Odder Municipality

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Location of Odder municipality

Odder municipality is a municipality (Danish, kommune) in Region Midtjylland on the east coast of the Jutland peninsula in central Denmark just south of Aarhus and is a part of the Aarhus area. The municipality includes the islands of Alrø and Tunø, and covers an area of 225 km². It has a total population of 21,562 (2008). Its mayor is Niels Ulrik Bugge, a member of the Venstre (Liberal Party) political party.

The main town and the site of its municipal council is the town of Odder. Other towns in the municipality include Dyngby Hage, Gylling, Hov, Saksild Strand, and Skoven.

Odder municipality was not merged with other municipalities due to the nationwide Kommunalreform ("The Municipal Reform" of 2007) and is currently one of the smallest municipalities in Denmark.

Neighboring municipalities with land connection are Aarhus to the north, and Skanderborg and Horsens to the west. The municipality is surrounded by water on two sides, to the south and east. Neighboring former municipality Juelsminde to the south is separated from the municipality by the waters of the Kattegat and Horsens Fjord, and neighboring island municipality Samsø to the east is separated from the municipality by the Kattegat.

The municipality is connected near the town of Skoven over Horsens Fjord to the island of Alrø by bridge; a bicycle ferry continues from Alrø to the town of Snaptun in neighboring municipality Juelsminde. Car ferry service connects the municipality at the town of Hov to the harbour near Tunø By on the island of Tunø, and to the town of Sælvig on the island of Samsø. Both of these islands are located in the Kattegat.

[edit] The town of Odder

Main article: Odder

The town of Odder is located south of the city of Aarhus. The 26.5 kilometer Odderbanen train line connects the town and other towns in the municipality to Aarhus. The railway line is affectionately known as Oddergrisen ("The Odder Pig"). The original A/S Hads-Ning Herreders Jernbane train line was established in 1884.