Other population centres in Sandefjord include Andebu, Fevang, Fokserød, Fossnes, Freberg, Hafallen, Helgerød, Himberg, Høyjord, Kodal, Lahelle, Melsomvik, Råstad, Solløkka, Stokke, Storevar, Strand, and Unneberg.

The whale symbolizes that in the late 19th and early 20th century, Sandefjord was a main home port for whalers operating in the southern oceans.

The Viking, an exact replica of the Gokstad ship, crossed the Atlantic Ocean from Bergen to be exhibited at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893.

A majority of spa visitors were from Norway, but international guests from Germany, Britain, and the United States also visited the spas of Sandefjord.

[42]: 200  The fire, which started on the night before 16 March 1900, led to the entire city center burning down, including important business offices.

[61]: 116–117 German forces constructed two coastal forts in Sandefjord, located at the southern tips of two local peninsulas: Vesterøya and Østerøya.

Skålsvik was killed, along with the captain, when the ship DS Kong Bjørn was attacked by allied warplanes by Ryvingen Lighthouse in 1944.

[61]: 192 In the fall of 1941, German occupation forces replaced Sandefjord's city manager Finn Sandberg with NS-member Frithjof Holtedahl who was soon appointed mayor.

Even not including the boundary adjustments between the municipalities of Sandar and Sandefjord in 1888, this population increase was substantially higher than most Norwegian cities.

[40]: 29  Napperødtjern lies a few hundred meters north of Goksjø and is a nature preserve surrounded by swamp forests and wetland.

[73] Warm breezes from the Skagerrak cause a mild climate, and Sandefjord experiences the highest annual number of cloud-free days in Norway.

[23]: 147 Religious minorities with congregations in town include Pentecostals (Salem), Catholics (St. Johannes Døperen), Methodists (Metodistkirken), Seventh-day Adventists (Adventkirken), Baptists (Baptistkirken), Norwegian Lutheran Mission (Den lille gren), Jehovas Witnesses (Rikets Sal) and Muslims (Alkawther Islam Center and Sandefjord Islamic Center).

[70]: 313 [118] The largest minority groups in 2017 (first- and second generation immigrants) are Lithuanians (1.95%), Polish (1.93%), Iraqis (1.24%), Vietnamese (0.80%), Germans (0.71%), Swedes (0.69%), Kosovans (0.67%), Bosnians (0.64%), and Danes (0.51%).

High-tech and information technology have become important industries in recent times,[23]: 5–6  represented by some of Norway's largest web shops: Komplett, mpx.no, and netshop.no.

[37]: 398 [12]: 74  The city of Sandefjord is in the southern part of the municipality and it lies on a low, slightly inclined strand, protected on three sides by hills, and only open towards the south where the Sandefjordsfjord is located.

[21]: 352 [33]: 83 [139] Midtåsen Sculpture Park contains a collection of bronze and marble works by sculptor Knut Steen, which is housed in a pine forest pavilion overlooking Sandefjord and the Sandefjordsfjord.

There are around 100 sculptures from over 50 artists and sculptors including Ørnulf Bast, Nils Aas, Dagfin Werenskiold, Knut Steen, Per Krogh, and others.

Notable sculptures include the Whaler's Monument and the Sea Queen (Havdronningen) by Arnold Haukeland, which is located outside Hjertnes Civic and Theater Center.

A polar bear sculpture by Skule Waksvik is located outside Sandefjord Museum, while a whale jawbone arch is placed outside Scandic Park Hotel.

[154] Torp offers direct routes to over 30 international and domestic destinations,[155] including daily flights to European cities such as London and Amsterdam.

[159] Sandefjord is also home to a domestic ferry route: MF Jutøya transports people and goods to the nearby island of Veierland from Engø peninsula several times per day.

Fast and frequent express buses from Sandefjord shuttle along the European route E18 highway, connecting to Kristiansand and linking key resorts in Southern Norway.

The 60-acre (24 ha) park sits by Sandefjord High School and is also home to a walking path, duck pond and designated picnic areas.

[172] Sandefjord High School (SVGS) and its two-story 32,000-square-metre (340,000 sq ft) facilities are located at Krokemoa near the Bugårds Park.

High school students travel abroad for cultural and service-oriented trips, mostly to areas in Europe, Central Asia, and Africa.

[177] Notable points of interest include:[31][178] Sandefjord has some of Eastern Norway's largest preserved coastal recreation areas.

[47]: 177  There are 20 kilometres (12 mi) of coastal hiking trails on Østerøya peninsula, including to its southern tip where Tønsberg Barrel is located.

[160][185] Additional hiking trails are found at Preståsen, Hjertnes Forest, Fjellvikåsen, Mokollen, Midtås, as well as the Culture Walk.

[199] Several islands with beaches are only accessible by boat, including Gokstadholmen, Lindholmen, Gåsø, Furuholmen, Gåsøkalven, Ravnø, Buerøya and Hellesøya.

[70]: 22 Sandefjord is mentioned in a number of songs, including "Ola var fra Sandefjord" (by Einar Rose, later recorded by the Johnny Band and others), "I Sandefjord by [no]" (Anita Hegerland), "En sang om en sjømann" (Lillebjørn Nilsen), "Oasen 2014" (Tix), "Medvind" (Erik og Kriss), "Vanvittig Utopi II" (Gatas Parlament), "Så Det På TV" (Postgirobygget), and "Helt om natten, helt om dagen" (Lars Vaular).