Keflavík

Quality 0.50 · 2 views · Updated 2 months ago

title: "Keflavík" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["keflavík", "populated-places-in-southern-peninsula-(iceland)", "southern-peninsula-(iceland)", "populated-places-established-in-the-16th-century", "defence-of-iceland", "populated-coastal-places-in-iceland"] topic_path: "general/keflavik" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keflavík" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

FieldValue
official_nameKeflavík
native_name
settlement_typeTown
image_skyline20190621 CPH-KEF 7364 (48453776572).jpg
image_captionJune 2019 aerial view
image_mapReykjanesbaer map.png
map_captionLocation of the Municipality of Reykjanesbaer
pushpin_mapIceland
pushpin_label_positionright
pushpin_map_captionLocation in Iceland
subdivision_typeCountry
subdivision_nameIceland
subdivision_type1Constituency
subdivision_name1South Constituency
subdivision_type2Region
subdivision_name2Southern Peninsula
subdivision_type3Municipality
subdivision_name3Reykjanesbær
unit_prefImperial
population_as_of2018
population_total15,930
population_blank1_titleEthnicities
population_blank2_titleReligions
timezoneGMT
utc_offset+0
coordinates
elevation_footnotes
website
footnotesWhen combined with Njarðvík.
::

|official_name = Keflavík |other_name = |native_name =
|nickname = |settlement_type = Town |motto = |image_skyline = 20190621 CPH-KEF 7364 (48453776572).jpg |imagesize = |image_caption = June 2019 aerial view |image_flag = |flag_size = |image_seal = |seal_size = |image_shield = |shield_size = |image_map = Reykjanesbaer map.png |mapsize = |map_caption = Location of the Municipality of Reykjanesbaer |image_map1 = |mapsize1 = |map_caption1 = |pushpin_map = Iceland |pushpin_label_position =right |pushpin_map_caption =Location in Iceland |pushpin_mapsize = |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_name = Iceland |subdivision_type1 = Constituency |subdivision_name1 = South Constituency |subdivision_type2 = Region |subdivision_name2 = Southern Peninsula |subdivision_type3 = Municipality |subdivision_name3 = Reykjanesbær |government_footnotes = |government_type = |leader_title = |leader_name = |established_title = |established_date = |established_title2 = |established_date2 = |established_title3 = |established_date3 = |area_magnitude = |unit_pref = Imperial |area_footnotes = |area_total_km2 = |area_land_km2 = |area_water_km2 = |area_urban_km2 = |area_metro_km2 = |population_as_of = 2018 |population_footnotes = |population_note = |population_total = 15,930 |population_density_km2 = |population_density_sq_mi = |population_metro = |population_density_metro_km2 = |population_density_metro_sq_mi = |population_urban = |population_density_urban_km2 = |population_density_urban_sq_mi = |population_blank1_title =Ethnicities |population_blank1 = |population_blank2_title =Religions | timezone = GMT | utc_offset = +0 | timezone_DST = | utc_offset_DST= |coordinates = |elevation_footnotes =
|elevation_m = |elevation_ft = |postal_code_type = |postal_code = |area_code = |blank_name = |blank_info = |blank1_name = |blank1_info = |website = |footnotes = When combined with Njarðvík. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/Keflavik.jpg" caption="The harbour at Keflavík"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/Keflavik_Kirche.jpg" caption="Church at Norðfjörðsgata"] ::

Keflavík (pronounced , meaning Driftwood Bay) is a town in the Reykjanes region in southwest Iceland. It is included in the municipality of Reykjanesbær whose population as of 2016 is 15,129.

In 1995, Keflavík merged with nearby Njarðvík and Hafnir to form the municipality of Reykjanesbær. Keflavík International Airport, the country's largest airport (serving nearby Reykjavík) is adjacent to the town.

History

Keflavík was founded by Scottish entrepreneurs and engineers in the 16th century, and developed on account of its fishing and fish processing industry.

In the 1940s an airport was built next to the town by the United States military, which served as an important refueling stop for trans-Atlantic flights, especially during World War II.

During the Cold War, Naval Air Station Keflavik played an important role in monitoring marine and submarine traffic from the Norwegian and Greenland seas into the Atlantic Ocean. Forces from the United States Air Force were added to provide radar monitoring, fighter intercept, in-flight refueling, and aerial/marine rescue. With increasing ranges for aircraft and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the base became less important, and the last U.S. personnel were withdrawn in 2006.

Within Iceland, Keflavík was renowned as a rich source of musicians during the 1960s and 1970s, and came to be known as bítlabærinn or "The Beatle Town".

Geography and climate

The local geography is dominated by fields of basalt rubble, interspersed with a few hardy plants and mosses.

The climate of Keflavík is subpolar oceanic (Köppen: Cfc) with cool summers and moderately cold winters. There is not a truly dry month but June is the month that gets the least amount of precipitation. Winter high temperatures average above the freezing mark, and summer high temperatures are cool to mild. The warmest month on average is July with an average high of 14.2 C and the coldest is January with an average high of 3.4 C. |location = Keflavík Airport, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1952–present |single line = Yes |metric first = Yes |width = auto |collapsed = Y |Jan record high C = 10.3 |Feb record high C = 11.5 |Mar record high C = 12.3 |Apr record high C = 15.0 |May record high C = 19.5 |Jun record high C = 19.9 |Jul record high C = 23.0 |Aug record high C = 25.0 |Sep record high C = 17.8 |Oct record high C = 14.5 |Nov record high C = 13.5 |Dec record high C = 12.4 |year record high C = 25.0 |Jan high C = 3.4 |Feb high C = 3.4 |Mar high C = 4.2 |Apr high C = 6.7 |May high C = 9.5 |Jun high C = 12.6 |Jul high C = 14.2 |Aug high C = 13.6 |Sep high C = 11.1 |Oct high C = 7.6 |Nov high C = 5.0 |Dec high C = 3.7 |year high C = 7.9 |Jan mean C = 1.0 |Feb mean C = 0.8 |Mar mean C = 1.3 |Apr mean C = 3.6 |May mean C = 6.5 |Jun mean C = 9.5 |Jul mean C = 11.2 |Aug mean C = 10.8 |Sep mean C = 8.4 |Oct mean C = 5.0 |Nov mean C = 2.5 |Dec mean C = 1.1 |year mean C = 5.1 |Jan low C = -1.4 |Feb low C = -1.6 |Mar low C = -1.0 |Apr low C = 1.2 |May low C = 4.1 |Jun low C = 7.2 |Jul low C = 9.0 |Aug low C = 8.8 |Sep low C = 6.5 |Oct low C = 3.1 |Nov low C = 0.4 |Dec low C = -1.1 |year low C = 2.9 |Jan record low C = -17.5 |Feb record low C = -17.0 |Mar record low C = -15.4 |Apr record low C = -15.2 |May record low C = -6.3 |Jun record low C = -0.3 |Jul record low C = 2.8 |Aug record low C = 0.4 |Sep record low C = -3.3 |Oct record low C = -9.2 |Nov record low C = -12.2 |Dec record low C = -13.8 |year record low C = -17.5 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 106.1 |Feb precipitation mm = 105.3 |Mar precipitation mm = 96.2 |Apr precipitation mm = 73.6 |May precipitation mm = 67.4 |Jun precipitation mm = 53.0 |Jul precipitation mm = 65.5 |Aug precipitation mm = 87.7 |Sep precipitation mm = 120.7 |Oct precipitation mm = 111.2 |Nov precipitation mm = 104.6 |Dec precipitation mm = 113.0 |year precipitation mm = 1104.3 |unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm |Jan precipitation days = 16.9 |Feb precipitation days = 16.0 |Mar precipitation days = 15.7 |Apr precipitation days = 12.3 |May precipitation days = 12.0 |Jun precipitation days = 10.0 |Jul precipitation days = 10.9 |Aug precipitation days = 12.8 |Sep precipitation days = 15.8 |Oct precipitation days = 15.1 |Nov precipitation days = 14.8 |Dec precipitation days = 16.7 |year precipitation days = 169.0 |unit snow days = 0 cm |Jan snow days = 9.0 |Feb snow days = 8.8 |Mar snow days = 6.8 |Apr snow days = 0.8 |May snow days = 0.0 |Jun snow days = 0.0 |Jul snow days = 0.0 |Aug snow days = 0.0 |Sep snow days = 0.0 |Oct snow days = 0.6 |Nov snow days = 2.8 |Dec snow days = 8.2 |year snow days = 37.0 |Jan dew point C = -2.1 |Feb dew point C = -2.5 |Mar dew point C = -2.2 |Apr dew point C = -0.3 |May dew point C = 2.4 |Jun dew point C = 5.7 |Jul dew point C = 8.0 |Aug dew point C = 7.9 |Sep dew point C = 5.5 |Oct dew point C = 1.9 |Nov dew point C = -0.6 |Dec dew point C = -2.0 |source 1 = NOAA{{cite web |url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Iceland/CSV/Keflavik_04018.csv |title = Keflavik Climate Normals 1991-2020 |publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |access-date = August 17, 2023 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230817131650/https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Iceland/CSV/Keflavik_04018.csv |archive-date = 2023-08-17}} |source 2 = Iceland Met Office (extremes){{Cite web |url = https://www.vedur.is/Medaltalstoflur-txt/Stod_990_Keflavikurflugvollur.ManMedal.txt |title = Mánaðarmeðaltöl fyrir stöð 990 - Keflavíkurflugvöllur |publisher = Icelandic Meteorological Office |language = is |access-date = 29 December 2023 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231229095735/https://www.vedur.is/Medaltalstoflur-txt/Stod_990_Keflavikurflugvollur.ManMedal.txt |archive-date = 2023-12-29}}}}

Sport

The town is represented in sports by Íþrótta- og ungmennafélag Keflavíkur.

In popular culture

The former NATO military base Naval Air Station Keflavik is used as a setting for an important story line in Tom Clancy's novel Red Storm Rising.

NAS Keflavik is also a central setting in Icelandic writer Arnaldur Indriðason's 1999 mystery Napóleonsskjölin, translated into English in 2011 as Operation Napoleon.

The compilation album for local beat band Thor's Hammer is titled From Keflavík, With Love, and was released in 2001 on Big Beat Records.

Notable people

References

References

  1. Formerly named [[Reykjanes]]
  3. (April 2025). "Population by Locaties-Keflavík and Njarðvík".
  4. (5 March 2021). "Keflavík – A Historical Town of Iceland".
  5. Cathy Harlow, ''Iceland'', Landmark Visitors Guide, 3rd ed. 2004, {{ISBN. 1-84306-134-1, p. 57.
  6. Clancy, Tom. (1986). "Red Storm Rising". Putnam.
  7. "Jóhann Friðrik Friðriksson".
  8. Rees-Julian, George. (2022-07-10). "The inside story of Sveindís Jane Jónsdóttir - Iceland's shining star at Euro 2022".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

keflavíkpopulated-places-in-southern-peninsula-(iceland)southern-peninsula-(iceland)populated-places-established-in-the-16th-centurydefence-of-icelandpopulated-coastal-places-in-iceland