Hammerfest (town)
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View of the city | |
| Coordinates: 70°39′48″N 23°40′56″E / 70.6634°N 23.6821°E | |
| Country | Norway |
| Region | Northern Norway |
| County | Finnmark |
| District | Vest-Finnmark |
| Municipality | Hammerfest Municipality |
| Established as | |
| Kjøpstad | 1789 |
| Area | |
• Total | 3.02 km2 (1.17 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 2 m (7 ft) |
| Population (2023) | |
• Total | 7,882 |
| • Density | 2,610/km2 (6,800/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Hammerfesting |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Post Code | 9600 Hammerfest |
| Hammerfest kjøpstad | |
Finnmark within Norway | |
Hammerfest within Finnmark | |
| Country | Norway |
| County | Finnmark |
| District | Vest-Finnmark |
| Established | 1852 |
| • Preceded by | Hammerfest by og landdistrikt |
| Disestablished | 1 Jan 1992 |
| • Succeeded by | Hammerfest Municipality |
| Administrative centre | Hammerfest |
| Area (upon dissolution) | |
• Total | 2.9 km2 (1.1 sq mi) |
| Official language | |
| • Norwegian form | Neutral |
| ISO 3166 code | NO-2001 |
Hammerfest ⓘ or Hámmárfeasta is a town/city that is also the administrative centre of Hammerfest Municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. It is located on the northwestern coast of the island of Kvaløya, just north of the village of Rypefjord and southwest of the village of Forsøl. The 3.02-square-kilometre (750-acre) town has a population (2023) of 7,882 which gives the city a population density of 2,610 inhabitants per square kilometre (6,800/sq mi).
The town has an ice-free harbour, including the nearby island of Melkøya which is home to a natural gas processing station. It processes gas from the Snøhvit gas field in the Barents Sea. Rypefjord is a suburb to the south of the city. The main church for the city and municipality is Hammerfest Church. The "midnight sun" is above the horizon from 15 May to 31 July, and the period with continuous daylight lasts a bit longer. Polar night, on the other hand, lasts from 23 November to 19 January. The town is visited by cruise ships from all over the world each summer. In 2016, there were about 19,000 tourists who visited the city of Hammerfest.