Skagafjörður is a deep fjord in North Iceland about 40 km long and situated in the center of the north coast of Iceland. The wide and fertile valley of Skagafjörður is a background for prosperous agriculture and food production in the area. There are two municipalities in the area, Skagafjörður municipality (approx. 4140 inhabitants) and Akrahreppur (approx. 210 inhabitants). The largest population centre in the area is the town of Sauðárkrókur with approximately 2.600 inhabitants. Three small villages; Hólar, Varmahlíð and Hofsós inhabit the total of around 400 persons.
The employment sector in Skagafjörður benefits from diversity. Although being an agricultural area by nature, only 10% of the workforce is employed in agriculture, on level with manufacturing, construction, retail, education and financial services. Educational level of the workforce in Skagafjörður is relatively high, with about 30% of the workforce holding a university degree, the highest ratio in Iceland on pair with the Reykjavik area.
The infrastructure of the community is well developed and service level is high.
As the largest population center, Sauðárkrókur serves as the main service center in the region. Well equipped regional hospital and healthcare, banks, accounting firms and several maintenance and service companies within electricity, metal works, IT and construction are located in town while retail stores, sport facilities and personal services are to be found both in town and in the small villages in the region. Schools at all educational levels from kindergarten to university are in the region. Commercial harbor and domestic airport are located in Sauðárkrókur.
