Extremes Points In The United States

Dungenese Wildlife Refuge, Washington

July 24, 2021

List of extreme points of the United States

There are a number of different interpretations for "easternmost" and "westernmost"; see below for full treatment.

This is a list of points in the United States that are farther north, south, east, or west than any other location in the country. Also included are extreme points in elevation, extreme distances, and other points of peculiar geographic interest.

Extreme points in the 50 states: Point Barrow, Ka Lae, Sail Rock, Peaked Island

Extreme points in the contiguous 48 states: Northwest Angle, Ballast Key, Sail Rock, Bodelteh Islands

Extreme points of the U.S. on the North American continent: Point Barrow, Cape Sable, West Quoddy Head, Cape Prince of Wales

Extreme points in all U.S. territory: Point Barrow, Rose Atoll, Wake Island, Peaked Island (red dots); Point Udall, Guam, and Point Udall, USVI are shown as green dots. The International Date Line is shown in yellow.

Northernmost points

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• Point Barrow, Alaska 71°23′20″N156°28′45″W – northernmost point in the United States

• Utqiaġvik, Alaska 71°17′44″N156°45′59″W – northernmost incorporated place in all U.S. territory, population about 4,000

• Fairbanks, Alaska 64°50′22.94″N147°43′14.63″W – northernmost city of more than 20,000 residents, and northernmost incorporated city with public road access

• Anchorage, Alaska 61°13′4.17″N149°53′33.17″W – northernmost city of more than 100,000 residents

• Juneau, Alaska 58.299104°N 134.420240°W – northernmost capital city in the United States

• Northwest Angle Inlet in Lake of the Woods, Minnesota 49°23′04.1″N95°9′12.2″W – northernmost point in the 48 contiguous states

• Sumas, Washington 49°00′08.6″N122°15′40″W – northernmost incorporated place in the 48 contiguous states

• Lynden, Washington 48°56′43″N122°27′10″W – northernmost city of more than 10,000 residents in the 48 contiguous states

• Bellingham, Washington 48°45′19.12″N122°28′43.54″W – northernmost city of more than 50,000 residents in the 48 contiguous states

• Everett, Washington 47°58′41″N122°12′27″W – northernmost city of more than 100,000 residents in the 48 contiguous states

• Spokane, Washington 47°39′37″N117°25′25″W – northernmost city of more than 200,000 residents in the 48 contiguous states

• Seattle, Washington 47°36′13.81″N122°19′48.56″W – northernmost city of more than 500,000 residents in the United States

• Olympia, Washington 47°2′16″N122°54′3″W – northernmost capital city in the 48 contiguous states

• Chicago, Illinois 41°53′1.9″N87°37′53.87″W – northernmost city of more than 1,000,000 residents in the United States

• Alaska has the northernmost geographic center of all the states. North Dakotahas the northernmost geographic center of the 48 contiguous states.

Southernmost points Map this section's coordinates using:OpenStreetMapDownload coordinates as:KML

• Rose Atoll, American Samoa 14°34′11″S168°9′10″W – southernmost point in the United States [1]

• Futiga, American Samoa 14.372987°S 170.759741°W – southernmost town in the United States

• Pago Pago, American Samoa14.273821°S 170.701265°W – southernmost capital city in the United States

• Palmyra Atoll, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands 5°53′2″N 162°4′42″W – southernmost point in all U.S. incorporated territory

• San Juan, Puerto Rico 18.4655°N 66.1057°W – southernmost city of more than 250,000 residents in all U.S. territory

• Ka Lae, Hawaii 18°54′39″N155°40′52″W – southernmost point in the 50 states

• Discovery Harbour, Hawaii 19°02′3″N155°37′49″W - southernmost settlement in the 50 states

• Nā'ālehu, Hawaii 19°3′57″N155°35′15″W – southernmost town in the 50 states

• Hilo, Hawaii 19°41′58″N 155°4′51″W – southernmost place with a population over 25,000 in the 50 states

• City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii21°18′19″N 157°51′25″W – southernmost U.S. state capital and southernmost incorporated place in the 50 states (Hawaii's only incorporated place)

• Western Dry Rocks, Florida Keys, Florida24°26.8′N 81°55.6′W – southernmost point in the 48 contiguous states occasionally above water at low tide

• Ballast Key, Florida 24°31′15″N81°57′49″W – southernmost point in the 48 contiguous states continuously above water

• Key West, Florida 24°32′38.724″N81°48′17.658″W – southernmost incorporated place in the contiguous 48 states

• Cape Sable, Florida 25°7′6″N81°5′11″W – southernmost point on the U.S. mainland

• Florida City, Florida 25°26′54″N80°28′57″W – southernmost municipality in the contiguous U.S.

• Miami, Florida 25°43′40″N 80°14′2″W – southernmost major metropolitan city in the 48 contiguous states

• Cameron County, Texas 25°50′14.5″N97°23′39.9″W – southernmost point on the Mexico–United States border.

• San Antonio, Texas 29.4724°N 98.5251°W – southernmost city of more than 1,000,000 residents in the United States

• Austin, Texas 30°16′2″N 97°44′35″W – southernmost capital city in the 48 contiguous states

• Hawaii has the southernmost geographic center of all the states. Florida has the southernmost geographic center of the 48 contiguous states.

Easternmost points

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• Point Udall, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands17°45′19″N 64°33′54″W – easternmost point in the United States, by direction of travel

• Christiansted, U.S. Virgin Islands17.7482°N 64.7168°W – easternmost town in the United States, by direction of travel

• Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands18.340688°N 64.931065°W – easternmost capital city in the United States, by direction of travel

• San Juan, Puerto Rico 18.4655°N 66.1057°W – easternmost major city of more than 250,000 residents in all U.S. territory

• Sail Rock, Lubec, Maine 44°48′45.2″N66°56′49.3″W – easternmost point in the 50 states, by direction of travel and easternmost incorporated place in the 50 states

• West Quoddy Head, Maine44°48′55.4″N 66°56′59.2″W – easternmost point on the U.S. mainland

• Bangor, Maine 44°49.3′N 68°43.1′W – easternmost city of more than 20,000 residents in the 50 states

• Augusta, Maine 44.307°N 69.782°W – easternmost U.S. state capital

• Portland, Maine 43°42.0′N 70°5.2′W – easternmost city of more than 50,000 residents in the 50 states

• Boston, Massachusetts 42.3320°N 71.0202°W – easternmost city of more than 500,000 residents in the United States

• New York City, New York 40.6635°N 73.9387°W – easternmost city of more than 1,000,000 residents in the United States

• Pochnoi Point, Semisopochnoi Island, Alaska 51°57′42″N 179°46′23″E – easternmost point in all U.S. territory by longitude

• Peacock Point, Wake Island19°16′13.2″N 166°39′26.3″E – first sunrise (at equinox) in all U.S. territory

• Northern Islands Municipality, Northern Mariana Islands 16.0271°N 146.0645°E – easternmost municipality in all U.S. territory, by longitude

• Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands15°11′N 145°45′E – easternmost capital city in the United States, by longitude

• Maine has the easternmost geographic center of the 50 states.

Westernmost points

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• Point Udall, Santa Rita, Guam(13°26′51″N 144°37′5.5″E) – westernmost point and westernmost town in the United States, by direction of travel

• Hagåtña, Guam 13.477264°N 144.747249°E – westernmost capital city in the United States, by direction of travel

• Peaked Island, offshore from Cape Wrangell, Attu Island, Alaska 52°55′14″N172°26′16″E – westernmost point in the 50 states by direction of travel, and last sunset (at equinox) in all U.S. territories. West of it passes the International Date Line, after which come Russian territorial islands.

• Amatignak Island, Alaska 51°16′7″N179°8′55″W – westernmost point in all U.S. territories by longitude

• Adak, Alaska 51.8224°N 176.7147°W – westernmost incorporated city in the 50 states

• Pago Pago, American Samoa 14°16′46″S170°42′2″W – westernmost capital city in the United States, by longitude

• Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska 65°38′32″N 168°7′8″W – westernmost point on the North American continent

• Unalaska, Alaska 53.888984°N 166.527239°W – westernmost city of more than 2,500 residents in the 50 states

• Honolulu, Hawaii 21°18′25″N157°51′30″W – westernmost U.S. state capital

• Anchor Point, Alaska (59°46′20.8914″N151°52′2.373″W) – westernmost point on the continuous road system of North America[2]

• Umatilla Reef, offshore from Cape Alava, Washington 48°11.1′N 124°47.1′W – westernmost point in the 48 contiguous states occasionally above water at low tide

• Bodelteh Islands, offshore from Cape Alava, Washington 48°10′42.7″N124°46′18.1″W – westernmost point in the 48 contiguous states continuously above water

• Cape Alava, Washington 48°9′51″N124°43′59″W – westernmost point on the U.S. mainland (contiguous)

• Neah Bay, Washington 48°21′56″N124°36′56″W – westernmost town in the 48 contiguous states

• Port Orford, Oregon 42.754065°N 124.512605°W – westernmost incorporated place in the 48 contiguous states

• Brookings, Oregon 42.0553°N 124.2875°W – westernmost city of more than 5,000 residents in the 48 contiguous states

• Coos Bay, Oregon 43.3681°N 124.2174°W – westernmost city of more than 10,000 residents in the 48 contiguous states

• Eureka, California 40°46.3′N124°12.2′W – westernmost city of more than 25,000 residents in the 48 contiguous states

• Corvallis, Oregon 44°32.6′N123°20.2′W – westernmost city of more than 50,000 residents in the 48 contiguous states

• Eugene, Oregon 44°05.1′N 123°12.5′W – westernmost city of more than 100,000 residents in the 48 contiguous states

• Salem, Oregon 44°56′21″N123°2′22″W – westernmost capital city in the 48 contiguous states

• Portland, Oregon 45°35.5′N122°50.2′W – westernmost city of more than 500,000 residents in the United States

• San Jose, California 37°26.9′N122°2.8′W – westernmost city of more than 1,000,000 residents in the United States

• Hawaii has the westernmost geographic center of all the states. Oregon has the westernmost geographic center of the 48 contiguous states.

Interpretation of easternmost and westernmost

There are three methods for reckoning the eastern and western extremes of the United States.

One method is to use the Prime Meridian as the dividing line between east and west. This meridian running through Greenwich, London, is defined as zero degrees longitude and could be called the least eastern and least western place in the world. The 180th meridian, on the opposite side of the globe, is therefore the easternmost and westernmost place in the world.

Another method is to use the International Date Line as the easternmost–westernmost extreme. On the equinox, the easternmost place would be where the day first begins, and the westernmost is where the day last ends.[citation needed] Still another method is to first determine the geographic center of the country and from there measure the shortest distance to every other point. All U.S. territory is spread across less than 180° of longitude, so from any spot in the U.S. it is more direct to reach the easternmost point, Point Udall, U.S. Virgin Islands, by traveling east than by traveling west. Likewise, there is not a single point in U.S. territory from which heading east is a shorter route to the westernmost point, Point Udall, Guam, than heading west would be, even accounting for circumpolar routes. The two different Point Udalls are named for two different men: Mo Udall (Guam) and Stewart Udall (Virgin Islands), brothers from the Udall family of Arizona who both served as U.S. Congressmen.

Highest points

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• Denali, Alaska 63°4′9″N 151°0′23″W – highest summit in the United States, all US territories, and North America at 20,310 feet (6,190.5 m)[4]

• Mount Whitney,[5][6][note 1] California36°34′43″N 118°17′31″W – highest point in the 48 contiguous states at 14,505 feet (4,421 m)

• Grays Peak,[7] Colorado 39°38′1″N105°49′3″W – highest point on the Continental Divide of North America at 14,270 feet (4,350 m)

• Mauna Kea,[8] Hawaiʻi 19°49′14″N155°28′5″W – highest island summit in all U.S. territory and the entire Pacific Ocean at 13,796 feet (4,205 m)

• Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico 36°35′52″N105°26′42″W – highest village limits in all U.S. territory at 12,581 feet (3,835 m) (No residents of Taos Ski Valley live above 10,350 feet (3,150 m))[9]

• Winter Park, Colorado 39°53′34″N105°45′43″W – highest city limits in all U.S. territory at 12,060 feet (3,680 m) (No residents of Winter Park live above 9,550 feet (2,910 m))

• San Juan County, Colorado 37°49′N107°40′W – highest U.S. county based on a mean elevation (11,240 feet (3,430 m))

• Alma, Colorado 39°17′2″N106°3′46″W – highest town in all U.S. territory at 10,355 feet (3,156 m); contiguous residential areas extend to 11,680 feet (3,560 m).

• Leadville, Colorado 39°14′50″N106°17′30″W – highest city in all U.S. territory at 10,152 feet (3,094 m). (No residents of Leadville live above 10,360 feet (3,160 m))

• Woodland Park, Colorado 38°59′54″N105°3′23″W – highest city of more than 5,000 residents in all U.S. territory at 8,465 feet (2,580 m).

• Laramie, Wyoming 41°18′40″N105°35′37″W – highest city of more than 10,000 residents in all U.S. territory at 7,165 feet (2,184 m).

• Santa Fe, New Mexico 35°40′2″N105°57′52″W – highest city of more than 50,000 residents and highest capital city in all U.S. territory at 6,989 feet (2,130 m).

• Colorado Springs, Colorado 38°50′2″N104°49′31″W – highest city of more than 100,000 residents in all U.S. territory at 6,035 feet (1,839 m).

• Denver, Colorado 39°45′43″N104°52′52″W – highest major city of more than 500,000 residents in all U.S. territory at 5,280 feet (1,610 m).

• Lake County Airport, Colorado39°13′13″N 106°19′00″W – highest airfield in all U.S. territory and North America at 9,927 feet (3,026 m)

• New Mexico State Capitol, Santa Fe35°40′56″N 105°56′23″W – highest state capitol in the United States at 7,005 feet (2,135 m)

• Colorado 39°00′N 105°30′W – highest U.S. state based on an average elevationof 6,800 feet (2,100 m)

• Mount Mitchell, North Carolina35°45′53″N 82°15′54″W – highest point in eastern United States at 6,684 feet (2,037 m)

• Mount Washington, New Hampshire44°16′13″N 71°18′12″W – highest point in northeastern United States at 6,288 feet (1,917 m)

• Arikaree River, Yuma County, Coloradoat Kansas state line 39°58′42″N102°3′6″W – highest U.S. state low pointat 3,317 feet (1,011 m)

• Beech Mountain, North Carolina36°12′23″N 81°52′59″W – highest incorporated community east of the Mississippi River at an elevation of 5,506 feet (1,678 m).

• Boone, North Carolina 36°12′41″N81°40′7″W – highest elevation (3,333 feet, 1015.9 m) east of the Mississippi River of any town of its size (over 10,000 population).

• Eisenhower Tunnel, west of Denver, Colorado 39.6785°N 105.92°W – highest point on the Interstate Highway System, at 11,158 feet (3,401 m).

Lowest points

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• Badwater Basin, Death Valley, California, 36°14′23″N 116°50′5″W – lowest surface point in all U.S. territory and North America, at −279 feet (−85 m)[10]

• Salton Sea, California, 33°19′59″N115°50′3″W – lowest lake in all U.S. territory and North America, at −226 feet (−69 m)

• Furnace Creek Airport, California36°27′50″N 116°52′53″W – lowest airfield in all U.S. territory and Western Hemisphere, at −210 feet (−64 m)

• Furnace Creek, California,[note 2]36°27′29″N 116°52′15″W – lowest settlement in all U.S. territory and Western Hemisphere, at −190 feet (−58 m)

• Calipatria, California, 33°07′32″N115°30′51″W – lowest city in all U.S. territory and Western Hemisphere, at −184 feet (−56 m)

• 9th Ward of New Orleans, Louisiana, 30°02′40″N 89°56′47″W – lowest surface point in eastern United States, at −7 feet (−2.1 m)

• New Orleans, Louisiana, 29°58′N90°03′W – lowest city over 250,000 population in all U.S. territory and Western Hemisphere, with an average elevation of −1.5 feet (−0.46 m)

• Delaware 39°0′17″N 75°32′46″W – lowest state, with an average elevation of 60 feet (18 m)

• Britton Hill, Florida, 30°59′18″N86°16′55″W – lowest state high point, at 345 feet (105 m)

• Lake Superior bottom, Michigan, 46°54′31″N 86°35′52″W – lowest freshwater point in all U.S. territory, at −732 feet (−223 m)[note 3]

• Puget Sound bottom, Washington, 47°44.9′N 122°25.7′W – lowest seawater point in the interior of the United States, at −956 feet (−291 m)[note 4]

Other points

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• Most remote point in the 50 states: Ipnavik River, National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska, 68°45′N 156°41′W; 120 miles (190 km) from nearest habitation.

• Geographic center of the 50 states: approximately 20 miles (32 km) north of Belle Fourche, South Dakota, 44°58′N103°46′W

• Geographic center of the 48 contiguous states: approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Lebanon, Kansas, 39°50′N98°35′W

• Closest to the equator: Baker Island is at 0°11′41″N 176°28′46″W.[11][12]

• The geographic center of North America is at 48°10′N 100°10′W, about 6 miles (10 km) west of Balta, in Pierce County, North Dakota.[13]

• The North American pole of inaccessibility (distant from ocean access) is at 43°22′N 101°58′W, about 11 miles (18 km) southeast of the town of Kyle, on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, in Bennett County, South Dakota, 1,025 miles (1,650 km) from the nearest coastline.

• The southwesternmost point of the contiguous United States is Border Field State Park, California.

• The northwesternmost point of the contiguous United States is Cape Flattery, Washington.

Islands Map this section's coordinates using:OpenStreetMap Download coordinates as: KML

• Island of Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi 19°49′15″N155°28′5″W – most extensive island in all U.S. territory at 4,028 square miles (10,430 km2) and tallest island in all U.S. territory and the entire Pacific Ocean at 13,796 feet (4,205 m).

• Kodiak Island, Alaska 57°28′N153°26′W – most extensive Gulf of Alaska island at 3,595.09 square miles (9,311.2 km2).

• Island of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico18°15′N 66°30′W – most extensive island of U.S. Caribbean territory at 3,515.1 square miles (9,104 km2).

• Prince of Wales Island, Alaska55°37′55″N 132°54′27″W – most extensive island of the Alexander Archipelago at 2,577 square miles (6,670 km2).

• Saint Lawrence Island, Alaska63°24′54″N 170°23′58″W – most extensive Bering Sea island at 1,791.56 square miles (4,640.1 km2).

• Unimak Island, Alaska 54°46′6″N164°11′12″W – most extensive Aleutianisland at 1,571.41 square miles (4,069.9 km2).

• Long Island, New York 40°52′10″N73°00′00″W – most extensive island of the U.S. Atlantic coast at 1,401 square miles (3,630 km2).

• Padre Island, Texas 26°50′40″N97°22′04″W – most extensive Gulf of Mexico island at 209 square miles (540 km2) and longest barrier island on Earth at 113 miles (182 km).

• Isle Royale in Lake Superior, Michigan48°0′N 88°55′W – most extensive island in a lake in all U.S. territory at 206.73 square miles (535.4 km2).

• Whidbey Island, Washington 48°8′11″N122°34′57″W – most extensive island of Puget Sound at 168.67 square miles (436.9 km2).

• Santa Cruz Island, California 34°0′13″N119°43′35″W – most extensive of the Channel Islands of California at 97 square miles (250 km2).

• The most remote islands in the United States are within the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands (namely, islands such as Palmyra Atoll and Johnston Atoll.)

Lakes

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• Lake Michigan-Huron 45°48′N84°45′W – largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area, at 45,300 square miles (117,000 km2), of which 31,507 square miles (81,600 km2) is within the United States.

• Lake Superior 47°42′N 87°30′W – Lying along the Canada–United States border, it is the second largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area, at 31,700 sq mi (82,100 km2), of which 20,600 square miles (53,350 km2) is within the United States.[18] It is also North America's largest lake by volume, at 2,900 cu mi (12,000 km3); it is commonly called the largest lake by surface area when Lake Michigan and Lake Huron are not considered one lake.

• Great Salt Lake, Utah, 41°10′N112°35′W – most extensive endorheic lake, at 1,700 square miles (4,400 km2).

• Crater Lake, Oregon, 42°57′N122°5′W – deepest lake, at 1,943 feet (592 m).[19]

Rivers

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• Mississippi River 29°9′4″N89°15′12″W – most extensive river basinat 1,151,000 square miles (2,980,000 km2).

• Mississippi-Missouri-Jefferson Rivers29°9′4″N 89°15′12″W – longest river system at 3,902 miles (6,280 km).

• Missouri River 38°48′49″N 90°7′11″W – longest main stem river at 2,341 miles (3,767 km).

• Mississippi River 29°9′4″N89°15′12″W – longest Gulf of Mexicomain stem river at 2,202 miles (3,544 km).

• Yukon River 62°35′55″N 164°47′40″W – longest Bering Sea main stem river at 1,979 miles (3,185 km).

• Colorado River 31°48′57″N114°48′22″W – longest Gulf of Californiamain stem river at 1,450 miles (2,330 km).

• Columbia River 46°14′39″N124°3′29″W – longest Pacific Oceanmain stem river at 1,243 miles (2,000 km).

• Saint Lawrence River 49°40′N64°30′W – longest Atlantic Ocean main stem river at 600 miles (970 km).

• Bear River 41°27′30″N 112°17′25″W – longest endorheic basin main stem river at 491 miles (790 km).

Extreme distances

• Greatest east–west distance in the 48 contiguous states: 2,800 miles (4,500 km)

• Greatest north–south distance in the 48 contiguous states: 1,650 miles (2,660 km).

• Greatest distance between any two points in U.S. territory: 9,514 miles (15,311 km), from Point Udall, Guam, to Point Udall, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands(formerly known as Orote Point and East Point, respectively).

• Greatest distance between any two points in the 50 states: 5,859 miles (9,429 km), from Kure Atoll, Hawaii, to Log Point, Elliott Key, Florida.

• Greatest distance between any two points in the contiguous 48 states: 2,901 miles (4,669 km), from North Farallon Island, California, to Sail Rock, east of West Quoddy Head, Maine.

• Greatest driving distance between any US territory in contiguous lower 48 states (via US highway system): 3,689 miles (5,937 km), from Fort Zachary Taylor, Key West, Florida, to Cape Flattery, Washington.

• Greatest distance between any two mainland points in the contiguous 48 states (linear distance): 2,892 miles (4,654 km), from Point Arena, California, to West Quoddy Head, Maine.

• Greatest east–west distance in U.S. territory 5,823 miles (9,371 km), from Kure Atoll, Hawaii, to Riviera Beach, Florida.

Some map projections make diagonal lines appear longer than they actually are. The diagonal line from Kure Atoll, Hawaii, to West Quoddy Head, Maine, is 5,797 miles (9,329 km); and the diagonal from Cape Wrangell, Attu Island, Alaska, to Log Point, on Elliott Key, Florida, is 5,505 miles (8,859 km).