Son is a small town community in the southern part of the municipality of Vestby in Akershus (now Viken) county. The center of Son is situated by the Oslofjord, by Sonskilen, and features one of the fjords deepest harbors. In addition, Son comprises four residental areas: Deør Skog, Store Brevik and Øståsen. There are also smaller populational areas.
A majority of the municipality´s around 6000 inhabitants lives in the residental areas, with only one smaller population in the center. Son is also a popular and relatively exclusive leisure home area. Son borders to the city Moss 11 km in the south (only 3 km by road from it´s municipality border).
The small-boat harbor is among the most attractive of all in the Oslofjord, with many users from other parts of the region south of Oslo.
Soon Seilforening has long been among the areas most active sailboat associations, and it gained national attention with Siren Sundby`s Goldmedal in the 2004´s Summer Olympics (Women´s Single Handed Dinghy).
Son was an important timber trade harbor during the Dutch era. Partly timber chop wood from around Son, floated down the river, was shipped out. On several Dutch maps, the oldest one from 1582, the Oslofjord is named Zoen Water.
In 1604, Son was granted «ladested» (small seaport village) received city status with its own taxation rights. Several of the buildings in the center is from the great period that followed, among them Thornegården from 1641 and the estates Stoltenberggården and Spinnerigården. Spinnerigården is named after the Ove Meyer Tobacco spinnery. The Meyer Company stayed there to 1750. The buildings are preserved.
Early in the twentieth century Son became a place for artists. Famous people like Nils Kjær, Ludvig Karsten, Hermann Wildenvey, Ronald Fangen and the eccentric painter Carl Dørnberger are among those who settled there. Also today a number of wellknown artists resides in Son.
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