The most northern settlements on Earth are communities close to the North Pole, ranging from about 70° N to about 89° N. This is a list showing all of the northernmost settlements on Earth, which are all south of latitude 90° N.
There are no permanent civilian settlements north of 79° N, the furthest north (78.55° N) being Ny-Ålesund, a permanent settlement of about 30 (in the winter) to 130 (in the summer) people on the Norwegian island of Svalbard. Just below this settlement at 78.12° N is Svalbard's primary city, Longyearbyen, which has a population of over 2,000.
When occupied for a few weeks some years, the northernmost temporary settlement in the world is Camp Barneo, a Russian tourist attraction located near 88°11'00" N. As of 2022, it had not been occupied since 2018.[1]
The tables below shows the settlements, towns, and cities that are the northernmost in the world of their kind.
| Location | Country | Latitude | Population | Public | Active? | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| None (International waters) | 88°11' N | 0 | no | no | Latitude as of April 2009 (varies); northernmost temporarily inhabited place. A Russian-founded ice camp. It has not been occupied after 2019. | ||
| Greenland (Danish Realm) | 83°7' N | 0 | yes | no | A group of archeological sites including at least one likely inhabited both summer and winter[2] | ||
| 83°06' N | 0 | no | no | Former exploration base in 1957–58, airstrip, building. Uninhabited as of 2019 | |||
| 82°28' N | 65 (winter minimum) to 110 (summer maximum) | no | yes | Northernmost place with a continuous (year-round) population, but no permanent residents; military and research station (CFS Alert)[3] | |||
| Greenland (Danish Realm) | 82°15' N | 0 | yes | no | A group of more than 20 archeological sites, among them several former permanent settlements | ||
| 82°11' N | 0 | no | no | Former exploration base, 1947 to 1950 | |||
| 82°10' N | 0 | no | no | Former exploration base | |||
| 82°07' N | 0 | yes | no | Archaeological site | |||
| 81°44' N | 0 | no | no | Former exploration camp, 1881 to 1883 and 1957 to 1958 | |||
| Greenland (Danish Realm) | 81°43' N | 5 | no | yes | Military and scientific base | ||
| 80°48' N | 52[4] | no | yes | Border guard facility and meteorological station | |||
| 80°37' N | 7 | no | yes | Meteorological station | |||
| 80°20' N | 0 | no | no | Former weather station | |||
| 79°59' N | 8 | no | yes | Scientific station | |||
| 79°58' N | 0 | no | no | Former Royal Canadian Mounted Police station | |||
| 79°51'20" N | 0 | no | no | Former Dutch whaling station, 1620s to 1670 | |||
| 79°43'54" N | 0 | no | no | Former Danish–Dutch whaling station, 1619 to 1657 | |||
| 79°43'24" N | 0 | no | no | Former Dutch whaling station, 1636 to 1662 | |||
| 79°41'42" N | 0 | no | no | Former Danish whaling station, 1631 to 1658 | |||
| 79°33' N | 4 | no | yes | Meteorological station | |||
| data-sort-value="79°10'00 N" | ca. 79°10 N | 0 | yes | no | Royal Canadian Mounted Police outpost 1926 to 1933 | ||
| Qaqaitsut, Eastern Inglefield Land, NW | Greenland (Danish Realm) | data-sort-value="79°07'17.14 N" | ca. 79°07'17.14 N | 0 | yes | no | Hunting station and former permanent settlement |
| Inuarfissuaq, Central Inglefield Land, NW | 78°55' N | 0 | yes | no | Former hunting station or permanent settlement | ||
| 78°55' N | 30 (winter) to 180 (summer) | yes | yes | Northernmost civilian and functional settlement; home to the northernmost post office | |||
| 78°47' N | 0 | no | no | Former research station, 1948 to 1978 | |||
| 78°39' N | 3 (winter) to 15 (summer) | yes | yes | Former settlement, 1910 to 1998/2000. Peak population over 1200. Now a ghost city for tourists with hotel established in 2013. | |||
| Greenland (Danish Realm) | 78°33' N | 0 | yes | no | Former hunting station | ||
| 78°19' N | 0 | yes | no | Hunting station and former permanent settlement | |||
| 78°12' N | 2,400[5] | yes | yes | Northernmost settlement with a permanent population over 1,000 | |||
| 78°04' N | 455 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| Greenland (Danish Realm) | 78°04' N | 0 | no | no | Former research station, 1952 to 1954 | ||
| 77°55' N | 0 | yes | no | Former mining town | |||
| Greenland (Danish Realm) | 77°47' N | 41 | yes | yes | Northernmost settlement in North America and in Greenland | ||
| Russia | 77°44' N | 6 | no | yes | Northernmost point in mainland Siberia (weather station) | ||
| Greenland (Danish Realm) | 77°29' N | 31 | yes | yes | Settlement | ||
| Qaanaaq (Thule) | 77°28' N | 629 | yes | yes | Settlement | ||
| 77°16' N | 0 | no | no | United States military scientific research base complete with nuclear reactor, active 1959-1967 | |||
| 76°54' N | 4 | yes | yes | A meteorological station has been placed there. | |||
| Greenland (Danish Realm) | 76°32' N | 0 | yes | no | Former settlement, population forcibly relocated to Qaanaaq site in 1952 to make space for nearby Pituffik Space Base; northernmost nuclear-contaminated area in the world after the 1968 Thule Air Base B-52 crash | ||
| 76°32' N | 0 | yes | no | Former settlement, population forcibly relocated to Qaanaaq site in 1952 to make space for nearby Pituffik Space Base; northernmost nuclear-contaminated area in the world after the 1968 Thule Air Base B-52 crash | |||
| 76°25' N | 144 | yes | yes | Northernmost public settlement in Canada[6] | |||
| 76°18' N | 0 | no | no | Former meteorological station, 1948 to 1997 | |||
| 76°13' N | 0 | yes | no | Former settlement | |||
| Greenland (Danish Realm) | 76°01' N | 50 | yes | yes | Settlement | ||
| 74°41' N | 183 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| 74°39' N | 0 | yes | no | Former settlement, 1924 to 1951 | |||
| Greenland (Danish Realm) | 74°34' N | 444 | yes | yes | Settlement | ||
| 74°20' N | 0 | yes | no | Former settlement, abandoned in 1954 | |||
| 74°06' N | 181 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| 74°03' N | 0 | yes | no | Former settlement, 1904–1909, 1911-1957 | |||
| 74°01' N | 0 | yes | no | Former settlement and penal colony, 1933 to 1956 | |||
| Greenland (Danish Realm) | 73°42' N | 0 | yes | no | Former settlement, abandoned in 1972 | ||
| 73°31' N | 43 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| 73°30' N | 319 | yes | yes | Northernmost settlement in Russia. Northernmost continental (i.e. non-insular) settlement. | |||
| Greenland (Danish Realm) | 73°22' N | 249 | yes | yes | Settlement | ||
| 73°15' N | 531 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| Greenland (Danish Realm) | 73°11' N | 171 | yes | yes | Settlement | ||
| 73°08' N | 45 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| 73°02' N | 994 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| 72°59' N | 27 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| Greenland (Danish Realm) | 72°53' N | 149 | yes | yes | Settlement | ||
| 72°50' N | 490 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| 72°48' N | 1,179 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| Greenland (Danish Realm) | 72°47' N | 1,090 | yes | yes | Settlement | ||
| 72°42' N | 1,555 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| 72°37' N | 755 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| Greenland (Danish Realm) | 72°34' N | 5 (winter) to 45 (summer) | no | no | year-round research station at the top of the Greenland Ice Sheet | ||
| 72°22' N | 141 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| 72°10' N | 195 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| Greenland (Danish Realm) | 72°09' N | 201 | yes | yes | Settlement | ||
| 72°00' N | 513 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| 71°59' N | 2,645 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| 71°59' N | 104 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| 71°59' N | 0 | yes | yes | Former settlement on Wrangel Island. Now used as nature reserve HQ | |||
| 71°57' N | 2,317 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| 71°54' N | 275 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| 71°54' N | 10 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| 71°53' N | 319 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| 71°46' N | 128 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| 71°45' N | 266 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| 71°41' N | 253 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| 71°39' N | 4,440 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| 71°36' N | 330 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| 71°34' N | 362 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| Greenland (Danish Realm) | 71°32' N | 0 | yes | no | Abandoned in 2017 after a tsunami caused by a landslide | ||
| 71°32' N | 1,972 | yes | yes | Main settlement on Novaya Zemlya | |||
| Kayak, Krasnoyarsk Krai | 71°30' N | 57 | yes | yes | Settlement | ||
| 71°26' N | 218 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| 71°18' N | 4,927 | yes | yes | Northernmost settlement in the United States, formerly Barrow | |||
| 71°16' N | 367 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| Greenland (Danish Realm) | 71°14' N | 0 | yes | no | Abandoned in 2017 after a tsunami | ||
| 71°10' N | 0 | no | no | Former research station, 1930–31 | |||
| 71°08' N | 141 | yes | yes | Northernmost settlement in Norway proper | |||
| 71°07' N | 118 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| 71°03' N | 228 | yes | yes | Village | |||
| Greenland (Danish Realm) | 71°02' N | 144 | yes | yes | Settlement | ||
| 71°02' N | 692 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| 70°79' N | 77 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| 70°59' N | 947 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| 70°58' N | 2,237 | yes | yes | City | |||
| 70°58' N | 436 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| 70°54' N | 257 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| 70°53' N | 3,610 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| 70°51' N | 867 | yes | yes | Village, municipality seat | |||
| 70°50' N | 473 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| Greenland (Danish Realm) | 70°48' N | 259 | yes | yes | Settlement | ||
| 70°48' N | 419 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| 70°48' N | 60–70 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| Greenland (Danish Realm) | 70°47' N | 34 | yes | yes | Settlement | ||
| 70°45' N | 1,188 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| 70°44'N | 408 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| Greenland (Danish Realm) | 70°43' N | 161 | yes | yes | Settlement | ||
| 70°43' N | 32 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| 70°43' N | 213 | yes | yes | Village | |||
| 70°41' N | 1,345 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| Greenland (Danish Realm) | 70°40' N | 1,407 | yes | yes | Town | ||
| 70°39' N | 11,310 | yes | yes | City | |||
| 70°38' N | 628 | yes | yes | Town | |||
| 70°38' N | 1,775 | yes | yes | Village | |||
| 70°38' N | 2,151 | yes | yes | Village, municipality seat | |||
| 70°37' N | 1,832 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| 70°32' N | 22 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| Greenland (Danish Realm) | 70°30' N | 229 | yes | yes | Settlement | ||
| 70°29' N | 352 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| 70°28' N | 276 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| 70°19' N | 1,310 | yes | yes | Census-designated place Northern end of the Alaskan Pipeline | |||
| 70°14' N | 250 | yes | yes | Work camp; former census-designated place; oil discovered in 1996 | |||
| 70°12' N | 512 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| 70°12' N | 25 to 50 (permanent) to 3,000 (temporary) | yes | yes | Northernmost point on Western Hemisphere road network | |||
| 70°07' N | 283 | yes | yes | Settlement | |||
| 70°05' N | 200 | yes | yes | Northernmost settlement in Finland and European Union | |||
| Greenland (Danish Realm) | 70°00' N | 160 | yes | yes | Settlement - site name for the Saqqaq culture | ||
This is a list of the northernmost cities and towns in the world.
Northernmost cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants. The population data may include municipalities, urban areas or metropolitan areas.
Northernmost cities with more than 250,000 inhabitants.
| City | Population | Latitude/longitude | Köppen climate classification | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murmansk, Russia | 270,384 | 68.9667°N 38°W | Dfc | |
| Arkhangelsk, Russia | 301,199 | 64.5333°N 72°W | Dfc | |
| Yakutsk, Russia | 355,443 | 62.0333°N 173°W | Dfc | |
| Tampere, Finland | 255,050 | 61.4833°N 68°W | Dfb | |
| Surgut, Russia | 396,443 | 61.2667°N 97°W | Dfc | |
| Anchorage, Alaska, United States | 287,145 | 61.2167°N -202°W | Dfc | |
| Bergen, Norway | 289,330 | 60.3925°N 5.3233°W | Cfb | |
| Espoo, Finland | 314,024 | 60.2056°N 24.6556°W | Dfb | |
| Helsinki, Finland | 674,500 | 60.1708°N 24.9375°W | Dfb | |
| Saint Petersburg, Russia | 5,598,486 | 59.9375°N 30.3086°W | Dfb | |
| Oslo, Norway | 709,037 | 59.9167°N 10.7333°W | Dfb | |
| Tallinn, Estonia | 437,811 | 59.4372°N 24.7453°W | Dfb | |
| Stockholm, Sweden | 987,661 | 59.3294°N 18.0686°W | Dfb |