The northernmost capital of a sovereign state is Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland.
Reykjavík stands at about 64°08′ north on Iceland’s southwest coast, beside Faxaflói Bay. Its latitude gives it the distinction among capitals of independent countries, although another capital is slightly farther north: Nuuk, Greenland, at roughly 64°10′ north. Greenland, however, is an autonomous constituent country within the Kingdom of Denmark rather than a sovereign state.
The city’s name means “Smoky Bay,” a reference traditionally linked to steam rising from geothermal springs. Norse tradition identifies Ingólfur Arnarson as the area’s first permanent settler, around 874. Reykjavík later grew from a small settlement into Iceland’s political and economic centre, and the Alþingi was moved there in 1845.
Tallinn, Oslo and Helsinki are all northern European capitals, but each lies farther south. The wording “of a sovereign state” matters: without that qualification, Nuuk is often cited as the northernmost national capital in broader lists.