title: 81st parallel north
text: # 81st parallel north
  
  The 81st parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 81 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane, in the Arctic. It crosses the Atlantic Ocean, the Arctic Ocean, Europe, Asia and North America.
  
  At this latitude the sun is always visible during the summer solstice and astronomical twilight during the winter solstice.
  
  ## Around the world
  
  Starting at the Prime Meridian and heading eastwards, the parallel 81° north passes through:
  
      Co-ordinates Country, territory or sea Notes 81°0′N 0°0′E﻿ / ﻿81.000°N 0.000°E﻿ / 81.000; 0.000﻿ (Prime Meridian) Atlantic Ocean Greenland Sea 81°0′N 38°0′E﻿ / ﻿81.000°N 38.000°E﻿ / 81.000; 38.000﻿ (Arctic Ocean) Arctic Ocean Queen Victoria Sea 81°0′N 54°27′E﻿ / ﻿81.000°N 54.450°E﻿ / 81.000; 54.450﻿ (Russia)  Russia Franz Josef Land - Zichy Land 81°0′N 58°45′E﻿ / ﻿81.000°N 58.750°E﻿ / 81.000; 58.750﻿ (Arctic Ocean) Arctic Ocean 81°0′N 60°13′E﻿ / ﻿81.000°N 60.217°E﻿ / 81.000; 60.217﻿ (Russia)  Russia Franz Josef Land - La Ronciere Island 81°0′N 61°31′E﻿ / ﻿81.000°N 61.517°E﻿ / 81.000; 61.517﻿ (Arctic Ocean) Arctic Ocean 81°0′N 64°10′E﻿ / ﻿81.000°N 64.167°E﻿ / 81.000; 64.167﻿ (Russia)  Russia Franz Josef Land - Graham Bell Island 81°0′N 65°20′E﻿ / ﻿81.000°N 65.333°E﻿ / 81.000; 65.333﻿ (Kara Sea) Kara Sea Passing just north of Ushakov Island, Russia Passing just south of Schmidt Island, Severnaya Zemlya, Russia 81°0′N 93°45′E﻿ / ﻿81.000°N 93.750°E﻿ / 81.000; 93.750﻿ (Russia)  Russia Severnaya Zemlya - Komsomolets Island 81°0′N 96°36′E﻿ / ﻿81.000°N 96.600°E﻿ / 81.000; 96.600﻿ (Arctic Ocean) Arctic Ocean 81°0′N 95°16′W﻿ / ﻿81.000°N 95.267°W﻿ / 81.000; -95.267﻿ (Canada)  Canada Nunavut - Axel Heiberg Island 81°0′N 91°38′W﻿ / ﻿81.000°N 91.633°W﻿ / 81.000; -91.633﻿ (Nansen Sound) Nansen Sound 81°0′N 88°14′W﻿ / ﻿81.000°N 88.233°W﻿ / 81.000; -88.233﻿ (Canada)  Canada Nunavut - Ellesmere Island 81°0′N 66°52′W﻿ / ﻿81.000°N 66.867°W﻿ / 81.000; -66.867﻿ (Nares Strait) Nares Strait 81°0′N 61°25′W﻿ / ﻿81.000°N 61.417°W﻿ / 81.000; -61.417﻿ (Greenland)  Greenland Petermann Glacier 81°0′N 19°5′W﻿ / ﻿81.000°N 19.083°W﻿ / 81.000; -19.083﻿ (Greenland)  Greenland Romer Lake 81°0′N 14°18′W﻿ / ﻿81.000°N 14.300°W﻿ / 81.000; -14.300﻿ (Atlantic Ocean) Atlantic Ocean Greenland Sea
  