
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Kristiansand
|city                      = yes
|start                     = 1928
|end                       = 1931 
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1929 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1928 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_viii_093.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160421045123/http://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_viii_093.pdf |archive-date=21 April 2016 |access-date=2020-12-06 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 60
|Høyre                     = 17
|Venstre                   = 10
|Avholdspartiet            = 12
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 21
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Kristiansand
|city                      = yes
|start                     = 1925
|end                       = 1928 
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1926 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1925 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_vii_192.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140825102236/http://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_vii_192.pdf |archive-date=25 August 2014 |access-date=2020-12-06 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 60
|H/FV                      = 20
|Venstre                   = 9
|Avholdspartiet            = 12
|SDA                       = 7
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 12
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Kristiansand
|city                      = yes
|start                     = 1922
|end                       = 1925
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1923 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1922 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_vii_078.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160421054735/http://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_vii_078.pdf |archive-date=21 April 2016 |access-date=2020-12-06 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 60
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 14
|SDA                       = 4
|H/FV                      = 20
|Venstre                   = 11
|Avholdspartiet            = 11
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Kristiansand
|city                      = yes
|start                     = 1919
|end                       = 1922
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1920 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1919 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_vi_189.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305140350/http://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_vi_189.pdf |archive-date=5 March 2016 |access-date=2020-12-06 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 60
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 14
|H/FV                      = 18
|Venstre                   = 11
|Avholdspartiet            = 17
|}}
{{div col end}}

===Mayors===
The [[Mayor#Scandinavia|mayors]] ({{langx|no|ordfører}}) of Kristiansand:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ordførere i Kristiansand |url=http://www.ordforeren.no/sider/artikler.asp?type=profil&tittel=Ordf%F8rere%20i%20Kristiansand&kat=Ordf%F8rer&mal=historikk&submeny=ingen&niv2= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305065359/http://www.ordforeren.no/sider/artikler.asp?type=profil&tittel=Ordf%F8rere%20i%20Kristiansand&kat=Ordf%F8rer&mal=historikk&submeny=ingen&niv2= |archive-date=2016-03-05 |website=Ordføreren.no |language=no}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*1838-1838: [[Jacob von der Lippe]]
*1838-1839: Mathias Andreas Boye
*1840-1840: [[Jacob von der Lippe]]
*1841-1843: Isaach Willoch
*1844-1844: Jacob Andreas Falch
*1845-1845: Paul Brodahl Lassen
*1846-1846: [[Anton Carl Hartmann]]
*1847-1847: Niels Wisløw Rogstad
*1848-1848: [[Anton Carl Hartmann]]
*1849-1849: Anthon Wilhelm Manthey
*1850-1851: Jens Nicolai Heyerdahl
*1851-1853: [[Oluf Steen Julius Berner]]
*1854-1854: Michael Rolfsen
*1855-1855: Niels Wisløw Rogstad
*1856-1856: [[Anton Carl Hartmann]]
*1857-1857: Michael Rolfsen
*1858-1858: Niels Wisløw Rogstad
*1859-1860: Hans Maartmann Fleischer
*1861-1862: Claus Christian Olroy
*1863-1863: Hans Maartmann Fleischer
*1864-1864: Claus Christian Olroy
*1865-1865: Hans Maartmann Fleischer
*1866-1866: Michael Rolfsen
*1867-1868: Einar Tambeskjælver Rosenqvist
*1869-1873: Hans Maartmann Fleischer
*1874-1874: Peder Ferdinand Reinhardt
*1875-1875: Hans Maartmann Fleischer
*1876-1876: Peter Lorentz Stabel
*1877-1879: Hans Maartmann Fleischer
*1880-1892: Peter Lorentz Stabel
*1892-1894: Arne Vogt 
*1895-1904: Carl Arnesen ([[Liberal Party (Norway)|V]])
*1905-1907: E.A. Gundersen ([[Liberal Party (Norway)|V]])
*1908-1910: Mathias Hansen ([[Conservative Party (Norway)|H]])
*1911-1911: Bernt Reinhardt ([[Conservative Party (Norway)|H]])
*1912-1912: Christian Reinhardt Bergsland ([[Conservative Party (Norway)|H]])
*1913-1913: Henrik J. Tellefsen ([[Temperance Party (Norway)|AvH]])
*1914-1919: [[Einar Jørgensen]] ([[Liberal Party (Norway)|V]])
*1920-1922: Nicolay Eckhoff ([[Conservative Party (Norway)|H]])
*1923-1924: Carl Christiansen ([[Conservative Party (Norway)|H]])
*1925-1925: Bernt Reinhardt ([[Conservative Party (Norway)|H]])
*1926-1926: Nicolay Eckhoff ([[Conservative Party (Norway)|H]])
*1927-1928: William Dahl-Hansen ([[Conservative Party (Norway)|H]])
*1929-1931: Johan Øydegard ([[Labour Party (Norway)|Ap]])
*1932-1937: [[Einar Jørgensen]] ([[Liberal Party (Norway)|V]])
*1938-1940: Rudolf Peersen ([[Liberal Party (Norway)|V]])
*1941-1945: O.A. Fosby ([[Nasjonal Samling|NS]])
*1945-1945: Rudolf Peersen ([[Liberal Party (Norway)|V]])
*1946-1947: Karl Rosenløv ([[Labour Party (Norway)|Ap]])
*1948-1952: Aage Grønningsæter ([[Liberal Party (Norway)|V]])
*1953-1955: [[Johannes Seland]] ([[Liberal Party (Norway)|V]])
*1956-1963: [[Leo Tallaksen]] ([[Liberal Party (Norway)|V]])
*1964-1965: Alfred Netland ([[Liberal Party (Norway)|V]])
*1966-1971: [[Leo Tallaksen]] ([[Liberal Party (Norway)|V]])
*1972-1975: Einar Hansen ([[Liberal Party (Norway)|V]])
*1976-1977: [[Harald Synnes]] ([[Christian Democratic Party (Norway)|KrF]])
*1978-1991: Paul Otto Johnsen ([[Conservative Party (Norway)|H]])
*1991-2003: Bjørg Wallevik ([[Conservative Party (Norway)|H]])
*2003-2007: Jan Oddvar Skisland ([[Christian Democratic Party (Norway)|KrF]])
*2007-2011: Per Sigurd Sørensen ([[Conservative Party (Norway)|H]])
*2011-2015: [[Arvid Grundekjøn]] ([[Conservative Party (Norway)|H]])
*2015-2019: Harald Furre ([[Conservative Party (Norway)|H]])
*2019-2023: Jan Oddvar Skisland ([[Labour Party (Norway)|Ap]])
*2023-present: Mathias Bernander ([[Conservative Party (Norway)|H]])<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sandve |first=Elisabeth |date=2023-09-12 |title=Mathias Bernander (H) blir ordfører i Kristiansand |url=https://www.nrk.no/sorlandet/mathias-bernander-_h_-blir-ordforer-i-kristiansand-1.16553683 |access-date=2024-01-28 |work=[[NRK]] |language=no}}</ref>
{{div col end}}

==Demographics==
{|class="wikitable"
|+ '''Minority populations in Kristiansand by country of origin as of 1 January 2013'''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ungdom og kriminalitet |url=http://www.kristiansand.kommune.no/Documents/Nyheter%202014/Trendrapport_ungdom%20og%20kriminalitet2014_a4_web.pdf?epslanguage=no |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140716231145/http://kristiansand.kommune.no/Documents/Nyheter%202014/Trendrapport_ungdom%20og%20kriminalitet2014_a4_web.pdf?epslanguage=no |archive-date=16 July 2014 |access-date=10 April 2015 |publisher=kristiansand.kommune.no}}</ref>
|-
! style="background:#efefef;"|Rank
! style="background:#efefef;"|Ancestry
! style="background:#efefef;"|Number
|-
|1||{{flag|Poland}}||1,940
|-
|2||{{flag|Vietnam}}||1,890
|-
|3||{{flag|Iraq}}||1,390
|-
|4||{{flag|Chile}}||1,300
|-
|5||{{flag|Kosovo}}||1,280
|-
|6||{{flag|Denmark}}||1,160
|-
|7||{{flag|Somalia}}||1,070
|-
|8||{{flag|Bosnia and Herzegovina}}||940
|-
|9||{{flag|Germany}}||880
|-
|10||{{flag|Afghanistan}}||880
|-
|11||{{flag|Russia}}||840
|- 
|12||{{flag|Iran}}||790
|-
|13||{{flag|Sweden}}||700
|-
|14||{{flag|Pakistan}}||550
|-
|15||{{flag|Eritrea}}||540
|-
|16||{{flag|United Kingdom}}||500	
|-
|17||{{flag|United States}}||420	
|-
|18||{{flag|Thailand}}||390
|-
|19||{{flag|Iceland}}||390 	
|-
|20||{{flag|Turkey}}||380
|-
|21||{{flag|Palestine}}||360
|-
|22||{{flag|Philippines}}||350	
|-
|23||{{flag|Syria}}||320	
|-
|24||{{flag|Ethiopia}}||330
|-
|25||{{flag|Lithuania}}||320 	
|-
|26||{{flag|Cambodia}}||320
|-
|27||Other countries||5,880		
|}

Kristiansand has the third largest [[Vietnamese people|Vietnamese]] community in Norway.

[[File:Slettheia-10.jpg|thumb|Slettheia has most immigrants in Kristiansand]]
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ The five districts with the highest proportion of immigrants
|-
! Nr !! District !! Percent<ref name="Befolkning i Kristiansand" />
|-
| 1 || [[Slettheia]] || 36%
|-
| 2 || [[Kvadraturen (Kristiansand)|Kvadraturen]] || 24%
|-
| 3 || [[Grim, Kristiansand|Grim]] || 22%
|-
| 4 || [[Hellemyr]] || 20%
|-
| 5 || [[Tinnheia]] || 19%
|}

[[File:Skålevik2.jpg|thumb|[[Flekkerøy]] has fewest immigrants, but the most Christians]]
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ The five districts with the lowest proportion of immigrants
|-
! Nr !! District !! Percent<ref name="Befolkning i Kristiansand" />
|-
| 1 || [[Flekkerøy]] || 7%
|-
| 2 || [[Randesund]] || 7%
|-
| 3 || [[Gimlekollen]] || 8%
|-
| 4 || [[Søm]] || 10%
|-
| 5 || [[Tveit]] || 10%
|}

===Religion===
[[File:Domkirken Kristiansand NORWAY nygotisk Thrap-Meyer 1885 Cathedral Neo-Gothic church 2023-10-18 Torvet Tårn tower Kveld høst Night IMG 4091.jpg|thumb|[[Kristiansand Cathedral]], rebuilt in brick in 1885 after several fires ravaged the city in the 19th century]]

====Christianity====
{{See also|Christianity}}
[[Kristiansand Cathedral]] is the largest church in Kristiansand. It is located in Kvadraturen with the town hall and Wergelandsparken. The church was built in 1885 and have the capacity of 1500 people. The church is the seat of the [[Bishop of Agder and Telemark]] in the [[Church of Norway]]. Grim Church was built in 1969 and has a capacity of 750 people. Vågsbygd Church is the church of Vågsbygd, it is located in the centrum of Vågsbygd and was built in 1967 and has a capacity of 650. Lund Church was built in 1987 and has a capacity of 600 people. Søm Church was built in 2004 and has a capacity of 600. The church was Kristiansand municipality 1000 year building and is the largest church in Oddernes. The windows of Søm Church was designed by [[Kjell Nupen]].

There are also churches located at [[Flekkerøy Church|Flekkerøy]], [[Hellemyr Church|Hellemyr]], [[Hånes Church|Hånes]], [[Justvik Church|Justvik]], Oddemarka ([[Oddernes Church|Oddernes]]), [[Randesund Church|Randesund]], Strai ([[Torridal Church|Torridal]]), [[Tveit Church (Vest-Agder)|Tveit]] and [[Voie Church|Voie]]. There are [[chapeau]]s all over the city. Christianity are strongest in Flekkerøy and Søm, even though [[Southern Norway]] is called the Norwegian Bible belt, Christianity doesn't play a big part in the rest of the city.

There is a [[Catholic]] church in Kvadraturen, [[St. Ansgar's Church]]. At Slettheia, there is a [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|Latter-day Saint]] church and at Tinnheia, there is an [[Orthodoxy in Norway (disambiguation)|Orthodox church]].

The [[Church of Norway]] has twelve parishes (''sokn'') within the municipality of Kristiansand. It is part of the [[Kristiansand domprosti|Kristiansand]] arch-[[deanery]] in the [[Diocese of Agder og Telemark]].

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ style="font-size:medium"|'''Churches in Kristiansand'''
<ref>{{Cite web |title=Den Norske Kirke |url=http://www.kirken.no/language=no |access-date=8 October 2015 |publisher=kirken.no}}</ref>
!Parish ''(Sokn)''!!Church Name!!Location of the Church!!Year Built
|-
|rowspan="1"|Kristiansand domkirke||[[Kristiansand Cathedral]]||[[Kvadraturen (Kristiansand)|Kvadraturen]]||1884
|-
|rowspan="1"|Flekkerøy||[[Flekkerøy Church]]||[[Flekkerøya]]||1960
|-
|rowspan="1"|Grim||[[Grim Church]]||[[Grim (Kristiansand)|Grim]]||1969
|-
|rowspan="1"|Hellemyr||[[Hellemyr Church]]||[[Hellemyr]]||1988
|-
|rowspan="1"|Hånes||[[Hånes Church]]||[[Hånes]]||1986
|-
|rowspan="1"|Lund||[[Lund Church (Vest-Agder)|Lund Church]]||[[Lund (Kristiansand)|Lund]]||1987
|-
|rowspan="2"|Oddernes||[[Justvik Church]]||[[Justvik]]||1985
|-
|[[Oddernes Church]]||[[Oddernes]]||c. 1040
|-
|rowspan="2"|Randesund||[[Randesund Church]]||[[Randesund]]||1864
|-
|[[Søm Church]]||[[Søm]]||2004
|-
|rowspan="1"|Torridal||[[Torridal Church]]||[[Aukland, Torridal|Aukland]]||1978
|-
|rowspan="1"|Tveit||[[Tveit Church (Vest-Agder)|Tveit Church]]||[[Tveit]]||c. 1100
|-
|rowspan="1"|Voie||[[Voie Church]]||[[Voie]]||1990
|-
|rowspan="1"|Vågsbygd||[[Vågsbygd Church]]||[[Vågsbygd]]||1967
|-
|}

====Buddhism====
{{See also|Buddhism}}
There is a Buddhist centre in Vågsbygd with [[Ternevig]]. There is also a Buddhist meditation centre located in the neighbouring municipality [[Songdalen]].

====Islam====
{{See also|Islam in Norway}}
There is a [[mosque]] in Kvadraturen.

==Economy==
[[File:Kjøita Park 2.jpg|thumb|[[Kjøita|Kjøita Park]]]]

[[Christianssands Bryggeri]] is a producer of beer and soft drinks with a long history in the city. The brewery was established in 1859, and all products are made with [[spring water]] from the company's own spring, called ''Christian IVs kilde'' (Christian IV's spring).

[[Hennig-Olsen Iskremfabrikk|Hennig-Olsen]] is an ice cream factory with headquarters and manufacturing facilities in Kristiansand. The factory opened in 1960, but the Hennig-Olsen family has produced ice cream in Kristiansand since 1924, when Sven Hennig-Olsen started doing so in the back of his tobacco kiosk.

Glencore Nikkelverk (nickel factory) was founded in 1910 as Kristiansand Nikkelraffineringsverk A/S. The company is owned by the Anglo-Swiss company [[Glencore]] and has about 500 employees.<ref>[http://www.xstratanickel.no/NO/Sider/Hjem.aspx Velkommen til Glencore Nikkelverk AS] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150908081924/http://www.xstratanickel.no/NO/Sider/Hjem.aspx |date=8 September 2015 }} XtrataNickel.no. Retrieved 20 November 2013</ref>

The [[Korsvik]] industrial area on the east side of the Kristiansandsfjord is home to companies working on drilling technology, cranes, winches and other equipment for the worldwide petroleum industry, among them [[National Oilwell Varco]] and [[Aker Solutions|Aker MH]].
[[Elkem]], owned by China National Bluestar since 2011, operated a refining plant for [[ferrosilicon]] and [[microsilica]] at [[Fiskå, Rogaland|Fiskå]] in [[Vågsbygd]] for many years and was replaced in the beginning of the 20th century by Elkem Solar which produces [[polycrystalline silicon]] for [[Wafer (electronics)|wafers]] used in the [[solar cell]] industry. It has about 225 employees.<ref>Peder Qvale (12 September 2012)[http://www.tu.no/industri/2012/09/12/har-tapt-22-milliarder-pa-tre-ar Lite solskinn for Elkem Solar] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131230234246/http://www.tu.no/industri/2012/09/12/har-tapt-22-milliarder-pa-tre-ar |date=30 December 2013 }} Teknisk Ukeblad. Retrieved 29 December 2013 {{in lang|no}}</ref>

'''Sørlandschips''' is a [[Norway|Norwegian]] produced [[potato chip]] brand. The potatoes often come from [[Denmark]]. Sørlandschips owned by Scandza AS and is one of Norway's most popular potato chip brands today. It has a variety of tastes and spices.
[[File:Hannevika, Kristiansand.jpg|right|thumb|Hannevika with [[Hennig-Olsen Iskremfabrikk]]]]
'''Dampbageriet''' is a large bakery chain based in [[Vest-Agder]], it was established in Kristiansand in 1862 and has 4 stores in Kristiansand.

[[Sparebanken Sør]] is a savings bank serving [[Vest-Agder]], [[Aust-Agder]] and [[Telemark]]. It was established in 1824 when '''Christiansand Sparebank''' opened up, it was one of the first in Norway.

[[Hennig-Olsen Iskremfabrikk]] is a major Norwegian ice-cream company based and started up in Kristiansand. The factory is located in '''Hannevika'''.

As a relatively large shipping town, Kristiansand was a profitable location for shipbuilders Kristiansands Mekaniske Verksted and P. Høivolds Mekaniske Verksted. At one time, shipping companies were the backbone of the local economy, but not many survive. The Rasmussen Group, previously a shipping firm, is now an investment company.<ref>Harald Berglihn, [http://www.dn.no/forsiden/naringsliv/article2153668.ece "Rasmussengruppen reddet av aksjer og finans"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131230234718/http://www.dn.no/forsiden/naringsliv/article2153668.ece |date=30 December 2013 }}, ''[[Dagens Næringsliv]]'', 31 May 2011, retrieved 20 November 2013 {{in lang|no}}</ref><ref>[http://snl.no/Rasmussengruppen_AS Rasmussengruppen AS] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131230233854/http://snl.no/Rasmussengruppen_AS |date=30 December 2013 }} Rasmussengruppen.no. Retrieved 29 December 2013 {{in lang|no}}</ref> Kristiansand continues to have major shipbuilding and repair facilities that support Norway's North Sea oil industry. The [[static inverter plant]] of the [[HVDC]] [[Cross-Skagerrak]] is located near Kristiansand.

[[File:Kjøita-panorama.jpg|thumb|center|upright=3.5|Kjøita Park with [[Telenor]] main offices for Southern Norway to the left and Kristiansand Roklubb in the center and apartments to the right]]

===Sørlandsparken===
{{Main|Sørlandsparken}}
[[File:Sørlandssenteret.JPG|thumb|Sørlandssenteret is Norway's largest mall]]
Sørlandsparken (The Southern Norway Park) is an industrial shopping park outside of Kristiansand city in the municipality. The park is also 17 kilometers from [[Lillesand]]. The park has an area of {{convert|670000|m²|0|abbr=on}} and over 5,000 workplaces.

The main part of the industrial park is in Kristiansand, including the mall [[Sørlandssenteret]] with 195 stores and Kristiansand Zoo, it is the largest mall and zoo in Norway. The racetrack of Southern Norway is also located in Kristiansand while [[IKEA]] is located technically in Lillesand municipality.

Others large chainstores is also located around the mall.

There are two hotels located in Sørlandsparken and some resorts nearby the zoo.

[[European route E18|E18]] goes past Sørlandsparken before continuing to downtown Kristiansand. Buses are available 6-8 times in the hours all day.

==Culture==
[[File:Kilden teater og konserthus.jpg|thumb|[[Kilden Performing Arts Centre]]]]

[[File:Kaptein SV.jpg|thumb|Kaptein Sabeltann world in [[Kristiansand Zoo and Amusement Park]]]]

The [[Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra]], Chamber Orchestra and Wind Ensemble merged in 2003. The orchestra now performs at the [[Kilden Performing Arts Centre]], which opened in January 2012.<ref>[http://www.kilden.com/english Kilden Performing Arts Centre] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120130074846/http://kilden.com/english |date=30 January 2012 }}</ref> This is also the new home of [[Agder Theatre]], founded in 1991.

[[Sørlandets Art Museum]] is in the centre of Kristiansand, in the former buildings of the cathedral school. It was established in 1995 building on the former collection of Christiansands billedgalleri, and is the second-largest regional art museum in Norway. It includes both fine art and crafts and runs an extensive programme of activities that includes exhibitions of the permanent collection, temporary exhibitions of contemporary art, and touring exhibitions to schools and child-care facilities.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sørlandets Kunstmuseum, Homepage in English |url=http://skmu.no/english/#1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120229012250/http://skmu.no/english/#1 |archive-date=29 February 2012 |access-date=21 February 2012}}</ref>

Christianssands Kunstforening, now renamed Kristiansand Kunsthall, is one of the oldest and largest art associations in Norway, founded in 1881, and has approximately {{convert|650|sqm|sqft}} of exhibition space for contemporary art in central Kristiansand. The association began assembling a permanent collection in 1902; this is now housed in Sørlandets Art Museum.

Cultiva, a local foundation, was established to ensure a portion of the profits made from selling shares in Agder Energy Ltd have lasting benefits to the community, focusing on art, culture, creativity and building competence; it supported projects in Kristiansand until the financial crisis forced cut-backs in 2011. In addition the [[Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage]] endowed a cultural free port, Porto Rico, as one of the pilot projects of its "value creation project" in the 2000s.

In 2007 Kristiansand was awarded the designation Norges kulturkommune (Norway's culture municipality), a distinction awarded every other year by the Norwegian Culture Forum.

[[Fiskebrygga, Kristiansand|Fiskebrygga]] is a former fish landing on either side of the Gravane Canal, which separates the city centre from [[Odderøya]]; it was refurbished in the 1990s and now has wood-fronted buildings housing restaurants and shops including a fish market. It is very popular in summer, when the canal is also heavily used by boats.

The island of Odderøya is a former [[fortress]] and [[quarantine station]], now used for recreation and excursion purposes. At times there are also concerts and festivals on the island.

The municipality millennium is Tresse - Retranchement, the city party space in front of [[Christiansholm Fortress]], bottom Festningsgata the [[Baltic Sea]]. The millennium was celebrated here include a large sign. A small sign to mark the Millennium for the future are made, but per. 2011 not installed in anticipation of the festival grounds shall be given a facelift. It should also dug a channel within the fortress, so this again is left on an island. These projects are waiting for political consideration and funding. Tusenårstreet were planted on the lawn between the festival grounds and playground/ice rink in Tresse.

==Sport==
[[File:Kristiansand stadion.jpg|thumb|[[Kristiansand Stadion]]]]
The city's best known [[Association football|football]] team, [[IK Start]], moved in 2007 to a new home stadium, [[Sør Arena]]. The city is also home to other football teams, including [[Flekkerøy IL]], [[FK Vigør]], [[IK Våg]], and [[FK Donn]].

Kristiansand is also known for its handball teams ([[Kristiansands IF]] and [[Vipers Kristiansand]]), ice hockey ([[Kristiansand Ishockeyklubb]]), basketball (Kristiansand Pirates) and volleyball (Grim VBK) clubs and has a baseball team (Kristiansand Suns).

The Idda Arena (opened on 3 September 2011) is a multi-purpose hall that consists of ice hockey, curling, a sports hall, martial arts, fencing dance and a gym. Adjacent to the Arena, is a skate park and football pitch.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.kristiansand.kommune.no/navigasjon/kultur-og-fritid/idrett/idrettsanlegg-og-haller/idda-arena-ishall/ |title=Idda Arena ice rink | website=Kristiansand Commune |access-date=15 February 2024}}</ref> It replaced the Idda Idrettsplassen, an outdoor sports field used for skating, football (first used in 1924) and athletics.<ref name="KK">{{cite web |url=https://www.kristiansand.kommune.no/contentassets/7d2e282dabd9476590033319a847ae0f/kulturminner-i-kristiansand.pdf |title=Kulturminner Ksitiansand | website=Kristiansand Kommune |access-date=15 February 2024}}</ref><ref name="GC">{{cite web |url=https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC4T9V1 |title=Idda og Møllevannet | website=Geocaching |access-date=15 February 2024}}</ref>

[[Kristiansand Stadion]] is a multi-use stadium and former ground of IK Start, the stadium hosted important athletics competitions.

[[Motorcycle speedway]] has had a long association with the city, covering three venues. The [[Norwegian Individual Speedway Championship|Norwegian Championship]] was held at Idda Idrettsplassen in 1960<ref name="KK" /> and a semi final was held at the Kristiansand Stadion in 1964.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.historyspeedway.nstrefa.pl/indmnorwegii.php |title=Individual Speedway Norwegian Championship | website=Historia Sportu Zuzlowego |access-date=15 February 2024}}</ref> Much later a new venue Sørlandsparken Speedwaybane was built by the speedway club NMK Kristiansand, out of the city, west in Sørlandsparken, off Skibåsen. This has since held the Norwegian Championships in 2012 and 2016.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://nmk-kristiansand.no/ |title=Welcome | website=NMK Kristiansand |access-date=15 February 2024}}</ref>

==Tourism==
[[File:Kristiansand Marina.jpg|thumb|Kristiansand Marina]]
[[File:Faithless live at Palmesus 2013.jpg|thumb|left|[[Faithless]] in concert at Palmesus, [[Scandinavia]]'s largest beach festival]]
Kristiansand is a summer [[voy:Kristiansand|tourist destination]], attracting many visitors in particular to its zoo, [[Kristiansand Zoo and Amusement Park]], just east of the city. This is the second most visited attraction in Norway, after [[Holmenkollen]], and had 925,000 visitors in 2012. Its animals, most of which are housed in natural habitats, include [[wolf|wolves]], tigers, lions and the [[lynx]]. The zoo is open 365 days a year, while the amusement park is open during the summer season only.

The [[Quart festival]] was an annual music festival that took place in Kristiansand over five days in early July. There were large stages on Odderøya and smaller venues around the city. Founded in 1991 as Qvadradurmusivalen, the festival changed its name to the more catchy Quart Festival the following year. It included internationally known performers and was also known for booking acts that later became internationally known. For several years it was the largest music festival in Norway, but beginning in summer 2007 it was challenged by the Hovefestivalen on [[Tromøya]], [[Arendal]], and some Oslo-based festivals. In early June 2008 the organization declared bankruptcy; the festival returned in 2009 under the name Quart, but again went bankrupt.

Kristiansand is home to many other festivals as well, running throughout the year.<ref name="krsfest">[https://www.visitnorway.com/places-to-go/southern-norway/kristiansand/whats-on/ What's on in Kristiansand] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190417095000/https://www.visitnorway.com/places-to-go/southern-norway/kristiansand/whats-on/ |date=17 April 2019 }} www.visitnorway.com {{in lang|en}}</ref> [[Protestfestival]], held in September, was launched in 2000 and aims to address apathy and indifference in politics, and includes debates, concerts and lectures combined with performance art and documentaries. Protestfestival claims to attract anarchists, communists, [[hippies]] as well as conservative Christians and capitalists and to encourage communication among these radically different groups.<ref>[http://www.protest.no/default_eng.asp Protestfestivalen (English)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317121618/http://protest.no/default_eng.asp |date=17 March 2012 }}</ref> Others include Southern Discomfort, also in September, the [[Bragdøya]] Blues Festival in June, the Dark Season Festival in October, and Cultural Night and the [[Kristiansand International Children's Film Festival|International Children's Film Festival]] in April. 

==Crime==
[[File:Courthouse in Kristiansand.jpg|thumb|upright|right|[[Kristiansand District Court|Courthouse in Kristiansand]]]]

Kristiansand has three police stations. The one in the city center, the main one for Southern Norway, [[Agder Police District]]. While on less serious crimes only covers some these parts of Kristiansand, [[Kvadraturen (Kristiansand)|Kvadraturen]], [[Grim, Kristiansand|Grim]] and [[Lund, Kristiansand|Lund]]. [[Vågsbygd]] police station covers the Vågsbygd district while [[Randesund]] police station covers Randesund, [[Søm]], [[Hånes]] and [[Tveit]].

Most crim-cases reported in Kristiansand takes place on [[Kvadraturen (Kristiansand)|Kvadraturen]]. In south of [[Markens gate]] with [[Tollbodgata]] and Dronningens gate which host stores that are open 24 hours as well as many nightclubs. In 2014 it was most reported cases there in the entire city.

There were over 56 cases reported in this area and 123 on Kvadraturen in 2013, a decrease from 150 cases in 2012 reported on Kvadraturen. In the Vågsbygd police district it was reported that there were over 50 cases, going down 27% since 2012. At Randesund police station it was 61 cases reported, so had gone down 9% from 2012 to 2013. Outside of Kvadraturen, Vågsbygd and Randesund there were 110 cases reported in the municipality, mostly from Grim.

{{As of|2014}}, there were over 350 cases reported for all of Kristiansand. Of these, 34% were committed by minors on Kvadraturen. Most cases on Kvadraturen are narcotics, violence and nonprofit crimes; the majority being shop lifting. Six of the violent crime cases were against police and most violent acts were performed with knives.
<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kriminalitet i Kristiansand kommune |url=http://www.kristiansand.kommune.no/Documents/Nyheter%202014/Trendrapport_ungdom%20og%20kriminalitet2014_a4_web.pdf?epslanguage=no |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140716231145/http://kristiansand.kommune.no/Documents/Nyheter%202014/Trendrapport_ungdom%20og%20kriminalitet2014_a4_web.pdf?epslanguage=no |archive-date=16 July 2014 |access-date=10 April 2015 |publisher=kristiansand.kommune.no}}</ref>

===Minors===
[[File:Krsand tinghus IMG 3501.JPG|thumb|left|[[Agder Police District]] headquarter in Kristiansand]]

In crime performed by people under 18, there were most reported 16-year-old boys in 2013. Although adding the numbers of boys and girls together, the largest number of crime for the age was 14. It is simultaneously more that reports a mixed sex image where girls show an equal activity as boys. Some Instead there are also girls who are leading the way. Several executives tells increased used of bullying, intimidation and violence among girls. It looks including out that girls make greater use of social media such behavior. Some also report increased cannabis use among girls. The figures from the police show that nearly one in three young people who commit crimes have minority backgrounds. Of the 163 youths who embarked offense first half is 47 immigrants or Norwegian-born to immigrant parents. This represents 29% of the total number. The decline in the number of young offenders apply primarily the oldest group from 15 to 17 years. Kristiansand has several 14-year-olds than 17-year-olds who commit offenses. Girls make up more current through increased use of threats and violence.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ungdom og kriminalitet i Kristiansand |url=http://www.agderforskning.no/reports/lovbrudd_blant_unge.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304052841/http://www.agderforskning.no/reports/lovbrudd_blant_unge.pdf |archive-date=4 March 2016 |access-date=25 March 2015 |publisher=Agderforskning.no}}</ref>

Contact from [[Voiebyen]], Vågsbygd, Grim, [[Søm]] and Lund expressed concern about boys who challenge them with their behavior by breaking rules, commit vandalism, threaten classmates and try out various drugs. One of the schools have also been several incidents of violence against teachers and classmates. It is composed issues related to several of these students and they have various reasons major challenges in adapting to school requirements and expectations. Several executives from schools stated that they experience an increase in the number of pupils, both boys and girls, who are struggling mentally. They mention students with depression, social anxiety, eating disorder, self-mutilation and sleep problems. This worries them and they fear that some of these students, as a result of their poor mental health, are more vulnerable to make choices that can lead them into the environment with drugs and crime. To meet these challenges and provide these young people needed and customized follow-up, it is crucial to have a holistic focus and a good interdepartmental and interdisciplinary collaboration.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ungdom og kriminalitet i Kristiansand |url=http://www.pkforum.no/index.php/dokumenter-til-nedlastning/publikasjoner?task=document.viewdoc&id=117 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402112027/http://www.pkforum.no/index.php/dokumenter-til-nedlastning/publikasjoner?task=document.viewdoc&id=117 |archive-date=2 April 2015 |access-date=25 March 2015 |publisher=pkforum.no}}</ref>

==Health==
[[File:SSK-hovedinngang.JPG|thumb|[[Sørlandet Hospital Kristiansand]]]]
Sørlandet Sykehus HF is a hospital group in [[Southern Norway]], they have three hospitals in [[Flekkefjord]], [[Arendal]] and the main one on Eg in Kristiansand. It is only a 6 minutes drive from the city centrum Kvadraturen. The headquarter of Sørlandet Sykehus HF is also located in Kristiansand. The hospital has departments in [[Vågsbygd]] and [[Oddernes]].

Eg hospital is an asylum/psychiatric hospital next to Sørlandet hospital. It was opened in 1881 by dr. Axel H. Lindboe, this became Norway's third insane asylum.

St. Josef hospital was a catholic hospital located at [[Kvadraturen (Kristiansand)|Kvadraturen]], it was opened in 1885 and driven by his sisters. The hospital closed down in 1967.

There are 11 retirement homes in Kristiansand and most of them are located on Kvadraturen. One rehabilitation center, ca 15 fitness centers, 20 dentist offices, 10 medical centers and around 25 pharmacies.

==Transportation==
Kristiansand is an important transport and communications node, connected to continental Europe by air and sea.

===Sea===
[[File:Kristiansand havn overview 2013.jpg|thumb|Kristiansand harbour in 2013]]
{{Further|topic=the Maritim videregående skole Sørlandet operated passenger and cargo vessel|MS Lofoten}}
From the city centre, the ferry harbour has routes to [[Hirtshals]] ([[Denmark]]) operated by both [[Color Line (ferry operator)|Color Line]] and [[Fjord Line]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kristiansand Port |url=http://kristiansandhavn.no/Forside?sc_lang=en |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120725063845/http://kristiansandhavn.no/Forside?sc_lang=en |archive-date=25 July 2012 |access-date=21 February 2012}}</ref> Color Line operates their [[MS Superspeed 1|MS ''Superspeed 1'']], which entered into service in 2008 and spends approximately 3 hours and 15 minutes on the crossing. The route operates year-round with two crossings each way in one day. Fjord Line operates [[HSC Fjord Cat|HSC ''Fjord Cat'']], which is a high-speed [[catamaran]] covering the route in around 2 hours and 15 minutes. The ship was built between 1997 and 1998, and has sailed under several different operators on many different routes. It only operates during the high season in the summer.

A new catamaran built by Australian shipbuilding company [[Austal]] will enter service at the start of summer 2020 and replace ''Fjord Cat''. The new ship should double the capacity, while retaining the same travel duration of 2 hours and 15 minutes. Fjord Line also aims for the new ship to address complaints with seaworthiness and stability from its predecessor.

On 7 April 2022, a direct cruise-ferry service began with [[Eemshaven]], Netherlands, operated by startup company [[Holland Norway Lines]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=1 November 2021 |title=Charter of Romantika |url=https://view.news.eu.nasdaq.com/view?id=bb1848ae79937c8b3cbfe10454bd4ee5c&lang=en&fbclid=IwAR2xTJNps_nuX7-8nh6Ekz_0dMtP-uNycA1395ZjsBfv-QzRBwVPWzH3cKc |access-date=1 November 2021 |work=NASDAQ}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=1 November 2021 |title=Eemshaven krijgt vaste veerverbinding met Noorwegen |url=https://www.rtvnoord.nl/nieuws/865103/eemshaven-krijgt-vaste-veerverbinding-met-noorwegen |access-date=1 November 2021 |work=RTV Noord}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=1 November 2021 |title=Holland Norway Lines charters Tallink Grupp's ROMANTIKA for Norway-Netherland's service |url=https://www.shippax.com/en/news/holland-norway-lines-charters-tallink-grupps-romantika-for-norway-netherlands-service.aspx |access-date=1 November 2021 |work=Shippax}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=1 November 2021 |title=Holland Norway Line main page |url=https://hollandnorwaylines.com/ |access-date=1 November 2021 |work=Holland Norway line |archive-date=18 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211118023838/https://hollandnorwaylines.com/ |url-status=usurped }}</ref>

===Road===
[[File:E18 Kristiansand Vollevannet.jpg|thumb|E18 in Kristiansand by [[Vollevannet]]]]
[[European route E18|European Road 18]] is the largest highway in Kristiansand. It starts after E39 goes to Denmark before the city bridge on [[Kvadraturen (Kristiansand)|Kvadraturen]]. E18 continues out Kristiansand municipality and through [[Arendal]], [[Oslo]] and ends in [[Stockholm]]. [[European route E39|European Road 39]] starts in [[Trondheim]] and has it course through [[Western Norway]] before following the coastal municipalities in [[Vest-Agder]]. When E39 comes to Kristiansand, it goes to the harbor and continues through Denmark. [[Norwegian National Road 9]] is a road starting in Kristiansand, through [[Grim, Kristiansand|Grim]] and then through [[Vennesla]] municipality before leaving Vest-Agder. The national road ends in [[Telemark]] at Haukeli, and is the most important road connection for Setesdalen and the surrounding regions.

Norwegian National Road 41
[[Norwegian National Road 41]] starts in [[Hånes]]. It is the road out to [[Kristiansand Airport, Kjevik]], it continues to [[Birkenes]] and ends in [[Kviteseid]], Telemark. County road 401 is the old E18 before it got upgraded. It starts on [[Søm]] and ends in [[Lillesand]], it goes via [[Høvåg]]. County road 452 is the old road to [[Vennesla]] city centrum. It starts on [[Lund, Kristiansand|Lund]], then goes through [[Justvik]] and [[Ålefjær]] before Vennesla municipality. County road 456 is the main road in [[Vågsbygd]] and afterwards ending in [[Søgne]]. County road 457 takes up from 456 in [[Voiebyen]] and ends at [[Flekkerøy]]. County road 471 is the largest road in downtown Kristiansand. It ends at [[Lund, Kristiansand|Lund]] and goes besides the university.

===Bus===
[[File:Kristiansand bus Slettheia1.jpg|thumb|A city bus in [[Vestre Strandgate]]]]
Buses in the city and surrounding region are operated by [[Boreal Norge|Boreal Buss AS]], who won the tender from Agder Kollektivtrafikk in 2018 to operate routes for seven years, with an option to extend the period by three years. Previously, [[Nettbuss]] Sør (South) operated buses in the region for eight years from 2010 to 2018. All regional bus lines goes through three stops in [[Kvadraturen (Kristiansand)|Kvadraturen]]. Some bus lines goes vice versa from the west coast to the east coast of the city.

[[Kristiansand Bus Terminal]] or Kristiansand Rutebilstasjon is the main bus terminal for the city, and also acts as a hub for express-buses connecting to Oslo, Stavanger and Haukeli. It is located by the train station [[Kristiansand Station|Kristiansand S]]. The bus terminal has local, regional and long-distance bus routes. A new bus terminal was constructed in 2019, replacing the old and outdated building from 1960. The old terminal will be demolished and replaced by a small park and green-space.

The local city buses in Kristiansand has their main stop in Kvadraturen with city terminals in the streets Henrik Wergelands gate (eastbond or end for westbound) and [[Tollbodgata]] (westbound or end for eastbound), both streets crosses [[Markens gate]]. City bus lines 01, A1 starts in Kvadraturen and goes by [[University of Agder|UiA]] and [[Rona (Kristiansand)|Rona]]. M1, M2, M3, 12, goes by Vågsbygd centrum. 17, 18 joins M1, M2, M3 and 12 for Hannevika. 40, 42, 50 and 45, 46 goes only [[Hannevika]]. Line 40, 42, 45, 46 and 50 stops in Kristiansand Bus Terminal expect in the rush hours, while M1, M2, M3, 12, 17 and 18 continues to Henrik Wergelands gate, UiA, Rona, then their destinations. Line 13, 15, 19, 32 and 30 comes north for Kvadraturen and goes by Grim torv. Line 22, 23 only goes by UiA. Line 31 goes Line 35, 36 and 37 goes by Ve, Rona, UiA, Tollbodgata and ends in Kristiansand Bus Terminal. There are also local buses in some of the boroughs like Vågsbygd: Line 51, 52 and 55 goes from neighbourhoods in the borough to Vågsbygd centrum collaborating with M1 or M2 at selective times. Line 57 goes from east to west on the main road in Flekkerøy. Line 58 goes locally in Randesund to Rona.

===Railway===
[[Kristiansand Station]] opened in 1895 and is located in the city centre, close to the ferry terminal. It is owned by [[Norwegian National Rail Administration]]. The [[Sørlandet Line]] goes through small towns in [[Vest-Agder]] and [[Aust-Agder]] counties. Express trains go east to [[Oslo S]]. Regional lines goes to [[Stavanger]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=NSB Homepage |url=http://www.nsb.no/?lang=en_US |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120221212816/http://www.nsb.no/?lang=en_US |archive-date=21 February 2012 |access-date=21 February 2012}}</ref>

===Aviation===
[[File:Kristiansand lufthavn, Kjevik 2013.JPG|thumb|[[Kristiansand Airport, Kjevik]]]]
The local airport, [[Kristiansand Airport, Kjevik|Kjevik]], is located {{convert|12|km|mi|abbr=on}} east of the city centre and has routes to European and Norwegian cities. A new one-storey parking garage was constructed in 2019.

===Travel distances===
Distance from Kristiansand to other cities:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Distance Calculator Find Distance Between Cities |url=http://www.distancecalculator.net |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507003511/https://www.distancecalculator.net/ |archive-date=7 May 2021 |access-date=2015-11-07 |website=distancecalculator.net}}</ref>
* [[Mandal, Norway|Mandal]] 36 kilometers (23 miles) (considerably shortened when new E39 opens in 2022)
* [[Evje]] 49 kilometers (30 miles)
* [[Arendal]] 55 kilometers (34 miles)
* [[Flekkefjord]] 81 kilometers (50 miles)
* [[Stavanger]] 160 kilometers (100 miles)
* [[Oslo]] 250 kilometers (155 miles) 
* [[Bergen]] 292 kilometers (181 miles)
* [[Trondheim]] 601 kilometers (373 miles)
* [[Tromsø]] 1382 kilometers (859 miles)
* [[Copenhagen]] 391 kilometers (243 miles)
* [[Stockholm]] 768 kilometers (477 miles)

==Education==
[[File:Hogskolen i Agder Gimlemoen.JPG|thumb|left|[[University of Agder]]]] The [[University of Agder]] was established in 2007, based on Agder College, which had been founded in 1994 by the amalgamation of six previous institutions: Kristiansand Teacher Training College, Agder District College, Kristiansand College of Nursing, Arendal College of Nursing, Agder Engineering and District College ([[Grimstad]]) and Agder Conservatory of Music. The university has about 10,000 students, of whom 7,500 are in Kristiansand and the remaining 2,500 in Grimstad. In Kristiansand it is housed on a campus on the former parade ground of Gimlemoen in the Lund section. The university offers a wide range of studies at all levels, organised into five faculties: Humanities and Education, Engineering and Science, Health and Sport, Economics and Social Sciences, and Fine Arts. Gimlemoen is also the site of Sørlandet kunnskapspark, a research park built with funds from sources including the Cultiva foundation that houses a number of companies with a degree of professional affiliation with the university, such as Agderforskning, a social science research institute that is part of the publishing company [[Cappelen Damm]].<ref>[http://www.uia.no/en University of Agder, official website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507125805/https://www.uia.no/en |date=7 May 2021 }}{{in lang|en}}</ref>

[[Noroff]] University College was established in 2012 and is a private university offering specialised degrees two in Interactive media (Games or Animation) and Applied Data Science and in Digital Forensics. The University College builds on Noroff's existing vocational school which originally opened in 1987. In addition to the Kristiansand Campus Noroff has facilities in Oslo, Bergen and Stavanger. Noroff has considerable experience in offering online courses and all of the degree courses offered at the University College are available online.

Kristiansand was a [[garrison]] and cathedral town from 1664; [[Kristiansand Cathedral School]] was founded in 1684 and a [[Latin school]] in 1734. There are currently four public [[High school (upper secondary)|senior secondary schools]]: Kristiansand Cathedral School Gimle,<ref>[http://www.kkg.vgs.no/om-skolen/skolens-historie/ Kristiansand Cathedral School, history] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191224205916/http://kkg.vgs.no/om-skolen/skolens-historie/ |date=24 December 2019 }} (official website) {{in lang|no}}</ref> [[Vågsbygd]] High School, [[Kvadraturen skolesenter]] and Tangen High School

Private senior secondary schools include Sonans utdanning (education). The private school Sørlandets Maritime Senior Secondary School is also based in Kristiansand. This school offers two courses of study, Technology and Industrial Production and maritime subjects. It is a boarding school; students live and undergo training aboard the training ship MS Sjøkurs, a steamer that previously operated on the [[Hurtigruten]].

Kristiansand is also host to an International School on Kongsgård Alle in Lund. The School opened in January 2008 to provide an international education through English to students from grade 1 to grade 10. This IB authorised school moved into a brand new purpose-built building in Summer 2014, to house the expanding school which now has over 100 students.

{{Clear left}}

===List of schools in Kristiansand===
[[File:Kvadraturen skolesenter.jpg|thumb|[[Kvadraturen skolesenter]] is the largest High School in [[Southern Norway]]]]
[[File:Grim Skole.JPG|thumb|Grim Junior High is the largest junior high]]
[[File:Møvig skole1.jpg|thumb|[[Møvik]] Junior High and Møvik sports hall]]
[[File:Karljohan memorial school.jpg|thumb|[[Karl Johan]] Memorial School, an elementary school at Tinnheia]]
[[File:Vågsbygd High School.jpg|thumb|Vågsbygd High School]]
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! style="background:#efefef;" |Name<ref>{{Cite web |title=Min skole (My school) |url=http://www.minskole.no |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150327145722/http://www.minskole.no/ |archive-date=27 March 2015 |access-date=10 April 2015 |publisher=minskole.no}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Skoleportal / Vest-Agder fylkeskommune |url=http://www.skoleportal.vaf.no |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160314054619/http://skoleportal.vaf.no/ |archive-date=14 March 2016 |access-date=10 April 2015 |publisher=vaf.no}}</ref>
! style="background:#efefef;" |[[Education in Norway|Type]]
! style="background:#efefef;" |[[List of boroughs of Kristiansand|District]]
! style="background:#efefef;" |Students
! style="background:#efefef;" |Status
|-
| Dvergsnes skole
| [[Elementary education|Elementary]]
| [[Oddernes]]
| 360
| Public
|-
| Fagerholt skole
| Elementary
| [[Lund, Kristiansand|Lund]]
| N/A
| Public
|-
| [[Fiskå skole]]
| [[Junior High]]
| [[Vågsbygd]]
| 300
| Public
|-
| Flekkerøy skole
| Elementary
| [[Vågsbygd]]
| N/A
| Public
|-
| [[Grim Junior High|Grim skole]]
| Junior High
| [[Grim, Kristiansand|Grim]]
| 500
| Public
|-
| Haumyrheia skole
| Junior High
| [[Oddernes]]
| 300
| Public
|-
| Havlimyra skole
| Junior High
| [[Lund, Kristiansand|Lund]]
| N/A
| Public
|-
| Hellemyr skole
| Elementary
| [[Grim, Kristiansand|Grim]]
| N/A
| Public
|-
| Holte skole
| Junior High
| [[Oddernes]]
| 250
| Public
|-
| Hånes skole
| Elementary
| [[Oddernes]]
| N/A
| Public
|-
| Justvik skole
| Elementary
| [[Lund, Kristiansand|Lund]]
| N/A
| Public
|-
| [[Karl Johan]] minneskole ([[memorial]])
| Elementary
| [[Grim, Kristiansand|Grim]]
| 250
| Public
|-
| Karuss skole
| Elementary and Junior High
| [[Vågsbygd]]
| N/A
| Public
|-
| Kongsgård skolesenter
| Elementary
| [[Lund, Kristiansand|Lund]]
| 900
| Private
|-
| Kringsjå skole
| Elementary
| [[Randesund]]
| N/A
| Public
|-
| Krossen skole
| Elementary
| [[Grim, Kristiansand|Grim]]
| N/A
| Public
|-
| [[Kristiansand Cathedral School]]
| [[High School]]
| [[Lund, Kristiansand|Lund]]
| 1,360
| Public
|-
| Kristiansand International School
| Elementary and Junior High
| [[Lund, Kristiansand|Lund]]
| N/A
| Private
|-
| [[Kvadraturen skolesenter]]
| High School
| [[Kvadraturen (Kristiansand)|Kvadraturen]]
| 1,500
| Public
|-
| Lindebøskauen skole
| Junior High
| [[Vågsbygd]]
| N/A
| Public
|-
| Lovisenlund skole
| Elementary
| [[Lund, Kristiansand|Lund]]
| N/A
| Public
|-
| Mosby skole
| Elementary
| [[Mosby, Norway|Mosby]]
| N/A
| Public
|-
| Møvig skole
| Junior High
| [[Vågsbygd]]
| 400
| Public
|-
| NLA Mediehøgskolen Gimlekollen
| [[College]]
| [[Lund, Kristiansand|Lund]]
| 130
| Private
|-
| Oddemarka skole
| Junior High
| [[Lund, Kristiansand|Lund]]
| N/A
| Public
|-
| Prestheia skole
| Elementary
| [[Lund, Kristiansand|Lund]]
| N/A
| Public
|-
| Sjøstrand skole
| Elementary
| [[Vågsbygd]]
| N/A
| Public
|-
| Slettheia skole
| Elementary
| [[Vågsbygd]]
| N/A
| Public
|-
| Solholmen skole
| Elementary
| [[Grim, Kristiansand|Grim]]
| 200
| Public
|-
| Steinerskolen
| Elementarty and Junior High
| [[Lund, Kristiansand|Lund]]
| N/A
| Private
|-
| Strømme skole
| Elementary
| [[Oddernes]]
| 370
| Public
|-
| Sørlandets maritime videregående skole
| High School
| MS "Sjøkurs"
| 60
| Private
|-
| [[Tangen High School|Tangen vidergående]]
| High School
| [[Kvadraturen (Kristiansand)|Kvadraturen]]
| 1,000
| Public
|-
| Tordenskjoldsgate skole
| Elementary
| [[Kvadraturen (Kristiansand)|Kvadraturen]]
| 150
| Public
|-
| Torkelsmyra skole
| Elementary
| [[Vågsbygd]]
| N/A
| Public
|-
| Torridal skole
| Elementary and Junior High
| [[Grim, Kristiansand|Grim]]
| N/A
| Public
|-
| [[Universitetet i Agder]]
| [[University]]
| [[Lund, Kristiansand|Lund]]
| 11,500
| Public
|-
| Vardåsen skole
| Elementary
| [[Oddernes]]
| 350
| Public
|-
| Ve skole
| Elementary and Junior High
| [[Oddernes]]
| N/A
| Public
|-
| Vigvoll skole
| Junior High
| [[Oddernes]]
| 200
| Public
|-
| Voiebyen skole
| Elementary
| [[Vågsbygd]]
| N/A
| Public
|-
| Vågsbygd skole
| Elementary
| [[Vågsbygd]]
| 270
| Public
|-
| [[Vågsbygd High School|Vågsbygd vidergående]]
| High School
| [[Vågsbygd]]
| 800
| Public
|-
| [[Frank Wild]] Minneskole (memorial)
| Elementary
| [[Lund, Kristiansand|Lund]]
| N/A
| Public
|-
| Øvre Slettheia skole
| Elementary
| [[Vågsbygd]]
| N/A
| Public
|-
| Åsane skole
| Elementary
| [[Vågsbygd]]
| N/A
| Public
|}

==Media==
[[File:Fædrelandsvennen.jpg|thumb|[[Fædrelandsvennen]] office building in Henrik Wergelands gate]]

[[Fædrelandsvennen]] is the main news paper in Kristiansand and the [[Kristiansand Region]]. The paper has around 116 000 readers every day and was founded in 1875. From 2006, the newspaper went from broadsheet to tabloid. Fædrelandsvennen was located at Rådhusgata with Wergelandsparken (A park named after [[Henrik Wergeland]]) until 02.27.192 when someone blew up the building and it burned down to the ground. Nobody lost their lives in the incident. The newspaper relocated to [[Fiskåtangen]] in [[Vågsbygd]] where it located until 2015 when it moved back downtown to Henrik Wergelands gate. Fædrelandsvennen have ownership in many Southern Norway based newspapers, TV-Channels radio stations and other companies.

Kristiansand Avis (Kristiansand Newspaper) is a free newspaper paid by ads, and is delivered to all households in the region except Lillesand, Birkenes and Iveland. The newspaper is focused on staying closed to the local people. It comes out each Thursday and had 45 000 readers in 2014.

[[NRK|NRK Sørlandet]] has their main office in Kristiansand. It is the district office for the national broadcasting channel NRK. NRK Sørlandet covers Aust-Agder and Vest-Agder County. They produce 6 hours of radio and one and a half hour of television, in addition to their own website for news for Southern Norway.<ref>{{Cite web |date=5 April 2013 |title=NRK Sørlandet |url=http://www.nrk.no/sorlandet/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160216004437/http://www.nrk.no/sorlandet/ |archive-date=16 February 2016 |access-date=2016-02-14 |website=NRK Sørlandet |language=nb-NO}}</ref>

==Notable people==
{{Further|:Category:People from Kristiansand}}
[[File:Camilla Collett by Nicolai Wergeland.jpg|thumb|upright=0.65|Camilla Collett]]
[[File:Jan Vincents Johannessen IMG 7214.JPG|upright=0.65|thumb|Jan Vincents Johannessen, 2012]]
[[File:Mette Marit2.jpg|upright=0.65|thumb|[[Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway]]]]

=== Education ===
* [[Haldur Grüner]] (1818–1858), business school founder

=== Public Service and public thinking ===
* [[Syvert Omundsen Eeg]] (1757–1838) farmer and rep. the [[Norwegian Constitutional Assembly]]
* [[Marcus Gjøe Rosenkrantz]] (1762–1838) a Government Minister and Member of Parliament
* [[Nicolai Wergeland]] (1780–1848) a Norwegian priest, writer and politician
* [[Jens Lauritz Arup]] (1793–1874) a Norwegian bishop and politician
* [[Hans Christian Petersen]] (1793–1862) de facto [[Prime Minister of Norway]] 1858 to 1861
* [[Jacob von der Lippe]] (1797–1878) a Norwegian politician and priest
* [[Camilla Collett]] (1813–1895) said to be Norway's first feminist and writer
* [[Herman Wedel Major]] (1814–1854) psychiatrist, founded the [[Gaustad Hospital]]
* [[Joseph Frantz Oscar Wergeland]] (1815–1895) military officer, cartographer and skiing pioneer
* [[Einar Rosenqvist]] (1817–1885) a Norwegian naval officer and politician
* [[Valdemar Knudsen]] (1819–1898) sugarcane plantation pioneer on West [[Kauai]], [[Hawaii]]
* [[Jens Peter Broch]] (1819–1886) an orientalist and linguist in Semitic languages
* [[Sofus Arctander]] (1845–1924) a politician, acting [[Prime Minister of Norway]], 1905
* [[William Brede Kristensen]] (1867–1953) Dutch theologian, professor and church historian
* [[Theo Sørensen]] (1873–1959) a missionary, worked in [[Tibet]]
* [[Finn Støren]] (1893–1962) a businessperson and civil servant for [[Nasjonal Samling]]
* [[Arvid G. Hansen]] (1894–1966) a politician, associated first with the [[Labour Party (Norway)|Labour Party]], then the [[Communist Party of Norway|Communist Party]]
* [[Gabriel Langfeldt]] (1895–1983) a Norwegian psychiatrist and academic
* [[Bernt Balchen]] (1899–1973) pioneer polar aviator, navigator & aircraft mechanical engineer
* [[Ole Wehus]] (1909–1947) a Norwegian [[Nasjonal Samling]] police official 
* [[Leo Tallaksen]] (1908–1983) a politician, twice Mayor of Kristiansand
* [[Bjørn Egge]] [[Order of the British Empire|CBE]] (1918–2007) a [[major general]] of the [[Norwegian Army]]
* [[Jan Vincents Johannessen]] (born 1941) a physician, cancer researcher, painter and composer
* [[Tor Fuglevik]] (born 1950) a Norwegian radio and TV executive
* [[Anne Berit Andersen]] (born 1951) a Norwegian politician, Mayor of Søgne 1991 to 2001
* [[Terje G. Simonsen]] (born 1963) a Norwegian historian and nonfiction author
* [[Harald Furre]] (born 1964) an economist and Mayor of Kristiansand 2015–2019
* [[Marie Benedicte Bjørnland]] (born 1965) head of [[Norwegian Police Security Service]] 2012/2019.
* [[Nicolai Tangen]] (born 1966), hedge fund manager and philanthropist
* [[Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway]] (born 1972), the crown princess of Norway, married [[Crown Prince Haakon]] in 2001.
[[File:Wergeland blds 00303.jpg|upright=0.65|thumb|Henrik Wergeland]]
[[File:46 - Selvportrett - olje på panel 29X36 - 1976.jpg|upright=0.65|thumb|Eva Margot, self-portrait, 1976]]
[[File:Bjørn.O.Rasch.jpg|upright=0.65|thumb|Bjørn Ole Rasch, 2013]]

=== The Arts ===
* [[Henrik Wergeland]] (1808–1845) writer, poet, playwright, polemicist, historian and linguist
* [[Dan Weggeland]] (1827–1918) an artist and teacher, the ''"Father of Utah Art"''
* [[Anton Jörgen Andersen]] (1845–1926) a Norwegian composer and cellist
* [[Octavia Sperati (actress)|Octavia Sperati]] (1847–1918) a Norwegian actress
* [[Gerhard Schjelderup]] (1859–1933) a Norwegian composer of operas
* [[Oskar Textorius]] (1864–1938) a Swedish actor, singer and theater director<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0856757/ IMDb Database] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190528102349/https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0856757/ |date=28 May 2019 }} retrieved 10 January 2021</ref>
* [[Nils Hald]] (1897–1963) a Norwegian actor<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0354783/ IMDb Database] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219171857/http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0354783/ |date=19 February 2017 }} retrieved 10 January 2021</ref>
* [[Ellen Isefiær]] (1899–1985) a Norwegian actress and stage director<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0410782/ IMDb Database] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170218165143/http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0410782/ |date=18 February 2017 }} retrieved 10 January 2021</ref>
* [[Jens Bjørneboe]] (1920–1976), a novelist, writer and painter
* [[Else Marie Jakobsen]] (1927–2012), a textile artist and designer
* [[Finn Benestad]] (1929–2012) a Norwegian musicologist, music critic and academic
* [[Eva Margot]] (1944–2019), a painter used realism, symbolism and abstract styles
* [[Terje Formoe]], (born 1949) a singer, songwriter and actor<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0286435/ IMDb Database] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170216193428/http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0286435/ |date=16 February 2017 }} retrieved 5 January 2021</ref>
* [[Rolf Løvland]] (born 1955) a Norwegian composer, lyricist, arranger and pianist
* [[Terje Dragseth]] (born 1955) a Norwegian poet, author and film director
* [[Kjell Nupen]] (1955–2014) a contemporary artist; painter, sculptor and graphic artist
* [[Hilde Hefte]] (born 1956), a jazz singer
* [[Bjørn Ole Rasch]] (born 1959) a keyboard performer, composer, arranger and academic
* [[Sigurd Køhn]] (1959–2004) a Norwegian jazz saxophonist and composer
* [[Arne Hjeltnes]] (born 1963) a Norwegian writer and TV personality
* [[Per Fronth]] (born 1963), a visual artist, photographer and painter
* [[Bjarte Tjøstheim]] (born 1967) a Norwegian comedian, radio host and actor<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2096866/ IMDb Database] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219035340/http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2096866/ |date=19 February 2017 }} retrieved 10 January 2021</ref>
* [[Lene Elise Bergum]] (born 1971) a Norwegian actress<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0075140/ IMDb Database] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170217120015/http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0075140/ |date=17 February 2017 }} retrieved 10 January 2021</ref>
* [[Bjarte Breiteig]] (born 1974) a Norwegian short story writer
* [[Annie (singer)|Anne Lilia Berge Strand]] (born 1977) known as ''"Annie"'', a singer-songwriter
* [[Tom Hugo]] (born 1979) a Norwegian singer-songwriter
* [[Agnes Kittelsen]] (born 1980), an actress<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1748545/ IMDb Database] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190908132514/https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1748545/ |date=8 September 2019 }} retrieved 5 January 2021</ref>
* [[Frida Aasen]], (born 1994) a Norwegian [[fashion model]] 
* [[Thea Sofie Loch Næss]] (born 1996) a Norwegian actress<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6406427/ IMDb Database] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209100251/https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6406427/ |date=9 February 2021 }} retrieved 10 January 2021</ref>
* [[:no:Helene Abildsnes|Helene Abildsnes, (Norwegian Wiki)]] (born 1998) [[Miss Norway|Miss Universe Norway 2019]]
[[File:Andreas Thorkildsen 2008 cr.jpg|upright=0.65|thumb|Andreas Thorkildsen, 2008]]

=== Sport ===
* [[Gunn Margit Andreassen]] (born 1973) a former biathlete, twice Olympic relay team medallist
* [[Steinar Pedersen]] (born 1975) a former Norwegian footballer with 426 club caps
* [[Katrine Lunde]] (born 1980) a handball goalkeeper, 305 caps with [[Norway women's national handball team|Norway women]] 
* twins [[Katrine Lunde]] & [[Kristine Lunde-Borgersen]], (born 1980) handball players, twice Olympic champions
* [[Andreas Thorkildsen]] (born 1982), a javelin thrower, Olympic gold medallist in 2004 and 2008
* [[Kristoffer Hæstad]] (born 1983) a former footballer with over 300 club caps and 27 for [[Norway national football team|Norway]]
* [[Sondre Tronstad]] (born 1995) Professional footballer for [[Blackburn Rovers]]

==Twin towns – sister cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Norway}}
Kristiansand is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 2018 |title=Kristiansand – A creative city with ambitions |url=https://eapc2020-cpc.no/media/1072/leaflet-about-kristiansand.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026223708/https://eapc2020-cpc.no/media/1072/leaflet-about-kristiansand.pdf |archive-date=26 October 2020 |access-date=2021-01-31 |website=eapc2020-cpc.no |publisher=European Congress on Paediatric Palliative Care |page=22}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*{{flagicon|POL}} [[Gdynia]], Poland
*{{flagicon|FIN}} [[Kerava]], Finland
*{{flagicon|ENG}} [[Letchworth]], England, United Kingdom
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Münster]], Germany
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Orléans]], France
*{{flagicon|BGD}} [[Rajshahi]], Bangladesh
*{{flagicon|ISL}} [[Reykjanesbær]], Iceland
*{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Trollhättan Municipality|Trollhättan]], Sweden
*{{flagicon|NAM}} [[Walvis Bay]], Namibia
{{div col end}}

==See also==
*[[Fortifications of Kristiansand]]
*[[Kristiansands Stiftsavis og Adressekontors-Efterretninger]]
*[[List of boroughs of Kristiansand]]
*[[List of lighthouses in Norway]]
*[[Sørlandet]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikivoyage|Kristiansand}}
{{Commons category|Kristiansand}}
{{EB1911 poster|Christiansand}}
{{Wiktionary|Kristiansand}}
*[http://ssb.no/kommunefakta/kristiansand Municipal fact sheet] from [[Statistics Norway]] {{in lang|no}}
*[https://www.visitnorway.com/places-to-go/southern-norway/kristiansand/whats-on/ What's on in Kristiansand] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190417095000/https://www.visitnorway.com/places-to-go/southern-norway/kristiansand/whats-on/ |date=17 April 2019 }}
*[http://www.virtualnorge.com Kristiansand Virtual Tour, 360* Panoramic Pictures (QTVR) ]
*{{cite EB1911 |wstitle=Christiansand|volume=6|page=291}}

{{Geographic location
|Centre    = Kristiansand
|North     = [[Vennesla Municipality]]
|Northeast = 
|East      = [[Birkenes Municipality]]<br />[[Lillesand Municipality]]
|Southeast = 
|South     = ''[[Skagerrak]]''
|Southwest = 
|West      = [[Lindesnes Municipality]]
|Northwest = [[Lindesnes Municipality]]
}}
{{Agder|state=collapsed}}
{{Metropolitan areas of Southern Norway|state=collapsed}}
{{Most populous urban areas of Norway|state=collapsed}}
{{25 largest municipalities of Norway}}
{{50 most populous Nordic urban settlements|state=collapsed}}
{{Cities founded by Christian IV}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Kristiansand| ]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Norway]]
[[Category:Kristiansand region]]
[[Category:Municipalities of Agder]]
[[Category:Cities and towns in Norway]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1641]]
[[Category:1641 establishments in Norway]]
[[Category:Seaside resorts in Norway]]
[[Category:Port cities and towns in Norway]]
[[Category:Port cities and towns of the North Sea]]
[[Category:Skagerrak]]
[[Category:Christian IV of Denmark]]