Arctic Circle Map
See the Arctic Circle on a map at its exact latitude for this year, with the 8 countries it crosses, the length over land in each, and how far north or south of it any place is.
Arctic Circle
66.5641° N (66° 33′ 50.8″ N)
8 countries and territories on land · about 12,259 km (7,617 mi) of the line runs over land · position for 2026; it moves about 15 m a year
Click the map or search below to see how far a place is from the line.
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| # | Country or territory | From – to (longitude) | Line over land |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 180.00° W – 180.00° Ein 10 separate stretches | 6,747 km (4,192 mi) | |
| 2 | 164.66° W – 141.00° Win 4 separate stretches | 908 km (564 mi) | |
| 3 | 141.00° W – 61.43° Win 9 separate stretches | 3,064 km (1,904 mi) | |
| 4 | 53.30° W – 34.44° Win 3 separate stretches | 822 km (511 mi) | |
| 5 | 18.01° W – 18.01° W | 0 km (0 mi) | |
| 6 | 13.21° E – 15.59° Ein 2 separate stretches | 104 km (65 mi) | |
| 7 | 15.59° E – 23.88° E | 368 km (229 mi) | |
| 8 | 23.88° E – 29.42° E | 246 km (153 mi) |
Crossings computed for this site from Natural Earth 1:10m countries: the line is intersected with every country outline and the land stretches are measured on the WGS84 ellipsoid. Small islands and lakes can add or remove short stretches; country status follows Natural Earth. The tropics and polar circles sit at the Earth's axial tilt (and 90° minus it): the IAU 2006 mean obliquity for 2026-01-01, 23.4359° (Capitaine et al. 2003), which shrinks by about 0.47″ a year, moving these lines about 15 m a year (the polar circles toward the poles, the tropics toward the equator).
How to use the Arctic Circle map
- See the line. Drawn at 90° minus the Earth's tilt, about 66.56° N.
- Explore the countries. Click a name to highlight its stretch.
- Check a place. See how far north or south of the Arctic Circle it is.
Why the Arctic Circle matters
Midnight sun
North of the line the sun stays up for at least a day at the June solstice (refraction stretches this a little south of it).
Polar night
At the December solstice the sun does not rise north of it.
Travel
Crossing points in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland's Grímsey island and Alaska's Dalton Highway are popular stops.
Northern lights trips
Many aurora destinations are near the line.
Geography
Which countries reach the Arctic?
Where the line is and why it moves
The Arctic Circle lies at 90° minus the Earth's axial tilt. With the IAU 2006 mean obliquity for the start of 2026 (about 23.4359°), it sits near 66.5641° N. The tilt is decreasing by about 0.47 seconds of arc a year, so the circle moves north by roughly 15 metres a year.
Crossings were computed from Natural Earth's 1:10 million country outlines and measured on the WGS84 ellipsoid.
Frequently asked questions
Which countries does the Arctic Circle cross?
Eight: Russia, the United States (Alaska), Canada, Greenland, Iceland (only the island of Grímsey), Norway, Sweden and Finland.
Does the Arctic Circle move?
Yes, northward by about 15 m a year.
Is there midnight sun on the circle?
Yes, around the June solstice; refraction makes the sun visible at midnight slightly south of it too.
How long is it?
About 16,000 km around.
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