# Bodø

> settlement in Bodø Municipality, Norway

**Wikidata**: [Q39383](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q39383)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodø_(town))  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/bod

## Summary
Bodø is a settlement and urban area located in Bodø Municipality, Norway, and serves as the administrative centre for both the municipality and Nordland county. Founded in 1816, it has grown to a population of approximately 43,504 residents as of 2025, covering an area of around 14.17 square kilometres.

## Key Facts
- **Location**: Bodø Municipality, Nordland, Norway
- **Inception**: 1816
- **Population**: 43,504 (2025-01-01, National Population Register); 43,322 (2024-01-01); 42,831 (2023-01-01); 42,662 (2022-01-01); 42,351 (2021-01-01); 42,102 (2020-01-01); 41,720 (2019-11-04, estimation); 41,215 (2018-01-01)
- **Area**: 14.17 km² (2019-11-04); 14.16 km² (2018-01-01, preferred); 14.12 km² (2017-01-01)
- **Coordinates**: 67.28267°N, 14.37513°E
- **Elevation**: 5 metres above sea level
- **Timezone**: UTC+01:00
- **Demonym**: Bodøværing
- **Native Labels**: Bodø (Norwegian), Bådåddjo (Lule Sámi), Buvdda
- **UN/LOCODE**: NOBOO
- **Awards**: Most Attractive City Award (2016)
- **Significant Events**: Bomb attack (1940-05-27); Military occupation (1940-06-03)
- **Twin Towns**: Vyborg; Jönköping Municipality
- **Classification**: City, urban area in Norway, administrative centre, human-geographic territorial entity

## FAQs

**What is the population and area of Bodø?**
As of January 1, 2025, Bodø has a population of 43,504 residents according to the National Population Register. The settlement covers an area of approximately 14.17 square kilometres as of November 2019, with earlier measurements recording 14.16 km² in 2018 and 14.12 km² in 2017.

**What administrative functions does Bodø serve?**
Bodø functions as the administrative centre for both Bodø Municipality and Nordland county in Norway. It is classified as a city, urban area, and human-geographic territorial entity.

**What are the native names for Bodø?**
The settlement is known as "Bodø" in Norwegian, "Bådåddjo" in Lule Sámi, and "Buvdda" in another indigenous language. International aliases include Bodo, Bodö, Bådåddjo, ヴォードー, ボド, and Буде.

**What significant historical events has Bodø experienced?**
Bodø suffered a bomb attack on May 27, 1940, during World War II, followed by military occupation beginning on June 3, 1940.

**What recognition has Bodø received?**
Bodø received the Most Attractive City Award from the Norwegian government in 2016, recognizing its urban development and attractiveness.

## Why It Matters
Bodø holds significance as the administrative and political centre of Nordland county, one of northern Norway's most important regions. Its strategic location at 67.28°N makes it one of the northernmost urban centres in the world, serving as a hub for governance, culture, and commerce in the Arctic region of Norway. The city's receipt of the Most Attractive City Award in 2016 from the Norwegian government highlights its success in urban development and quality of life, making it a model for sustainable city planning in northern climates. Its twin-city relationships with Vyborg and Jönköping Municipality demonstrate its active engagement in international cooperation and cultural exchange.

## Notable For
- Administrative centre of Nordland county and Bodø Municipality
- Recipient of Norway's Most Attractive City Award (2016)
- Population growth from 41,215 (2018) to 43,504 (2025), showing consistent urban expansion
- One of the northernmost significant urban settlements at 67.28°N latitude
- Multi-lingual heritage with Norwegian, Lule Sámi (Bådåddjo), and other indigenous names
- Twin-city relationships with Vyborg and Jönköping Municipality
- Historical significance as a site of WWII bombing and occupation in 1940
- Extensive international presence with Wikipedia articles in 29 languages

## Body

### Geography and Demographics
Bodø is situated at coordinates 67.28267°N, 14.37513°E, with an elevation of 5 metres above sea level. The settlement operates in the UTC+01:00 timezone. Its physical footprint has shown slight expansion over recent years, growing from 14.12 square kilometres in 2017 to 14.16 km² in 2018 and 14.17 km² in 2019.

The population has demonstrated steady growth over the observation period. Statistics Norway (SSB) recorded 41,215 residents as of January 1, 2018, which increased to an estimated 41,720 by November 4, 2019. The National Population Register shows continued growth: 42,102 (2020), 42,351 (2021), 42,662 (2022), 42,831 (2023), 43,322 (2024), and reaching 43,504 by January 1, 2025. This represents an increase of approximately 2,289 residents over seven years.

### Administrative and Political Status
Bodø serves dual administrative roles as the capital of Nordland county and the administrative centre of Bodø Municipality. It is officially classified as a city, an urban area in Norway, an administrative centre, and a human-geographic territorial entity. The settlement holds UN/LOCODE NOBOO for international shipping and trade identification. Its SSB urban settlement number is 7501, and its SSR place name number is 926688.

### History and Significant Events
Founded in 1816, Bodø has a history spanning over two centuries. The city experienced significant trauma during World War II, suffering a bomb attack on May 27, 1940, followed by military occupation beginning June 3, 1940. These events shaped the city's post-war development and reconstruction.

In recognition of its urban development achievements, Bodø received the Most Attractive City Award from the Norwegian government in 2016, awarded by the Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation.

### Cultural and Linguistic Identity
The settlement possesses a rich linguistic heritage reflecting its location in the Sámi homeland region. Native labels include "Bodø" (Norwegian), "Bådåddjo" (Lule Sámi, with lexeme ID L639638-S2), and "Buvdda." Residents are known as "bodøværing," a demonym confirmed by the Norwegian Language Council.

The city maintains international aliases across multiple scripts and languages: Bodo, Bodö, Bådåddjo, ヴォードー (Japanese), ボド (Japanese), and Буде (Russian/Cyrillic). Its global reach is evidenced by Wikipedia articles in 29 languages including Afrikaans, Arabic, Egyptian Arabic, German, Greek, English, Esperanto, Estonian, Persian, Hungarian, Latvian, Norwegian Nynorsk, Norwegian Bokmål, Russian, Slovak, Swedish, Swahili, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, and others.

### International Relations
Bodø maintains formal twinning relationships with two municipalities: Vyborg and Jönköping Municipality. These partnerships facilitate cultural exchange and cooperation across national borders.

### Digital and Archival Presence
Bodø has extensive representation in international knowledge systems and databases:
- **Library and Archive IDs**: Library of Congress Authority ID (n79055531), GND ID (4122946-0), VIAF ID (153592877), National Library of Israel J9U ID (987007561803705171)
- **Encyclopedia IDs**: Encyclopædia Britannica Online (place/Bodo-Norway), Great Russian Encyclopedia Online (3212237), Nationalencyklopedin (bodo)
- **Geographic Databases**: GeoNames ID (3160881), GNS Unique Feature ID (-253799), OpenStreetMap Node ID (1773877380), Who's on First ID (101814623)
- **Knowledge Graphs**: Google Knowledge Graph ID (/g/11r7rjf69), Freebase ID (/m/018b68)
- **Social Platforms**: Facebook Location ID (114686248548744), Quora Topic (Bodø-Norway), Google Play Store ID (Bodø_-_tettsted)
- **Specialized Databases**: MusicBrainz Area ID (d2c3b270-91e1-482a-a652-5c47c69a04f2), Archinform Location ID (51352), RKD Thesaurus ID (35541), Yale LUX ID (place/2731dc6b-64e8-44ee-8f8f-e26627e15e7b), BBC Things ID (86e2e5f3-bc37-46d4-8907-a334be0497b4), Ávvir Topic ID (badaddjo)

### Visual Documentation
The settlement is documented through various visual media. A primary image is available at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Bodø_2006.jpg, and a panoramic page banner showing the city with mountains can be found at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Bodo_banner_Panorama_city_with_mountains.jpg. The Wikimedia Commons category for the city is "Bodø (city)."

### Category and Classification
Bodø's topic is categorized under "Category:Bodø Municipality," and there is a specific category for people born in the settlement (Wikidata ID: Q9223591). The Wikipedia title for the town is "Bodø (town)," and it has a Lokalhistoriewiki.no article under the title "Bodø."

## References

1. archINFORM
2. [Source](https://www.regjeringen.no/no/tema/kommuner-og-regioner/by--og-stedsutvikling/attraktiv_by/statens-pris-for-attraktiv-by-gar-for-2016-til-bodo/)
3. Virtual International Authority File
4. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
5. MusicBrainz
6. [Source](https://www.ssb.no/befolkning/statistikker/beftett/aar)
7. [Tettsteders befolkning og areal. Statistics Norway](https://www.ssb.no/befolkning/statistikker/beftett/aar)
8. [Alders- og kjønnsfordeling i kommuner, fylker og hele landets befolkning (K) 1986 - 2020. Statistics Norway. 2024](https://www.ssb.no/statbank/table/04859/)
9. [Alders- og kjønnsfordeling i kommuner, fylker og hele landets befolkning (K) 1986 - 2021. Statistics Norway. 2024](https://www.ssb.no/statbank/table/04859/)
10. [Alders- og kjønnsfordeling i kommuner, fylker og hele landets befolkning (K) 1986 - 2022. Statistics Norway. 2024](https://www.ssb.no/statbank/table/04859/)
11. [Alders- og kjønnsfordeling i kommuner, fylker og hele landets befolkning (K) 1986 - 2023. Statistics Norway. 2024](https://www.ssb.no/statbank/table/04859/)
12. [Alders- og kjønnsfordeling i kommuner, fylker og hele landets befolkning (K) 1986 - 2024. Statistics Norway. 2024](https://www.ssb.no/statbank/table/04859/)
13. [Alders- og kjønnsfordeling i kommuner, fylker og hele landets befolkning (K) 1986 - 2025. Statistics Norway. 2025](https://www.ssb.no/statbank/table/04859/)
14. [Source](http://www.sprakradet.no/sprakhjelp/Skriverad/navn-pa-steder-og-personer/Innbyggjarnamn/)
15. GeoNames
16. BBC Things
17. [Source](https://service.unece.org/trade/locode/no.htm)
18. [archINFORM](https://www.archinform.net/service/wd_aiort.php)
19. National Library of Israel Names and Subjects Authority File