Øyestad

Øyestad is a former municipality in Agder county, Norway. It existed from 1838 until its dissolution and merger in 2020.

History:

Øyestad was established as a municipality on January 1, 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). Throughout its history, its borders changed several times:

• In 1878, a small uninhabited area was transferred from Øyestad to the neighboring municipality of Arendal.
• In 1962, an area of Øyestad was transferred to the neighboring municipality of Grimstad.

Merger:

On January 1, 2020, Øyestad municipality was merged with the municipalities of Arendal, Moland, and Tromøy to form the new, larger municipality of Arendal.

Geography:

Øyestad was located just northeast of the city of Arendal. It was primarily a rural area with scattered settlements. The landscape is characterized by rolling hills, forests, and agricultural land.

Name:

The municipality was named after the old Øyestad farm (Old Norse: Øyjarstaðir), since the first church was built there. The first element is the genitive plural of øy which means "island". The last element is staðir which means "homestead", "farm", or "place". This likely refers to the many small islands near the farm.

Other:

• Historically, the area had a strong agricultural base.
• Øyestad Church is located in the area.