The municipality covered an area of 325 km2, and had a total population of 15,302 (2005).
The municipality was created in 1970 due to a kommunalreform ("Municipality Reform") that combined the following parishes: Bredsten, Egtved, Jerlev, Nørup, Randbøl, Vester Nebel, Ødsted, and Øster Starup parishes.
This created a municipality with an area of 1,055 km2 and a total population of 82,935 (2005).
The new municipality belongs to Region of Southern Denmark.
The report on the structural reform of the public sector was published 9 January 2004, and presented to more than 1,000 politicians, researchers, and journalists 14 January 2004 in Vingstedcentret in Egtved Municipality.