by illegally trading from their ships by the shore of Sauðárkrókur. In 1856 Sauðárkrókur became a permitted trading post, and merchants were allowed to trade from their ships. The first inhabitants In 1871 the first real settlement at Sauðárkrókur took place. The blacksmith Árni Árnason, with his wife Sigríður Eggertsdóttir and several children, settled there to provide blacksmith services to the growing farming community in this prosperous region. The couple also decided to sell drinks and overnight services; this part of the business grew fast and earned Árni a new nickname, "Árni Vert" or "innkeeper Árni". In 1873 the first merchant settled in Sauðárkrókur. The shopkeeper Erlendur Hallsson built the second house here, trading from his living room. By 1900 around 400 inhabitants lived here, and the settlement was evolving into a fully formed village with a hospital, school and church. Climate Sauðárkrókur has a mild subarctic climate (Köppen: Dfc) bordering on a tundra climate (ET). Average temperature year round in Sauðárkrókur is about 3.2 °C (37.5 °F), with an average low temperature of around -5 °C in the coldest months of the year (January–February). Being located in the North Atlantic, the region is quite windy. However severe storms are unusual. Average wind speed in the town of Sauðárkrókur is 6.7 m/s. with wind directions from North and South to South-west. The average annual precipitation is about 460 mm (20 inches) distributed fairly evenly over the year, although spring and early summer seems to be the driest season. Sauðárkrókur experiences midnight sun for 4 to 5 days around the time of the summer solstice. This is due to atmospheric refraction since the town lies just south of the Arctic Circle. Although Sauðárkrókur doesn't experience polar night, the shortest length of daylight is 3 hours 1 minute, from 11:46 UTC until 14:47 UTC on the winter solstice. Transport The town and neighbouring area is served by Sauðárkrókur Airport, although it does not have scheduled flights. The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Akureyri Airport, about away by road. The town is connected to the Route 1 via Varmahlíð through route 75 or alternatively via Blönduós through routes 744 and 74 (when road conditions are suitable). Reykjavík is about away by road. Sports The town has a stadium, the Sauðárkróksvöllur, built in 2004. The local sports club is UMF Tindastóll. Notable people Sigurlaugur Elíasson (1957-) - painter and poet Eyjólfur Sverrisson (1968-)