Norden consists of the town itself and ten official subdistricts. In addition to the old town centre, the main town includes the former municipality of Sandbauerschaft and the subdistricts Ekel, Lintel and Westgaste. They are divided into various quarters and residential areas such as Neustadt, Westlintel, Ostlintel, Ekelergaste, In der Wirde, Vierzig Diemat, Martensdorf, or "millionaire quarter". They have in common that they do not have any administrative function, but are places referred to in everyday local language.
The main town and the villages of Bargebur, Norddeich, Süderneneuland I and Süderneuland II, as well as parts of Westermarsch II, have largely grown together, and with the exception of Norddeich and Westermarsch II, form extensive residential and commercial areas in the south and east of the borough. About 92.5% of the total urban population live in this "metropolitan area".[4] The remaining subdistricts continue to be very rural and mostly sparsely populated, but they occupy by far the largest share of the total area of the borough.
Norden was the seat of Dornkaat distillers (est. 1806), producer a.o. of the nationwide known brand Dornkaat, a triple distilled korn. The vast production area is kept under monument law, partially a museum, but mostly with new companies in the old buildings.