Haugesund is a town within the Municipality of Haugesund, and is the capital of the municipality. It is within the Rogaland county in the country of Norway. It had a population of roughly 32,000 (42,000 including all of the suburbs) as of January 2020. The "birthplace of Norway", as it is called, Avaldsnes, is approximately 8.5km away from the town. The town is named after the nearby Haugesundet strait which is close to the town.