Longyearbyen: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Longyearbyen is the capital of Svalbard and Jan Mayen (Svalbard), 1 m (3 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Svalbard Airport, Longyear (LYR), 5 km (3 mi) from the centre. It is a port city: Port of Longyearbyen.
Key facts
Open Longyearbyen in Google Maps
Getting there
Longyearbyen is served by one airport with scheduled flights. The closest large one is Svalbard Airport, Longyear (LYR), 5 km (3 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 7,608 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft.
Flights to Longyearbyen: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Longyearbyen · Driving and car hire · Ferries
Common questions
Which airport serves Longyearbyen?
Svalbard Airport, Longyear (LYR), 5 km (3 mi) from the centre.
How big is Longyearbyen?
About 2,368 people live in Longyearbyen, across 243 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Longyearbyen in?
Arctic/Longyearbyen, currently UTC+2.
What currency is used in Longyearbyen?
The Krone (NOK). Traffic drives on the right.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.