There are multiple contenders for the title of “real” North Pole during the holidays, when its most famous inhabitant steps into the spotlight. Canada Post uses the postal code H0H 0H0 for letters to Santa Claus — you might even get one back — but the address is not assigned to any province or territory; this “North Pole” may be just a post office box. Meanwhile, North Pole, Alaska, a suburb of Fairbanks, features a year-round Christmas village and a giant statue of the jolly old elf, but its name is a misnomer. The small Alaskan city is actually situated 125 miles south of the Arctic Circle.
Even if you’re looking for the North Pole as a natural phenomenon, rather than as a cultural touchstone, you’ve still got your choice of candidates. Four distinct locations have legitimate claims to the title by various criteria.
