Themost northern settlements on Earth are communities close to theNorth Pole, ranging from about70° N to about89° N. The North Pole itself is at 90° N.
There are no permanent civilian settlements north of79° N, the furthest north (78.55° N) beingNy-Ålesund, a permanent settlement of about 30 (in the winter) to 130 (in the summer) people on the Norwegian archipelago ofSvalbard. 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 isCamp 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 show the settlements, towns, and cities that are the northernmost in the world of their kind.
| Location | Country | Latitude | Population | Public | Active? | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camp Barneo,Arctic OceanIce Sheet | 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 since 2019. |
| Frigg Fjord Settlements,Peary Land | Greenland (Danish Realm) | 83°07' N | 0 | yes | no | A group of archeological sites including at least one likely inhabited both summer and winter[2] |
| Ward Hunt Island Camp,Nunavut | Canada | 83°06' N | 0 | no | no | Former exploration base in 1957–58, airstrip, building. Uninhabited as of 2019 |
| Alert,Ellesmere Island,Nunavut | 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] | |
| Wandel Dal Settlements,Peary Land | Greenland (Danish Realm) | 82°15' N | 0 | yes | no | A group of more than 20 archeological sites, among them several former permanent settlements |
| Brønlundhus,Peary Land | 82°11' N | 0 | no | no | Former exploration base, 1947 to 1950 | |
| Kap Harald Moltke,Peary Land | 82°10' N | 0 | no | no | Former exploration base | |
| Deltaterrasserne,Peary Land | 82°07' N | 0 | yes | no | Archaeological site | |
| Fort Conger,Ellesmere Island,Nunavut | Canada | 81°44' N | 0 | no | no | Former exploration camp, 1881 to 1883 and 1957 to 1958 |
| Nord | Greenland (Danish Realm) | 81°43' N | 5 | no | yes | Military and scientific base |
| Nagurskoye,Franz Josef Land | Russia | 80°48' N | 52[4] | no | yes | Border guard facility and meteorological station |
| Krenkel,Franz Josef Land | 80°37' N | 7 | no | yes | Meteorological station | |
| Tikhaya Bay,Franz Josef Land | 80°20' N | 0 | no | no | Former weather station | |
| Eureka,Ellesmere Island,Nunavut | Canada | 79°59' N | 8 | no | yes | Scientific station |
| Alexandra Fiord,Ellesmere Island,Nunavut | 79°58' N | 0 | no | no | FormerRoyal Canadian Mounted Police station | |
| Ytre Norskøya,Svalbard | Norway | 79°51'20" N | 0 | no | no | Former Dutch whaling station, 1620s to 1670 |
| Smeerenburg,Amsterdam Island,Svalbard | 79°43'54" N | 0 | no | no | Former Danish–Dutch whaling station, 1619 to 1657 | |
| Harlingen kokerij,Danes Island,Svalbard | 79°43'24" N | 0 | no | no | Former Dutch whaling station, 1636 to 1662 | |
| Kobbefjorden,Danes Island,Svalbard | 79°41'42" N | 0 | no | no | Former Danish whaling station, 1631 to 1658 | |
| Golomyanniy, Sredniy Island,Severnaya Zemlya | Russia | 79°33' N | 4 | no | yes | Meteorological station |
| Bache Peninsula, EasternEllesmere Land,Nunavut | Canada | ca. 79°10 N | 0 | yes | no | Royal Canadian Mounted Police outpost 1926 to 1933 |
| Qaqaitsut, EasternInglefield Land, NW | Greenland (Danish Realm) | ca. 79°07'17.14 N | 0 | yes | no | Hunting station and former permanent settlement |
| Inuarfissuaq, CentralInglefield Land, NW | 78°55' N | 0 | yes | no | Former hunting station or permanent settlement | |
| Ny-Ålesund,Svalbard | Norway | 78°55' N | 30 (winter) to 180 (summer) | yes | yes | Northernmost civilian and functional settlement; home to the northernmost post office |
| Isachsen,Ellef Ringnes Island,Nunavut | Canada | 78°47' N | 0 | no | no | Former research station, 1948 to 1978 |
| Pyramiden (Russian),Svalbard | Norway | 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. |
| Annoatok | Greenland (Danish Realm) | 78°33' N | 0 | yes | no | Former hunting station |
| Etah | 78°19' N | 0 | yes | no | Hunting station and former permanent settlement | |
| Longyearbyen,Svalbard | Norway | 78°12' N | 2,400[5] | yes | yes | Northernmost settlement with a permanent population over 1,000 |
| Barentsburg (Russian),Svalbard | 78°04' N | 455 | yes | yes | Settlement | |
| North Ice | Greenland (Danish Realm) | 78°04' N | 0 | no | no | Former research station, 1952 to 1954 |
| Sveagruva,Svalbard | Norway | 77°55' N | 0 | yes | no | Former mining town |
| Siorapaluk | Greenland (Danish Realm) | 77°47' N | 41 | yes | yes | Northernmost settlement in North America and in Greenland |
| Cape Chelyuskin | Russia | 77°44' N | 6 | no | yes | Northernmost point in mainland Siberia (weather station) |
| Qeqertat | Greenland (Danish Realm) | 77°29' N | 31 | yes | yes | Settlement |
| Qaanaaq (Thule) | 77°28' N | 629 | yes | yes | Settlement | |
| Camp Century | 77°16' N | 0 | no | no | United States military scientific research base complete with nuclear reactor, active 1959-1967 | |
| Hopen | Norway | 76°54' N | 4 | yes | yes | A meteorological station has been placed there. |
| Pituffik | Greenland (Danish Realm) | 76°32' N | 0 | yes | no | Former settlement, population forcibly relocated toQaanaaq site in 1952 to make space for nearbyPituffik Space Base; northernmost nuclear-contaminated area in the world after the1968 Thule Air Base B-52 crash |
| Dundas | 76°32' N | 0 | yes | no | Former settlement, population forcibly relocated toQaanaaq site in 1952 to make space for nearbyPituffik Space Base; northernmost nuclear-contaminated area in the world after the1968 Thule Air Base B-52 crash | |
| Grise Fiord,Ellesmere Island,Nunavut | Canada | 76°25' N | 144 | yes | yes | Northernmost public settlement in Canada[6] |
| Mould Bay weather station,Prince Patrick Island,Northwest Territories | 76°18' N | 0 | no | no | Former meteorological station, 1948 to 1997 | |
| Craig Harbour,Ellesmere Island,Nunavut | 76°13' N | 0 | yes | no | Former settlement | |
| Savissivik | Greenland (Danish Realm) | 76°01' N | 50 | yes | yes | Settlement |
| Resolute,Cornwallis Island,Nunavut | Canada | 74°41' N | 183 | yes | yes | Settlement |
| Dundas Harbour,Devon Island,Nunavut | 74°39' N | 0 | yes | no | Former settlement, 1924 to 1951 | |
| Kullorsuaq | Greenland (Danish Realm) | 74°34' N | 444 | yes | yes | Settlement |
| Ikermiut | 74°20' N | 0 | yes | no | Former settlement, abandoned in 1954 | |
| Nuussuaq | 74°06' N | 181 | yes | yes | Settlement | |
| Itissaalik | 74°03' N | 0 | yes | no | Former settlement, 1904–1909, 1911-1957 | |
| Nordvik,Sakha Republic | Russia | 74°01' N | 0 | yes | no | Former settlement and penal colony, 1933 to 1956 |
| Kuuk | Greenland (Danish Realm) | 73°42' N | 0 | yes | no | Former settlement, abandoned in 1972 |
| Nutaarmiut | 73°31' N | 43 | yes | yes | Settlement | |
| Dikson,Krasnoyarsk Krai | Russia | 73°30' N | 319 | yes | yes | Northernmost settlement in Russia. Northernmost continental (i.e. non-insular) settlement. |
| Tasiusaq, Avannaata | Greenland (Danish Realm) | 73°22' N | 249 | yes | yes | Settlement |
| Syndassko,Krasnoyarsk Krai | Russia | 73°15' N | 531 | yes | yes | Settlement |
| Innaarsuit | Greenland (Danish Realm) | 73°11' N | 171 | yes | yes | Settlement |
| Naajaat | 73°08' N | 45 | yes | yes | Settlement | |
| Arctic Bay,Baffin Island,Nunavut | Canada | 73°02' N | 994 | yes | yes | Settlement |
| Ust-Olenyok,Sakha Republic | Russia | 72°59' N | 27 | yes | yes | Settlement |
| Aappilattoq, Avannaata | Greenland (Danish Realm) | 72°53' N | 149 | yes | yes | Settlement |
| Novorybnaya,Krasnoyarsk Krai | Russia | 72°50' N | 490 | yes | yes | Settlement |
| Yuryung-Khaya,Sakha Republic | 72°48' N | 1,179 | yes | yes | Settlement | |
| Upernavik | Greenland (Danish Realm) | 72°47' N | 1,090 | yes | yes | Settlement |
| Pond Inlet,Baffin Island,Nunavut | Canada | 72°42' N | 1,555 | yes | yes | Settlement |
| Taymylyr,Sakha Republic | Russia | 72°37' N | 755 | yes | yes | Settlement |
| Summit Camp | Greenland (Danish Realm) | 72°34' N | 5 (winter) to 45 (summer) | no | no | year-round research station at the top of theGreenland Ice Sheet |
| Kangersuatsiaq | 72°22' N | 141 | yes | yes | Settlement | |
| Zhdaniha,Krasnoyarsk Krai | Russia | 72°10' N | 195 | yes | yes | Settlement |
| Upernavik Kujalleq | Greenland (Danish Realm) | 72°09' N | 201 | yes | yes | Settlement |
| Bykovskiy,Sakha Republic | Russia | 72°00' N | 513 | yes | yes | Settlement |
| Khatanga,Krasnoyarsk Krai | 71°59' N | 2,645 | yes | yes | Settlement | |
| Sachs Harbour,Banks Island,Northwest Territories | Canada | 71°59' N | 104 | yes | yes | Settlement |
| Ushakovskoye,Chukotka Autonomous Okrug | Russia | 71°59' N | 0 | yes | yes | Former settlement onWrangel Island. Now used as nature reserve HQ |
| Saskylakh,Sakha Republic | 71°57' N | 2,317 | yes | yes | Settlement | |
| Kresty,Krasnoyarsk Krai | 71°54' N | 275 | yes | yes | Settlement | |
| Sklad,Sakha Republic | 71°54' N | 10 | yes | yes | Settlement | |
| Popigay,Krasnoyarsk Krai | 71°53' N | 319 | yes | yes | Settlement | |
| Yukagir,Sakha Republic | 71°46' N | 128 | yes | yes | Settlement | |
| Novaya,Krasnoyarsk Krai | 71°45' N | 266 | yes | yes | Settlement | |
| Vorontsovo,Krasnoyarsk Krai | 71°41' N | 253 | yes | yes | Settlement | |
| Tiksi,Sakha Republic | 71°39' N | 4,440 | yes | yes | Settlement | |
| Rogachevo,Novaya Zemlya | 71°36' N | 330 | yes | yes | Settlement | |
| Kheta [ru],Krasnoyarsk Krai | 71°34' N | 362 | yes | yes | Settlement | |
| Nuugaatsiaq | Greenland (Danish Realm) | 71°32' N | 0 | yes | no | Abandoned in 2017 after a tsunami caused by a landslide |
| Belushya Guba,Novaya Zemlya | Russia | 71°32' N | 1,972 | yes | yes | Main settlement on Novaya Zemlya |
| Kayak,Krasnoyarsk Krai | 71°30' N | 57 | yes | yes | Settlement | |
| Nizhneyansk,Sakha Republic | 71°26' N | 218 | yes | yes | Settlement | |
| Utqiaġvik,Alaska | United States | 71°18' N | 4,927 | yes | yes | Northernmost settlement in the United States, formerly Barrow |
| Katyryk,Krasnoyarsk Krai | Russia | 71°16' N | 367 | yes | yes | Settlement |
| Illorsuit | Greenland (Danish Realm) | 71°14' N | 0 | yes | no | Abandoned in 2017 after a tsunami |
| Eismitte | 71°10' N | 0 | no | no | Former research station, 1930–31 | |
| Skarsvåg,Finnmark | Norway | 71°08' N | 141 | yes | yes | Northernmost settlement in Norway proper |
| Russkoye Ustye,Sakha Republic | Russia | 71°07' N | 118 | yes | yes | Settlement |
| Gamvik (village),Finnmark | Norway | 71°03' N | 228 | yes | yes | Village |
| Ukkusissat | Greenland (Danish Realm) | 71°02' N | 144 | yes | yes | Settlement |
| Mehamn,Gamvik Municipality,Finnmark | Norway | 71°02' N | 692 | yes | yes | Settlement |
| Akkarfjord,Finnmark | 70°79' N | 77 | yes | yes | Settlement | |
| Havøysund,Finnmark | 70°59' N | 947 | yes | yes | Settlement | |
| Honningsvåg,Finnmark | 70°58' N | 2,237 | yes | yes | City | |
| Volochanka,Krasnoyarsk Krai | Russia | 70°58' N | 436 | yes | yes | Settlement |
| Ust-Yansk,Sakha Republic | 70°54' N | 257 | yes | yes | Settlement | |
| Gyda,Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug | 70°53' N | 3,610 | yes | yes | Settlement | |
| Berlevåg,Finnmark | Norway | 70°51' N | 867 | yes | yes | Village, municipality seat |
| Naiba,Sakha Republic | Russia | 70°50' N | 473 | yes | yes | Settlement |
| Saattut | Greenland (Danish Realm) | 70°48' N | 259 | yes | yes | Settlement |
| Khayyr,Sakha Republic | Russia | 70°48' N | 419 | yes | yes | Settlement |
| Skjånes,Finnmark | Norway | 70°48' N | 60–70 | yes | yes | Settlement |
| Niaqornat | Greenland (Danish Realm) | 70°47' N | 34 | yes | yes | Settlement |
| Kazache,Sakha Republic | Russia | 70°45' N | 1,188 | yes | yes | Settlement |
| Ulukhaktok,Victoria Island,Northwest Territories | Canada | 70°44'N | 408 | yes | yes | Settlement |
| Qaarsut | Greenland (Danish Realm) | 70°43' N | 161 | yes | yes | Settlement |
| Kongsfjord,Finnmark | Norway | 70°43' N | 32 | yes | yes | Settlement |
| Forsøl,Finnmark | 70°43' N | 213 | yes | yes | Village | |
| Kyusyur,Sakha Republic | Russia | 70°41' N | 1,345 | yes | yes | Settlement |
| Uummannaq | Greenland (Danish Realm) | 70°40' N | 1,407 | yes | yes | Town |
| Hammerfest,Finnmark | Norway | 70°39' N | 11,310 | yes | yes | City |
| Wainwright, Alaska | United States | 70°38' N | 628 | yes | yes | Town |
| Rypefjord,Finnmark | Norway | 70°38' N | 1,775 | yes | yes | Village |
| Båtsfjord,Finnmark | 70°38' N | 2,151 | yes | yes | Village, municipality seat | |
| Chokurdakh,Sakha Republic | Russia | 70°37' N | 1,832 | yes | yes | Settlement |
| Kårhamn,Finnmark | Norway | 70°32' N | 22 | yes | yes | Settlement |
| Ikerasak | Greenland (Danish Realm) | 70°30' N | 229 | yes | yes | Settlement |
| Ittoqqortoormiit | 70°29' N | 352 | yes | yes | Settlement | |
| Atqasuk,Alaska | United States | 70°28' N | 276 | yes | yes | Settlement |
| Prudhoe Bay,Alaska | 70°19' N | 1,310 | yes | yes | Census-designated place Northern end of theAlaskan Pipeline | |
| Alpine,Alaska | 70°14' N | 250 | yes | yes | Work camp; formercensus-designated place; oil discovered in 1996 | |
| Nuiqsut,Alaska | 70°12' N | 512 | yes | yes | Settlement | |
| Deadhorse,Alaska | 70°12' N | 25 to 50 (permanent) to 3,000 (temporary) | yes | yes | Northernmost point on Western Hemisphere road network | |
| Kaktovik,Alaska | 70°07' N | 283 | yes | yes | Settlement | |
| Nuorgam,Lapland | Finland | 70°05' N | 200 | yes | yes | Northernmost settlement inFinland andEuropean Union |
| Saqqaq | Greenland (Danish Realm) | 70°00' N | 160 | yes | yes | Settlement - site name for theSaqqaq 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.