The city is a well-known ice hockey town, with its main team Skellefteå AIK playing in the Swedish top division: the SHL, which they have won on several occasions; most recently in 2024.

The Skellefte River passes through the city and it is located around 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from the Bothnian Bay open sea.

[citation needed] Eventually, the reason for the sudden awakened interest towards Skellefteälven and the surrounding areas was the great northern fishing grounds of salmon.

Major industries include: The city will become the home of a massive battery plant made by Northvolt by circa 2023.

[citation needed] Skellefteå has a subarctic climate (Dfc) with mild summers and cold, long and snowy winters.

The climate is somewhat moderated by the Bothnia Bay, although maritime effects are limited, ensuring warm summer temperatures for a coastal area so far north.

In the last century, as part of global climate warming, an increase in summer temperatures as well as an earlier arrival of spring and a later onset of winter have been observed.

There is a railway branch line running through Skellefteå, although with no passenger traffic, making it the largest city in Sweden without it.