2016 Norwegian First Division
The 2016 1. divisjon was a Norwegian second-tier football league season. The league was contested by 16 teams, and the top two teams were promoted to Tippeligaen, while the teams placed from third to sixth place played a promotion-playoff against the 14th-placed team in Tippeligaen to win promotion. The bottom four teams were be relegated to the 2. divisjon.
The first round of the season was played on 9 April 2016 and the season concluded with the last round on 30 October 2016. The playoff-tournament was played between 6 and 21 November 2016.
Team changes from 2015
In the 2015 1. divisjon, Sogndal, and Brann won promotion to Tippeligaen, while Follo, Nest-Sotra, Bærum and Hønefoss were relegated to the 2016 2. divisjon.Mjøndalen, and Sandefjord, were relegated from the 2015 Tippeligaen, while KFUM Oslo, Raufoss, Ull/Kisa and Kongsvinger were promoted from the 2015 2. divisjon.
Teams
| Team | Location | Arena | Capacity | Manager |
| Bryne | Bryne | Bryne Stadion | 10,000 |  Alf Inge Berntsen |
| Fredrikstad | Fredrikstad | Fredrikstad Stadion | 12,565 | Jan Halvor Halvorsen |
| Hødd | Ulsteinvik | Høddvoll Stadion | 3,825 | Hans-Erik Eriksen |
| Jerv | Grimstad | J.J. Ugland Stadion – Levermyr | 1,750 | Arne Sandstø |
| KFUM | Oslo | KFUM Arena | 1,500 | Ståle Andersen |
| Kongsvinger | Kongsvinger | Gjemselund Stadion | 6,700 |  Luis Berkemeier Pimenta |
| Kristiansund | Kristiansund | Kristiansund Stadion | 3,000 | Christian Michelsen |
| Levanger | Levanger | Moan Fritidspark | 6,000 |  Magnus Powell |
| Mjøndalen | Mjøndalen | Isachsen Stadion | 4,350 | Vegard Hansen |
| Ranheim | Trondheim | DNB Arena | 2,000 | Svein Maalen |
| Raufoss | Raufoss | Nammo Stadion | 2,500 | Espen Haug |
| Sandefjord | Sandefjord | Komplett.no Arena | 6,000 | Lars Bohinen |
| Sandnes Ulf | Sandnes | Sandnes Idrettspark | 4,969 | Bengt Sæternes |
| Strømmen | Strømmen | Strømmen Stadion | 1,800 | Espen Olsen |
| Ull/Kisa | Jessheim | UKI Arena | 3,000 | Vegard Skogheim |
| Åsane | Åsane | Åsane Idrettspark | 3,000 | Morten Røssland |