Stange Municipality
is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Hedmarken. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Stangebyen. Other villages include Bekkelaget, Espa, Bottenfjellet, Ilseng, Ottestad, Sandvika, Sinnerud, Starhellinga, Tangen, and Romedal.
The municipality is the 157th largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Stange Municipality is the 60th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 21,691. The municipality's population density is and its population has increased by 9.5% over the previous 10-year period.
General information
The parish of Stange was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, Romedal Municipality and Stange Municipality were merged to form a new, larger Stange Municipality with a population of 16,175 residents. On 13 July 1956, a small part of the neighboring Vang Municipality was transferred to Stange Municipality.Historically, the municipality was part of the old Hedmark county. On 1 January 2020, the municipality became a part of the newly-formed Innlandet county.
Name
The municipality is named after the old Stange farm since the first Stange Church was built there. The name is the plural form of which means "bar", "pole", or "rod".Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 20 June 1986. The official blazon is "Vert, a plough argent". This means the arms have a green field and the charge is a medieval plough called an ard. 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 design symbolizes this historic importance of agriculture in the area; originally the growing of grains and then later growing potatoes. The arms were designed by Arne Løvstad. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.Churches
The Church of Norway has five parishes within Stange Municipality. It is part of the Hamar domprosti in the Diocese of Hamar.| Parish | Church name | Location of the church | Year built |
| Ottestad | Ottestad Church | Ottestad | 1731 |
| Romedal | Romedal Church | Romedal | 1887 |
| Stange | Stange Church | Stangebyen | c. 1250 |
| Tangen | Strandlykkja Church | Strandlykkja | 1915 |
| Tangen | Tangen Church | Tangen | 1861 |
| Vallset | Vallset Church | Vallset | 1850 |
Media
The newspaper Stangeavisa has been published in Stange since 2004.History
Archeological finds indicate agricultural settlements in the area well before the Viking Age. Since the shortest route from the south to Hamar went through the area, there have also been trade and hospitality there since time immemorial. Stange has its own historical association that publishes articles, short research topics, as well as authoritative works on the area's history.| Ancestry | Number |
 PolandGeographyThe municipality is situated on the east side of the lake Mjøsa. It borders Hamar Municipality to the north; Løten Municipality, Våler Municipality, and Åsnes Municipality to the east; Nord-Odal Municipality to the south; and Eidsvoll Municipality to the west.The municipality can be roughly divided into two areas: the northern area, with rich and fertile agricultural land; and a southern area with craggy, forested area. As a result, the northern section is dominated by large, prosperous farms; the southern part by small, marginal farms. The rivers Lageråa and Svartelva both run through the municipality.The highest point in the municipality is the tall mountain Søndre Fjellsjøhøgda in the southeastern part of the municipality. GovernmentStange Municipality is responsible for primary education, outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Hedmarken og Østerdal District Court and the Eidsivating Court of Appeal.Municipal councilThe municipal council of Stange Municipality is made up of 35 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.MayorsThe mayor of Stange Municipality is the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. Here is a list of people who have held this position:
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