Reykjavik

About Reykjavik

Reykjavík is the capital and largest city of Iceland. It is located on the southern shore of the Faxaflói bay in southwest Iceland and has a latitude of 64°08′ N, making it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. Reykjavík has a population of around 140,000 as of 2026, and the surrounding Capital Region has a population of around 252,000, constituting approximately 64% of Iceland's population.

According to Landnámabók, the settlement of Iceland began in Reykjavík when Ingólfur Arnarson arrived from Norway in the year 874. For over 900 years following this, there was no urban development; the city was officially founded in 1786 as a trading town and grew steadily as it transformed into its current state as the centre of Iceland's cultural, economic, and governmental activity. It is popular with tourists and is consistently ranked as one of the cleanest, safest, and most environmentally friendly cities in the world.

According to legend, the first permanent Norse settlement in Iceland was established at Reykjavík by Ingólfr Arnarson circa AD 870, as described in the Book of Settlement. Ingólfr is said to have decided the location of his settlement using a...

Overview adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA. Photography via Wikimedia Commons.