Route 1
Sign in to saveAlso known as Route 1 (Iceland), Road 1 (Iceland), Hringvegur, Ring Road
road in Iceland
Key facts
- Length
- 1,322 km (821 mi)
- Existed
- 1974–present
- Country
- Iceland
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Image
- 2006-05-23 15-27-13 Iceland Suðurland Kálfafell.jpg
- Length
- 1336
Show 4 more facts
- Commons category
- Hringvegur
- Commons gallery
- Hringvegur
- inception
- 1974-00-00
- road number
- 1
Sources (2)
via Wikidata · CC0
~11 min read
Article
Route 1 or the Ring Road (Icelandic: Þjóðvegur 1 or Hringvegur pronounced [ˈr̥iŋkˌvɛːɣʏr̥] ) is a national road in Iceland that circles the entire country. As a major trunk route, it is considered to be the most important piece of transport infrastructure in Iceland as it connects the majority of towns together in the most densely populated areas of the country. Economically, it carries a large proportion of goods traffic as well as tourist traffic. The total length of the road is 1,322 kilometres (821 mi), making it the longest ring road in Europe.
The road was completed in 1974, coinciding with the 1,100th anniversary of the country's settlement when the longest bridge in Iceland, crossing the Skeiðará river in the southeast, was opened. Previously, vehicles intending to travel between southern settlements, e.g. Vík to Höfn, had to travel north of the country through Akureyri, making the opening a major transport improvement to the country.