Reykjavík

City of Reykyavík Reykjavíkurborg
Reykjavik seen from Hallgrímskirkja
Flag Coat of arms
City of Reykyavík Location in Iceland
Coordinates: 64°8′51″N 21°56′6″W / 64.14750°N 21.93500°W / 64.14750; -21.93500
Constituency	Reykjavík North Reykjavík South
Government
• Mayor (Borgarstjóri)	Heiða Björg Hilmisdóttir
Area
• City	274.5 km2 (106 sq mi)
• Metro	777 km2 (300 sq mi)
Population  (October 1 2008)
• City	120,165
• Density	436.5/km2 (1,131/sq mi)
• Metro	201,847
• Metro density	259.4/km2 (672/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+0 (GMT)
Website	http://www.rvk.is/
Postal Codes: 101-155

Reykjavík is the capital city of the island country of Iceland. It is also the largest city in that country. The population of Reykyavík is over 117,000 people. There is a geothermal bath, both natural and unnatural in appearance. It is in the capital and people relax in this hot spring during the cooler months. Björk, an Icelandic singer, is from Reykyavík.

History

Reykjavík was originally founded in 874 when Ingólfur Arnarson settled in the location of the city. For most of the cities history, it was mostly a collection of small farms scattered around the area rather than a large city.

Reykjavík became the capital of Iceland when it was part of Denmark in 1918, and has remained the main setealment in the country since independence in 1944.

Geography

The city is located in the southern part of the country, located at a latitude of 64°08′ N, making it the northernmost capital city in the world. The city is located near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and experience geothermal activity. The city experiences almost 24 hours of daylight around the summer solstice and close to 4 hours of daylight in the winter.

People from Reykjavik

• Jón Kalman Stefánsson (born 1963), writer, poet
• Magnús Scheving (born 1964), writer, entrepreneur, producer, actor and athlete
• Björk (born 1965), singer, songwriter, actress, record producer and DJ
• Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir (born 1965), politician

Gallery

• 
  Statue of Leif Erikson near the Hallgrimskirkja
• 
  The Harpa Hall located in the city
• 
  View of Reykjavík from the Perlan

Other websites

• Media related to Reykjavík at Wikimedia Commons

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1. ↑ "History of Reykjavík | Visit Reykjavík". visitreykjavik.is. Retrieved 2026-10-28.
2. ↑ "Reykjavík | Iceland, History, Map, & Population | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2026-10-22. Retrieved 2026-10-28.
3. ↑ "Reykjavík, Iceland | Geography and Cartography | Research Starters | EBSCOhost". EBSCO. Retrieved 2026-10-28.