[7] On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Sør-Odal, using an alternate word for "south" and removing the definite form ending -en.

The official blazon is "Gules, three keys Or in pall" (Norwegian: I rødt tre gull nøkler stilt i trepass).

The design was chosen to represent the three parishes of Oppstad, Strøm, and Ullern and the three local bodies of water: Glomma, Oppstadåa, and Storsjøen.

The municipality is a rural area in the Odalen valley that is located along the river Glåma and around the southern side of the lake Storsjøen.

It is bordered by the municipalities of Eidskog in the south, by Kongsvinger in the east, and by Nord-Odal and Grue in the north.

The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Sør-Odal is made up of 27 representatives that are elected to four year terms.

The mayors (Norwegian: ordfører) of Sør-Odal (incomplete list): The economy is based on a mix of manufacturing, farming, and services.