Stavanger is a city and municipality located on the Stavanger Peninsula in southwest Norway. It serves as the administrative center of Rogaland county and holds the distinction of being the third largest city and metropolitan area in the country. The municipality is also ranked as the fourth most populous in Norway.
The city's official founding year is recognized as 1125, coinciding with the completion of the Stavanger Cathedral. Much of the city's core consists of protected 18th- and 19th-century wooden houses that are considered significant cultural heritage. This preservation has allowed the town center to maintain a small-town character with a high ratio of detached houses, which has influenced population growth toward the outlying areas of Greater Stavanger.