The Port of Haugesund lies on Norway’s southwestern shores off the North Sea in Rogaland county. It is about 16 kilometers north-northwest of the Port of Kopervik. The Port of Haugesund is a base for offshore oil production and a ship-building and –repair hub with one of the largest dry docks in Scandinavia.

The Port of Haugesund is also the base for a big herring fishing fleet and several fish canneries. Other industries in the Port of Haugesund include weaving textiles and processing aluminum. The first king of Norway, Harald I Fairhair, is said to be buried at nearby Harald’s Hill. In 2007, over 32 thousand people lived in the Port of Haugesund.

In 1855, the Port of Haugesund was established when it was split off from the municipality of Torvastad. At that time, just over a thousand people lived in the Port of Haugesund, and the herring fisheries in the nearby waters were rich.

The area surrounding the Port of Haugesund is said to have been a stronghold of ancient Vikings. Norway’s first king lived at Avaldsnes just eight kilometers south of the Port of Haugesund. He was buried near the site of the future Port of Haugesund, and a national monument marks the spot that is believed to be his grave.

The Port of Haugesund is protected by the sounds of Karmsund and Smedasund, allowing the city to grow as shipping and fishing port. The Karmsund Sound is one of the busiest fairways in Norway.

The modern Port of Haugesund no longer has the rich herring fisheries, and its economy relies more on the oil industry.

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