The village is located in the upper Torridal valley along the river Otra, about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) north of the city of Kristiansand.

[3] The village of Vennesla has significant industry, and nearby along the river Otra there are several hydroelectric power plants.

The village has considerable government, commercial, and service industries as well as the Vennesla high school which has both general and vocational classes.

[1] The "village" of Vennesla has 12,816 residents in 2016 which makes it one of the largest urban areas in the county, and it is much larger than many towns in Southern Norway.

There has been political talk of granting town status to Vennesla, but there was little support, so politicians have not pursued the cause.