Other villages in the municipality include Fredvang, Napp, Nusfjord, Sund, and Vareid.

Another option is that it derived from the word flag which meant "rock wall", possibly referring to the large cliff near the church site.

The last element is the plural form of staðr which means "homestead", "abode", or "farm".

The official blazon is "Azure, a mooring bollard argent" (Norwegian: I blått en sølv tørnbolt).

This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a mooring bollard which is a type of fixed device used for tying a hawser line from a boat to the dock.

The mooring bollard has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used.

The blue color in the field symbolizes the importance of the sea and the mooring bollard was chosen to represent the municipality's seafaring history.

The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Flakstad is made up of 11 representatives that are elected to four year terms.

The large lake Solbjørnvatnet lies on the northern part of Moskenesøya in Flakstad.