Distance guide from Reykjavik, Iceland. Explore flight times, driving distances, and travel information to destinations across 2 continents.
Reykjavik, Iceland — population approximately 131,136, Capital Region region of Europe, at 64.15°N, 21.94°W.
From Reykjavik, you can reach 5 major destinations worldwide. The closest city in our database is London at just 1,890 km, while the farthest destination is New York at 4,203 km. The average distance from Reykjavik to all listed destinations is approximately 2,869 km.
Distances from Reykjavik to cities across Europe, North America are great-circle distances calculated with the Haversine formula.
Explore all available distances from Reykjavik to major cities in Europe. Distances range from 1,890 km to 2,233 km.
Explore all available distances from Reykjavik to major cities in North America. Distances range from 3,913 km to 4,203 km.
Reykjavik is a regional centre of roughly 0.13 million people in Iceland, and its airport network reflects Europe's dense intra-continental flight network and competitive low-cost carrier market. The country's flag carrier Icelandair dominates many long-haul departures from Reykjavik, while low-cost and regional players like PLAY handle most short-haul leisure traffic.
Travelers heading out of Reykjavik typically choose between non-stop flights and one-stop routings via major regional hubs. For routes inside Europe, point-to-point flying usually wins on time and price; for intercontinental journeys, connecting through hubs like Dubai, Doha, Istanbul, Singapore, Frankfurt or Atlanta can cut fares by 20–40% compared with the cheapest non-stop option, particularly when booked 3–4 months in advance.
Of the 5 destinations covered from Reykjavik on this page, the breakdown is 5 medium-haul (1,500–5,000 km). That mix means a typical traveler from Reykjavik will encounter everything from a 90-minute regional hop to a multi-hour long-haul journey, depending on destination.
At 64.15° Northern and 21.94° Western, Reykjavik sits in the subarctic — short cool summers and long dark winters with significant snow cover. This climate band shapes both the local travel calendar and how comfortable arrivals from very different latitudes will feel — visitors flying in from a sharply different climate band should plan layered clothing and budget time to adjust to humidity, daylight and seasonal extremes.
Reykjavik's longitude places it in approximately UTC−1. When planning multi-leg journeys, this matters: eastbound flights from Reykjavik arrive on a "later" local clock and are more prone to disrupted sleep on arrival, while westbound trips offer the easier "extra hours in the day" experience that frequent travelers prefer for important meetings on landing.
Because of the curvature of the Earth, the great-circle distances shown here are not the same as the apparent length of routes drawn on a flat map. Flights from Reykjavik to far-away destinations often track closer to the poles than people expect — a phenomenon you can see clearly when comparing the on-screen route line on our distance map against the actual flight path shown by airline tracking services. Read more in our guide on how the Haversine formula works.
To make the numbers concrete, here are three real journeys from Reykjavik taken from our database — one nearby, one medium-haul, and one long-haul — to illustrate how transport mode and travel time scale with distance.
Across this 1,890 km corridor between Reykjavik (Iceland) and London (United Kingdom), a direct regional flight is typically the fastest option.
Across this 2,233 km corridor between Reykjavik (Iceland) and Paris (France), a long-haul widebody flight is the standard choice.
Across this 4,203 km corridor between Reykjavik (Iceland) and New York (United States), a long-haul widebody flight is the standard choice.
These examples show why a single travel-time rule never works for a city like Reykjavik: the "right" mode of transport depends entirely on which destination you pick. Browse the full list of 5 routes above to see exact numbers for your trip.
Fare patterns out of Reykjavik follow the same rules that apply to most Europe hubs: prices peak around the local summer holidays, the December/January end-of-year break, and any major regional festivals or sporting events. Booking 8–12 weeks ahead for short and medium-haul, and 3–4 months ahead for long-haul, captures most of the available savings without forcing inflexible commitments.
Mid-week departures from Reykjavik (Tuesday and Wednesday in particular) are typically 20–30% cheaper than Friday and Sunday flights on the same routes. Red-eye and very early-morning departures usually save another 10–15% — useful for short trips where saving money matters more than arrival comfort. Budget carriers operating from Reykjavik use strict carry-on rules and unbundled fares, so packing light and skipping ancillary fees is the single biggest lever for keeping total cost low.
For premium travel, the Europe market offers strong premium-economy options on most flights over four hours. Use of mileage programs is particularly powerful from Reykjavik: partner award redemptions on long-haul routes can deliver business-class seats for 50–60% below cash fares, especially if you stay flexible on travel dates and accept a one-stop routing.
For domestic and intra-Europe flights from Reykjavik, arriving 90 minutes before departure is comfortable; for long-haul international flights, plan for 2.5–3 hours, especially during morning and evening peaks. If your itinerary involves connecting through a different airport, build in at least 90 minutes for international-to-international transfers, and longer if you change terminals.
Public transport between the city centre and the airport is almost always the cheapest option from Reykjavik — typically 60–80% less than taxis or ride-share — and on routes with rail links, often the fastest as well. Pre-booked private transfers make sense mainly for early-morning departures, late-night arrivals, or when traveling with bulky luggage or small children.
Whichever destination you're heading to from Reykjavik, use our distance calculator above to confirm exact figures for your specific route, and explore our travel guides for in-depth advice on flight time, driving distance, and trip planning.
The closest major city to Reykjavik in our database is London, United Kingdom at a distance of 1,890 km (1,174 miles). The estimated flight time is approximately 2h 52min.
The farthest city from Reykjavik in our database is New York, United States at 4,203 km (2,611 miles). A direct flight would take approximately 5h 45min.
We have distance calculations from Reykjavik to 5 destinations across 2 continents. The average distance is approximately 2,869 km.
All distances are calculated using the Haversine formula, which computes the great-circle distance — the shortest path between two points on Earth's surface. Flight times assume 800 km/h cruising speed. Road estimates use a 1.3× routing factor at 80 km/h average, and are only shown where a continuous land link actually exists between the two places.