Ólafsfjörður

Ólafsfjörður
—  Town  —
Location of the Municipality of Fjallabyggð
Ólafsfjörður Location of Ólafsfjörður
Coordinates: 66°04′N 18°39′W / 66.067°N 18.65°W / 66.067; -18.65
Country	Iceland
Constituency[1]	Norðausturkjördæmi
Region[2]	Norðurland eystra
County	Eyjafjarðarsýsla
Municipality	Fjallabyggð
Population (January 2011)
– Total	824
Postal code	625
Website	Municipal website

Ólafsfjarðarbaer
—  Former Municipality  —
Location of the former Municipality of Ólafsfjarðarbaer
Country	Iceland

Ólafsfjörður is a town in the northeast of Iceland located at the mouth of the fjord Eyjafjörður.

The town is connected to Eyjafjordur via a 3.5 km one-lane tunnel. Fishing is the main industry in the town and several fishing trawlers make their home in the town's harbor.

The municipality of Ólafsfjörður and Siglufjörður has merged to form a municipality called Fjallabyggð, which literally means Mountain Settlement.

History

The town grew up around the herring industry that was in much bloom in the 1940s and 1950s, but the herring are gone now.

Ólafsfjörður was connected with a road for the first time in 1940, when the horse riding trail through Siglufjarðarskarð was improved enabling cars to get through. Before, ships, seaplanes, and horses provided the transport.

Economy

Tourism has become an important industry.

References

1. ^ Political division
2. ^ Mainly statistical division

External links

• Aerial photo of Ólafsfjörður

Coordinates: 66°04′N 18°39′W / 66.067°N 18.65°W / 66.067; -18.65