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Is Edmonton the northernmost city in the world? 

Is Edmonton the Northermost City in the World
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A surprising number of people seem to think that Edmonton is the northernmost city in the world. Today, we’ll show you if it is or isn’t, and how “northernmost” is reckoned.

Is Edmonton the most northern city in the world? 

Edmonton is not the northernmost city in the world. Its latitude is 56.5461° N (latitude), so it does not even fit the criterion for being one of the northernmost cities, which is a latitude of 70° N to 89° N.

Moreover, Edmonton is 4,054.07 km (2,519.08 mi) from the North Pole. Alert City, by comparison, is only 817 km (508 mi) from the North Pole.

Nonetheless, the city is considered part of the northern region of Alberta. At the very least, Edmonton is often considered the northernmost community in North America with a metro population of 1,000,000.

How can a city be defined as one of the northernmost cities in the world?

A city can be considered one of the northernmost cities if its latitude is around 70° N to 89° N. The basis for this is the North Pole’s latitude which is 90° N.

Since the North Pole (Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole) is the northernmost point on Earth, settlements or cities near it are considered the northernmost cities. 

What are the distinct characteristics of the northernmost cities?

Here are some of the distinct characteristics of the northernmost cities in the world:

  • Extreme cold
  • Sparse vegetation
  • Frozen soil
  • Small population 
  • Industries centered on natural gas, oil, or minerals

Most of these cities also see 24 hours of daylight or 24 hours of darkness, often experience the winter season throughout the year, and see snow and ice throughout the year.

What is the northernmost city in the world? 

The northernmost city in the world that is continuously inhabited is Alert, in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, Canada. On the other hand, the northernmost uninhabited settlement is Camp Barneo on the frozen Arctic Ocean. 

The table below shows some of the northernmost locations with public settlements. This means that people inhabit these locations. 

Northernmost SettlementsLatitudeDistance from the North PoleCountryPopulation
Alert82.5018° N1,817 kilometers (508 miles)Canada62
Ny-Alesund78.9235° N3,060.95 kilometers (1,901.99 miles)Norway35
Pyramiden78.6561° N1,287.48 kilometers (800 miles)Norway15
Longyear-byen78.2232° N1,316 kilometers (817.72 mles)Norway2,368
Barentsburg78.0648° N1,329 kilometers (826 miles)Norway500
Qaanaaq77.4670° N1,367.94 kilometers (850 miles)Greenland646
Grise Fiord76.4190° N1,544 kilometers (959.40 miles)Canada129
Resolute74.6973° N1,055.98 kilometers (656.16 miles)Canada198
Dikson73.0376° N1,833.90 kilometers (1,139.53 miles)Russia548
Arctic Bay73.0376° N1,886.72 kilometers (1,172.35 miles)Canada868

On the flip side, the table below shows some of the northernmost locations that are uninhabited or that have no public settlements.

Northernmost LocationsLatitudeDistance from the North PoleCountry
Camp Barneo89.5250° N48 kilometers (30 miles)Arctic Ocean (International Waters)
Frigg Fjord83.1166° N765.39 kilometers (475.39 miles)Greenland
Ward Hunt Island Camp83.0745° N750 kilometers (470 miles)Canada
Brønlundhus82.1717° N875.80 kilometers (544.20 miles)Greenland
Kap Harald Moltke82.1167° N876.59 kilometers (544.69 miles)Greenland
Fort Conger81.72° N920.39 kilometers (571.90 miles)Canada
Nord81.60° N934.04 kilometers (580.38 miles)Greenland
Nagurskoye80.80° N1,022.99 kilometers (635.66 miles)Russia
Tikhaya Bay80.3274° N1,0755.55 kilometers (668.31 miles)Russia
Eureka79.9901° N1,113.05 kilometers (691.61 miles)Canada

As you can see, most of the world’s northernmost cities are in Norway, Denmark, Russia, Canada, and Greenland. 

What is the geographical location of Edmonton?

What is the geographical location of Edmonton
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons 

Edmonton is geographically located at 56.5461° N (latitude) and 113.4937° W (longitude). 

Although the borders and boundaries of Northern Alberta are not fixed, Edmonton, together with the northern parts of the center of the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor, is considered part of the northern region.

Does Edmonton’s geographical location affect its weather and climate?

The geographical location of Edmonton affects its weather and climate throughout the year. The city is located in the northern hemisphere, and it’s 5,953.49 kilometers (3,699.33 miles) away from the equator, so it has a prairie-steppe or temperate climate. 

This means that Edmonton experiences hot and humid summers as well as harsh and frigid winters

The extreme seasonal temperature change is one of the downsides of living in Edmonton, but Edmontonians who are born and raised here are used to its weather and climate. 

Edmonton usually experiences a dry climate throughout the year, but the majority of the precipitation happens in summer. The city then has a long snow and winter season since it’s part of the northern region. 

In fact, Edmonton’s snow season is significantly longer compared to other major cities. Snow season in Edmonton is around 141 days long, while it’s a mere 35 days for Vancouver and 65 days for Penticton.

What is the weather pattern in Edmonton?

The table below shows Edmonton’s forecast monthly weather averages in 2023.

MonthAverage High TemperatureAverage Low TemperatureHumidityDays of Precipitation
January-6°C-14°C80%10
February-4°C-14°C76%8
March1°C-9°C73%8
April9°C-2°C62%9
May17°C4°C53%11
June21°C9°C61%16
July24°C12°C45%17
August24°C10°C67%13
September19°C6°C63%9
October11°C0°C67%8
November0°C-7°C79%11
December-8°C-15°C82%10

Note that since Edmonton is located within the prairies, there can be drastic variations in temperature every season. 

For example, in winter, the temperature can drop to -35°C or even lower. On the flip side, in summer, the temperature can be 30°C or higher.

What cities are almost in the same latitude as Edmonton? 

The cities that are about the same latitude as Edmonton are Minsk, Hamburg, Dublin, and Liverpool.

Listed below are the latitudes of the cities we’ve mentioned 

  • Minsk, Belarus – 53.90° N
  • Hamburg, Germany – 53.55° N
  • Dublin, Ireland – 53.33° N
  • Liverpool, United Kingdom – 53.41° 

Do cities with almost the same latitude have the same weather and climate? 

Cities or settlements with almost the same latitude do not always have the same climate and weather. This is because several factors, including air current, ocean current, and geographical description, can affect the weather and climate. 

The table below shows the comparison of the weather and climate of the cities with almost the same latitude as Edmonton.

CityGeographical DescriptionClimateHighest and Lowest Temperature (2022)
Edmonton, AlbertaFlat prairie landscapeDry humid continental climateHighest temperature - 33°C

Lowest temperature - -48.2°C

Minsk, BelarusRolling morainic hillHumid continental climateHighest temperature - 6.1°C

Lowest temperature - -17.22°C

Hamburg, GermanyMaritime metropolisOceanic climateHighest temperature - 39.1°C

Lowest temperature - -5.5°C

Dublin, IrelandCoastal cityTemperate oceanic climateHighest temperature - 33°C

Lowest temperature - -19°C

Liverpool, United KingdomMaritime cityTemperate maritime climateHighest temperature - 22.5°C

Lowest temperature - -6.9°C

How far is Edmonton from the Arctic Circle?

How far is Edmonton from the Arctic Circle
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons 

Edmonton is 1,448 kilometers (900 miles) away from the Arctic Circle. 

Now, you may be thinking, how does Edmonton’s geographical distance from the Arctic Circle affect the city? 

Well, remember that the Arctic Circle is one of the polar circles. It represents the imaginary line where the sun does not completely set (midnight sun) during the summer solstice, and the sun never rises (polar night) during the winter solstice. 

The midnight sun and polar night are natural phenomena that occur in the northernmost and southernmost cities in the world. 

Edmonton may not be one of the northernmost cities in the world, but it’s still part of Northern Alberta, where the Arctic Circle passes through. That’s why people can see its effect during the summer and winter solstice. 

For example, on June 21, 2023 (summer solstice), the daytime in Edmonton will be 9 hours and 35 minutes longer. On the other hand, on December 21, 2023 (winter solstice), the daylight in Edmonton will be 9 hours and 35 minutes shorter. 

Moreover, due to Edmonton’s closeness to the Arctic Circle, people can witness the northern lights for around 90 nights per year.