Garðabær

The ancient soil of the Capital Region

Garðabær is a town and municipality situated in Iceland. Positioned within the Capital Region at latitude 64.08865 and longitude -21.92298, it operates in the Atlantic/Reykjavik timezone.

A historical turning point for the locality arrived when the site of Garðabær was first inhabited during the settlement of Iceland in the 9th century. According to the Book of Settlement, known as Landnámabók, two early farms established the area: Skúlastaðir and Vífilsstaðir. The latter farm derived its name from Vífill, a slave belonging to Ingólfur Arnarson, who was the very first settler of Iceland. After Ingólfur granted Vífill his freedom, Vífill established his permanent home at Vífilsstaðir.

Centuries after its origins in the 9th century, the municipality expanded its boundaries significantly when Bessastaðahreppur officially became part of Garðabær in 2012. Today, the growing town ranks as the fifth largest municipality in Iceland, accommodating a population of 20,116 residents as of 1 January 2025.

The municipality houses major economic and commercial enterprises, including Marel hf., which stands as the largest company on NASDAQ OMX Iceland by market capitalisation. Residents and visitors utilize the nation's only IKEA store and only Costco store, both located within the municipal limits. Additionally, the community supports educational infrastructure such as Sjálandsskóli, established in 2005, which shares its building space with the International School of Iceland.

Surrounded by nature reserves, the town offers prominent views of Mt. Esja, the neighboring town of Kópavogur, the capital Reykjavík, and the distant Snæfellsjökull glacier situated to the north-west. Sporting culture thrives through the Stjarnan club, whose men's football team secured its first Icelandic Premier League championship in 2014, alongside the achievements of the women's football section and the Oddur Golf Club established in 1990.