Introduction
City in Greenland
"Jakobshavn" redirects here. For the glacier, see Jakobshavn Glacier.
Place in Greenland, Kingdom of DenmarkIlulissat
JakobshavnFrom upper left: Illumiut neighbourhood, Aerial view, Ilulissat Icefjord, Knud Rasmussen's Museum, Zion's Church
FlagCoat of armsIlulissatLocation within GreenlandShow map of GreenlandIlulissatIlulissat (North Atlantic)Show map of North AtlanticIlulissatIlulissat (Arctic)Show map of ArcticCoordinates: 69°13′11″N 51°05′55″W / 69.21972°N 51.09861°W / 69.21972; -51.09861Sovereign state Kingdom of DenmarkAutonomous territory GreenlandMunicipalityAvannaataFirst mention15th centuryCity Status16th centuryArea • City11.25 km2 (4.34 sq mi) • Metro47.00 km2 (18.15 sq mi)Highest elevation2,010 m (6,590 ft)Lowest elevation1 m (3.3 ft)Population (2025) • City5,149 • Density457.7/km2 (1,185/sq mi) • Metro density103.5/km2 (268/sq mi) • Ethnicity90.98% Greenlandic9.02% OtherTime zoneUTC−02:00 (Western Greenland Time) • Summer (DST)UTC−01:00 (Western Greenland Summer Time)Postal code3952Area code(+299) 94
Ilulissat (lit. 'Icebergs'), also known as Jakobshavn or Jacobshavn, is the municipal seat and largest town of the Avannaata municipality in western Greenland, located approximately 350 km (220 mi) north of the Arctic Circle. With a population of 5,149 as of 2025, it is the third-largest city in Greenland, after Nuuk and Sisimiut.
The city is home to almost as many sled-dogs as people.
The nearby Ilulissat Icefjord is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and has made Ilulissat the most popular tourist destination in Greenland. Tourism is now the town's principal industry.
The city neighbours the Ilulissat Icefjord, where there are enormous icebergs from the most productive glacier in the northern hemisphere.
History
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The Lutheran church, photographed in 1869
Archaeological finds at Semermiut, near Ilulissat, show that the area was inhabited by Inuit peoples from prehistoric times, with evidence of Saqqaq settlement around 1500 BC and Dorset occupation from about 300 AD. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Dutch whalers traded extensively with the local population and referred to the area as Maklykout, a name now thought to be a corruption of the Greenlandic magdliukait ("tidal wave").
The town was established as a trading post by Jacob Severin's company in 1741; it was named in his honor after the Battle of Jacobshavn, in which Danish forces defeated the Dutch whalers.
The Zion Church (Zions Kirke) was built in the late 18th century; it was the largest man-made structure in Greenland at the time. The final resident of nearby Sermermiut moved to Ilulissat in 1850.
Ilulissat Declaration[edit]
Main article: Ilulissat Declaration
The town was the site of the Arctic Ocean Conference in May 2008. The joint meeting between Canada, Denmark, Norway, Russia, and the United States was held to discuss key issues relating to territorial claims in the Arctic (particularly Hans Island — eventually settled in 2022 — and Arktika 2007) and Arctic shrinkage produced by climate change.
The Ilulissat Declaration arose from the conference. It stated that the law of the sea provided for important rights and obligations concerning the delineation of the outer limits of the continental shelf, the protection of the marine environment (including ice-covered areas), freedom of navigation, marine scientific research, and other uses of the sea. It also said that it remained committed to this legal framework and to the orderly settlement of any possible overlapping claims.
With this existing legal framework providing a solid foundation for responsible management, there was no need to develop a new comprehensive international legal regime to govern the Arctic Ocean. The states involved would continue the developments within the Arctic Ocean and continue to implement appropriate measures to further said developments.
A panoramic view of Ilulissat in 2024
Hotel Ilulissat fire[edit]
On 7 March 2021 at 20.12 (local time), a major fire broke out in Hotel Ilulissat, which at the time was still under construction. The fire and smoke was seen throughout the city. Police asked everyone in the area to stay home and keep their windows closed, until the fire fighters ended the fire. The police in Nuuk are to start an investigation.
Not long after the fire fighters arrived, a gas cylinder exploded. The explosion was heard throughout the city.
