Some of the main population centers include the villages of Hollingen, Aukrasanden, Varhaugvika, and Røssøyvågen.

On 1 January 1867, the islands that are located to the west of Gossa (population: 601) were separated to become the new Sandøy Municipality.

On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Aukra.

The official blazon is "Azure, two bracelets Or" (Norwegian: På blå grunn to gull ringar, 1-1).

This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is two Bronze Age bracelets.

The charge has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used.

Aukra is the site of a shipwreck and rescue operation, when the cargo ship Rokta on 4 April 1938.

The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Aukra is made up of 21 representatives that are elected to four year terms.

The mayors (Nynorsk: ordførar) of Aukra (incomplete list): The Nyhamna industrial area on the northeastern part of the island of Gossa in Aukra is the location from where the Langeled pipeline, transporting natural gas from the enormous Ormen Lange gas field to the United Kingdom, came onstream in 2007.