The area has been settled since the Norwegian Iron Age. It is also mentioned as a site for council in 1390. It had a lively market by the 1800s, and obtained rights as a merchant city on 7 August 1827, at which point there were 50 registered residents within its boundaries.
The town of Lillehammer was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838.
Further information: formannskapsdistrikt
The rural municipality of F�berg was merged into the municipality of Lillehammer on 1 January 1964.
Lillehammer was the site of the Lillehammer affair in 1973 where operatives of the Israeli Mossad shot and killed a Moroccan waiter they mistakenly thought was involved in the Munich Massacre.
Lillehammer was host city of the 1994 Winter Olympics. It is known for being a typical venue for winter sporting events. Lillehammer will host the 2016 Winter Youth Olympics.
In 2005, the popular British automotive show Top Gear aired its "Winter Olympics special", an episode of various Olympic event-themed challenges involving cars, set in the surrounding area of Lillehammer
