| Official Name: | Skellefteå |
| Nickname: | Guldstaden (Goldtown), Skellhell[1] |
| Pushpin Map: | Sweden Västerbotten#Sweden |
| Pushpin Label Position: | left |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Sweden |
| Subdivision Type3: | Municipality |
| Subdivision Name3: | Skellefteå Municipality |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Västerbotten County |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Västerbotten |
| Area Footnotes: | [2] |
| Area Total Km2: | 21.74 |
| Population As Of: | 2023 |
| Population Total: | 76542 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone: | CET |
| Utc Offset: | +1 |
| Timezone Dst: | CEST |
| Utc Offset Dst: | +2 |
| Coordinates: | 64.75°N 77°W |
| Area Code: | +46 0910 |
Skellefteå (in Swedish ɧɛˈlɛ̌ftɛɔ/, locally in Swedish pronounced as /ʂɛˈlɛ̌ftɛ/) is a city in Västerbotten County, Sweden. It is the seat of Skellefteå Municipality, which had 77,322 inhabitants in 2024.[3]
The city is historically industrial, with mining being a large part of that industry, especially for gold, leading to the city being nicknamed Guldstaden ("gold town"). Politically, Skellefteå is a Social Democratic stronghold. The city is a well-known ice hockey town, with its main team Skellefteå AIK playing in the Swedish top division: the SHL, which they have won on several occasions; most recently in 2024.
The city was incorporated in 1845 and grew to its current population size in the 1950s and 1960s, growing only slowly since. It is the second largest city in Västerbotten after Umeå and is located roughly halfway between it and Luleå. The Skellefte River passes through the city and it is located around 15km (09miles) from the Bothnian Bay open sea. Skellefteå is served by Skellefteå Airport, IATA airport code SFT but locally known as Falmark because of the village nearby, also around 15km (09miles) from the city centre to the south.
The name Skellefteå is recorded to having been spelled as Skelepht in 1327. On Carta marina the name is spelt Skellitta. The origin of the name remains unknown, but is assumed to be of Sami origin.
From the 14th century on, attempts were made to Christianize Skellefteå. A parish was formed and a church built. However, for the most part, the entire large Northern Swedish territory of Norrland was not Christianized until several hundred years after the rest of Sweden, and many northern areas such as Skellefteå remained unexplored well past the Middle Ages.
Not before the very end of the 17th century did the indigenous Sami people of Northern Sweden begin turning to Christianity, much due to the efforts by the Northern Swedish superintendent Mathias Steuchius, who worked hard to accomplish this. Several Sami priests were killed for this reason.
Eventually, the reason for the sudden awakened interest towards Skellefteälven and the surrounding areas was the great northern fishing grounds of salmon.
The actual city of Skellefteå is one of the youngest cities of Norrland. It was founded in 1845 by the vicar Nils Nordlander.
Major industries include:
The city will become the home of a massive battery plant made by Northvolt by circa 2023.[5]
The largest private employer in Skellefteå is the mining company Boliden AB, with about 1,200 employees. The mine's copper ore contains particles of gold, silver and platinum. Skellefteå is still referred to as the "Goldtown".
During the 1990s, the computer industry flourished, subsidiaries of Ericsson and Tieto Enator becoming important employers.
Skellefteå has a subarctic climate (Dfc) with mild summers and cold, long and snowy winters. The climate is somewhat moderated by the Bothnia Bay, although maritime effects are limited, ensuring warm summer temperatures for a coastal area so far north. In the last century, as part of global climate warming, an increase in summer temperatures as well as an earlier arrival of spring and a later onset of winter have been observed. Precipitation is moderate, the maximum precipitation is in the second half of summer. The difference in average hours of sunshine between months is large: December has very little due to both very short days and high cloud cover, while June has a lot due to long days and relatively clear weather.
The European route E4 highway provides the main road connection to the city, providing direct connections to cities like Stockholm and Sundsvall going south and Luleå going north. Riksväg 95 also serves the city.
There is a railway branch line running through Skellefteå, although with no passenger traffic, making it the largest city in Sweden without it. The line is still served by Freight traffic. [6] There were plans to start night trains going from Stockholm to Skellefteå, with service being expected to commence in April 2022. Due to a decision from Trafikverket, the planned night trains were cancelled before they started running. [7] [8] The closest train station in use is located in Bastuträsk, from which trains heading to several cities including Stockholm, Umeå and Luleå depart, operated by Norrtåg and Vy. There goes a bus to Skellefteå from Bastuträsk, intended for transfers to and from the trains. [9]
The High-speed rail line Norrbotniabanan is planned to go through the city, providing it with rail service for the first time since 1990. [10] As a part of this, a new station will be constructed close to the city centre. [11] Service is expected to begin in 2030. [12]