How far is 1 degree?

In Alaska we often heard about the latitude of different cities and the effect on day length.

I had calculated that each degree of latitude is about 69 miles.
So, lets forget about minutes of latitude for a calculation (and lets assume 69 miles is correct even at the N and S pole for the calculation).
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The distance further north between Kodiak (at 58 degrees) and Anchorage (at 61degrees) is (61-58) x 69 = 207 miles further north.  
(These of course, are not driving or even air miles, since we are not calculating distances east & west.)
The distance between Anchorage and Fairbanks (at 65 degrees) is 276  miles north.
Between Fairbanks and the Arctic Circle (at 66 degrees, 33 minutes): 102.
Between Fairbanks and Barrow (which we talked about in our recent blog), (at 71  degrees):  414.

Did you notice I threw in one calculation with minutes in there?
Well, it is actually easy to calculate those, too, because there are 60 minutes in one degree, so there is one mile per minute!

On the other hand, calculating distances in longitude (from east to west or v.v.) is more difficult.
Longitude (the lines that travel up and down the earth) widen at the equator.

So, a degree of longitude at the poles is 69.17 miles at the equator; 53 miles at 40 degrees North or South of the equator; and 0 miles at the poles!

If in your mind you can calculate miles form East to West, based on longitude, you have a better mind than me!


P.S. For those with real Enquiring Minds: since the spinning earth is elliptical instead of perfectly round, each degree of latitude vary from 68.703 miles at the equator to 69.407 at the poles.  I just assume 69 everywhere for my mental calculations as I travel down long roads.