The borough comprises much of the city centre of downtown Trondheim plus part of the Bymarka rural areas to the west.

[2][3] Midtbyen dates back to the Viking Age when it started as a marketplace, in 997 according to the saga of Olav Tryggvason.

Just over the canal on Brattøra is Trondheim Central Station providing both local and express train services.

[5] The southern part of Midtbyen is dominated by places of worship, including Nidaros Cathedral (Nidarosdomen) and the Vår Frue Church, while Kalvskinnet, the southwestern sections of Midtbyen, hosts the engineering and computer faculty of Sør-Trøndelag University College and the institute of archaeology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

The central area of Midtbyen is dominated by financial institutions, including the corporate headquarters of Sparebanken Midt-Norge, BNbank and Fokus Bank.