In 1917, a farmer in Sogndal (Kato Linde) plowed up the Eggja stone, a gravestone with runic inscriptions important for the history of the Old Norse language.

The original municipality was identical to the Sogndal parish (prestegjeld) with the sub-parishes (sokn) of Stedje, Norane, and Kaupanger.

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the Sokndalen valley (Old Norse: Sóknardalr) since the historic Stedje Church was built there.

The official blazon is "Azure, a ship's stern issuant Or" (Norwegian: På blå grunn ein oppveksande gull skipsstamn).

This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is the front of a Viking ship.

The charge has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used.

This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is an S-shaped curve that narrows towards the top of the design.

The charge has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used.

The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Sogndal is made up of 31 representatives that are elected to four year terms.

Students from all over Norway come to Sogndal and they create a high level of activity, which is hard to find in places of similar size.

Traditionally grain cultivation and animal husbandry were the most important, but forestry and fruit growing were also common.

In the historical records of King Sverre (12th century) there are words and names indicating that apples have been grown in this area.

Legal assemblies were held at Hofslund, the vicar lived just nearby, and the church was located within sight at Stedje.

By 1701, the number of permanent residents had reached 60–70, mainly people who did not own property but made their living as day laborers.

In 1881, there were house painters, a goldsmith, saddlers, carpenters, shoemakers, watchmakers, a tinker, and a butcher.

Ten years later, Sogndalsfjøra had its own insurance agent, a telephone operator, an ”automobile chauffeur”, a photographer, and a printer.

Situated along the river 300 metres (980 ft) upstream from the fjord, there was a matchstick factory from the mid-19th century onwards.

Later, a wool mill and a bottling plant for soft drinks and fruit juices were added.

[14] Sogndal is located on the northern shore of the large Sognefjorden, surrounding the Sogndalsfjorden which branches off the main fjord.

The municipality is cut in half by mountains and the Frudal Tunnel connects the southern (more populous) part of Sogndal to the Fjærland area in the north.

Due to vast topographical differences, the climate of Sogndal varies from temperate oceanic (Cfb) at sea level along the Sognefjord to subarctic (Dfc) at higher elevations to alpine tundra at the high elevations in the mountains above the treeline (above 900 m ASL).

Fjærland is situated near the head of a long and narrow fjord branch with less oceanic influences and surrounded by high mountains with Norway's largest glacier nearby.

Lerum Industries A/S, a producer of lemonade, syrup, juice, and jam, is a cornerstone company in Sogndal, and it is also the largest factory of its kind in Norway.

In spite of the small size of Sogndalsfjøra and the low population of the municipality, Sogndal has managed to spend several seasons in Norway's top division.

Together with the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Sognahallen has good facilities for sports education, rehabilitation, and testing.