Extreme points of the United States

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

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

Northernmost

*Point Barrow, Alaska (71°23'N) — northernmost point in all of US territory
*Barrow, Alaska — northernmost town in all of US territory and most northerly community on the North American mainland.
*Northwest Angle, Minnesota (49°23' 4.1"N) — northernmost point in the 48 contiguous states
*Seattle, Washington -northernmost major metropolitan city in the contiguous US

outhernmost

*Rose Atoll, American Sāmoa (coord|14|34|11|S|168|9|10|W) — southernmost point in all of US territory
*Ka Lae, Hawai‘i (coord|18|54|39|N|155|40|52|W|city) — southernmost point in the 50 states
*Nā‘ālehu, Hawai‘i (coord|19|3|57|N|155|35|15|W|city) — southernmost town in the 50 states
*Western Dry Rocks, Florida (coord|24|26.8|N|81|55.6|W) — southernmost point in the 48 contiguous states occasionally above water at low tide
*Ballast Key, Florida (coord|24|31|15|N|81|57|49|W|region:US-FL_type:landmark) — southernmost point in the 48 contiguous states continuously above water
*Key West, Florida — the southernmost city in the 48 contiguous states
*Cape Sable, Florida (coord|25|7|6|N|81|5|11|W) — southernmost point on the US mainland

Easternmost

*Point Udall, St. Croix, US Virgin Islands (64°34'W) — easternmost point in all of US territory, by direction of travel
*Sail Rock (66° 56' 52.08"W), just offshore of West Quoddy Head, Maine — easternmost point in the 50 states, by direction of travel
*West Quoddy Head, Maine (66°57'W) — easternmost point on the US mainland
*Lubec, Maine — easternmost town in the 50 states
*Pochnoi Point, Semisopochnoi Island, Alaska (179°46'E) — easternmost point in all of US territory, by longitude
*Peacock Point, Wake Island (166°39'E) — first sunrise (at equinox) in all of US territory

Westernmost

*Udall Point, Guam (coord|13|26|51|N|144|37|5.5|E|) — westernmost point in all of US territory, by direction of travel
*Peaked Island, offshore from Cape Wrangell, Attu Island, Alaska (172°26'E) — westernmost point in the 50 states, by direction of travel, and last sunset (at equinox) in all of US territory
*Adak, Alaska — westernmost town in the 50 states, by direction of travel
*Amatignak Island, Alaska (179°6'W) — westernmost point in all of US territory, by longitude
*Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska (168°7'W) — westernmost point on the North American continent
*Umatilla Reef, offshore from Cape Alava, Washington (coord|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 (124°46'W) — westernmost point in the 48 contiguous states continuously above water
*Cape Alava, Washington (coord|48|9|51|N|124|43|59|W) - westernmost point on the U.S. mainland (contiguous)
*Ozette, Washington — westernmost town in the 48 contiguous states

Extremes in elevation

*Mount McKinley, Alaska (20,320 feet; 6,194 meters) — highest point in all of US territory
*Mount Whitney, California (14,505 feet; 4,421 meters) — highest point in the 48 contiguous states
*Winter Park, Colorado (12,060 feet; 3,676 meters) — highest town in all of US territory
*Climax, Colorado (11,360 feet; 3463 meters) - now a ghost town, formerly home of the highest US post office. That honor now goes to Alma
*Alma, Colorado (10,355 feet; 3,156 meters) — highest town with permanent residents above 10,000 ft. [cite web|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4191/is_20070108/ai_n17129574/pg_1|title=High on Alma|publisher=The Gazette (Colorado Springs)|accessdate=2007-08-05|last=Rippold|first=R Scott|date=2007]
*Leadville, Colorado (10,152 feet; 3,094 meters) — highest city in all of US territory
*Calipatria, California (−184 feet; −56 meters) — lowest city in all of US territory
*Badwater Basin (Death Valley), California (−282 feet; −86 meters) — lowest point in all of US territory

Other

*Most remote point in all of US territory: Ipnavik River, National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska, coord|68|45|N|156|41|W|; 120 miles (195 km) from nearest habitation
*Geographic center of the 50 states: approximately 20 miles (34 km) north of Belle Fourche, South Dakota, at coord|44|58|N|103|46|W|
*Geographic center of the 48 contiguous states: approximately 4 miles (6 km) west of Lebanon, Kansas, at coord|39|50|N|98|35|W|region:US-KS_type:landmark

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 0 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.

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 US territory is spread across less than 180° of longitude, so from any spot in the US it is more direct to reach Point Udall, US Virgin Islands, by travelling east than by travelling west. Likewise, there is not a single point in US territory from which heading east is a shorter route to Udall Point, Guam, than heading west would be, even accounting for circumpolar routes.

ee also

* Geography of the United States
* Extreme points of the world
* Extreme points of North America
* Extreme points of the Americas
* Extreme points of New England
* Extreme points of U.S. states (each state's extreme points)
* List of U.S. states by elevation
* Geographic centers of the United States

References

External links

* [http://dizzy.library.arizona.edu/branches/spc/udall/address/pt_u.html Text of congressional resolution designating Udall Point, Guam]
* [http://www.placenames.com/us/p1389924/ Map of Orote Point, Guam, now Point Udall]
* [http://www.bootkeyharbor.com/Key%20West%20Islands.htm Map of Ballast Key, FL]
* [http://ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/OnLineViewer Detailed US coastline maps]