Scenery and nature are characterised by a rolling agricultural landscape, mild coastal climate, shallow lakes and long, sandy beaches. Tinghaug is the highest point, lying just 102 metres above sea level.

The municipality covers an area of 115 sq. km. 80 sq. km of this is farmland. Agriculture, manufacturing industries and private and public services are the main sources of employment.

Currently the population stands at just over 16,000.

Many nice people live in Klepp. We aim for good and safe local communities, quality schools and good cultural opportunities for our children. We believe that the children are the future.

Klepp has 170 different organisations, which creates a feeling of community. Sport is the great common denominator for these organisations.

Over the years Klepp has produced a number of great sportsmen and women that have put the area on the map.

Klepp offers a wide range of musical and cultural activities, in which people of all ages participate, thus providing an important resource for the local community.

A female chief and the great plague
Around 8,000 years ago the first Klepp inhabitants hunted wild boar in the oak forests and caught salmon in the Figgjo river. Along the river there are several caves which were used as dwellings in the stone age.

Traces of previous generations abound in the local farmland. A richly furnished woman's burial mound was found at Krosshaug. An ancient female chief, perhaps? And who lies within the burial mounds on the beach at Sele?

Times of both prosperity and hardship have left their mark. The great plague laid many farms to waste. The old stone church by the Orre river has witnessed such tragedies as well as new developments.

A haven for birds
The marshlands of the Orre lake, the Gruda lake and Revtangen are internationally renowned for the amount and variety of birds. Klepp is host to an unusual abundance of guests of the feathered kind.

Our nutritious, shallow lakes are feeding grounds for a lot of both migrating and overwintering wading birds and ducks.

The ornithological station in Revtangen is of historical importance to Norwegian bird research.

Sandy beaches for all seasons
The prettiest and longest sandy beaches in the country are situated in Klepp. In Bore and Orre the beaches are swarming with people on hot summer days.

The beaches are perhaps even more fascinating outside the swimming season. The changing light, the smells and the endless ocean are timeless factors in a stressful everyday life. A walk on the beach on a stormy autumn day with the sea raging is very different from a summers day with light winds and bathing children. The contrasts are great and many along the Jæren coast.

Salmon fishing and duck shooting have traditions, but maybe you prefer peaceful pastimes such as ''hunting'' for spring flowers in March or mushrooms in September?

Living building traditions
Traditionally houses in Jæren were adapted to the open, windy landscape. The characteristic ''Jær'' house and the stone fences blended naturally into the farmland.

In recent years, after a period with emphasis on catalogue houses, we have seen a return to the ideas and building traditions of the past. A new focus on aesthetics and tradition which is also reflected in the renaissance of stone fences.

Jæren as a subject in Norwegian art
The open landscape and the ocean create a unique atmosphere that have been a source of inspiration for artists way back to the previous century. Kitty Kielland and Nicolay Ulfsten in particular introduced Jæren as a subject. Many new Jæren painters have followed in their footsteps.

The high sky, the light, the ocean and a never-ending horizon inspire thoughts and emotions which have resulted in some of the highlights of Norwegian literature. Åse Marie Nesse from Klepp is a well known modern Norwegian poet.

Agriculture plays a central role
Klepp has good natural conditions for agriculture and most of the land is at present productive farmland.

Agricultural development has been strong and rapid. Thousands of acres of heathered moors have been transformed into fertile soil. New and intensified methods of production are characteristic of today's farming. Able and hardworking farmers have made Klepp the second largest farming community in Rogaland, and one of the foremost in the country.

Many research stations and centres of competence, based on farming, have developed in Klepp.

World class industry
The industry has developed together with the agriculture. The real industrial fairytale started in little smithies and workshops over a hundred years ago. These village smithies were later expanded into factories.

Kverneland ASA in Øksnevad has experienced a particularly large expansion, and is today the worlds largest manufacturer of farming equipment.

Several of our companies are top of the league with regard to technology and competence. Klepp is a focal point in Rogaland for the dairy industry, with a research centre and several dairies.