Stykkishólmur

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title: "Stykkishólmur" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["municipalities-of-iceland", "populated-places-in-western-region-(iceland)"] topic_path: "general/municipalities-of-iceland" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stykkishólmur" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

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

Field	Value
name	Stykkishólmur
settlement_type	Municipality
image_skyline	1 aerial pano stykkishólmur 2017.jpg
imagesize	250px
image_caption	Skyline of Stykkishólmsbær
shield_size	85px
image_map	Sveitarfélagið Stykkishólmur Loc.svg
map_caption	Location of Stykkishólmur
mapsize	250px
coordinates
subdivision_type	Country
subdivision_name	Iceland
subdivision_type1	Region
subdivision_name1	Western Region
subdivision_type2	Constituency
subdivision_name2	Northwest Constituency
leader_title	Mayor
leader_name	Jakob Björgvin Jakobsson
unit_pref	Metric
area_total_km2	10
population_total	1200
population_density_km2	109.50
postal_code_type	Postal code(s)
postal_code	340, 345
code1_name	Municipal number
code1_info	3711
website
::

Stykkishólmur () is a town and municipality situated in the western part of Iceland, in the northern part of the Snæfellsnes peninsula. It is a center of services and commerce for the area. Most of the people make their living from fishing and tourism. A ferry called Baldur goes over the Breiðafjörður fjord to the Westfjords. It also is the gateway to Flatey. The origin of Stykkishólmur can be traced to its natural harbor. The location became an important trading post early in Iceland's history: the first trading post in Stykkishólmur is traced back to the mid-16th century, even before Denmark implemented the Danish–Icelandic Trade Monopoly (1602 – 1787). From that time trading has been at the heart of the settlement's history. In 1828 Árni Thorlacius built a large house for his home and companies, the Norwegian house, which has been renovated and accommodates the local museum.

Overview

The favorable position of Stykkishólmur was discovered in 1550 when a trading post was founded at the site. Today, the most vital employment sectors in the town are fishing and tourism, especially during the summer. There are several sightworthy wooden buildings in the town centre. Egilsenshús is a wooden house dating from 1867 which belonged to a Danish merchant.

The town was named after a small island in front of the harbor called Stykkið (, "the piece"). The nearby mountain of Helgafell is the burial place of Guðrún Ósvífursdóttir, a heroine of the Icelandic sagas.

The port of Stykkishólmur has a long history as a trading hub, dating back to the mid-16th century. The port was used by Icelanders emigrating to North America. 1887 saw a peak in emigration with over 70 people leaving the port. About 500 people eventually emigrated from Stykkishólmur port to North America between 1870-1914.

The town's former library has been restored as a public hall and contains an installation by the American artist Roni Horn.

The sports club of Stykkishólmur is called Snæfell, named after the glacier Snæfellsjökull located on Snæfellsnes. The town's most popular sport is basketball.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/Aerial_perspective_of_Stykkishólmur_from_the_sea.jpg" caption="Aerial panorama of Stykkishólmur from the sea, June 2017"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Stykkishólmur_facing_the_coming_midnight_sun.jpg" caption="Stykkishólmur facing the midnight sun"] ::

In popular culture

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/NASA_Tº_1880_2009_Stykkisholmur.gif" caption="Climate graph of 1880–1980 average air temperatures at Stykkishólmur"] ::

A famous Icelander from Stykkishólmur is Sveinn Kristján Bjarnason. He was born in 1887 at Breiðabólstaður and emigrated with his parents from Stykkishólmur in 1889. Their destination was Winnipeg. In the United States, he became Edgar Holger Cahill. He worked as the National Director of the Federal Art Project through the WPA (Works Projects Administration) from 1935-1943. He was the Director of the Museum of Modern Art, a writer, curator, and expert on American folk art. He developed this work-relief program for artists under the New Deal by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He is the interesting Icelander in this article:

In the 1986 novel Red Storm Rising, Stykkishólmur is the site of a landing by US Marines tasked with liberating Iceland from occupying Soviet forces.

Chess champion Bobby Fischer was planning on moving to Stykkishólmur before his sudden death in early 2008.

Stykkishólmur is the main setting in the short story Tussenlanding (Transfer) from the 1991 short story collection De Matador en andere verhalen by Tim Krabbé. The story features a Dutchman coming to Iceland in hope to start a relationship with an Icelandic woman he barely knows.

The town was the filming location for the depictions of Nuuk, Greenland in the 2013 movie The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

Town festival

Every year on the second or third weekend in August, the people in Stykkishólmur celebrate the Danskir dagar ("Danish days") festival, which honors the town's historic connections with Denmark. The festival has been held every year since 1994.

Twin towns – sister cities

Stykkishólmur is twinned with:

NOR Drammen, Norway
DEN Kolding, Denmark
FIN Lappeenranta, Finland
SWE Örebro, Sweden

|alt=Stykkishólmur from the lighthouse}}

Climate

Stykkishólmur features a subpolar oceanic climate moderated by the nearby ocean. It has cool summers, but also winter averages less cold than cities much further south featuring temperate continental climates, such as Chicago, Milwaukee, Toronto, or Denver. April - July is the driest season, while autumn and winter is the wettest season.

|location = Stykkishólmur, 1991–2020 normals |single line = Yes |metric first = Yes |Jan record high C = 10.9 |Feb record high C = 10.5 |Mar record high C = 12.2 |Apr record high C = 16.4 |May record high C = 18.4 |Jun record high C = 21.0 |Jul record high C = 21.0 |Aug record high C = 20.8 |Sep record high C = 18.5 |Oct record high C = 15.7 |Nov record high C = 13.3 |Dec record high C = 13.4 |year record high C = 21.0 |Jan high C = 2.7 |Feb high C = 2.5 |Mar high C = 3.1 |Apr high C = 5.8 |May high C = 8.9 |Jun high C = 12.2 |Jul high C = 13.9 |Aug high C = 13.4 |Sep high C = 10.7 |Oct high C = 6.8 |Nov high C = 4.1 |Dec high C = 2.9 |year high C = 7.3 |Jan mean C = 0.2 |Feb mean C = -0.2 |Mar mean C = 0.3 |Apr mean C = 2.6 |May mean C = 5.7 |Jun mean C = 8.9 |Jul mean C = 10.7 |Aug mean C = 10.5 |Sep mean C = 8.1 |Oct mean C = 4.4 |Nov mean C = 1.8 |Dec mean C = 0.4 |year mean C = 4.5 |Jan low C = -2.2 |Feb low C = -2.5 |Mar low C = -1.9 |Apr low C = 0.3 |May low C = 3.2 |Jun low C = 6.4 |Jul low C = 8.4 |Aug low C = 8.3 |Sep low C = 6.0 |Oct low C = 2.5 |Nov low C = -0.3 |Dec low C = -2.0 |year low C = 2.2 |Jan record low C = -16.0 |Feb record low C = -17.7 |Mar record low C = -19.0 |Apr record low C = -16.0 |May record low C = -6.7 |Jun record low C = -0.8 |Jul record low C = 2.0 |Aug record low C = 0.5 |Sep record low C = -4.9 |Oct record low C = -8.0 |Nov record low C = -11.8 |Dec record low C = -14.8 |year record low C = -19.0 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 81.2 |Feb precipitation mm = 82.2 |Mar precipitation mm = 73.2 |Apr precipitation mm = 45.0 |May precipitation mm = 40.3 |Jun precipitation mm = 32.0 |Jul precipitation mm = 34.0 |Aug precipitation mm = 50.9 |Sep precipitation mm = 78.0 |Oct precipitation mm = 68.1 |Nov precipitation mm = 69.0 |Dec precipitation mm = 84.5 |year precipitation mm = 738.4 |unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm |Jan precipitation days = 14.3 |Feb precipitation days = 13.6 |Mar precipitation days = 12.8 |Apr precipitation days = 9.5 |May precipitation days = 8.9 |Jun precipitation days = 7.3 |Jul precipitation days = 7.3 |Aug precipitation days = 10.0 |Sep precipitation days = 12.5 |Oct precipitation days = 12.6 |Nov precipitation days = 12.4 |Dec precipitation days = 13.8 |year precipitation days = 135.0 |unit snow days = 0 cm |Jan snow days = 10.9 |Feb snow days = 12.1 |Mar snow days = 8.7 |Apr snow days = 1.7 |May snow days = 0.2 |Jun snow days = 0.0 |Jul snow days = 0.0 |Aug snow days = 0.0 |Sep snow days = 0.0 |Oct snow days = 0.4 |Nov snow days = 4.1 |Dec snow days = 8.4 |year snow days = 46.5 |source 1 = Icelandic Meteorological Office{{Cite web |url = http://en.vedur.is/Medaltalstoflur-txt/Stykkisholmur_178_med6190.txt |title = 30 years average 1961-1990 for selected stations |access-date = December 4, 2012 |publisher = Icelandic Meteorological Office |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230818023316/https://en.vedur.is/Medaltalstoflur-txt/Stykkisholmur_178_med6190.txt |archive-date = 2023-08-18}} |source 2 = NOAA{{cite web |url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Iceland/CSV/Stykkisholmur_04013.csv |title = Stykkisholmur Climate Normals 1991-2020 |publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |access-date = August 18, 2023 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230818023340/https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Iceland/CSV/Stykkisholmur_04013.csv |archive-date = 2023-08-18}}

References

[http://hiticeland.com/towns_and_villages_in_iceland/stykkish%C3%B3lmur "Hit Iceland information page about Iceland"]
(2012). "Hótel Egilsens í Stykkishólmi – Sturla".
"Icelandic Heritage Emigration Story".
(19 January 2025). "Interesting Icelander for January 2025".
"De Matador en andere verhalen. Inhoud (in Dutch)".
"Assisting the Daydreamer". Filminiceland.com.
"Danskir Dagar".
(2019-09-20). "Vinabæjarmót í Stykkishólmi". Stykkishólmur.

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