Westfjords
Peninsula and region of Iceland
title: "Westfjords" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["westfjords", "peninsulas-of-iceland"] description: "Peninsula and region of Iceland" topic_path: "general/westfjords" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westfjords" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Peninsula and region of Iceland ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Westfjords |
| native_name | is |
| settlement_type | Region |
| image_map | Vestfirðir in Iceland 2018.svg |
| map_caption | The Vestfirðir area |
| subdivision_type | Country |
| subdivision_name | Iceland |
| seat_type | Largest town |
| seat | Ísafjörður |
| coordinates | |
| area_total_km2 | 8842 |
| population_footnotes | |
| population_as_of | 2024 |
| population_total | 7168 |
| population_density_km2 | 0.81 |
| timezone | WET |
| utc_offset | +00:00 |
| timezone_DST | (Not Observed) |
| iso_code | IS-4 |
| :: |
| name = Westfjords | native_name = is | settlement_type = Region | image_map = Vestfirðir in Iceland 2018.svg | map_caption = The Vestfirðir area | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Iceland | seat_type = Largest town | seat = Ísafjörður | coordinates = | area_total_km2 = 8842 | population_footnotes = | population_as_of = 2024 | population_total = 7168 | population_density_km2 = 0.81 | timezone = WET | utc_offset = +00:00 | timezone_DST = (Not Observed) | iso_code = IS-4 ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/Vestfirðir_features.png" caption="A map of the Westfjords"] ::
The Westfjords or West Fjords (, ) is a large peninsula in northwestern Iceland and an administrative region, the least populous in the country. It lies on the Denmark Strait, facing the east coast of Greenland. It is connected to the rest of Iceland by a seven-kilometre-wide isthmus between Gilsfjörður and Bitrufjörður . The Westfjords are mountainous; the coastline is heavily indented by dozens of fjords surrounded by steep hills. These indentations make roads very circuitous and communications by land difficult. In addition, many roads are closed by ice and snow for several months of the year. The Vestfjarðagöng road tunnel from 1996 has improved that situation. The cliffs at Látrabjarg comprise the longest bird cliff in the northern Atlantic Ocean and are at the westernmost point in Iceland. Drangajökull, the only glacier in the region, is located in the north of the peninsula and is the fifth-largest in the country. Westfjords is certified by the EarthCheck Sustainable Destinations program.
Population
The lack of flat lowlands limits agriculture, mostly restricted to low-intensity sheep grazing near the fjords. Good natural harbors in many fjords and their proximity to fishing areas are vital for the local economy. The Westfjords are sparsely populated, even by Icelandic standards; the total population in 2024 was 7,168. The largest settlement is Ísafjörður, with a population of 2,679.
::data[format=table title="Population decline"]
| 2020 | 7,115 | 1.95% |
|---|---|---|
| :: |
Main settlements in the Westfjords
- Reykhólar
- Bolungarvík
- Brjánslækur
- Ísafjörður
- Tálknafjörður
- Flateyri
- Suðureyri
- Hnífsdalur
- Súðavík
- Bíldudalur
- Þingeyri
- Patreksfjörður
- Skálanes
- Hólmavík
- Drangsnes
Climate
The box is for Göltur , at the tip of the peninsula 20 km (12 mi) northwest of Ísafjörður. Westfjords is generally the coldest area at sea level in Iceland, as a result of the East Greenland Current.
|location = Göltur |single line = Yes |metric first = Yes |Jan record high F=50 |Feb record high F=50 |Mar record high F=52 |Apr record high F=52 |May record high F=63 |Jun record high F=64 |Jul record high F=66 |Aug record high F=64 |Sep record high F=59 |Oct record high F=59 |Nov record high F=55 |Dec record high F=52 |year record high F=66 |Jan high F = 33 |Feb high F = 35 |Mar high F = 37 |Apr high F = 40 |May high F = 44 |Jun high F = 49 |Jul high F = 51 |Aug high F = 51 |Sep high F = 45 |Oct high F = 41 |Nov high F = 40 |Dec high F = 35 |year high F = 42 |Jan mean F=29 |Feb mean F=32 |Mar mean F=33 |Apr mean F=36 |May mean F=40 |Jun mean F=45 |Jul mean F=47 |Aug mean F=47 |Sep mean F=42 |Oct mean F=38 |Nov mean F=37 |Dec mean F=32 |year mean F = 38 |Jan low F = 26 |Feb low F = 29 |Mar low F = 30 |Apr low F = 33 |May low F = 36 |Jun low F = 41 |Jul low F = 44 |Aug low F = 44 |Sep low F = 40 |Oct low F = 35 |Nov low F = 34 |Dec low F = 30 |year low F = 35 |Jan record low F=12 |Feb record low F=14 |Mar record low F=9 |Apr record low F=19 |May record low F=25 |Jun record low F=28 |Jul record low F=36 |Aug record low F=34 |Sep record low F=27 |Oct record low F=23 |Nov record low F=16 |Dec record low F=16 |year record low F=9 |Jan precipitation inch = |Feb precipitation inch = |Mar precipitation inch = |Apr precipitation inch = |May precipitation inch = |Jun precipitation inch = |Jul precipitation inch = |Aug precipitation inch = |Sep precipitation inch = |Oct precipitation inch = |Nov precipitation inch = |Dec precipitation inch = |year precipitation inch = |Jan humidity=75 |Feb humidity=77 |Mar humidity=76 |Apr humidity=79 |May humidity=77 |Jun humidity=82 |Jul humidity=83 |Aug humidity=81 |Sep humidity=82 |Oct humidity=79 |Nov humidity=80 |Dec humidity=78 |year humidity=79 |Jand sun=6 |Febd sun= 9.2 |Mard sun=12.7 |Aprd sun=16.6 |Mayd sun=20.7 |Jund sun=23.4 |Juld sun=21.5 |Augd sun=18.1 |Sepd sun=13.9 |Octd sun=10.3 |Novd sun=6.9 |Decd sun=4.6 |yeard sun=13.7 |source 1 = Weatherbase |url =http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=50040&refer=wikipedia |title =Weatherbase: WEATHER AVERAGES SUMMARY for Goltur, Iceland |publisher=Weatherbase |year=2013 Retrieved on June 1, 2013. |date=June 2013
Law
In 1615, 32 shipwrecked Basque whalers were killed by locals, after which the magistrate made it law that any Basque person seen in the region should be instantly killed. This law was repealed in May 2015.
Wildlife
The Westfjords are famous for their large Arctic Fox population. The density of Arctic Fox in some parts of Hornstrandir nature reserve (such as Hornvík) is the highest in the world.
In addition, Látrabjarg cliffs in the south-west of the peninsula are the most important seabird nesting site in Iceland, and one of the most important in Europe. The most common birds in the Westfjords are the Arctic tern, northern fulmar, black-legged kittiwake, Atlantic puffin, common guillemot, black guillemot, red-necked phalarope and ducks such as the common eider and harlequin duck.
Image gallery
Iceland-WestFjords1.JPG|Westfjords Dýrafjörður, Vestfirðir, Islandia, 2014-08-15, DD 012.JPG|Dýrafjörður Atlantic Puffin Latrabjarg Iceland 05c.jpg|Puffins in Látrabjarg Iceland2008-WestFjords.old.ship.JPG|Oldest steel ship in Iceland Iceland2008-Latrabjarg.cliff.JPG|Látrabjarg Hrafnseyrarheiði, Vestfirðir, Islandia, 2014-08-15, DD 023.JPG|Hrafnseyrarheiði Hvitanes, Vestfirðir, Islandia, 2014-08-15, DD 073.JPG|Hvítanes Iceland2008-Sudureyri.JPG|Suðureyri Paisaje cerca de Þingeyri, Vestfirðir, Islandia, 2014-08-15, DD 016.JPG|Landscape near Þingeyri
References
References
- (1 January 2024). "Inhabitants – Municipalities and urban nuclei". [[Statistics Iceland]].
- Westfjords, Visit. "The Westfjords now EarthCheck Certified".
- (28 May 2015). "Iceland revokes 400-year-old legal right in Westfjords district to kill Basques on sight". [[The Independent]].
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