Stor-Elvdal is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of ÃÂsterdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Koppang. Other villages in the municipality include Atna, Evenstad, and Sollia.
The municipality is the 29th largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Stor-Elvdal Municipality is the 267th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 2,250. The municipality's population density is and its population has decreased by 15.7% over the previous 10-year period.
The parish of Store Elvedalen was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1965, the neighboring Sollia Municipality (population: 356) was merged with Stor-Elvdal Municipality (population: 3,808) to form a new, larger Stor-Elvdal Municipality.
Historically, the municipality was part of Hedmark county. On 1 January 2020, the municipality became a part of the newly-formed Innlandet county (after Hedmark and Oppland counties were merged).
The municipality (originally the parish) is named Stor-Elvdal after the large Elvdalen valley () which was the historical name for the whole area. The first element is the genitive case of the word which means "river", referring to the river Glomma which flows through the valley. The last element is which means "valley" or "dale". Thus this word means "river valley". The name also includes the prefix which means "big". This prefix was added to the old name "Elvdalen" to distinguish it from the nearby Lille-Elvdalen Municipality ("little Elvdalen", later the name was shortened to Alvdal Municipality). In the late Middle Ages the two areas were distinguished using the words Ytre Elvdalen (meaning "outer" Elvdalen) and ÃÂvre Elvdalen (meaning "upper" Elvdalen). Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Store Elvdalen or Stor-Elvedalen. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Stor-Elvdal, removing the definite form ending -en.
The coat of arms was granted on 12 February 1988. The official blazon is "Vert, two wood saws argent bendwise" (). This means the arms have a green field (background) and the charge is two diagonal two-man saws. 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 and color were chosen to symbolize the importance of forestry in the municipality. The arms were designed by Even Jarl Skoglund. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.
The Church of Norway has four parishes () within Stor-Elvdal Municipality. It is part of the Sør-ÃÂsterdal prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Hamar.
Stor-Elvdal Municipality is responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), 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 ÃÂsterdal District Court and the Eidsivating Court of Appeal.
The municipal council of Stor-Elvdal Municipality is made up of 17 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.
The mayor () of Stor-Elvdal 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:
Stor-Elvdal is bordered on the north by Folldal Municipality and Alvdal Municipality, on the east by Rendalen Municipality, in the south by àmot Municipality and Ringsaker Municipality, in the west by ÃÂyer Municipality and Ringebu Municipality, and in the northwest by Sør-Fron Municipality.
The lake Atnsjøen is located in the northwestern part of the municipality, just outside Rondane National Park. The river Glomma runs through the municipality. The highest point in the municipality is the tall mountain Gravskardhøgda in the far northern edge of the municipality.
Stor-Elvdal Municipality boasts the second tallest moose statue in the world. The Big Elk is a steel giant moose at the side of the Norwegian National Road 3.
Stor-Elvdal Municipality has sister city agreements with the following places: