Rice ( Oryza sativa) originated in tropical regions and has adapted to higher latitudes; these adaptations affect photoperiod sensitivity and cold tolerance. Lipids are essential membrane components and function in sensing and responding to environmental conditions. Members of the lipid-related GDSL esterase/lipase (GELP) family have been implicated in stress responses. Here, to investigate the relationship between OsGELP genes and rice adaptation to high latitudes, we identified the haplotypes of each of the 115 OsGELP genes in 3000 rice accessions and sorted them based on latitude data and single-nucleotide polymorphisms, designating haplotypes present at an average latitude >35°N as high-latitude haplotypes (HLHs) and selecting 10 OsGELP genes with 11 HLHs for further analysis. Haplotype network and amino acid sequence analyses suggested that rapid changes involving a few amino acids encoded by genes with HLHs likely helped plants adapt to high latitudes. HLH-containing OsGELPs are often expressed in roots, suggesting that roots function in the adaptation of rice to high latitudes. Apart from OsGELPs, only 3 of the 14 known cold tolerance genes in rice have HLHs. We suggest that the 10 OsGELP genes with HLHs play crucial roles in the adaptation of rice to high latitudes.