27,986 Miles

The fortieth parallel north is about 19,100 miles long, almost 6,000 miles shorter than the equator. At that latitude, a lap around the globe does not qualify as a true circumnavigation. But while the fortieth parallel has fewer miles than the equator, it does have more of one thing: ground. Less than a quarter of the equator passes over land, while at forty degrees north the ratio is almost fifty percent. More land means more to see. So for this trip around the world, east along the fortieth parallel – with a few wide deviations – is my chosen route.