Blönduós facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Blönduósbær
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Town and former municipality
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Houses in Blönduós
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 Blönduósbær
Location in Iceland
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| Country | Iceland |
| Region | Northwestern Region |
| Constituency | Northwest Constituency |
| Municipality | Húnabyggð |
| Established | 1876 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 183 km2 (71 sq mi) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 895 |
| • Density | 4.73/km2 (12.3/sq mi) |
| Postal code(s) |
540, 541
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Blönduós (pronounced like BLOHN-too-ohss) is a town in northern Iceland. In 2018, about 895 people lived there. Like many Icelandic towns, Blönduós started growing in the late 1800s.
It's located on Iceland's main road, Route 1, right where the glacial river Blanda flows into the sea. The town is named after this river. A small island called Hrútey, which is a nature reserve, is surrounded by the river. You can reach it by a walking bridge near the main road. In 2022, Blönduós joined with another area called Húnavatnshreppur to create a new municipality named Húnabyggð.
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Exploring Blönduós: A Town Divided by a River
One cool thing about Blönduós is that it's split into two parts by the glacial river Blanda. The older part of town, called "gamli bærinn" in Icelandic, is on the south side of the river. Here, you can see many original houses from the late 1800s and early 1900s.
On the north side of the river, you'll find many local businesses. This is also where the elementary school, supermarket, community center, and sports facilities are located. There's even a modern outdoor heated swimming pool! High up on a hill, there's a church with a unique design. It's built to look like a volcanic crater, which is pretty neat!
What Blönduós is Known For
The main ways people make a living in Blönduós are by supporting farming and tourism. In recent years, the town has become famous for its connection to textiles. Textiles are fabrics and things made from them, like clothes or blankets.
You can find a wool washery here, which is a place where wool is cleaned. Blönduós is also home to Iceland's only textile museum, called Heimilisiðnaðarsafnið. Plus, there's the Icelandic Textile Center. This center has a special program where textile artists and experts from all over the world can come to live and work.
Famous People from Blönduós
Some well-known people have connections to Blönduós:
- Þorvaldur Skúlason (1906–1984) was an abstract painter who lived in Blönduós when he was younger.
- Reynir Grétarsson (born 1972) is an Icelandic businessman and collector of Icelandic maps. He also wrote a book called "About Mapping Iceland."
- María Ólafsdóttir (born 1993) is a singer, musician, and actress.
Blönduós and its Sister Cities
Blönduós has "sister city" relationships with other towns around the world. This means they share cultural ties and often visit each other. Blönduós is twinned with:
Weather in Blönduós
Blönduós has a tundra climate. This means it has long, cold winters and short, cool summers.
| Climate data for Blönduós (1971–2000) | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 11.4 (52.5) |
12.1 (53.8) |
13.7 (56.7) |
17.2 (63.0) |
19.8 (67.6) |
23.0 (73.4) |
23.2 (73.8) |
20.5 (68.9) |
20.3 (68.5) |
18.5 (65.3) |
15.1 (59.2) |
12.6 (54.7) |
23.2 (73.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 0.6 (33.1) |
1.1 (34.0) |
1.7 (35.1) |
4.3 (39.7) |
8.1 (46.6) |
11.2 (52.2) |
13.0 (55.4) |
12.7 (54.9) |
9.5 (49.1) |
5.5 (41.9) |
2.3 (36.1) |
0.9 (33.6) |
5.9 (42.6) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −2.3 (27.9) |
−2.1 (28.2) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
1.0 (33.8) |
4.8 (40.6) |
7.7 (45.9) |
9.5 (49.1) |
9.3 (48.7) |
6.0 (42.8) |
2.6 (36.7) |
−0.4 (31.3) |
−2.0 (28.4) |
2.7 (36.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −5.8 (21.6) |
−5.0 (23.0) |
−4.3 (24.3) |
−2.0 (28.4) |
1.8 (35.2) |
4.8 (40.6) |
7.0 (44.6) |
6.5 (43.7) |
3.4 (38.1) |
0.1 (32.2) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
−5.4 (22.3) |
−0.2 (31.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −20.9 (−5.6) |
−21.8 (−7.2) |
−24.3 (−11.7) |
−19.6 (−3.3) |
−10.5 (13.1) |
−3.6 (25.5) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
−4.4 (24.1) |
−7.2 (19.0) |
−12.1 (10.2) |
−17.0 (1.4) |
−21.0 (−5.8) |
−24.3 (−11.7) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 40.6 (1.60) |
34.2 (1.35) |
42.5 (1.67) |
31.1 (1.22) |
30.1 (1.19) |
37.1 (1.46) |
44.3 (1.74) |
44.5 (1.75) |
43.2 (1.70) |
51.6 (2.03) |
37.6 (1.48) |
38.5 (1.52) |
475.3 (18.71) |
| Source: Icelandic Met Office (extremes 1952–2003, excluding 1963–67 due to lack of data) All statistics between 1968 and autumn of 1981 are for Hjaltabakki, 2.9 km (1.8 mi) from Blönduós) |
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