View source for 42nd parallel north

{{Short description|Circle of latitude}}
{{about|the [[circle of latitude]]|the novel "The 42nd Parallel" by [[John Dos Passos]]|U.S.A. trilogy}}
{{more citations|date=October 2021}}
{{Location map-line|lat=42}}
{{kml}}
The '''42nd parallel north''' is a [[circle of latitude]] that is 42 [[degree (angle)|degrees]] [[true north|north]] of the [[Earth|Earth's]] [[equator|equatorial plane]]. It crosses [[Europe]], the [[Mediterranean Sea]], [[Asia]], the [[Pacific Ocean]], [[North America]], and the [[Atlantic Ocean]].

At this latitude the [[sun]] is visible for 15 hours, 15 minutes during the [[summer solstice]] and 9 hours, 6 minutes during the [[winter solstice]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-09-24|title=Duration of Daylight/Darkness Table for One Year|url=http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/Dur_OneYear.php|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191012094319/http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/Dur_OneYear.php|archive-date=2019-10-12|access-date=2021-03-10|website=U.S. Naval Observatory}}</ref>

The earth's rotational speed at this latitude is roughly equal to the speed of sound.

One [[Minute and second of arc|minute]] of longitude along the 42nd parallel is approximately {{convert|0.7456|nmi|mi km|sigfig=4}}.

==Around the world==

Starting at the [[Prime Meridian]] and heading eastwards, the parallel 42° north passes through:

:{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
! scope="col" width="125" | Coordinates
! scope="col" | Country, territory or sea
! scope="col" | Notes
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|0|0|E|type:landmark|name=Prime Meridian}}
! scope="row" | {{ESP}}
| Passing near [[Laluenga]] and [[Laperdiguera]] (Huesca province)
|-
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | {{Coord|42|0|N|3|11|E|type:waterbody|name=Mediterranean Sea}}
! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Mediterranean Sea]]
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" |
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|8|39|E|type:country|name=France}}
! scope="row" | {{FRA}}
| Island of [[Corsica]]
|-
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | {{Coord|42|0|N|9|27|E|type:waterbody|name=Mediterranean Sea}}
! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Mediterranean Sea]]
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Tyrrhenian Sea]]
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|11|58|E|type:country|name=Italy}}
! scope="row" | {{ITA}}
| Passing just north of [[Rome]] and through [[Termoli]]
|-
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | {{Coord|42|0|N|15|0|E|type:waterbody|name=Adriatic Sea}}
! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Mediterranean Sea]]
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Adriatic Sea]]
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|19|9|E|type:country|name=Montenegro}}
! scope="row" | {{MNE}}
|
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|19|23|E|type:country|name=Albania}}
! scope="row" | {{ALB}}
|
|-valign="top"
| {{Coord|42|0|N|20|37|E|type:country|name=Serbia/Kosovo}}
! scope="row" | {{flag|Kosovo}} or {{SRB}}
| Kosovo is a [[International recognition of Kosovo|partially recognised]] state. Some nations consider its territory to be part of Serbia.
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|20|46|E|type:country|name=North Macedonia}}
! scope="row" | {{NMK}}
| Passing through [[Skopje]]
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|22|52|E|type:country|name=Bulgaria}}
! scope="row" | {{BGR}}
|
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|26|56|E|type:country|name=Turkey}}
! scope="row" | {{TUR}}
|
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|27|25|E|type:country|name=Bulgaria}}
! scope="row" | {{BGR}}
|
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|27|51|E|type:country|name=Turkey}}
! scope="row" | {{TUR}}
| For about 300&nbsp;m
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|27|51.42|E|type:country|name=Bulgaria}}
! scope="row" | {{BGR}}
| For about 100&nbsp;m
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|27|51.52|E|type:country|name=Turkey}}
! scope="row" | {{TUR}}
| For about 500&nbsp;m
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|27|52.08|E|type:country|name=Bulgaria}}
! scope="row" | {{BGR}}
|
|-
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | {{Coord|42|0|N|28|2|E|type:waterbody|name=Black Sea}}
! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Black Sea]]
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" |
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|33|17|E|type:country|name=Turkey}}
! scope="row" | {{TUR}}
|
|-
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | {{Coord|42|0|N|33|34|E|type:waterbody|name=Black Sea}}
! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Black Sea]]
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" |
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|34|52|E|type:country|name=Turkey}}
! scope="row" | {{TUR}}
|
|-
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | {{Coord|42|0|N|35|7|E|type:waterbody|name=Black Sea}}
! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Black Sea]]
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" |
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|41|45|E|type:country|name=Georgia}}
! scope="row" | {{GEO}}
|
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|46|5|E|type:country|name=Russia}}
! scope="row" | {{RUS}}
| [[Dagestan]] - For about 2&nbsp;km
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|46|7|E|type:country|name=Georgia}}
! scope="row" | {{GEO}}
| For about 3&nbsp;km
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|46|9|E|type:country|name=Russia}}
! scope="row" | {{RUS}}
| [[Dagestan]] just south of [[Derbent]]
|-
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | {{Coord|42|0|N|48|20|E|type:waterbody|name=Caspian Sea}}
! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Caspian Sea]]
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" |
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|52|27|E|type:country|name=Kazakhstan}}
! scope="row" | {{KAZ}}
|
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|52|48|E|type:country|name=Turkmenistan}}
! scope="row" | {{TKM}}
|
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|54|51|E|type:country|name=Kazakhstan}}
! scope="row" | {{KAZ}}
|
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|56|0|E|type:country|name=Uzbekistan}}
! scope="row" | {{UZB}}
|
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|57|10|E|type:country|name=Turkmenistan}}
! scope="row" | {{TKM}}
|
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|60|0|E|type:country|name=Uzbekistan}}
! scope="row" | {{UZB}}
|
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|66|0|E|type:country|name=Kazakhstan}}
! scope="row" | {{KAZ}}
|
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|70|20|E|type:country|name=Uzbekistan}}
! scope="row" | {{UZB}}
|
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|70|50|E|type:country|name=Kyrgyzstan}}
! scope="row" | {{KGZ}}
|
|-valign="top"
| {{Coord|42|0|N|79|50|E|type:country|name=China}}
! scope="row" | {{PRC}}
| [[Xinjiang]] <br/> [[Gansu]] <br/> [[Inner Mongolia]]
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|103|3|E|type:country|name=Mongolia}}
! scope="row" | {{MNG}}
|
|-valign="top"
| {{Coord|42|0|N|105|56|E|type:country|name=China}}
! scope="row" | {{PRC}}
| Inner Mongolia<br/> [[Hebei]]<br/> Inner Mongolia<br/> Hebei<br/> Inner Mongolia <br/> Hebei <br/> Inner Mongolia <br/> [[Liaoning]] <br/> Inner Mongolia <br/> Liaoning <br/> [[Jilin]]
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|128|3|E|type:country|name=North Korea}}
! scope="row" | {{PRK}}
| Passing through [[Heaven Lake]] on [[Baekdu Mountain]]
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|128|29|E|type:country|name=China}}
! scope="row" | {{PRC}}
| Jilin (for about 8&nbsp;km)
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|128|34|E|type:country|name=North Korea}}
! scope="row" | {{PRK}}
|[[North Hamgyeong Province]] - [[Kaema Plateau]]<br/> - Passing just north of [[Cheongjin]] <br/>  Passing just south of [[Raseon]] 
|-valign="top"
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | {{Coord|42|0|N|130|2|E|type:waterbody|name=Sea of Japan}}
! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Sea of Japan]]
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | Passing just south of [[Okushiri Island]], {{JPN}}
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|140|7|E|type:country|name=Japan}}
! scope="row" | {{JPN}}
| Island of [[Hokkaidō]]
|-
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | {{Coord|42|0|N|140|53|E|type:waterbody|name=Pacific Ocean}}
! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Pacific Ocean]]
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" |
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|143|9|E|type:country|name=Japan}}
! scope="row" | {{JPN}}
| Island of [[Hokkaidō]]
|-
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | {{Coord|42|0|N|143|15|E|type:waterbody|name=Pacific Ocean}}
! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Pacific Ocean]]
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" |
|-valign="top"
| {{Coord|42|0|N|124|13|W|type:country|name=United States}}
! scope="row" | {{USA}}
| [[Oregon]] / [[California]] border<br/> Oregon / [[Nevada]] border<br/> [[Idaho]] / Nevada border<br/> Idaho / [[Utah]] border<br/> [[Wyoming]]<br/> [[Nebraska]]<br/> [[Iowa]] - passing through [[Cedar Rapids, Iowa|Cedar Rapids]]<br/> [[Illinois]] - passing through the campus of [[Loyola University Chicago|Loyola University]] in [[Chicago]]
|-
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | {{Coord|42|0|N|87|39|W|type:waterbody|name=Lake Michigan}}
! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Lake Michigan]]
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" |
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|86|33|W|type:country|name=United States}}
! scope="row" | {{USA}}
| [[Michigan]] - passing through [[Tecumseh, Michigan|Tecumseh]]
|-
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | {{Coord|42|0|N|83|11|W|type:waterbody|name=Lake Erie}}
! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Lake Erie]]
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" |
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|82|58|W|type:country|name=Canada}}
! scope="row" | {{CAN}}
| [[Ontario]] - passing through [[Point Pelee National Park]]
|-
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | {{Coord|42|0|N|82|29|W|type:waterbody|name=Lake Erie}}
! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Lake Erie]]
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" |
|-valign="top"
| {{Coord|42|0|N|80|26|W|type:country|name=United States}}
! scope="row" | {{USA}}
| [[Pennsylvania]] ([[Erie County, Pennsylvania|Erie County]])<br/> [[New York–Pennsylvania border|New York / Pennsylvania border]]<br/> [[New York (state)|New York]]<br/> [[Connecticut]] - running just south of the border with [[Massachusetts]]<br/> [[Rhode Island]] - running just south of the border with Massachusetts<br/> Massachusetts
|-
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | {{Coord|42|0|N|70|42|W|type:waterbody|name=Cape Cod Bay}}
! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Cape Cod Bay]]
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" |
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|70|5|W|type:country|name=United States}}
! scope="row" | {{USA}}
| Massachusetts ([[Truro, Massachusetts|Truro]], [[Cape Cod]])
|-
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | {{Coord|42|0|N|70|2|W|type:waterbody|name=Atlantic Ocean}}
! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Atlantic Ocean]]
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" |
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|8|53|W|type:country|name=Spain}}
! scope="row" | {{ESP}}
| [[Oia, Spain|Oia]] ([[province of Pontevedra]], [[Galicia (Spain)|Galicia]])
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|8|39|W|type:country|name=Portugal}}
! scope="row" | {{PRT}}
| [[Valença, Portugal|Valença]] ([[Viana do Castelo District]])
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|8|7|W|type:country|name=Spain}}
! scope="row" | {{ESP}}
| [[Entrimo]] ([[province of Ourense]], Galicia)
|-
| {{Coord|42|0|N|3|48|W|type:country|name=Spain}}
! scope="row" | {{ESP}}
| [[Lerma, Province of Burgos]] ([[Castile and León]])
|}

==United States==
[[File:42nd parallel US.svg|thumb|right|The 42nd parallel north defining borders between states in the United States]]
[[File:Girard Main Street.jpg|thumb|right|Crossing the parallel in Girard, Pennsylvania]]

The parallel 42° north forms most of the [[New York–Pennsylvania border]], although due to imperfect surveying in 1785–1786, this boundary wanders around on both sides of the true parallel. The area around the parallel in this region is known as the [[Twin Tiers]].

The 42nd parallel became agreed upon as the northward limit of the [[Spanish Empire]] by the [[Adams–Onís Treaty]] of 1819 with the [[United States]], which established the parallel as the border between the [[New Spain|Viceroyalty of New Spain]] of the [[Kingdom of Spain]] and the western territory of the [[United States of America]] from the [[Meridian (geography)|meridian]] of the [[headwaters]] of the [[Arkansas River]] west to the [[Pacific Ocean]].<ref>{{cite book |last= Nugent |first= Walter |title= Habits of Empire: A History of American Expansion |publisher= Alfred A. Knopf |year= 2008 |isbn= 978-1-4000-4292-0 |pages= [https://archive.org/details/habitsofempirehi00nuge/page/161 161, 166–167] |url-access= registration |url= https://archive.org/details/habitsofempirehi00nuge/page/161 }}</ref> The [[Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo]] of 1848 then ceded much of what was then northern [[Mexico]] to the [[United States]]; as a result, the northernmost [[U.S. state]]s which were created from Mexican territory ([[California]], [[Nevada]], and [[Utah]]) have the parallel 42° north as their northern border, and the adjoining [[U.S. state]]s of [[Oregon]] and [[Idaho]] have the parallel as their southern border.

The parallel passes through the states of [[Wyoming]], [[Nebraska]], [[Iowa]], [[Illinois]], [[Michigan]], [[Pennsylvania]], [[New York (state)|New York]], [[Connecticut]], [[Rhode Island]] and [[Massachusetts]], and passes through (or near – within three-tenths degree of latitude) the following cities in the United States:

*[[Crescent City, California]] 
*[[Yreka, California]]
*[[Hartford, Connecticut]] 
*[[Ames, Iowa]]
*[[Chicago, Illinois]] 
*[[Kalamazoo, Michigan]]
*[[Coldwater, Michigan]] 
*[[Erie, Pennsylvania]]
*[[Jamestown, New York]]
*[[Busti, New York]]
*[[Binghamton, New York]]
*[[Plymouth, Massachusetts]]
*[[Springfield, Massachusetts]]
*[[Worcester, Massachusetts]]
*[[Foxborough, Massachusetts]]
*[[Ashland, Oregon]]
*[[Medford, Oregon]]
*[[Providence, Rhode Island]]
*[[Brookings, Oregon]]

==Canada==
[[File:Point Pelee NP 42Parallel sign 2014.jpg|thumb|42nd parallel landmark at Point Pelee National Park]]
The parallel 42° north passes through the southern end of [[Lake Michigan]] and [[Lake Erie]]. Part of the water boundary between [[Canada]] and the United States passes south of the 42nd parallel. The southern tip of the Canadian province of [[Ontario]] just barely goes south of it at [[Point Pelee]] and [[Pelee Island]], while the southernmost portion of the [[Essex, Ontario|Town of Essex]] at [[Colchester, Ontario|Colchester]] is located below the 42nd parallel.

==See also==
*[[41st parallel north]]
*[[43rd parallel north]]
* The [[Twin Tiers]] region of New York and Pennsylvania
* The "[[Jefferson (Pacific state)|Jefferson]]" region of Oregon and California

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{-}}
{{geographical coordinates|state=collapsed}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:42nd Parallel North}}
[[Category:Circles of latitude|n42]]
[[Category:Borders of Oregon]]
[[Category:Borders of California]]
[[Category:Borders of Nevada]]
[[Category:Borders of Utah]]
[[Category:Borders of Idaho]]
[[Category:Borders of New York (state)]]
[[Category:Borders of Pennsylvania]]