Ilulissat, meaning icebergs and also known historically as Jakobshavn, is the municipal seat and largest town of the Avannaata municipality in western Greenland, about 350 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle. With a population of 5,149 as of 2025 it is Greenland's third-largest town, after Nuuk and Sisimiut, and is home to almost as many sled dogs as people. Its economy centers on tourism drawn by the nearby Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site fed by one of the northern hemisphere's most productive glaciers, which produces enormous icebergs.
Facts
Area (sq km) Founding Year Population Estimate Year Elevation (m) Latitude69.216667 degrees north 1 Climate Zone Sources
1. Ilulissat (Wikidata)
P1082 (population)
population 4,737 (2022)
P625 (coordinate location)
latitude 69.216667, longitude -51.1
P2044 (elevation above sea level)
elevation 2010 m
P2046 (area)
area 11.25 sq km
P571 (inception)
inception 1741
P1082 (population), P585 (point in time)
population 4737 (2022)
View the Source2. Koeppen-Geiger map (Kottek et al., University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna): World Map of the Koeppen-Geiger Climate Classification, present climate data
Koeppen-Geiger map (Kottek et al., University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna)Koeppen-Geiger-ASCII.txt grid cell 69.25, -51.25Quote, Koeppen-Geiger-ASCII.txt grid cell 69.25, -51.25
69.25 -51.25 ET
3. GeoNames: Ilulissat - GeoNames
GeoNamescities500 record 3423146Quote, cities500 record 3423146
69.21981 -51.09861 P PPLA GL 11839537 4413 11 America/Nuuk
Ilulissat (Wikipedia)
Lead section
Ilulissat (lit. 'Icebergs'), also known as Jakobshavn or Jacobshavn, is the municipal seat and largest town of the Avannaata municipality in western Greenland, located approximately 350 km (220 mi) north of the Arctic Circle.
- In Group: Cities of Northern America (World), Wikipedia lead, confirms town in Greenland
On Continent: North America
Ilulissat (lit. 'Icebergs'), also known as Jakobshavn or Jacobshavn, is the municipal seat and largest town of the Avannaata municipality in western Greenland, located approximately 350 km (220 mi) north of the Arctic Circle.
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