According to tradition, Reykjavík (“Bay of Smokes”) was founded in 874 by the Norseman Ingólfur Arnarson. Until the 20th century it was a small fishing village and trading post. It was granted municipal powers and was designated the administrative centre of the Danish-ruled island on Aug. 18, 1786. The seat of the Althingi (parliament) since 1843, it became the capital of a self-governing Iceland under the Danish king in 1918 and of the independent Republic of Iceland in 1944.

Reykjavík is the commercial, industrial, and cultural centre of the island. It is a major fishing port and the site of nearly half of the nation's industries. An international airport is at Keflavík, 20 miles (32 km) west-southwest. Reykjavík's manufactures include processed fish and food products, machinery, and metal products. Strikingly modern and clean in appearance, the town is largely built of concrete and is heated by hot water piped from nearby hot springs. Its many public outdoor swimming pools are also geothermal. Buildings of note include the Parliament Building (1881) and the Church of Hallgrímur (1986). Among the town's cultural highlights are the National and University Library of Iceland (1994; a merging of the National Library 【1818】 and the University Library 【1940】), the University of Iceland (founded 1911), the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, and the National Gallery of Iceland. The Árni Magnússon Institute in Iceland is a department within the University of Iceland and is based on the manuscript collection of Árni Magnússon (Magnússon, Árni) (long held by the University of Copenhagen). The Reykjavík Art Museum, consisting of three buildings, and the Sigurjón Ólafsson Museum are among the town's many museums and galleries. Bessastadhir, the residence of the president of Iceland, is outside the town. Pop. (2006 est.) town, 116,446; urban agglom., 191,431.