Where the 60th Parallel and Arctic Circle Cross Land: A Global Tour

Two significant latitudes—60°N and the Arctic Circle (66°33′N)—trace very different worlds. Here's where they touch land.

60° North Latitude Passes Through

• Canada: Southern Hudson Bay (Nunavut/Manitoba border), northern Quebec
• Greenland: Southern tip (near Nanortalik)
• Russia: St. Petersburg (59.9°N – just south; 60°N crosses Lake Ladoga north of city)
• USA (Alaska): Southern tip of Kenai Peninsula (Homer ~59.6°N; 60°N crosses Cook Inlet)
• Norway: Southern tip (Lindesnes ~58°N; 60°N crosses North Sea)
• Sweden: Stockholm archipelago (59.3°N; 60°N crosses Åland Sea)
• Finland: Åland Islands (60.1°N), southern coastal Finland
• Estonia: Northern islands (Vormsi, Osmussaar)
• Scotland: Shetland Islands (60.1–60.8°N) – only UK land at 60°N

Arctic Circle (66°33′48″ N) Passes Through

• Canada: Yukon (Old Crow), NWT (Inuvik), Nunavut (Baffin Island south)
• USA (Alaska): Fort Yukon, Coldfoot, Wiseman, Deadhorse (Prudhoe Bay)
• Russia: Only the Yamal Peninsula (salekhard, Novy Urengoy) – vast Siberia mostly south of Circle
• Norway: Nordland (Mo i Rana, Bodø), Troms (Tromsø), Finnmark (North Cape)
• Sweden: Norrbotten (Jokkmokk, Kiruna, Gällivare)
• Finland: Lapland (Rovaniemi – "Santa's Village", Kemi, Ivalo)
• Iceland: Only country entirely north of the Arctic Circle (Grímsey Island exactly on it; mainland ~63–66°N)
• Greenland: Southern Greenland is below; Disko Bay north

Key Contrasts

60°N is a civilized parallel; the Arctic Circle is the gateway to the polar world.