Quick answerOslo is the capital and largest city of Norway, with 724,290 people inside the city limits in 2025. The wider metropolitan area had about 1.5 million people in 2025. It is best known for the Vigeland Sculpture Park and the Akershus Fortress. Its official language is Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami, and its currency is the Norwegian krone.
Oslo is the capital and largest city of Norway, with 724,290 people in the municipality (1 January 2025) and about 1.5 million in the wider Oslo region. It sits at the head of the Oslofjord and is home to the Royal Palace, Akershus Fortress and the Vigeland Sculpture Park.
Key facts
| Country | Norway |
|---|---|
| Population (city) | 724,290 (2025) |
| Population (metro) | 1,546,706 (2025) · Oslo agglomeration (SSB, 2023) |
| Time zone | Europe/Oslo |
| Language | Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, Sami |
| Currency | Norwegian krone (NOK, kr) |
| Coordinates | 59.9133° N, 10.7389° E |
Overview
Oslo is the capital and largest city of Norway, a county and a municipality in one. The municipality covers 480 square kilometres and had 724,290 people on 1 January 2025, while the wider Oslo region held about 1.5 million people in 2023. Oslo sits at the head of the Oslofjord in south-eastern Norway, where the fjord meets the forested hills, and the city centre is only a few metres above sea level.
Oslo was founded around 1048 by King Harald Hardrada and became the capital around 1299, when Akershus Fortress was built at the harbour entrance. A fire destroyed the medieval city in 1624, and King Christian IV rebuilt it a little to the west as Christiania, a name the city kept until 1925. The Royal Palace, the Akershus Fortress and the Vigeland Sculpture Park, with more than 200 sculptures by Gustav Vigeland, are among its best-known sights.
Today Oslo is Norway's political, economic and cultural centre, home to the parliament, the government and the country's largest companies. The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in the city every December, and the harbour, the Opera House and the new Munch Museum draw visitors to the waterfront. Forests and fjords are never far away: much of the municipality is forest and lakes.
What Oslo is known for
- Vigeland Sculpture Park
- Akershus Fortress
- Royal Palace
- Oslo Opera House
- Munch Museum
Landmarks
- Vigeland Park
- Akershus Fortress
- Royal Palace
- Oslo Opera House
- Munch Museum
- National Museum
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Oslo?
The municipality of Oslo had 724,290 people on 1 January 2025, according to Statistics Norway. The wider Oslo region had about 1.5 million people in 2023, making it by far the largest urban area in Norway — about three times the size of the Bergen region.
What is Oslo famous for?
Oslo is famous for the Vigeland Sculpture Park, Akershus Fortress, the Royal Palace and the waterfront Opera House and Munch Museum. It is also known for the Nobel Peace Prize, awarded in the city every December, and for the fjord and forests that surround it.
Where is Oslo located?
Oslo is in south-eastern Norway, at the head of the Oslofjord, about 100 kilometres from the Skagerrak strait. It is the capital of Norway and of the county of Oslo. Its coordinates are 59.91° N, 10.74° E, and its time zone is Central European Time.
Quick quiz
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Keep exploring
- Norway — the country Oslo is in
- Bergen — another city in Norway
- Trondheim — another city in Norway
- Stavanger — another city in Norway
- All cities in Norway
- All countries — the full list
Sources & last updated
- Statistics Norway, via Wikipedia — Oslo
- Statistics Norway — The largest cities and urban settlements in Norway
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.