Of its original length of 150 km (making it the longest river in Iceland's Eastern Region),[1] 25 km are now part of the artificial lake Hálslón created for the Kárahnjúkar Hydropower Plant.

Before construction of the dam, the river used to transport approximately 120 t of sediment per hour into the North Atlantic.

Due to the strong current, fording of the Jökulsá á Dal isn't possible.

The bridge on Iceland's Route 1 (Hringvegur) was built in 1994, when the road to Egilsstaðir was upgraded.

In the novel Independent People by Icelandic author Halldór Laxness, the protagonist Bjartur rides through the river on a reindeer.