Some of the villages in Grimstad include Eide, Espenes, Fevik, Fjære, Håbbestad, Hesnes, Homborsund, Jortveit, Kroken, Landvik, Nygrenda, Prestegårdskogen, Reddal, Roresand, Rønnes, Skiftenes, Tjore, Vik, and Østerhus.

The municipality is centered around the little maritime town of Grimstad which is surrounded by many small islands (Skjærgård).

Ibsen's intimate knowledge of the local people and surroundings can be seen in his poem Terje Vigen.

[4] The majority of the inhabitants live in and around the town, while the rest of the municipality is rural and heavily forested.

The town's name was originally spelled Grømstad, when Norway was part of the Kingdom of Denmark-Norway.

This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a two-masted brig, a type of sailing ship, on top of three wavy lines which symblize the ocean.

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.

On 1 July 1532, he surrendered to his rival, King Frederick I of Denmark, in exchange for a promise of safe conduct.

John Frederik Classen, who owned the Frolands Værk (an ironworks), obtained concessions to export and import through Grimstad and bypass Arendal with its customs dues.

The municipality is bordered by Arendal in the east, Froland and Birkenes in the north, and Lillesand in the west.

In recent times, snow usually melts fast along the coast, but the right weather setup can sometimes give large snowfalls.

The weather station in Landvik, 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) inland from the town of Grimstad, has been recording since 1957.

The town is also a popular destination for summer vacationers, and supports a robust shopping milieu during the Christmas season.

Another popular attraction is the Agder Teater at Fjæreheia, an open-air stage located in a disused stone quarry.

[38] The FK Jerv is the most important football club, and plays for first time at the top division in 2022.