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About how many statute miles does one degree of latitude cover?

About 69 statute miles (111 kilometers).

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  1. About 6 statute miles
  2. About 69 statute miles ✔
  3. About 690 statute miles

Why: Each degree of latitude covers about 111 kilometers, or 69 statute miles. Specifying statute miles avoids confusion with the nautical miles used in aviation.

Huh, didn't know that: At 60 degrees north, one degree of longitude shrinks to about 35 statute miles.

The dad joke
Why was the degree so tired? It ran 69 miles a day.
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References

Answer: About 69 statute miles. Each degree of latitude covers about 111 kilometers, or 69 statute miles. Specifying statute miles avoids confusion with the nautical miles used in aviation.

  1. NOAA National Ocean Service: What is latitude? oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/latitude.html
    Each degree of latitude covers about 111 kilometers on the Earth’s surface.
    Checked 2026-10-10.
  2. NOAA National Ocean Service: What is longitude? oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/longitude.html
    one degree covers about 111 kilometers (69 miles)
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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