Where Is Iceland Located?

Nowadays, Iceland is famous for being an adventure-seekers paradise. Glaciers, waterfalls, volcanoes, and much more await you when you arrive! If you can believe it, Iceland has not always been such a popular tourist destination. Its explosive volcanic history and subsequent geography have very much put it on the map - though you might not know exactly where! 

In this blog, we answer just about every question there is about Iceland’s location and what it means. 

Where Is Iceland Exactly?

Put simply, Iceland lies just to the Southeast of Greenland, Northeast of the British Isles. The coordinates of this Nordic nation are 64.9631° N, 19.0208° W. Iceland also straddles two tectonic plates; the Eurasian and North American plates, which explains the infamous geology!

How Long Does It Take To Get to Iceland?

While cruises are possible, the fastest and most popular way to get to Iceland is flying. A large percentage of visitors arrive in Reykjavik’s international airport, called Keflavik International. Flights arrive here all year round from some 60 destinations abroad, from which flight times vary massively.

If you are flying from the USA or Canada, flight times to Iceland usually sit between 5 and 9 hours. If you are from Europe, you can expect a flight time of around 3 hours. From Keflavik International Airport, the drive to the capital city typically takes around 40 minutes, so make sure to factor this into your plans!

What Continent Is Iceland On?

Iceland is located in Northern Europe - the island nation sits entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere of the globe.

Is Iceland In The Arctic Circle?

If you aren’t familiar with the term, we’ll remind you - the Arctic Circle is an invisible line on the Earth’s sphere, one of the 5 rings of latitude that encircle the globe (like the Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, and so on). The Arctic Circle isn’t a fixed point but is usually around 66° north of the equator.

To answer the question - yes, a part of Iceland does pass into the Arctic Circle, making it the smallest country with any territory inside the Arctic Circle. 

This means that Iceland shares characteristics with the other Arctic Circle countries, including cold winter months, temperate summer months, and, most spectacularly, the Midnight Sun and Northern Light phenomena.

What Are The Countries Closest to Iceland?

Considering making the trip to Iceland and want to make stops at nearby countries? The closest neighboring country to Iceland is Greenland, with the shortest distance between them lying at 730.21 mi (1,175.15 km). Other countries that are close neighbors to Iceland include:

• The Faroe Islands
• Scotland
• Ireland
• United Kingdom
• Norway
• Sweden

How Big Is Iceland?

Compared to other Nordic countries, Iceland is fairly small. However, Iceland is the 2nd largest island in Europe after the United Kingdom. Its area is around 103,000 km² (39,768 square miles) in area, so you might expect the population to be larger than 390,000. The major cities, particularly the capital, are where the large majority of these people live, with small settlements around the more rural areas of the country. The rugged and inhospitable nature of the Highlands has historically prevented more settlements and large cities from developing.

Despite being a large island, the Ring Road traverses the outer edge of the country. It is well-maintained and makes many of Iceland’s most famous natural attractions accessible, with jam-packed road trips taking around 1 week to complete on average. 

If you’re after an exciting 7-day holiday, renting a car in Iceland can be one of the best options! Browse our models today to find your perfect adventure.