Indre Østfold (municipality)

Indre Østfold is a municipality in the region of Indre Østfold in Østfold county. The municipality was established on 1 January 2020 by a merger of the five municipalities Askim, Eidsberg, Hobøl, Spydeberg and Trøgstad. The municipality has a total population of just under 45,000, spread out over several small towns such as Askim, Mysen, Spydeberg, Skjønhaug and Tomter. This is quite unusual for Norwegian municipalities.

Public service and public thinking

 * Haakon IV of Norway (1204 in Eidsberg – 1263), King of Norway 1217–1263
 * Jacob Nicolai Wilse (1736–1801), parish priest in Spydeberg and Eidsberg
 * Nils Christian Frederik Hals (1758 in Eidsberg – 1838 in Trøgstad), lieutenant colonel, commanded and surrendered Fredrikstad Fortress
 * Olai Pedersen Wiig (1802 in Trøgstad – 1887)‚ politician, mayor of Trøgstad 1844 to 1847
 * Halvor Heyerdahl Rasch (1805 in Eidsberg – 1883), zoologist and academic
 * Thea Foss (1857 in Eidsberg – 1927), founded Foss Maritime, the real-life inspiration for Tugboat Annie
 * Emma Hjorth (1858 in Hobøl – 1921), founder of the Emma Hjorth Home, the country's first large institution for people with intellectual disabilities
 * Nordal Wille (1858 in Hobøl – 1924), botanist
 * Adam Hiorth (1879 in Spydeberg – 1961), barrister and playwright
 * Olga Bjoner (1887 in Askim – 1969), journalist and Nazi politician
 * Jørgen Adolf Lier (1906–1994), politician, mayor of Askim several times
 * Anton Skulberg (1921–2012), scientist and politician, mayor of Spydeberg 1963–1967
 * Dagfinn Føllesdal (born 1932 in Askim), Norwegian-American philosopher
 * Oddbjørn Engvold (born 1938 in Askim), astronomer
 * Erik Mollatt (born 1941), businessperson, lives in Hobøl

The arts

 * Enevold Thømt (1878 in Askim – 1958), decorative painter inspired by Norwegian folk art
 * Kirsten Sørlie (1926 in Askim – 2013), actress and stage director
 * Vidar Sandem (born 1947 in Trøgstad), actor, playwright and theatre director
 * Jan Garbarek (born 1947 in Mysen), jazz saxophonist
 * Cecilie Løveid (born 1951 in Mysen), novelist, poet, playwright and writer of children's books
 * Rune Rudberg (born 1961 in Trøgstad), singer of dansband music
 * Lene Alexandra (born 1981 in Trøgstad), singer, TV personality and model
 * Jon Audun Baar (born 1986 in Tomter, Hobøl), jazz drummer.

Sport

 * Brothers Henning Solberg (born 1973) and Petter Solberg (born 1974), former professional rallycross drivers, born in Askim and grew up in Spydeberg
 * Jens Kristian Skogmo (born 1987 in Askim), footballer with 285 club caps
 * Vibeke Skofterud (born 1980 in Askim), Olympic Gold medallist in cross-country skiing