Located just north of the town of Harstad, the village of Trondenes was the administrative centre of the municipality.

The Trondenes Historical Center was built in 1997 near the church to teach about the history of the area.

The areas east of the Tjeldsundet strait and east of the Vågsfjorden (population: 2,443) became Skånland Municipality and the areas on the west side of the Tjeldsundet and Vågsfjorden were split two ways.

The first element is the genitive case of the word þróndr which means "hog", referring to the shape of a nearby mountain.

At the time of the municipal dissolution, it was part of the Trondenes prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland.

The highest point in the municipality is the 987-metre (3,238 ft) tall mountain Skjellesvikgalten on the island of Grytøya.

The municipal council (Herredsstyre) of Trondenes was made up of 29 representatives that were elected to four year terms.