It lies immediately south of Reykjavík and is part of the Capital Region.

The tallest building in Iceland, the Smáratorg Tower, is located in central Kópavogur.

Kópavogur is also one of Iceland's most prominent sites for Icelandic urban legends about the huldufólk;[4] it also features in this capacity in the 2010 film Sumarlandið, where the stone Grásteinn is portrayed as an elf-house in the Kópavogur municipality.

Kópavogur's main sports clubs are Gerpla,[5] Breiðablik and HK.

The town is also home to the hardcore strongman and powerlifting training facility 'Thor's Power Gym' owned by the strongest man of all-time Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, which was also the venue for the iconic 501 kg (1,105 lb) World Record Deadlift on 2 May 2020.