This site and Bluie West-1 in Narsarsuaq remain Greenland's best-equipped airports. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu.

Hotel Kangerlussuaq operates at the airport. It is located away from the coast and hence less prone to fog and wind in comparison with other airports in Greenland. The ice sheet has been living on borrowed time for many years, with dire consequences, "VVM-godkendelse af anlægsprojektet "Ny havn og vej ved Kangerlussuaq, http://naalakkersuisut.gl/da/Naalakkersuisut/Nyheder/2017/11/1411_arbejdsgruppe, Greenland’s first road project connecting settlements clears its last hurdle, First overland road project between Greenlandic towns, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kangerlussuaq&oldid=968628674, Articles with dead external links from May 2017, Articles with permanently dead external links, Articles with Danish-language sources (da), Articles with dead external links from September 2017, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing explicitly cited English-language text, Articles containing Greenlandic-language text, Wikipedia articles with WorldCat-VIAF identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 20 July 2020, at 15:00.
It served as one of the Distant Early Warning Line bases and a supply station for similar early warning facilities.

If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. The base subsequently came under Greenlandic Home Rule and was renamed using the Kalaallisut dialect of the West Greenland Inuit. Both rivers originate from the Russell Glacier. Can't-miss spots to dine, drink, and feast. This facility is host to more than 20 instruments, the majority of which provide unique and complementary information about the arctic upper atmosphere. Kangerlussuaq (English: "Big Fjord" from Greenlandic language), (Danish: Søndre Strømfjord), is a settlement in western Greenland in the Qeqqata municipality[3] located at the head of the fjord of the same name (Danish: Søndre Strømfjord). Find what to do today, this weekend, or in October. The base briefly came under Danish control in 1950, but following mounting concerns about the Cold War threat, a new agreement saw the United States reopen Bluie West-8 under the name of Sondrestrom Air Base on 27 April 1951. Kangerlussuaq and the 170 km fjord it rests on share the same name, meaning “big fjord”. Fishing Charters & Tours, Nature & Wildlife Tours. The airport dates from American settlement during and after World War II, when the site was known as Bluie West-8 and then Sondrestrom Air Base. Kangerlussuaq Fjord is navigable in its entire length. Kangerlussuaq was founded at the east end of Kangerlussuaq fjord as Bluie West-8 on 7 October 1941, under the supervision of Colonel Bernt Balchen of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). [14] Cruise ships, such as Norway's Hurtigruten,[15] navigate the fjord, anchoring outside the port. Both rivers originate from the Russell Glacier. We have reviews of the best places to see in Kangerlussuaq. The drive time would be much longer than the fly time, and there are also considerations to move the main hub of Air Greenland to Nuuk Airport, closing Kangerlussuaq airport.

Kangerlussuaq occupies an alluvial flatland on the far end of the 190 km long[4] Kangerlussuaq Fjord, straddling both sides of the Qinnguata Kuussua river estuary.
While Inuit hunters certainly visited Kangerlussuaq, there appears never to have been a settlement at the location.

Alongside Narsarsuaq Airport, it is one of only two civilian airports in Greenland large enough to handle large airliners. The Kangerlussuaq area has very few inhabitants, so few passengers

It has been operational since the ionospheric radar was transported from Alaska to Kangerlussuaq in 1983 and it continues to be in high demand by the scientific communities.[21]. The town is situated about 50 kilometers (31 mi) north of the Arctic Circle. Kangerlussuaq hosted the Greenland Space Science Symposium in May 2007. Its Danish name is Søndre Strømfjord, and until the early 1990's was home to a U.S. military base known as Bluie West Eight.The settlement and the airfield share a symbiotic relationship with most residents being employed by it in one way or another. As the only civilian airport in Greenland large enough to support large long-range airplanes such as Boeing 747s, Kangerlussuaq Airport is Greenland's most important transport hub. Following the fall of Denmark to Germany in World War II, US forces assumed security for Greenland, building several bases including Bluie West-1 to the south in Narsarsuaq and Bluie West-8 at the Kangerlussuaq fjord. The climate in Kangerlussuaq is subarctic (Köppen Dfc), bordering on tundra climate (Köppen ET) and unusually for somewhere this far north (In the arctic circle), a cold-semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk), with the area receiving very little rainfall. The edge of the glacier is easily accessible and is a major tourist attraction from the town, as is the edge of the ice sheet in the Isunngua highlands to its northeast. Since then it has increased by more than 80%, although it has begun dropping again in recent years.[1]. The edge of the glacier is easily accessible and is a major tourist attraction from the town, as is the edge About 120 miles (190 km) long and 1–5 miles (1.5–8 km) wide, the fjord extends northeastward from Davis Strait to the edge of the inland ice cap, where

Kangerlussuaq Airport is an airport in Kangerlussuaq, a settlement in the Qeqqata municipality in central-western Greenland. The settlement's economy and population of 508[1] is almost entirely reliant on the airport and tourist industry. The centerpiece instrument of the facility is an L band incoherent scatter (IS) radar with a 32 m (105 ft) fully steerable antenna. There are plans to construct a road to Sisimiut (170 km) as of 2017. Kangerlussuaq, fjord in southwestern Greenland, located just north of the Arctic Circle and 60 miles (95 km) southeast of Sisimiut (Holsteinsborg). more, Kangerlussuaq Tourism: Best of Kangerlussuaq, Create a Trip to save and organize all of your travel ideas, and see them on a map. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. The Kangerlussuaq area is also home to Greenland's most diverse terrestrial fauna, including muskoxen, caribou, and gyrfalcons. They go to Kangerlussuaq mainly to exchange passenger by air, because the travel time to and from Greenland is too long for many passengers. Kangerlussuaq Airport is the international hub for Air Greenland. Set-it-and-forget-it annual travel insurance from $135/year. It is operated by SRI International for the U.S. National Science Foundation and the Danish Meteorological Institute. [18] The cost estimates have been between 250-500 million Danish kroner (DKK), depending on road quality, and therefore the plans are delayed. To the southeast behind lake Tasersuatsiaq, which provides fresh water to the town,[6] is the vast highland of Ammalortup Nunaa,[5] the original region artificially populated with 27 muskoxen.[7].

Plans were approved in 2018 to build a new deep port, around 10 km west of the present one, together with a road to it.[16]. East of Kangerlussuaq there is a confluence of the two major regional rivers, the Qinnguata Kuussua and Akuliarusiarsuup Kuua. Kangerlussuaq is a settlement on the west coast of Greenland near the end of a fjord of the same name.

[5], Highlands such as Tarajornitsut bound Kangerlussuaq from the north and south. This is due to a much more continental climate than surrounding areas, with much warmer summers and colder winters. Things to Do in Kangerlussuaq, Qeqqata Municipality: See Tripadvisor's 133 traveler reviews and photos of Kangerlussuaq tourist attractions.

On 17 June 2020, Qeqqata Kommunia approved the plans to build the road. Kangerlussuaq occupies an alluvial flatland on the far end of the 190 km long Kangerlussuaq Fjord, straddling both sides of the Qinnguata Kuussua river estuary. The valley of the latter forms large quicksand plains. Myers Avenue with church and Kangerlussuaq Conference Center, Sondrestrom Upper Atmospheric Research Facility, "Climate : Kangerlussuaq, Kangerlussuaq Airport, Greenland", "Meltwater from Greenland glacier wipes out key crossing", "Flooding in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland : Image of the Day", Greenland's ice sheet is melting fast – I'm not surprised. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. Kangerlussuaq offers easy access to the Greenland Ice Cap, via a 25 km dirt road. [11][12][13], The population of Kangerlussuaq dropped significantly after the liquidation of the Sondrestrom Air Base. more, Things to Do in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland - Kangerlussuaq Attractions. Since then it has been mainly used for tourist purposes.[17]. [19][20], There is an ionospheric and atmospheric research facility known as the Sondrestrom Upper Atmospheric Research Facility, situated at about 15 km (9.3 mi) west of Kangerlussuaq. A gravel road through Isunngua connects Kangerlussuaq with the ice sheet, initially serving as venue for car endurance experiments. Kangerlussuaq has the largest road network outside any settlement in Greenland (not counting streets inside the settlement). [8] Its climate is very unusual in Greenland, which normally has a tundra climate.

In July 2012 a gust of warm air resulted in glacier meltwater which wiped out a key crossing of the Watson River. It is fairly shallow and suitable for small ships only, mainly used by supply ships of the Royal Arctic Line, and unusable in winter. Almost all of the permanent structures in the town were built during the American occupation of the site. It is Greenland's main air transport hub and the site of Greenland's largest commercial airport. Visit top-rated & must-see attractions. There is a seaport at Kangerlussuaq, 20 km west of Kangerlussuaq Airport. The valley of the latter forms large quicksand plains. What are the top attractions to visit in Kangerlussuaq? The top attractions to visit in Kangerlussuaq are: Boat Tours & Water Sports in Kangerlussuaq, See all attractions in Kangerlussuaq on Tripadvisor.

Following the fall of the Soviet Union, the usefulness of the base was greatly diminished and the last U.S. Air Force personnel left the base on 30 September 1992. Places to see, ways to wander, and signature experiences. It is commonly known around the town as Kellyville. The selection of Greenland as a place for the symposium celebrated the rich history of Greenland in using scientific instruments to provide a window into the geospace system. The Arctic Circle crosses the fjord at its halfway point. Construction of the first 21 km of the road, connecting Kangerlussuaq with the Tasersuaq area, is scheduled to begin in late July 2020.