World’s Coldest Town Exposed: Phones and Cars Freeze at -68°C

By / MOOK Scenic Spots Editorial Team

Apart from the North and South Poles, the coldest town in the world is a small village called "Oymyakon" located in northeastern Siberia, Russia. The lowest temperature ever recorded here was -67.7°C (in 1933), which is not far off from Antarctica’s record low of -89.2°C. Oymyakon still has a population of around 500 people, and during winter, even phones and cars frequently freeze and break.

Oymyakon is under the jurisdiction of the Sakha Republic, situated at an altitude of 741 meters. The winters are long and extremely harsh, with the coldest month (January) averaging -46.4°C, while summers are short and cool, with the warmest month (July) averaging 14.9°C. The name of the town comes from the Sakha language, meaning “unfrozen water.” According to locals, if you pour water on the ground here, it freezes before it even hits the surface.

Despite the extremely harsh climate, people still live here. The town has about 500 residents, mainly from the Sakha ethnic group, whose primary livelihoods are dairy cattle farming and reindeer herding. When winter temperatures drop below -48°C, kindergartens close, and when they fall below -54°C, elementary schools shut down.