Upernavik
Town in Greenland
title: "Upernavik" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["populated-places-in-greenland", "populated-places-of-arctic-greenland", "avannaata", "upernavik-archipelago", "1772-establishments-in-north-america", "18th-century-establishments-in-greenland", "populated-places-established-in-1772"] description: "Town in Greenland" topic_path: "general/populated-places-in-greenland" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upernavik" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Town in Greenland ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Upernavik |
| image_skyline | Upernavik town aerial 1 2007-07-11.jpg |
| imagesize | 300 |
| image_caption | Upernavik in July 2007 |
| pushpin_map | Greenland |
| pushpin_map_caption | Location within Greenland |
| pushpin_mapsize | 300 |
| subdivision_type | State |
| subdivision_name | Kingdom of Denmark |
| subdivision_type1 | Constituent country |
| subdivision_name1 | Greenland |
| subdivision_type2 | Municipality |
| subdivision_name2 | Avannaata |
| population_as_of | 2025 |
| population_total | 1087 |
| timezone1 | Western Greenland Time |
| utc_offset1 | −02:00 |
| timezone1_DST | Western Greenland Summer Time |
| utc_offset1_DST | −01:00 |
| coordinates | |
| postal_code_type | Postal code |
| postal_code | 3962 |
| :: |
| name = Upernavik | other_name = | image_skyline = Upernavik town aerial 1 2007-07-11.jpg | imagesize = 300 | image_caption = Upernavik in July 2007 | image_shield = | shield_size = | pushpin_map = Greenland | pushpin_label_position = | pushpin_map_caption = Location within Greenland | pushpin_mapsize = 300 | subdivision_type = State | subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark | subdivision_type1 = Constituent country | subdivision_name1 = Greenland | subdivision_type2 = Municipality | subdivision_name2 = Avannaata | subdivision_type3 = | subdivision_name3 = | government_footnotes = | leader_title = | leader_name = | established_title = | established_date = | population_as_of = 2025 | population_total = 1087 | timezone1 = Western Greenland Time | utc_offset1 = −02:00 | timezone1_DST = Western Greenland Summer Time | utc_offset1_DST = −01:00 | coordinates = | postal_code_type = Postal code | postal_code = 3962 | website =
Upernavik is a small town in the Avannaata municipality in northwestern Greenland, located on a small island of the same name. With 1,064 inhabitants as of 2024, it is the twelfth-largest town in Greenland. It contains the Upernavik Museum.
History
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/Upernavik_church_2007-08-20_rectangular_cropped_downsampled.jpg" caption="New church"] ::
The town was founded as Upernavik in 1772. From the former name of its island, it was sometimes known as Women's Island; its name was also sometimes Anglicized to "Uppernavik".
In 1824, the Kingittorsuaq Runestone was found outside the town. It bears runic characters left by Norsemen, probably from the late 13th century. The runic characters list the names of three Norsemen and mention the construction of a rock cairn nearby.
This is the furthest north that any Norse artifacts have been found, other than those small artifacts that could have been carried north by Inuit traders, and marks the northern known limit of Viking exploration.
Sailors searching for lost polar expeditions sometimes used the city as a staging ground.
Transport
Upernavik is served by Air Greenland, with scheduled flights from Upernavik Airport to Qaanaaq, Qaarsut, and Ilulissat. Most settlements in the archipelago are served during weekdays with the Bell 212 helicopter.
AUL ferries have ceased passenger services north of Ilulissat, leaving Upernavik totally dependent on Air Greenland services, which are frequently cancelled due to weather conditions. Cargo arrives several times a year on Royal Arctic Line when sea ice permits, usually beginning in early to mid May annually.
Archipelago
Upernavik is located within Upernavik Archipelago, a vast archipelago of small islands on the coast of northeastern Baffin Bay. The archipelago extends from the northwestern coast of Sigguup Nunaa peninsula in the south at approximately to the southern end of Melville Bay () in the north at approximately .
Population
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Upernavik-population-dynamics.png" caption="publisher = Statistical Greenland}}"] ::
With 1,092 inhabitants as of 2020, Upernavik is the third-largest town in the Avannaata municipality. The population has been relatively stable over the last two decades and has increased by more than 28% relative to the 1990 levels, with migrants from the smaller settlements in the archipelago helping keep the population level stable. Cyclist Hanne Malmberg was born in Upernavik. She represented Denmark at the 1992 Summer Olympics.
Climate
Upernavik has a tundra climate (Köppen climate classification ET). Winters are very cold and snowy and summers are quite cool. With a mean of just 6.4 C in July, trees are unable to grow. Autumn and winter are the wettest time of the year and spring is the driest.
| metric first = Y | single line = Y | Jan record high C = 11.0 | Feb record high C = 8.0 | Mar record high C = 10.0 | Apr record high C = 9.4 | May record high C = 15.0 | Jun record high C = 18.0 | Jul record high C = 22.6 | Aug record high C = 19.9 | Sep record high C = 14.3 | Oct record high C = 13.0 | Nov record high C = 9.6 | Dec record high C = 12.2 | year record high C = | Jan high C = -14.3 | Feb high C = -16.5 | Mar high C = -16.0 | Apr high C = -8.9 | May high C = -0.9 | Jun high C = 6.2 | Jul high C = 9.4 | Aug high C = 8.2 | Sep high C = 3.3 | Oct high C = -1.8 | Nov high C = -5.9 | Dec high C = -9.4 | year high C = | Jan mean C = -16.7 | Feb mean C = -19.2 | Mar mean C = -19.0 | Apr mean C = -11.9 | May mean C = -3.3 | Jun mean C = 3.2 | Jul mean C = 6.4 | Aug mean C = 5.7 | Sep mean C = 1.4 | Oct mean C = -3.4 | Nov mean C = -7.6 | Dec mean C = -11.4 |year mean C = | Jan low C = -18.9 | Feb low C = -21.6 | Mar low C = -21.7 | Apr low C = -14.7 | May low C = -5.5 | Jun low C = 0.6 | Jul low C = 3.8 | Aug low C = 3.6 | Sep low C = -0.2 | Oct low C = -4.9 | Nov low C = -9.2 | Dec low C = -13.3 | year low C = | Jan record low C = -34.9 | Feb record low C = -38.4 | Mar record low C = -39.0 | Apr record low C = -30.2 | May record low C = -22.6 | Jun record low C = -7.5 | Jul record low C = -4.0 | Aug record low C = -3.8 | Sep record low C = -12.2 | Oct record low C = -14.5 | Nov record low C = -25.6 | Dec record low C = -31.6 | year record low C = | precipitation colour = green | Jan precipitation mm = 12 | Feb precipitation mm = 13 | Mar precipitation mm = 8 | Apr precipitation mm = 14 | May precipitation mm = 10 | Jun precipitation mm = 14 | Jul precipitation mm = 29 | Aug precipitation mm = 26 | Sep precipitation mm = 38 | Oct precipitation mm = 33 | Nov precipitation mm = 34 | Dec precipitation mm = 20 | year precipitation mm = 251 | unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm | Jan precipitation days = 9.1 | Feb precipitation days = 8.6 | Mar precipitation days = 6.9 | Apr precipitation days = 9.1 | May precipitation days = 8.3 | Jun precipitation days = 7.6 | Jul precipitation days = 9.2 | Aug precipitation days = 8.7 | Sep precipitation days = 12.6 | Oct precipitation days = 13.5 | Nov precipitation days = 16.2 | Dec precipitation days = 14.9 | year precipitation days = 123.4 | unit snow days = | Jan snow days = 9.0 | Feb snow days = 8.5 | Mar snow days = 6.7 | Apr snow days = 9.0 | May snow days = 7.8 | Jun snow days = 5.5 | Jul snow days = 1.0 | Aug snow days = 0.7 | Sep snow days = 8.2 | Oct snow days = 12.8 | Nov snow days = 15.9 | Dec snow days = 14.7 | year snow days = 98.4 | Jan humidity = 80.6 | Feb humidity = 80.7 | Mar humidity = 79.3 | Apr humidity = 80.0 | May humidity = 83.8 | Jun humidity = 80.3 | Jul humidity = 77.7 | Aug humidity = 77.9 | Sep humidity = 79.0 | Oct humidity = 80.0 | Nov humidity = 78.4 | Dec humidity = 79.9 |year humidity = | Jan sun = 0 | Feb sun = 18 | Mar sun = 106 | Apr sun = 214 | May sun = 234 | Jun sun = 225 | Jul sun = 271 | Aug sun = 214 | Sep sun = 104 | Oct sun = 38 | Nov sun = 2 | Dec sun = 0 |year sun = | source 1 = Danish Meteorological Institute (precipitation and snow 1958–1981, humidity 2005-2020, sun 1931–1960){{cite web | url = https://www.dmi.dk/fileadmin/user_upload/Rapporter/TR/2019/DMIRep18-19.pdf | title = DMI Report 21–12: Climatological Standard Normals 1991-2020 - Greenland | publisher = Danish Meteorological Institute | access-date = 12 January 2022}}{{cite web | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190210040507/https://www.dmi.dk/fileadmin/user_upload/Rapporter/TR/2019/DMIRep18-19.pdf | archive-date = 10 February 2019 | url = https://www.dmi.dk/fileadmin/user_upload/Rapporter/TR/2019/DMIRep18-19.pdf | title = DMI Report 18–19: Climatological Standard Normals 1981–2010 Denmark, The Faroe Islands and Greenland Based on Data Published in DMI Reports 18–08, 18–04 and 18–05 | publisher = Danish Meteorological Institute | access-date = 14 October 2019}}{{cite web | url = https://www.dmi.dk/fileadmin/user_upload/Rapporter/TR/2000/tr00-18.pdf | title = The Observed Climate of Greenland, 1958–99 with Climatological Standard Normals, 1961–90 | publisher = Danish Meteorological Institute | access-date = 14 October 2019}}
References
References
- "Population in Localities January 1st 1977-2024".
- "Population in Localities January 1st 1977-2024".
- Colton, G.W. "[https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/s/uj817m Northern America. British, Russian & Danish Possessions In North America.]" J.H. Colton & Co. (New York), 1855.
- Walker, J. & al. "[https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~20964~530056:British-North-America--Published-un?sort=Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No British North America.]" Baldwin & Cradock (London), 1844.
- Sides, Hampton. "In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette".
- "Air Greenland, Departures and Arrivals".
- Nunavik, Saga Map, 1:250.000, Tage Schjøtt, 1992
- Upernavik Avannarleq, Saga Map, 1:250.000, Tage Schjøtt, 1992
- "Population by Localities". Statistical Greenland.
- "Kommuni pillugu". Avannaata Kommunia.
- "Hanne Malmberg Olympic Results".
- "GRØNLAND - Upernavik". Danish Meteorological Institute.
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