PenguinTracker / Stations / McMurdo
McMurdo
Research station · United States · year-round
McMurdo is a station run by United States, established in 1956. It sits at 77°51'S 166°40'E, 1,351 km from the South Pole, and is staffed through the winter. At peak it holds 1,200 people. Through the winter it is the nearest human presence to 390,289 km² of ice — 15th of the 44 facilities that stay open. How far it is from anybody →
Official nameMcMurdo Station
OperatorUnited States
TypeStation
SeasonalityYear-Round
StatusOpen
Established1956
Peak population1,200 people
Elevation10 m
Position77°51'S 166°40'E
Decimal-77.8500, 166.6667
Distance to pole1,351 km
Ice it is nearest to390,289 km² · 15th of 44
Webcamlive camera ↗
Nearest stations
Great-circle distance. Antarctic logistics run on proximity — these are the neighbours a station shares weather, flights and emergencies with.
Nearest penguin colonies
Known breeding sites within reach. Locations only — no counts. Estimating colony size from satellite imagery does not yet work, so this site publishes no abundance figures.
McMurdo in Antarctic Polar Stereographic (EPSG:3031). Rings are 60°, 70° and 80°S.
Within 90 km. Orange dots are stations, blue are penguin colonies. North points at the pole.