Iceland

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Iceland Bollards

Iceland uses unique yellow bollards with a white reflector. They are extremely common and can be found throughout the country on almost every section of rural road.

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License Plates

Icelandic vehicles use license plates on both the front and back. This is a useful country clue for spotting Iceland.

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Icelandic Plates

Icelandic licence plates are fully white with blue characters. They do not feature a blue strip on the left.

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Iceland Road Signs

Iceland’s street signs use a white background with black text. They often have a thin metal rim and are attached to lampposts or traffic lights.

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Icelandic Letters

The letter ð also appears in Faroese. The letter æ also appears in Danish, Norwegian, and Faroese.

Icelandic Letters

Icelandic uses the letters ð, þ, and æ. Its vowels can also take accents: á, é, í, ó, ö, ú, and ý, and the uppercase form of ð is Ð.

No Yellow Road Lines

Iceland does not have yellow road lines. Yellow road lines in a Nordic setting point away from Iceland.

Iceland Road Markings

Road lines use white for both the outside and inside markings.

Iceland Road Markings

Iceland uses all-white road lines. Outside lines, when present, may be solid or, more rarely, dashed.

Icelandic Landscape

Iceland’s lack of trees gives its landscape a look unlike anywhere else in Northern Europe.

Hallormsstaður Forest Valley

The valley around Hallormsstaður has a distinct northeast-to-southwest alignment, with low mountains on both sides and a wide river running through it. It also has an unusual amount of trees for Iceland, and some sideroads pass through the forests.

Braut Street Suffix

Braut means lane in street names. Use it as a clue for Iceland.

Hill Place Names

Street suffixes like Hlíð, Hólar, and Hæð indicate hill. Use them as a clue for elevated terrain.

Lundur = Grove

Street suffix "Lundur" means grove. Use it as a vegetation clue in Iceland.

Mýri Means Swamp

Street names with Mýri point to swampy ground. Use it as a vegetation clue for Iceland.

Field Street Suffixes

Street suffixes such as Tún and Akur mean field. Use them as vegetation clues in Icelandic place names.

Volcanic Inland Gravel

Iceland’s inland regions are often barren, with dark volcanic gravel and little to no vegetation or signs of life. Most roads covered by this terrain are located in the east.

Barren Volcanic Landscape

Iceland often looks barren and treeless. Most regions have dark grey soil made mostly of volcanic rocks.

Northwest Mountain Valleys

West of Akureyri, the mountains contain many valleys between tall, often slightly snowcapped peaks. Most of these valleys generally face north to northeast.

Eastern Fjords

The far east of Iceland is also home to several fjords. They are distinguished from the Westfjords by generally larger and more jagged mountains.

Ragged Rocky Cliffs

Ragged rocky cliffs overlook the town of Vestmannaeyjabær on Heimaey. Similar cliffs can also be seen on the islands off the coast.

Akureyri Valley Setting

Akureyri is Iceland’s second-largest city and sits in a north-south valley along the western edge of the bay. Mountains lie to both the east and west, making the city easy to recognize.

Akureyri Mountain Setting

Akureyri can feel urban in some places. It can be distinguished from Reykjavik by mountains to the east and west.

Selfoss Flat-Ridge Landmark

Near Selfoss, a distinct flat-ridge mountain stands out against the otherwise flat landscape. It can be seen from a wide area.

Southwest Agricultural Terrain

The southwest agricultural area in Iceland has a relatively flat farmland landscape. It is scattered with farmsteads, fields, meadows, and grasslands.

Distant Mountain Farmland

This agricultural area is notable because the mountains around it are quite distant. That makes it stand out from other smaller farming areas in Iceland.

Westfjords Terrain

The Westfjords region has many narrow fjords. It is surrounded by moderately tall, mostly flat-topped mountains.

Ring Road Numbering

Iceland’s main ring road circles the entire island and is numbered 1. No other roads in Iceland start with 1.

Regional Road Numbering

The first digit of other road numbers is region-specific. These regions are arranged sequentially around the island, starting at 2 in the south and increasing clockwise up to 9.

Geologically Shaped Terrain

Iceland’s landscape has been shaped by plate tectonics and volcanic processes. Many areas are rugged and mountainous, with geothermal lakes, lava fields, rift valleys, and towering rock formations.

Driving Side

Iceland drives on the right. Use this as a quick road-direction cue for the country.

Iceland Highway Lanes

Iceland has only a handful of highways that are divided or have more than two lanes. Divided highways are shown in dark red, while highways with three or more lanes are shown in bright red.

Divided Roads Outside Reykjavík

Divided roads can be found inside cities other than Reykjavík. This can help distinguish Icelandic urban areas from the capital.

Southern Coast Glaciers

Iceland’s southern coast has impressive glaciers visible from the ring road. Some spill into the sea from the Vatnajökull ice cap.

Pickup Truck Colors

Iceland can be split in half by pickup truck color. Red is found in the southwest, while white is found in the northeast.

Reykjavík Overview

Reykjavík is the capital and by far the largest city in Iceland. It is mostly flat with slight hills, sits on the south side of a bay, and stands out for its large urban area and bigger-city feel.

Eiðar Valley Landscape

The wide valley around Eiðar is slightly hilly and agricultural. Tall, snowy peaks are visible in the distance to the east and northwest.

Iceland Road Numbers

Iceland uses a road numbering system that can help with quick 5k rounds. Yellow direction signs list the road numbers for the intersection being approached.

Iceland Coverage Notes

Iceland is sparsely covered overall, with the densest coverage in the southwest region. Only a few interior roads are covered.

Yellow Sign Backgrounds

Icelandic signs feature a yellow background. This matches the sign style noted for Sweden and Finland.

Icelandic Chevrons

Icelandic chevrons are black with yellow arrows.

Icelandic Pedestrian Signs

Pedestrian signs in Iceland feature four stripes. They often have a slight yellow tint.

Yellow Pedestrian Signs

Iceland uses pedestrian signs with a yellow background. This is a country-specific clue for Iceland.

Yellow Road Direction Signs

Iceland’s road direction signs are yellow and usually include a white inset box with the road numbers. If the inset box has a dashed border, the number refers to a nearby road rather than the road being traveled.

Local Direction Signs

Direction signs for very local destinations, such as farmsteads, typically use different background colours. These backgrounds are blue or white.

Iceland Google Car

The Generation 3 Google car in Iceland is white and has a long antenna.

Red and White Pickups

Generation 4 coverage includes red and white pickup trucks that have been well blurred. Use them as a visual clue when identifying Iceland.

Bakkagerði Fog Coverage

Very foggy coverage can be found around the town of Bakkagerði in northeastern Iceland. The fog can also be seen from a distance.

Country Domain

Iceland uses the .is country domain. This is a concise identifier for the country in web addresses.