| Skagaströnd | |
| Official Name: | Sveitarfélagið Skagaströnd |
| Other Name: | Höfðakaupstadur |
| Settlement Type: | Municipality and village |
| Mapsize: | 250px |
| Pushpin Map: | Iceland |
| Coordinates: | 65.8333°N -39°W |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of Skagaströnd |
| Pushpin Label: | Skagaströnd |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Iceland |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Northwestern Region |
| Subdivision Type2: | Constituency |
| Subdivision Name2: | Northwest Constituency |
| Established Title: | Settled |
| Established Title1: | Trade rights |
| Established Date1: | 1602 |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Alexandra Jóhannesdóttir[1] |
| Leader Party: | Independent |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Area Total Km2: | 49.4 |
| Elevation Max M: | 640 |
| Population Total: | 470 |
| Population As Of: | 1 January 2021 |
| Population Footnotes: | [2] |
| Population Blank1 Title: | Village |
| Population Blank1: | 457 |
| Population Blank1 Footnotes: | [3] |
| Population Density Km2: | 9.5 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code(s) |
| Postal Code: | 545 |
| Code1 Name: | Municipal number |
| Code1 Info: | 5609 |
Skagaströnd (in Icelandic pronounced as /ˈskaːɣaˌstrœnt/), previously Höfðakaupstaður (in Icelandic ˈhœvðaˌkʰœypˌstaːðʏr̥/), is a municipality and village in the Northwestern Region of Iceland. It is situated on the western side of the Skagi peninsula, along the east coast of the Húnaflói ('Húna Bay'). The municipality was officially named Sveitarfélagið Skagaströnd on 1 September 2007.[4] Skagaströnd is the only locality within the municipality.
Sveitarfélagið Skagaströnd is bordered to the north and south by the municipality of Skagabyggð and to the east by Sveitarfélagið Skagafjörður. Measuring just 49.4km2, it is the sixth smallest municipality in Iceland by land area.
The only village within the municipality is the now eponymous village of Skagaströnd, which lies at the foot of the Spákonufell (in Icelandic pronounced as /ˈspauːˌkɔːnʏˌfɛtl̥/; 'Seeress' Mountain'), a culturally significant landmark and the highest point in Sveitarfélagið Skagaströnd, standing 640m (2,100feet) above sea level. On the northwest edge of the village is the Spákonufellshöfði (; 'Headland of the Spákonufell'), a 22.5ha nature preserve and park.
The nearest town is Blönduós, 18km (11miles) to the south. Road 74, by which Skagaströnd is connected to Route 1, begins at Blönduós' eastern limit. Skagaströnd is situated 32km (20miles) as the crow flies east-northeast of Sauðárkrókur, the regional capital of the Northwestern Region; however, due to the rough terrain the journey between the two settlements by road is more than 50km (30miles).
The name Skagaströnd translates to 'Coast of the Skagi' or, literally, 'Coast of the Peninsula,' from the Icelandic skagi in Icelandic pronounced as /ˈskaijɪ/, meaning 'peninsula' – which also serves as the proper name of the peninsula on which the municipality is located – and strönd meaning 'coast, beach, shore.'[5] Skagaströnd originally referred to the entire shoreline extending from the northern tip of the Skagi peninsula to the mouth of the Laxá í Refasveit (also called Laxá-Ytri),[6] a small river that empties into the Húnaflói 8km (05miles) north of Blönduós. The area historically hosted a number of verstöðvar, traditional fishing outposts and communal mooring places.[7] The northern point of the Skagi is now situated in the northern portion of Skagabyggð and the Laxá í Refasveit forms the boundary between the municipality of Blönduósbær and the southern portion of Skagabyggð. Today, the name Skagaströnd is most often used to refer to the settlement and municipality, however, it is also used by Icelanders to refer to the traditional coastal area.
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Iceland. Skagaströnd is twinned with:[8]
