Stacy Conradt
The Quick 10: 10 Extreme Points in the United States
by Stacy Conradt - June 18, 2009 - 3:29 PM

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We’re working on planning our annual Halloween trip to Disney, but we’re thinking about veering a little bit off of our usual trip this year to spend a couple of days in Key West. So I was researching the city to see what _flossy stories it could hold (a lot) when I discovered that it’s the southernmost point in the United States… or is it?! See #7 for that little debate. Anyway, it made me wonder what other far-flung spots lie in the U.S., and here is the answer:

map1. Point Barrow, Alaska – Northernmost Point in the U.S. Named for geographer Sir John Barrow, Point Barrow is often the starting point for Arctic expeditions. Sadly, it was also the ending point for entertainer Will Rogers and his pilot in 1935. Their airplane crashed near there on their way from Fairbanks. Point Barrow was also the test point for sounding rockets between 1965 and 1972.

2. Ka Lae, Hawaii – Southernmost Point in the 50 states. It’s also known, fittingly, as South Point. But it might as well be known as Hawaii’s Windy City, because this place is blustery. Some of the trees have been blown sideways for so long that they just grow that way now.

3. Peacock Point, Wake Island – First sunrise in all U.S. territories. It’s actually an entire day ahead of the 50 states, so of course it has the first sunrise.

4. Cape Wrangell, Attu Island, Alaska – Last sunset in all U.S. territories. Attu Island is special for a few reasons. There’s the last sunset thing, obviously, but it’s also the westernmost point on all land on earth according to the path of the International Date Line. Finally, it was the site of the only battle during WWII to take place on American soil – that’s the peace memorial there in the picture.

5. Mount Whitney, California – Highest elevation in the 48 contiguous states. You might think the highest elevation would be somewhere in Colorado, but you’d be wrong (I was). In fact, the highest elevation is just 76 miles from the lowest elevation…

6. Badwater Basin, Death Valley, California – Lowest elevation in all U.S. territories. Yep, California has it all. At 282 feet below sea level, Badwater Basin is actually the lowest point in all of North America, not just the U.S. You can’t actually get to the lowest point because it’s so hazardous to get there, so the sign commemorating the spot is located at a spring-fed pool next to the road.

keywest7. Western Dry Rocks, Florida – Southernmost point in the 48 contiguous states. It’s still a part of Key West, I believe, but the southernmost point in the states isn’t that big buoy-looking thing tourists like to get their pictures by in the town that Hemingway used to haunt. It’s really the Western Dry Rocks, but maybe it doesn’t really count since it’s not always above land (it depends on the tide). Even if we don’t count it, that buoy still isn’t the southernmost point – that title belongs to a bit of land on the Truman Annex of Key West, but because that land belongs to the Navy and isn’t accessible to the public, the photo op was created at the next-most southern point. I guess it wouldn’t be quite as impressive if the buoy read, “The Southernmost Point in the Continental U.S.A. that’s always above land and is accessible to the public.”

8. Ipnavik River, Alaska – Most remote point in all U.S. territory. It’s more than 120 miles away from the nearest sign of civilization and has been called “the largest tract of undisturbed public land in the United States.” And I thought my in-laws were remote when they lived an hour from the nearest Wal-Mart!

9. Smith County, Kansas – the center of the 48 contiguous states. It’s near the city of Lebanon and is almost in Nebraska. And hey, if you’re doing a road trip of extreme points, take a quick jaunt over to Osborne County, which is right next door: it’s home to the geodetic center. I had to look that one up too: it’s the reference point for all land survey measurements. Read more about it here.

10. Belle Fourche, South Dakota – the center of all 50 states. OK, it’s actually about 20 miles north of Belle Fourche, but it’s close enough that the town claims it.

Have you been to any of these places? Are they worth a visit? And should we make time during our vacation to hit up Key West for a couple of days? Leave a comment and let me know!

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Comments (39)

  1. I went to the center of the 48 Contiguous States several years ago…it wasn’t all that impressive. All that’s there to mark it in the open prairie is a trailer home and a couple of trees that have been planted. Of course, my memory could be skewed by the fact that I was in Junior High School at the time, so very few things were worth my attention.

    posted by Jonathan on 6-18-2009 at 3:41 pm

  2. Should’ve made reference to Mt McKinley in Alaska… it’s the highest point in ALL of the US (not just the ol’ Lower 48). It is absolutely grand.

    posted by Flipper on 6-18-2009 at 3:46 pm

  3. I was at Ka Lae a couple of weeks ago while on the Big Island on vacation. I was actually fairly disappointed that there wasn’t really anything to mark the significance of the spot.

    posted by Jon. on 6-18-2009 at 3:50 pm

  4. Mt McKinley in Alaska is also the highest mountain in North America.

    posted by Steve on 6-18-2009 at 3:53 pm

  5. Definitely stop by Key West, as long as it’s all adults on the trip. We went there for our honeymoon last year, and had a terrific time. We met a guy who played a pirate on one of the cruise boats, and even on his off-hours, the guy was 100% pirate. (He babbled about his mortgage and AP-Arrrrr. No, I’m not kidding.) There’s also an awesome above-ground cemetery in the center of town, with a memorial to the sinking of the Maine. I think you’ve mentioned having a graveyard thing before, and this one is excellently creepy.

    posted by terri on 6-18-2009 at 3:57 pm

  6. You forgot northern most point in the 48, International falls, MN. I’ll let is slide though.

    posted by Franko on 6-18-2009 at 3:59 pm

  7. In regards to number 4, is there a reason Pearl Harbor isn’t considered a battle? I guess it’s classified as an attack? Or does someone know a different explanation?

    Thanks

    posted by NateJ on 6-18-2009 at 4:10 pm

  8. I’ve been to Ka Lae, Hawaii. Jon is correct — there’s not really anything there. Unless you count windsurfers. Because of the constant wind, it’s a great place for windsurfing. And, even though there’s nothing there, it’s still amazing to look out and see pretty much nothing but ocean in front of you.

    posted by Bob on 6-18-2009 at 4:16 pm

  9. What about Crater Lake, Oregon? The deepest lake in North America! Formerly Mt. Mazama, the tallest mountain in North America…

    posted by Kate on 6-18-2009 at 4:21 pm

  10. Unfortunately I haven’t been to any of these sites. However I have been to Point Pelee, the southernmost point of land in mainland Canada. One of my friends walked out to the furthest point, dropped his drawers, and mooned all of Canada at one shot.

    posted by Josh on 6-18-2009 at 4:21 pm

  11. Cadott, Wisconsin: The midway point between the equator and the North Pole. We pass it every year on the way to our summer place.

    posted by bedhead on 6-18-2009 at 4:43 pm

  12. As a former North Dakotan, I’m pretty sure I grew up learning that our little town of Rugby was the geographical center of North America…???

    posted by Andrea on 6-18-2009 at 4:45 pm

  13. My wife and I have been to Barrow. We got to see the midnight sun while we were there on the night of May 31st/morning of June 1st. (Actually, we saw it at 1AM Alaska Daylight Time.) The Arctic Ocean is still frozen at that time of year, so I got to walk around on it for some time. Still had to keep an eye out for polar bears which do come in to town once in a while. If you go, there’s no need to bring nice shoes. They say there are two seasons there, winter and mud.

    posted by John Bejarano on 6-18-2009 at 4:53 pm

  14. Andrea, you beat me to it. Rugby is considered the geographical center of N.A., and there’s a stone monolith in town declaring it. The center is actually a few miles out of town just like Belle Fourche listed in #10 above. I’m not sure if there is anything marking the actual spot.

    posted by EV on 6-18-2009 at 5:01 pm

  15. Andrea, you beat me to it. Rugby is considered the geographical center of N.A., and there’s a stone monolith in town declaring it. The center is actually a few miles out of town just like Belle Fourche listed in #10 above. I’m not sure if there is anything marking the actual spot. .

    posted by EV on 6-18-2009 at 5:05 pm

  16. Interesting commentary on “Middle America”: Smith County, KS is 98.79% White

    @ bedhead: About an hour west of Cadott, WI lies Poniatowski, WI, which, at 45N, 90W lies halfway between the equator and north pole AND halfway between the Prime Meridian and 180/the International Dateline.

    posted by Curtis on 6-18-2009 at 5:32 pm

  17. Why is Wal-Mart (#8) considered civilization when they ruin local economies, which seems like a decline in civ. to me.

    That said, Mt. Whitney is quite a thing to see. And the entire set of volcanoes from B.C. down to CA is impressive from the air.

    posted by Stephen on 6-18-2009 at 5:33 pm

  18. Pearl Harbor isn’t considered a WW2 battle because we hadn’t declared yet and were not officially at war.

    posted by C-Mart on 6-18-2009 at 5:35 pm

  19. Hey NateJ,

    First, Hawaii wasn’t a state back then. Second, you could say that we had not declared war on Japan until after they attacked.

    posted by Mike on 6-18-2009 at 5:44 pm

  20. Interesting fact about “Middle America”: Smith County, KS is nearly 99% white.

    @ bedhead: About an hour to the east of Cadott, WI lies Poniatowski, WI which, at 45°N, 90°W, lies midway between the equator and north pole AND midway between the prime meridian and 180°/International Date Line. It’s one of two 45×90 points located on land.

    posted by Curtis on 6-18-2009 at 6:35 pm

  21. Regarding No. 4. Attu Island might be the farthest west “according to the path of the International Date Line”, however, technically it is the farthest EAST being at 179 degrees EAST longitude.

    posted by Dave on 6-18-2009 at 6:57 pm

  22. I would bet many WWII Pearl Harbor vets would take offense to C-Mart’s statement that Pearl Harbor was not a battle. Pearl Harbor was a battle; no invading forces however occupied, or set foot on Hawaiian soil – hence the statement that the Battle of Attu was the only battle to take place on American soil.

    posted by ccal on 6-18-2009 at 6:59 pm

  23. @ Curtis:

    I’m failing to understand why that is such an interesting fact…my family’s county (Ellis County, which is two counties away from Smith County) is 96% white. I can’t quite speak for Smith County, but many Ellis County settlers were Volga Germans, and farmers at that. Seeing as there is not a huge metropolis around to aid the “melting pot,” it’s not hard to see why the demographics are any different than they were decades ago.

    posted by Brandy on 6-18-2009 at 7:30 pm

  24. Monroe, Wisconsin is the center of the Northwestern Hemisphere (Semisphere?)

    posted by Caleb on 6-18-2009 at 7:46 pm

  25. I’ve never actually been to Belle Fourche (pronounced Bell Foosh), but just a few miles away are the Black Hills of South Dakota. The place most worth visiting is Spearfish Canyon, one of the oldest (and prettiest) canyons in the United States.

    I recommend a drive through that canyon at least once in your life. It’s breathtaking.

    posted by RM on 6-18-2009 at 7:49 pm

  26. Hey guys, sorry – that was my stupidity. I didn’t know the difference between geographic center and geodetic center. So I learned something today :) Thanks for correcting me.

    posted by Stacy Conradt on 6-18-2009 at 9:20 pm

  27. While it’s true that there isn’t much to see at Ka Lae itself, other than the weatherbeaten sign proclaiming the site’s claim to fame and a few beat up little fishing boats that are dry-docked there, the real attraction is about 2 miles east, and well worth the dry windy hike. Papakolea Beach is the only green sand beach on the planet and one of the few swimmable beaches on the Big Island.

    posted by Nonners on 6-18-2009 at 9:23 pm

  28. I’ve driven from the top of Mt. Whitney to Badwater Basin… My ears were going nuts because of the change in pressure.

    posted by Kristin W on 6-18-2009 at 10:44 pm

  29. Point Udall on St. Croix in the USVI is the easternmost point in the US. My parents lived on St. Croix for a while and I visited there. It is absolutely beautiful!

    posted by Brandy on 6-19-2009 at 3:42 am

  30. There is never ever a good reason to be in Key West. None whatsoever. If you are contemplating a list of the tackiest places in the US, Key West would certainly make that list too. The only way to possibly save it is to carpet bomb and start over.

    posted by Jeff on 6-19-2009 at 8:59 am

  31. @Nonners: I beg to differ. Guam has a green sand beach. Google it!

    posted by Corinne on 6-19-2009 at 10:35 am

  32. I want to know where I can live and have to drive at least an hour to get to Wal Mart. Sounds like heaven to me to not have a WM in my backyard (or every 5 miles as they seem to in TN).

    posted by Hyacinth on 6-19-2009 at 10:43 am

  33. Rugby, North Dakota
    Geographic Center of North America

    posted by Dennis M on 6-19-2009 at 10:54 am

  34. @ Brandy:

    Actually, since Wake Island is west of the International Date line, it is in the Eastern Hemisphere, and technically should be considered the easternmost point of all US Territories. Not to detract from the beauty of St. Croix.

    posted by Scott on 6-19-2009 at 11:02 am

  35. An interesting one is the population center of the US – and it moves based on the distribution of the population. I’ve lost track of it, but when I was growing up it was not far away from me in southern Illinois. Not sure if it’s the lower 48 or all 50, either.

    posted by Dustin Fritsche on 6-19-2009 at 4:22 pm

  36. @Kristin W: What exactly did you “drive” down the two foot wide hiking trail that goes from the top of Mt. Whitney down to Whitney Portal? As I remember that trail, that would have made one heck of a “drive.”

    posted by Old Geezer on 6-19-2009 at 8:58 pm

  37. Angle Inlet, MN is the most northern point in the 48 contiguous states. You have to drive through Canada to get there by land. The only way to get there and stay in the US is by boat. GREAT WALLEYE FISHING!

    posted by Doug on 6-21-2009 at 10:14 am

  38. I’ve been to Ka Lae, and got some really cool photos of the massive waves crashing over the rocks there. I’ve been to Smith County, KS, and Belle Fourche, SD, which are both observationally interesting, like going to the Four Corners, but not impressive. Like the above posters said, if you’re driving through South Dakota, hit the Black Hills and Spearfish Canyon instead.
    You’d think Colorado would have the highest mountain in the lower 48, but no. We just have more peaks over 14,000 feet above sea level. Mt. Elbert, the highest peak in CO, is 14,400 feet, while Mt. Whitney is at 14,505 feet. Incidentally, I’ve climbed both.
    My friend was living out in Independence, CA for a while, so when I went and saw her one weekend, we drove up to Whitney Portal, then down to Badwater the next day. I thought that was an intense drive, which gave my friend a mild case of elevation sickness, but then I found out about the Badwater Ultramarathon. People actually run from Badwater all the way up to the Portal, 135 miles with over 8500 feet climb in elevation. That’s insane.

    posted by Lisa on 6-23-2009 at 4:52 pm

  39. I spent a few weeks in Rugby, North Dakota – geographical center of North America. A very small town with a bunch of the nicest people you could hope to meet. And yes, they said the actual center is in a nearby field, not where the monument is located. If you go there, have a buffalo burger at the Cornerstone Cafe and check out the town’s museum.

    posted by WordyGrrl on 7-1-2009 at 3:42 am

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