The neighboring municipality of Hornindal (previously in Sogn og Fjordane county) and the Bjørke and Leira areas of Ørsta were merged with Volda to make a much larger Volda Municipality (in Møre og Romsdal county).

The official blazon was "Azure, a downwards pointing fountain pen nib argent" (Norwegian: På blå grunn ein nedvend sølv pennesplitt).

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

This design was chosen to symbolize the long history of education in Volda–it was the site of the first secondary school outside of a major city in Norway.

The official blazon is "Azure, a downwards pointing fountain pen nib flanked by two scythes endorsed argent".

This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is the tip of a fountain pen with a scythe on each side.

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.

Hornindal historically had large numbers of smiths and their scythe production was well known in the wider region.

The dominant centre, both in terms of population and administration, is the village of Volda, in the northernmost part of the municipality.

Other population concentrations include Mork, Ekset, Folkestad, Fyrde, Steinsvika, Lauvstad, Bjørkedal, Grodås, and Straumshamn.

A private library at Egset, the first rural of its kind in Norway, is said to have inspired the young Ivar Aasen in the 19th century.

Martin Ulvestad, Norwegian–American author who published an English-Danish-Norwegian dictionary in 1895, (Engelsk-Dansk-Norsk Ordbog med fuldstændig Udtalebetegnelse) was born in Volda.

As a logical consequence of the huge influx of students, as well as a county hospital, public services are by far the most dominant sector, representing almost 50% of economic life in Volda.

As noted, the municipality is criss-crossed by fjords; therefore, both Lauvstad and Folkestad are linked to the population centre Volda by ferry.

In February 2008, the underwater Eiksund Tunnel connected the municipalities of Ulstein, Hareid, Herøy, and Sande to Ørsta and Volda.

The Kviven Tunnel was completed in 2012, connecting Fyrde to the village of Grodås to the south on the other side of a large mountain.