How Big Is the North Pole?

The North Pole is a unique and important place, though it lacks actual land. The block of ice at this famous northern location floats on top of the Arctic Ocean. This Arctic ice mass is constantly changing in size, different in the summer than in the winter.

The true North Pole (as opposed to the magnetic North Pole) is the northernmost point on Earth. This single point is very small. However, when people talk about the North Pole, they are usually referring to the Arctic ice in the region.

Due to climate change, the average size of the area is changing. According to NASA, Arctic sea ice levels are shrinking by more than 12% every 10 years.

The Current Size of the North Pole

How Many Square Miles and Kilometers is the Arctic Ocean ice?

As of October 2023, the Arctic Ocean ice mass is approximately 2.46 million square miles or 6.37 million square kilometers. This year, the sea ice increased slightly faster than average as temperatures decreased with the approaching arctic winter. When compared to the size of the Arctic sea ice in past Octobers, it is now about 1.5 million kilometers or 1.35 million square miles smaller than it was in 1979.

How Many Acres is the Arctic Ocean ice?

The Arctic sea ice mass is 1,574,400,000 square acres as of October 2023.

How Many People Live at the North Pole?

Technically, no one lives there (apparently, Santa has moved elsewhere). This icy mass would be a difficult place for humans to live. However, scientists have set up temporary research stations, which drift on the ice. These stations typically hold up for only a few years. For the most part, there are fewer than 100 people there.

Most research in the region involves monitoring ice levels, in addition to studying weather patterns.

Do Inuit People Live There?

Inuit people, the indigenous people of the Arctic region of North America and part of Russia, do not live on or near the North Pole. However, they do live in the land areas of the Arctic, anywhere above the 66th parallel North. They also live in the subarctic region, just below that.

What Country is the North Pole in?

Because it has no land, the North Pole is not in any country. It is under the rules of the International Seabed Authority.

Which Countries Are Closest?

The North Pole and the Arctic sea ice it lies upon are surrounded by five countries: Russia, Canada, Norway, Denmark (Greenland), and the United States (Alaska).

What is the Closest Town?

The closest town is Longyearbyen, in Svalbard, which is an island archipelago in Norway. The small town has a population of about 2,400 people and is located 650 miles from the North Pole.

What is the Closest Populated Place to the North Pole?

The closest place that has any people living there on a regular basis is a military base in Canada named Alert. It is on the North part of Ellesmere Island in the province of Nunavut. It is located just over 500 miles from the North Pole and anywhere between 70 and 150 people live there at any given time.

What is the Closest Land to the North Pole?

The nearest land to the North Pole is Greenland’s Kaffeklubben Island. It is just 430 miles away but is uninhabited.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Bennian/Shutterstock.com