A contact device, characterized by including: a pair of fixed contacts (111, 112) fixedly disposed maintaining a predetermined interval inside an arc extinguishing chamber, said interval extending along a first direction; a movable contact disposed so as to be connectable to and detachable from the pair of fixed contacts (111, 112) inside the arc extinguishing chamber; and two arc extinguishing permanent magnets (143, 144) for forming a magnetic field, a second direction being defined by a line extending from one magnet to the other, wherein a first arc root movement promotion portion (118b, 118c) that promotes movement in a direction away from the movable contact of the root of an arc generated when the contacts are opened and the movable contact moves away is formed on each of the pair of fixed contacts (111, 112), a second arc root movement promotion portion (130b, 130c) promotes movement in a direction away from the relevant fixed contact of the root of an arc generated when the contacts are opened and the movable contact moves away from the pair of fixed contacts is formed on the movable contact, and characterized in that said first direction being transversal relative to said second direction, in that each of the pair of fixed contacts (111, 112) is formed in a C-shape, of which the inner side is opened, from an upper plate portion and lower plate portion disposed maintaining a predetermined interval and a connecting plate portion linking outer ends of the upper plate portion and lower plate portion, and the movable contact is movably disposed between the upper plate portion and lower plate portion, and in that the first arc root movement promotion (118b, 118c) portion is configured of arc runners (161a, 161b) that are formed on end surfaces of the fixed contact (111, 112) perpendicular to the direction of current flow and protrude extending to the side opposite to that of the movable contact. a pair of fixed contacts (111, 112) fixedly disposed maintaining a predetermined interval inside an arc extinguishing chamber, said interval extending along a first direction; a movable contact disposed so as to be connectable to and detachable from the pair of fixed contacts (111, 112) inside the arc extinguishing chamber; and two arc extinguishing permanent magnets (143, 144) for forming a magnetic field, a second direction being defined by a line extending from one magnet to the other, wherein a first arc root movement promotion portion (118b, 118c) that promotes movement in a direction away from the movable contact of the root of an arc generated when the contacts are opened and the movable contact moves away is formed on each of the pair of fixed contacts (111, 112), a second arc root movement promotion portion (130b, 130c) promotes movement in a direction away from the relevant fixed contact of the root of an arc generated when the contacts are opened and the movable contact moves away from the pair of fixed contacts is formed on the movable contact, and characterized in that said first direction being transversal relative to said second direction, in that each of the pair of fixed contacts (111, 112) is formed in a C-shape, of which the inner side is opened, from an upper plate portion and lower plate portion disposed maintaining a predetermined interval and a connecting plate portion linking outer ends of the upper plate portion and lower plate portion, and the movable contact is movably disposed between the upper plate portion and lower plate portion, and in that the first arc root movement promotion (118b, 118c) portion is configured of arc runners (161a, 161b) that are formed on end surfaces of the fixed contact (111, 112) perpendicular to the direction of current flow and protrude extending to the side opposite to that of the movable contact.