The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1980 in cross-country skiing took place in Falun, Sweden on 8 March 1980. This was an extraordinary event because the women's 20 km event was not held at the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid.

March 8, 1980

Medal	Athlete	Time
Gold	Veronika Hesse (GDR)	1:01:58.23
Silver	Galina Kulakova (URS)	1:02:26.34
Bronze	Raisa Smetanina (URS)	1:02:41.70
4	Marlies Rostock (GDR)	1:03:20.01
5	Nina Baldycheva (URS)	1:03:25.59
6	Zinaida Amosova (URS)	1:03:57.13
7	Berit Aunli (NOR)	1:04:35.90
8	Carola Anding (GDR)	1:05:09.84
9	Shirley Firth (CAN)	1:05:38.91
10	Anette Bøe (NOR)	1:06:09.25

Venue: Falun, Sweden

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	East Germany (GDR)	1	0	0	1
2	Soviet Union (URS)	0	1	1	2
Totals (2 entries)		1	1	1	3

• List of FIS Nordic WSC Women's 20 km champions: 1978-87