66th parallel north explained

The 66th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 66 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane, about south of the Arctic Circle. It crosses the Atlantic Ocean, Europe, Asia and North America.

This latitude also roughly corresponds to the minimum latitude in which midnight sun can last all night near the summer solstice.

At this latitude midnight sun lasts from about 12 to 29 June, and the sun is visible for 2 hours, 47 minutes during the winter solstice. At midnight on the summer solstice, the altitude of the sun is 0.00°.

Around the world

Starting at the Prime Meridian and heading eastwards, the parallel 66° north passes through:

CoordinatesCountry, territory or oceanNotes
Atlantic OceanNorwegian Sea
, Norwegian Sea
Skerries of, Nordland
Atlantic Ocean, Norwegian Sea
Islands and skerries of Vardøya and Ytre Øksningan, Nordland
Atlantic OceanØksningssundet, Norwegian Sea
Hestøya, Nordland
Atlantic OceanHestøysundet, Norwegian Sea
Nord-Herøy, Nordland
Atlantic OceanGautholet, Norwegian Sea
Hjartøya, Nordland
Atlantic Ocean, Norwegian Sea
Alsta, Nordland
Atlantic OceanLeirfjorden, Norwegian Sea
Alsta, Nordland
Atlantic OceanVefsnfjorden, Norwegian Sea
Mainland Nordland
Arctic OceanWhite Sea, Barents Sea
Pacific OceanGulf of Anadyr, Bering Sea
Chukchi Peninsula
Pacific OceanBering Strait
Alaska
Yukon
Northwest Territories – for about 16 km
Yukon – for about 16 km
Northwest Territories – for about 9 km
Yukon – for about 8 km
Northwest Territories – passing through Great Bear Lake
Nunavut
Arctic OceanRoes Welcome Sound, Hudson Bay
NunavutWhite Island
Arctic OceanFrozen Strait
NunavutVansittart Island
Arctic OceanFoxe Basin
Nunavut
Arctic OceanFoxe Basin
NunavutBaffin Island
Arctic OceanCumberland Sound, Labrador Sea
NunavutBaffin Island
Arctic OceanDavis Strait
Atlantic OceanSermilik, Denmark Strait
Atlantic OceanDenmark Strait
Westfjords peninsula
Atlantic OceanHúnaflói
Skagaströnd town on Skagi peninsula
Atlantic OceanSkagafjörður
Tröllaskagi peninsula
Atlantic OceanEyjafjörður by Dalvík town
og Fjörður peninsula
Atlantic OceanSkjálfandi
Tjörnes by Húsavík, exiting by Langanes
Atlantic OceanGreenland Sea
Norwegian Sea

See also