Larvik

 ( Municipalities Of Vestfold ) 

On 1 January 1988, the city of Larvik was part of a major municipal merger which consolidated the municipalities of Brunlanes (population: 8,138), Hedrum (population: 10,449), and Tjølling (population: 7,878) with the towns of Larvik (population: 8,045) and Stavern (population: 2,538) to create a new, much larger Larvik Municipality with a population of 37,048 people.

On 1 January 2018, Lardal Municipality was merged the neighboring Larvik Municipality as part of a nationwide municipal reform. After merging, Larvik was the largest municipality in Vestfold by area and the second-most populous municipality in Vestfold.

The first coat of arms was granted in 1889 and it was in use until 20 January 1989 when a new coat of arms was granted. The official blazon was "Argent, a leaved tree issuant from a mount vert". This means the arms have a field (background) has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The charge is a green tree growing out of a green hill. The green color in the field and the tree design symbolize the local beech forest around the town. This design may have been chosen because for a couple of reasons. A beech tree had been used by the 18th century governor of the area, Jens Kielman. Also this beech tree design was part of a seal of a local guild in the early 19th century.

The second coat of arms was granted on 17 March 1989 and it was in use until 1 January 2018. The official blazon was "Azure, a mast with three sails argent" (). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a ship's mast with three . The charge has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The blue color in the field and the design were chosen to represent the maritime traditions of the municipality. The arms were designed by Kjell Ronald Hansen. The municipal flag had the same design as the coat of arms.

The current coat of arms was adopted for use starting on 1 January 2018. The blazon is "Azure, a tree with seven droplet-shaped leaves, of which six are opposite two and two, issuant from a mount argent" (). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a tree design with six leaves shaped like water droplets that are arranged symmetrically, three on each side and one on top. The charge has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The arms have a complex symbolism. The seven drops symbolize forest water that flows into streams and further into the main Numedalslågen and rivers. The tree design symbolizes the importance of the local beech forests and forestry industry. The six water drops also symbolized the ports spread along the coast as well as the six former municipalities that are now together as one large municipality. The arms were designed by Tormod Henriksen from Svarstad. The municipal flag had the same design as the coat of arms.

About southeast of the town is Skiringssal, an archaeological site where archaeologists first discovered burial mounds and an ancient Viking hall, and later uncovered the nearby remains of an ancient town, Kaupang. This is now known as the oldest known merchant town in Norway. There was international trade from this area, over 1,200 years ago. Skiringssal has remains from the oldest town yet discovered in the Nordic countries,

Larvik is also the site of the Treschow estate, "Fritzøehus", which is currently owned by the heirs of Mille-Marie Treschow, reportedly "Norway's richest woman". The Treschow estate was created in 1835 when Willum Frederik Treschow bought the county from the Danish crown, who in turn had bought the county from the local consortium "grevlingene", four local entrepreneurs who proved unable to manage the ownership financially (the consortium had bought the county from the Danish crown in 1817 originally, the crown taking over the county when the last of the counts had to sell it because of debt).

Larvik, along with neighbouring cities of Sandefjord and Tønsberg, were the three dominant whaling cities of Norway in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The municipality had a total population of 48,396 as of 2023, with 4,159 of them being immigrants to Norway from other countries. Figures from a census held at the beginning of the 19th century indicate that Larvik's population has quadrupled in approximately 200 years. Its population however is spread through the municipality, and about 50% of the people reside in the city of Larvik. The majority of the population is found along and around the Larviksfjorden, from Stavern in the west to Gon in the east. The population sometimes doubles during summer weeks due to tourism. Larvik is home to 4,886 vacation homes as of 2023.