one sight says 23600 another has this The circumference of the earth at the equator is 24,901.55 miles (40,075.16 kilometers). But, if you measure the earth through the poles the circumference is a bit shorter - 24,859.82 miles (40,008 km). This the earth is a tad wider than it is tall, giving it a slight bulge at the equator. This shape is known as an ellipsoid or more properly, geoid (earth-like). Source(s): http://geography.about.com/library/faq/blqzcircumference.htm