Arctic Circle Map
The Arctic Circle (66.5606° N) is the gateway to the midnight sun and the polar night. Trace it around the top of the world, meet the 8 countries it crosses, and click anywhere on the map to check today's day length at that spot.
Click anywhere on the map to check today's day length at that point.
The 8 countries on the Arctic Circle
- 1Norway — Crosses the mainland north of Bodø and the Lofoten islands; the North Cape region gets weeks of midnight sun.
- 2Sweden — Passes through Swedish Lapland, just north of Jokkmokk — prime aurora and midnight-sun country.
- 3Finland — Runs through Finnish Lapland; Rovaniemi markets itself as sitting right on the line.
- 4Russia — The longest Arctic Circle stretch of any country, from the Kola Peninsula across Siberia to Chukotka.
- 5United States (Alaska) — Crosses northern Alaska through the Brooks Range; a highway sign marks it on the Dalton Highway.
- 6Canada — Passes through Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut — vast, roadless tundra.
- 7Greenland (Denmark) — Cuts across the central Greenland ice sheet, thousands of metres thick.
- 8Iceland — Just grazes Grímsey, a small island off the north coast — the only Icelandic land on the circle.
Midnight sun and polar night
The Arctic Circle marks the southern limit of the midnight sun: on the June solstice the Sun stays above the horizon for a full 24 hours everywhere north of this line. At the circle itself that lasts about a day; at the North Pole it stretches to roughly six months, from the March equinox to the September equinox. The dark mirror is polar night — around the December solstice the Sun never rises, again for about a day at the circle and six months at the pole.
The latitude is not fixed. Because Earth's axial tilt slowly oscillates, the circle drifts about 14 metres per year — currently northward. Its name comes from the Greek arktos, "bear": the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor wheel around the north celestial pole, and the circle was named for the bears of the northern sky.
Try the click checker above: tap a point in northern Norway in June and you will see a 24-hour day; tap the same spot in December and the Sun never clears the horizon. The calculation uses the standard solar-declination formula with the 0.833° correction for the Sun's apparent radius and atmospheric refraction.
How to use this tool
Follow the teal line around the Arctic, from Norway across Siberia, Alaska, Canada and Greenland to Iceland.
Click any point to get today's day length there — try northern Norway in June versus December.
The sections explain midnight sun, polar night, and why the line drifts about 14 metres every year.
What people use this tool for
Check which latitudes get 24-hour daylight on your travel dates.
Polar night dates mark the heart of northern-lights season.
The clearest possible demo of what axial tilt does to daylight.
How it's calculated
The circle's latitude is 90° minus Earth's axial tilt (about 66.5606°), the southernmost parallel where the Sun can stay above the horizon for 24 hours. The day-length checker uses Cooper's solar-declination equation with the standard 0.833° correction for the Sun's apparent radius and atmospheric refraction; results are accurate to a few minutes for planning and education.
Related tools and resources
Frequently asked questions
What is the Arctic Circle?
The parallel at 66.5606° N marking the southern limit of the midnight sun and polar night — north of it, the Sun can stay up (or down) for a full 24 hours.
Which countries does the Arctic Circle cross?
Eight: Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, the United States (Alaska), Canada, Greenland (Denmark) and Iceland.
How long does the midnight sun last?
About one day at the circle itself, growing to roughly six months at the North Pole.
What is polar night?
The winter mirror of the midnight sun: around the December solstice the Sun never rises — about a day at the circle, six months at the pole.
Is the Arctic Circle moving?
Yes — Earth's axial tilt slowly changes, so the line drifts about 14 metres per year.
Why is it called 'arctic'?
From the Greek arktos, 'bear' — for Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, the bear constellations wheeling around the north celestial pole.