Hønefoss facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Hønefoss
Unincorporated city
Hønefoss and Storelva river seen from the air
Hønefoss Location in Buskerud Show map of Buskerud Hønefoss Location in Norway Show map of Norway
Country	Norway
County	Buskerud
District	Ringerike
Municipality	Ringerike
City status	1852
Elevation	96 m (315 ft)
Population (14 December 2022)
• Total	16,547
Demonym(s)	Hønefossing
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)

Hønefoss is a town in Norway. It is the main town of the Ringerike area in Buskerud county. Hønefoss is known as an important center for factories and other businesses in eastern Norway. As of 2022, about 16,547 people live there.

The town got its official status in 1852. It grew up around the powerful Hønefossen waterfall, which is how it got its name. From 1852 to 1964, Hønefoss was its own separate municipality. After 1964, it became part of the larger Ringerike municipality. Today, it is the main trading spot for people living in Ringerike, Hole, and Jevnaker.

What's in a Name?

The name Hønefoss comes from the waterfall called Hønefossen. The first part, Høne-, comes from an old farm name, Hønen. This farm name likely meant something like "meadow" in Old Norse. The second part, -foss, simply means "waterfall" in Norwegian. So, it's like "Hønen's Waterfall."

Where is Hønefoss?

Hønefoss is located about 63 kilometers (or 39 miles) northwest of Oslo, the capital city of Norway. It sits north of a large lake called Tyrifjorden. In Hønefoss, two rivers, the Begna and the Randselva, meet just below the Hønefossen waterfall. They then form a new river called Storelva, which flows into Lake Tyrifjord.

Getting Around Hønefoss

Hønefoss is a key transport hub in eastern Norway.

The European route E16 highway, which connects Oslo to Bergen, passes near the town.
Other important roads like Norwegian national road 35 and Norwegian National Road 7 also run through or end in Hønefoss.

The Hønefoss Station is a very important train station. It connects several major train lines:

The Bergen Line, which goes between Oslo and Bergen.
The Randsfjord Line.
The Roa–Hønefoss Line.

The station first opened in 1868. The current station building has been in use since 1909.

Hønefoss Economy

Hønefoss has many factories and businesses. It used to be home to Norske Skog Follum, a very large paper mill that started in 1873. This mill was one of Europe's biggest producers of newsprint (the paper used for newspapers). However, the paper mill closed down in 2012.

The town also has its own regional newspaper called Ringerikes Blad. It covers news for Ringerike, Hole, and Jevnaker. This newspaper started way back in 1845 and is published every day in Hønefoss.

Hønefoss Climate

Hønefoss has a climate with warm summers and cold, snowy winters. This type of climate is called a humid continental climate. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Hønefoss was 33.7 degrees Celsius (92.7 degrees Fahrenheit) in July 2018. The coldest temperature ever recorded was -27.1 degrees Celsius (-16.8 degrees Fahrenheit) in January 2024.

Climate data for Hønefoss 1991-2020 (Høyby, 140 m, average high/low 2006-2017, extremes 2005-2023, precip days 1961-90)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	13 (55)	14.2 (57.6)	20.5 (68.9)	23.9 (75.0)	30.1 (86.2)	31.6 (88.9)	33.7 (92.7)	29.1 (84.4)	24.7 (76.5)	19.2 (66.6)	15.7 (60.3)	12.2 (54.0)	33.7 (92.7)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	−1.2 (29.8)	−0.3 (31.5)	5.9 (42.6)	11.6 (52.9)	16.7 (62.1)	20.9 (69.6)	23.0 (73.4)	20.9 (69.6)	16.8 (62.2)	9.5 (49.1)	3.8 (38.8)	−0.5 (31.1)	10.6 (51.1)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−4.1 (24.6)	−3.5 (25.7)	0.5 (32.9)	5.3 (41.5)	10.6 (51.1)	14.8 (58.6)	17.3 (63.1)	15.9 (60.6)	11.5 (52.7)	5.5 (41.9)	0.8 (33.4)	−3.3 (26.1)	5.9 (42.7)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−7.4 (18.7)	−6.8 (19.8)	−3.2 (26.2)	0.8 (33.4)	5.6 (42.1)	9.8 (49.6)	12.5 (54.5)	11.2 (52.2)	7.7 (45.9)	2.7 (36.9)	−1.0 (30.2)	−5.9 (21.4)	2.2 (35.9)
Record low °C (°F)	−27.1 (−16.8)	−24.7 (−12.5)	−19 (−2)	−9.3 (15.3)	−3.2 (26.2)	2.7 (36.9)	5.2 (41.4)	1.8 (35.2)	−2.8 (27.0)	−8.3 (17.1)	−16.2 (2.8)	−21.8 (−7.2)	−27.1 (−16.8)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	34 (1.3)	25 (1.0)	27 (1.1)	32 (1.3)	55 (2.2)	69 (2.7)	73 (2.9)	85 (3.3)	65 (2.6)	62 (2.4)	50 (2.0)	32 (1.3)	609 (24.1)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm)	8	6	7	7	9	9	11	10	10	10	9	8	104
Source: Norwegian Meteorological Institute eklima.met.no

Sports in Hønefoss

Hønefoss is home to some exciting sports teams:

Hønefoss BK is a football (soccer) club. As of 2016, they play in the Norwegian Third Division.
The Ringerike Panthers are an ice hockey team. They play in the top league of Norwegian hockey, called the Eliteserien.

Cool Places to Visit

Hønefoss and its surroundings have several interesting cultural attractions:

Ringerikes Museum

The Ringerikes Museum is located in the old Norderhov Rectory. It has a special collection of religious paintings (icons), rune stones (ancient carved stones), and personal items that belonged to Jørgen Engebretsen Moe. Jørgen Moe was a famous Norwegian author. He is best known for collecting Norwegian folk tales with Peter Christen Asbjørnsen. The museum is part of the Buskerud Museum group.

Buskerud Photography Archive

This archive stores a large collection of photographs and historical photo materials from the Buskerud region. It has about 200,000 photos, some dating back to the 1850s! The archive shares space with the Ringerikes Museum and is also part of the Buskerud Museum group.

Veien Cultural Heritage Park

Located in Hønefoss, this park is like a trip back in time. It has over 100 ancient burial mounds from the Early Iron Age. There's also a rebuilt longhouse (a type of ancient large house) and a museum. It's a great place to learn about early history. This park is also part of the Buskerud Museum group.

Ridder Farm

The Ridder Farm is an old family farm on the north side of Hønefoss. It dates back to 1730. For many years, it was home to the manager of the local sawmill. Since 1964, the Ringerike Municipality has taken care of the farm, working with the Ringerike Museum.

Famous People from Hønefoss

Many interesting people have connections to Hønefoss:

Anders Andersen (1846–1931) – A sawmill worker and politician.
Erika Stang (1861–1898) – A composer.
Leif Dietrichson (1890–1928) – A Norwegian military officer and aviation pioneer.
Karsten Alnæs (born 1938) – An author, historian, and journalist.
Per Inge Bjørlo (born 1952) – A sculptor, painter, and graphic designer who lives in Hønefoss.
Svein Olav Blindheim (born 1954) – A jazz musician and composer who lives in Hønefoss.
Geir Lippestad (born 1964) – A lawyer and politician.
Michele Waagaard (born 1980) – A Thai model, pop star, actress, and radio host.
Lars Fredrik Frøislie (born 1981) – A musician who plays keyboards and drums.
Nils Bech (born 1981) – A Norwegian singer.
Amal Aden (born 1983) – A Somali–Norwegian writer who has lived in Hønefoss since 2002.
Emilie Marie Nereng (born 1995) – A popular blogger, musician, and model.

Anne Line Gjersem, 2018

Camilla Gjersem, 2015

Sports Stars

Hønefoss has also produced several talented athletes:

Trygve Brodahl (1905–1996) – A cross-country skier.
Sverre Brodahl (1909–1998) – A Nordic skier who won bronze and silver medals at the 1936 Winter Olympics.
Frode Andresen (born 1973) – A biathlete and cross-country skier who lives in Hønefoss.
Frode Lafton (born 1976) – A former football player and now manager for Hønefoss BK.
Anne Line Gjersem & Camilla Gjersem (born 1994) – Twin sisters who are figure skaters.
Anders Jacobsen (born 1985) – A ski jumper who won a bronze medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics and the Four Hills Tournament.
Andrea Schjelderup Dalen (born 1992) – A professional ice hockey player.