Its mayor as of 2010 is Morten Slotved, a member of the Conservative People's Party (Det Konservative Folkeparti).

Wealthy households are attracted to Hørsholm by its comparatively low income tax rate, proximity to forests and the sea.

Hørsholm was the site of the infamous Hirschholm Palace, which served as the summer retreat for King Christian VII and his court in 1771, when his consort, Queen Caroline Matilda, gave birth to her child by Johann Friedrich Struensee, Princess Louise Augusta.

The castle, referred to as the "Versailles of the North", was neglected after that fateful year and torn down by Frederick VI, the King's son, in order to provide building materials for Christiansborg Palace, which had burned down in 1794.

Hørsholm Church, built in 1832 and designed by Christian Frederik Hansen, is now found on the spot where the castle once stood.