In 1854, the King designated the market town of Kongsvinger as a kjøpstad, which gave it special rights.

The designation included a small patch of land on both sides of the river Glomma with an area of approximately 5.2 square kilometres (2 sq mi).

On 1 January 1986, the northern part of the Åbogen area (population: 14) was transferred from Kongsvinger to the neighboring municipality of Eidskog.

This can be compared to the similar Lithuanian word vìngis which means "bend", "bow", or "turn".

The first element of the name is the possessive form of kong (meaning "the King's") was added after the Kongsvinger Fortress was built in 1690.

The design is a stylized representation of Kongsvinger Fortress towering high above the river Glomma.

The river and fortress have a tincture of argent which means they are commonly colored white, but if the arms are made out of metal, then silver is used.

The village that later became Kongsvinger already existed as a trading center by the Middle Ages, due to the accessibility by natural waterways.

Below Kongsvinger fortress lies Øvrebyen, which literally translated means "upper town".

This is the oldest part of the town of Kongsvinger, and one can still find a number of the original houses built after the establishment of the fortress.

The rural, eastern parts of Kongsvinger and its neighboring municipalities to the north and south were populated at the end of the 17th century by Finnish emigrants who came across the Swedish border.

Kongsvinger played an important part in the Norwegian resistance force against the Nazis being a gateway to Sweden.

From 1983 to 1999, and again in 2010, Kongsvinger's association football team KIL Toppfotball held a position in the Norwegian Premier League.

It made some notable merits participating in the UEFA Cup and winning a silver medal during the 1992 season.

The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Kongsvinger is made up of 33 representatives that are elected to four year terms.