Yakutsk, a major city in eastern Russia, is widely recognized as the coldest city on Earth where a large population lives year-round. Despite having more than 350,000 residents, the city regularly experiences extreme winter conditions, with average January temperatures hovering around −41°F. In January 2023, temperatures in Yakutsk dropped to an astonishing −80°F (−62.7°C), marking the coldest reading in the city in more than two decades and highlighting the severity of its climate.
Life in Yakutsk has adapted to these harsh conditions over generations. During winter, cars are often left running for hours or even days to prevent fuel lines and engines from freezing solid. Residents rely on multiple layers of heavy clothing, including traditional fur-lined garments, to protect themselves from frostbite and hypothermia. Everyday activities, from commuting to shopping, are carefully planned around the cold, with limited exposure to the outdoors whenever possible.
Even colder conditions are found in Oymyakon, a remote settlement with only a few hundred inhabitants, which is commonly described as the coldest permanently inhabited place on Earth. The village once recorded a temperature of −88°F (−66.7°C), a level of cold capable of freezing exposed skin within seconds. In such conditions, daily life becomes a test of endurance, with schools sometimes closing and outdoor work kept to an absolute minimum.
Despite these extreme temperatures, Yakutsk reports fewer cold-related deaths than some regions with much milder climates. This is largely due to infrastructure and lifestyles specifically designed for severe cold. Buildings are constructed on stilts to prevent permafrost from melting, heating systems are highly robust, and public transport and utilities are engineered to function reliably in subzero conditions. These adaptations demonstrate how long-term planning and climate-specific design can allow large communities not only to survive but to function effectively in some of the coldest environments on the planet.
