This is a list of the extreme points of North America : the points that are highest and lowest, and farther north, south, east or west than any other location on the continent . Some of these points are debatable, given the varying definitions of North America.
North America and surrounding islands [ edit ]
Northernmost point — Kaffeklubben Island , Greenland 83°40′N 29°50′W / 83.667°N 29.833°W / 83.667; -29.833 (Kaffeklubben Island ) . Although politically part of the Kingdom of Denmark , Greenland is geologically part of the North American plate . If Greenland is excluded from North America, the northernmost point is Cape Columbia , Ellesmere Island , Nunavut , Canada 83°8′N 74°13′W / 83.133°N 74.217°W / 83.133; -74.217 (Cape Columbia ) .
Southernmost point — Cocos Island , Costa Rica 5°31′8″N 87°4′18″W / 5.51889°N 87.07167°W / 5.51889; -87.07167 (Cocos Island )
Westernmost point — The westernmost point depends on the definition of "westernmost". If following the International Date Line , it would be Cape Wrangell on Attu Island , Alaska , United States 52°55′28″N 172°28′22″E / 52.92444°N 172.47278°E / 52.92444; 172.47278 (Cape Wrangell ) . However, if the border between east and west is defined by the 180th meridian , the westernmost point is the West Point of Amatignak Island 51°17′N 179°9′W / 51.283°N 179.150°W / 51.283; -179.150 (West Point of Amatignak Island ) , as Attu Island is in the Eastern Hemisphere .
Easternmost point — Nordostrundingen , Greenland 81°26′25″N 11°29′22″W / 81.44028°N 11.48944°W / 81.44028; -11.48944 (Nordostrundingen ) . If Greenland is excluded then the easternmost point is Cape Spear , Newfoundland , Canada 47°31′25″N 52°37′10″W / 47.52361°N 52.61944°W / 47.52361; -52.61944 (Cape Spear ) . Again, if one uses the technical definition of longitude it is Pochnoi Point on Semisopochnoi Island , Alaska, 51°57′N 179°52′E / 51.950°N 179.867°E / 51.950; 179.867 (Pochnoi Point ) since the state stretches into the Eastern Hemisphere.
Continental North America [ edit ]
Highest points [ edit ]
Denali (Mount McKinley ), Alaska , United States 63°4′10″N 151°0′26″W / 63.06944°N 151.00722°W / 63.06944; -151.00722 (Mount McKinley ) — highest summit of North America at 6,190.5 m (20,310 feet).[ 1]
Pico de Orizaba (Volcán Citlaltépetl ),[ note 1] [ 2] Puebla and Veracruz , Mexico 19°1′50″N 97°16′11″W / 19.03056°N 97.26972°W / 19.03056; -97.26972 (Pico de Orizaba ) — highest volcano summit of North America at 5,636 m (18,491 feet).
Grays Peak ,[ note 2] [ 3] [ 4] [ note 3] Colorado , United States 39°38′2″N 105°49′3″W / 39.63389°N 105.81750°W / 39.63389; -105.81750 (Grays Peak ) — highest point on the Continental Divide of North America at 4,352 m (14,278 feet).
Volcán Tajumulco ,[ note 4] [ 5] San Marcos , Guatemala 15°2′37″N 91°54′12″W / 15.04361°N 91.90333°W / 15.04361; -91.90333 (Volcán Tajumulco ) — highest summit of Central America at 4,220 m (13,850 feet).
Gunnbjørn Fjeld ,[ note 5] [ 6] Sermersooq , Island of Greenland , Greenland 68°55′10″N 29°53′55″W / 68.91944°N 29.89861°W / 68.91944; -29.89861 (Gunnbjørn Fjeld ) — highest island summit of the Americas and the Western Hemisphere and highest summit of the entire Arctic at 3,694 m (12,119 feet).
Pico Duarte ,[ note 6] [ 7] Dominican Republic , Hispaniola 19°1′23″N 70°59′53″W / 19.02306°N 70.99806°W / 19.02306; -70.99806 (Pico Duarte ) — highest summit of the Caribbean at 3,175 m (10,417 feet).
Ixchiguán , San Marcos Department , Guatemala — highest town of North America at 3200m m (10,500 feet)
Leadville, Colorado , United States 39°14′50″N 106°17′30″W / 39.24722°N 106.29167°W / 39.24722; -106.29167 (Leadville, Colorado ) — highest city of North America at 3094 m (10,152 feet)
Lake County Airport, Colorado , United States 39°13′13″N 106°19′00″W / 39.22028°N 106.31667°W / 39.22028; -106.31667 (Lake County Airport ) — highest airfield of North America at 3026 m (9,927 feet)
Lowest points [ edit ]
Badwater Basin , Death Valley , California , United States 36°14′23″N 116°50′5″W / 36.23972°N 116.83472°W / 36.23972; -116.83472 (Badwater Basin ) — lowest land surface of North America at −85.0 m (−279 feet)[ 8]
Salton Sea , California , United States 33°19′59″N 115°50′3″W / 33.33306°N 115.83417°W / 33.33306; -115.83417 (Salton Sea ) — lowest lake of North America at −69 m (−226 feet)
Furnace Creek Airport , California , United States 36°27′50″N 116°52′53″W / 36.46389°N 116.88139°W / 36.46389; -116.88139 (Furnace Creek Airport ) — lowest airfield of the Americas at −64 m (−210 feet)
Furnace Creek ,[ 9] California , United States 36°27′29″N 116°52′15″W / 36.45806°N 116.87083°W / 36.45806; -116.87083 (Furnace Creek, California ) — lowest settlement of the Americas at −58 m (−190 ft)
Calipatria, California , United States 33°07′32″N 115°30′51″W / 33.12556°N 115.51417°W / 33.12556; -115.51417 (Calipatria, California ) — lowest city of the Americas at −56 m (−184 feet)
Lago Enriquillo , Dominican Republic , Hispaniola 18°30′N 71°35′W / 18.500°N 71.583°W / 18.500; -71.583 (Lago Enriquillo ) — lowest lake on an island and lowest surface point on any ocean island on Earth at −27 m (−89 feet)
New Orleans , Louisiana , United States 29°58′N 90°03′W / 29.967°N 90.050°W / 29.967; -90.050 (New Orleans, Louisiana ) — lowest city of the Americas with an average elevation of −0.5 m (−1.5 feet)
Isthmus of Rivas , Rivas , Nicaragua 12°1′N 86°27′W / 12.017°N 86.450°W / 12.017; -86.450 (Isthmus of Rivas ) — lowest pass between Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean (on the Continental Divide of the Americas ) at 56 m (184 feet)
Great Slave Lake bottom, Northwest Territories , Canada 61°40′N 114°00′W / 61.667°N 114.000°W / 61.667; -114.000 (Great Slave Lake ) — lowest fresh water point of the Americas at −458 m (−1,503 feet)
Other points [ edit ]
Islands [ edit ]
Island of Greenland 68°55′10″N 29°53′55″W / 68.91944°N 29.89861°W / 68.91944; -29.89861 (Island of Greenland ) — most extensive island on Earth at 2,130,800 km2 (822,700 square miles) and tallest island of Western Hemisphere at 3694 m (12,119 feet)
Island of Cuba 21°30′N 80°0′W / 21.500°N 80.000°W / 21.500; -80.000 (Island of Cuba ) — most extensive island of the Caribbean at 104,556 km2 (40,369 square miles)
Hispaniola 19°1′23″N 70°59′53″W / 19.02306°N 70.99806°W / 19.02306; -70.99806 (Hispaniola ) — tallest island of the Caribbean at 3175 m (10,417 feet) and second most extensive island of the Caribbean at 76,480 km2 (29,529 square miles)
Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron , Ontario , Canada 45°46′N 82°12′W / 45.767°N 82.200°W / 45.767; -82.200 (Manitoulin Island ) — most extensive lake island on Earth at 2,766 km2 (1,068 square miles)
Lake Superior , Canada and the United States 47°45′N 87°30′W / 47.750°N 87.500°W / 47.750; -87.500 (Lake Superior ) — most voluminous lake in Western Hemisphere at 11,600 km3 (2,800 cubic miles)
Great Slave Lake , Northwest Territories , Canada 61°40′N 114°00′W / 61.667°N 114.000°W / 61.667; -114.000 (Great Slave Lake ) — deepest lake in Western Hemisphere at 614 m (2,014 feet)
Lake Michigan–Huron , Canada and the United States 45°49′N 84°45′W / 45.817°N 84.750°W / 45.817; -84.750 (Lake Michigan–Huron ) — most extensive lake in Western Hemisphere and the most extensive fresh water lake on Earth at 117,702 km2 (45,445 square miles)
Nettilling Lake on Baffin Island , Nunavut , Canada 66°30′N 70°50′W / 66.500°N 70.833°W / 66.500; -70.833 (Nettilling Lake ) — most extensive lake on an island on Earth at 5,066 km2 (1,956 square miles)
Great Salt Lake , Utah , United States 31°10′N 112°35′W / 31.167°N 112.583°W / 31.167; -112.583 (Great Salt Lake ) — most extensive endorheic lake at 4,400 km2 (1,700 square miles)
Lake Manitou on Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron , Ontario , Canada 45°46′42″N 81°59′30″W / 45.77833°N 81.99167°W / 45.77833; -81.99167 (Lake Manitou ) — most extensive lake on an island in a lake on Earth at 104 km2 (40 square miles)
Mississippi Basin , Canada and the United States 29°9′4″N 89°15′12″W / 29.15111°N 89.25333°W / 29.15111; -89.25333 (Mississippi River ) — most extensive river basin at 2,981,076 km2 (1,151,000 square miles)
Mississippi -Missouri -Jefferson Rivers , United States 29°9′4″N 89°15′12″W / 29.15111°N 89.25333°W / 29.15111; -89.25333 (Mississippi-Missouri-Jefferson Rivers ) — longest river system at 6,275 km (3,902 miles)
Missouri River , United States 38°48′49″N 90°7′11″W / 38.81361°N 90.11972°W / 38.81361; -90.11972 (Missouri River ) — longest main stem river at 3,768 km (2,341 miles)
Mississippi River , United States 29°9′4″N 89°15′12″W / 29.15111°N 89.25333°W / 29.15111; -89.25333 (Mississippi River ) — longest Gulf of Mexico main stem river at 3,544 km (2,202 miles)
Yukon River , Canada and the United States 62°35′55″N 164°47′40″W / 62.59861°N 164.79444°W / 62.59861; -164.79444 (Yukon River ) — longest Bering Sea main stem river at 3,185 km (1,979 miles)
Nelson River , Manitoba , Canada 57°5′5″N 92°30′8″W / 57.08472°N 92.50222°W / 57.08472; -92.50222 (Nelson River ) — longest Hudson Bay main stem river at 2,575 km (1,600 miles)
Colorado River , United States and Mexico 31°48′57″N 114°48′22″W / 31.81583°N 114.80611°W / 31.81583; -114.80611 (Colorado River ) — longest Gulf of California main stem river at 2,330 km (1,450 miles)
Columbia River , Canada and the United States 46°14′39″N 124°3′29″W / 46.24417°N 124.05806°W / 46.24417; -124.05806 (Columbia River ) — longest Pacific Ocean main stem river at 2,000 km (1,243 miles)
Mackenzie River , Northwest Territories , Canada 68°56′23″N 136°10′22″W / 68.93972°N 136.17278°W / 68.93972; -136.17278 (Mackenzie River ) — longest Arctic Ocean main stem river at 1,738 km (1,080 miles)
Saint Lawrence River , United States and Canada 49°40′N 64°30′W / 49.667°N 64.500°W / 49.667; -64.500 (Saint Lawrence River ) — longest Atlantic Ocean main stem river at 965 km (600 miles)
Extreme points of North American countries [ edit ]
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
^ Mark Newell; Blaine Horner (September 2, 2015). "New Elevation for Nation’s Highest Peak" (Press release). USGS. Retrieved September 26, 2015 .
^ "Pico de Orizaba" . Summits of the World . peakbagger.com. Retrieved September 8, 2012 .
^ "Grays Peak" . NGS Station Datasheet . United States National Geodetic Survey . Retrieved September 8, 2012 .
^ "Grays Peak" . Summits of the World . peakbagger.com. Retrieved September 8, 2012 .
^ "Volcán Tajumulco" . Summits of the World . peakbagger.com. Retrieved January 11, 2010 .
^ "Gunnbjørn Fjeld" . Summits of the World . peakbagger.com. Retrieved September 8, 2012 .
^ "Pico Duarte" . Summits of the World . peakbagger.com. Retrieved January 2, 2010 .
^ "USGS National Elevation Dataset (NED) 1 meter Downloadable Data Collection from The National Map 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) - National Geospatial Data Asset (NGDA) National Elevation Data Set (NED)" . United States Geological Survey . September 21, 2015. Retrieved September 22, 2015 .
^ Furnace Creek in Death Valley , California , United States set the world record for the highest reliably reported ambient air temperature of 134 °F (56.7 °C) on July 10, 1913. This record has been eclipsed only once by a questionable reading of 136 °F (57.8 °C) recorded in 'Aziziya , Libya , on September 13, 1922.
External links [ edit ]
Extreme points of North America
Sovereign states
Dependencies and
other territories
Coordinates : 48°10′N 100°10′W / 48.167°N 100.167°W / 48.167; -100.167 (North America )