Ísafjörður – Iceland
Photo by Joel Rohland on Unsplash
Gylfi Ólafsson is the mayor of Ísafjörður, Iceland.
Ísafjörður is a town in Northwest Iceland and the administrative center of Ísafjarðarbær municipality. The municipality includes the nearby villages of Hnífsdalur, Flateyri, Suðureyri, and Þingeyri. Ísafjörður is the largest settlement in the peninsula of Vestfirðir, Iceland’s Westfjords, with a population of about 2,600.
Isafjörður has one of the largest fisheries in Iceland, but also has a growing tourist industry. A highlight is the nature reserve on the Hornstrandir Peninsula, an uninhabited wilderness area.
Isafjörður has a university center, Háskólasetur Vestfjarða, which acts as a distance learning center for the 7,000 residents of the Westfjords as well as provides graduate education and research on coastal issues.
Not least, Isafjörður is home to Kerecis, a company pioneering the use of fish skin and fatty acids in cellular therapy.
“Ísafjörður should take a clear position in the Arctic debate and make its voice heard, both in collaboration with others and on its own terms,” says Mayor Gylfi Ólafsson.
Quick facts
Population
- English name: Ísafjarðarbær Municipality
- Name local languages: Ísafjarðarbær
- Population Municipality: 4,130
- Largest city/town: Ísafjörður
- Population Ísafjörður: 2,600
Language and culture
- Languages spoken: Icelandic
Work and education
- Mayor industries: fisheries, education, tourism, and public services
- Higher education: Háskólasetur Vestfjarða
Arctic Mayors’ Forum
- Re-joined: 2026
