Honningsvåg

is the northernmost city/town in mainland Norway. It is located in Nordkapp Municipality in Finnmark county. Honningsvåg was declared a city in 1996, despite its small population. The 1.04 km2 town has a population of 2,245 (2023), which gives the town a population density of 2159 PD/km2.

Honningsvåg is situated at a bay on the southeastern side of the large island of Magerøya, while the famous North Cape and its visitor center are on the northern side of the island. Honningsvåg is a port of call for Hurtigruten Coastal Express and cruise ships, especially in the summer months. The ice-free ocean (the southwestern part of the Barents Sea) provides rich fisheries and tourism is also important to the town. Even at 71°N, many private gardens in Honningsvåg have trees, although rarely more than 3 to 4 m tall.

The famous dog Bamse came from Honningsvåg.

Transportation
Honningsvåg is one of the main stops of the Hurtigruten coastal ships on their lengthy route along the Norwegian coast between Kirkenes in the north and Bergen in the south. The northbound ships to Kirkenes dock in the port from 11:15 to 14:45, generating heavy tourist activity in the city. The southbound ships to Bergen make a short stop around 05:30.

The Honningsvåg Airport, located 4 km north of the town, offer flights mainly to Tromsø, with connecting service to Oslo.

History
The area was first settled in prehistory, as early as 10,300 years ago. The sea was probably the main food source.

City status
Honningsvåg was declared a city in 1996 by the municipal council of Nordkapp. National legislation was passed in 1997 that states that a Norwegian city must have at least 5,000 inhabitants, but since Honningsvåg was declared a city in 1996, it was exempt from this legislation. This makes it one of the smallest cities in Norway.

Name
The town (originally it was a village) is named after the old Honningsvaag farm (Hornungsvágr). The meaning of the first element is uncertain. It may be from Hornungr, an old name (no longer used) for the nearby mountain Storefjell (lit. 'big mountain'). This mountain has a tall, hornlike peak near Honningsvåg which would imply that the name was derived from the word horn. The last element is which means "inlet" or "bay". The full name thus means "the bay lying beneath the mountain Hornungr."

Climate
Even though Honningsvåg is located at the northernmost extreme of Europe, it has a subarctic climate (not a polar climate; barely qualifying for Dfc when the isotherm of -3 C (27 F) is used), thanks to the North Atlantic Drift. Winter temperatures are softened by the ice-free ocean, and are extremely mild for the polar latitude, even milder than winters at Oslo Airport which is located 1400 km and 11 degrees of latitude further south. Located on the coast, Honningsvåg can experience strong winter storms and blizzard conditions, sometimes closing the road connection. On 29 December 2008, winds were recorded at 81 mph. Snow cover can be deep in winter, threatening avalanches in steep terrain. Precipitation is evenly spread throughout the year, but with a little peak in autumn. Honningsvåg has a polar day with midnight sun from 13 May to 31 July. From 21 November to 21 January, the sun is below the horizon (polar night). On 29 June 2022 a new record high was set with 28.4 °C.