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Elevations and Distances in the United States

Online Edition

|| Introduction || 50 Largest Cities || Highest and Lowest || Summits Over 14,000 Feet ||
|| Summits East of Rocky Mountains || Geographic Centers ||
|| Distances From Extreme Points to Geographic Centers || Extreme Distances ||
|| Lengths of US Boundaries ||

Elevations and Distances in the United States

The information in this booklet was compiled to answer inquiries received by the U.S. Geological Survey from students, teachers, writers, editors, publishers of encyclopedias, almanacs, and other reference books, and people in many other fields of work.

The elevations of features and distances between points in the United States were determined from surveys and topographic maps of the U.S. Geological Survey or obtained from other sources. In most cases, the elevations were determined from surveys and from 1:24,000- and 1:25,000-scale, 7.5-minute topographic quadrangle maps. In Alaska, information was taken from 1:63,360-scale, 15-minute topographic quadrangle maps. In a few cases, data were obtained from older, 1:62,500-scale, 15-minute maps; these maps have been replaced with larger scale 7.5-minute coverage.

Further information about U.S. Geological Survey products can be obtained from: U.S. Geological Survey, Earth Science Information Center, 507 National Center, Reston, VA 20192 or phone 1-888-ASK-USGS, E-mail: ask@usgs.gov, TTY: 703-648-4119.

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Elevations of the 50 Largest Cities (by population, 1980 Census)

City State Rank High Feet Low Feet
New York New York 1 410 Sea Level
Chicago Illinois 2 673 1579
Los Angeles California 3 5,074 Sea Level
Philadelphia Pennsylvania 4 441 Sea Level
Houston Texas 5 83 Sea Level
Detroit Michigan 6 672 1575
Dallas Texas 7 686 390
San Diego California 8 823 Sea Level
Phoenix Arizona 9 1,160 1,058
Baltimore Maryland 10 489 Sea Level
San Antonio Texas 11 1,000 505
Indianapolis Indiana 12 845 664
San Francisco California 13 934 Sea Level
Memphis Tennessee 14 335 195
Washington D.C. 15 410 1
Milwaukee Wisconsin 16 799 1579
San Jose California 17 2,125 Sea Level
Cleveland Ohio 18 1,050 1571
Columbus Ohio 19 893 685
Boston Massachusetts 20 330 Sea Level
New Orleans Louisiana 21 25 -8
Jacksonville Florida 22 40 Sea Level
Seattle Washington 23 520 Sea Level
Denver Colorado 24 5,470 5,130
Nashville-Davidson County Tennessee 25 1,160 385
St. Louis Missouri 26 614 385
Kansas City Missouri 27 1,020 720
El Paso Texas 28 4,080 3,695
Atlanta Georgia 29 1,086 738
Pittsburgh Pennsylvania 30 1,370 710
Oklahoma City Oklahoma 31 1,334 1,050
Cincinnati Ohio 32 960 433
Fort Worth Texas 33 766 513
Minneapolis Minnesota 34 980 687
Portland Oregon 35 1,073 Sea Level
Honolulu Hawaii 36 4,020 Sea Level
Long Beach California 37 360 -7
Tulsa Oklahoma 38 810 620
Buffalo NewYork 39 699 1571
Toledo Ohio 40 627 1571
Miami Florida 41 30 Sea Level
Austin Texas 42 1,080 406
Oakland California 43 1,754 Sea Level
Albuquerque New Mexico 44 6,120 4,946
Tucson Arizona 45 2,950 2,250
Newark New Jersey 46 278 Sea Level
Charlotte North Carolina 47 784 519
Omaha Nebraska 48 1,272 960
Louisville Kentucky 49 761 382
Birmingham Alabama 50 1,060 496

1Water level, International Great Lakes Datum.

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Highest and Lowest Elevations

State or
possession
Highest point County or
subdivision
Elevation
feet
Lowest Point County or
subdivision
Elevation
feet
Alabama Cheaha Mountain Cleburne 2,407 Gulf of Mexico - - Sea Level
Alaska Mount McKinley - - 20,320 Pacific Ocean - - Sea Level
Arizona Humphreys Peak Coconino 12,633 Colorado River Yuma 70
Arkansas Magazine Mountain Logan 2,753 Ouachita River Ashley-Union 55
California Mount Whitney Inyo-Tulare 114,494 Death Valley Inyo -282
Colorado Mount Elbert Lake 14,433 Arikaree River Yuma 3,315
Connecticut Mount Frissel on south
slope at State line
Litchfield 2,380 Long Island Sound - - Sea Level
Delaware On Ebright Road at
Delaware-Pennsylvania
State line
New Castle 1448 Atlantic Ocean - - Sea level
District of Columbia Tenleytown at
Reno Reservoir
- - 410 Potomac River - - 1
Florida Britton Hill Walton 345 Atlantic Ocean - - Sea level
Georgia Brasstown Bald Towns-Union 4,784 Atlantic Ocean - - Sea level
Guam Mount Lamlam Agat District 1,332 Pacific Ocean - - Sea level
Hawaii Pu'u Wēkiu, Mauna Kea Hawaii 13,796 Pacific Ocean - - Sea level
Idaho Borah Peak Custer 12,662 Snake River Nez Perce 710
Illinois Charles Mound Jo Daviess 1,235 Mississippi River Alexander 2279
Indiana Hoosier Hill Wayne 1,257 Ohio River Posey 2320
Iowa Hawkeye Point Osceola 1,670 Mississippi River Lee 480
Kansas Mount Sunflower Wallace 4,039 Verdigris River Montgomery 679
Kentucky Black Mountain Harlan 4,145 Mississippi River Fulton 2257
Louisiana Driskill Mountain Bienville 535 New Orleans Orleans -8
Maine Mount Katahdin Piscataquis 5,268 Atlantic Ocean - - Sea level
Maryland Hoye Crest Garrett 3,360 Atlantic Ocean - - Sea level
Massachusetts Mount Greylock Berkshire 3,491 Atlantic Ocean - - Sea level
Michigan Mount Arvon Baraga 1,979 Lake Erie - - 2571
Minnesota Eagle Mountain Cook 2,301 Lake Superior - - 2601
Mississippi Woodall Mountain Tishomingo 806 Gulf of Mexico - - Sea level
Missouri Taum Sauk Mountain Iron 1,772 Saint Francis River Dunklin 2230
Montana Granite Peak Park 12,799 Kootenai River Lincoln 1,800
Nebraska Panorama Point Kimball 5,424 Missouri River Richardson 840
Nevada Boundary Peak Esmeralda 13,140 Colorado River Clark 479
New Hampshire Mount Washington Coos 6,288 Atlantic Ocean - - Sea level
New Jersey High Point Sussex 31,803 Atlantic Ocean - - Sea level
New Mexico Wheeler Peak Taos 13,161 Red Bluff Reservoir Eddy 2,842
New York Mount Marcy Essex 5,344 Atlantic Ocean - - Sea level
North Carolina Mount Mitchell Yancey 6,684 Atlantic Ocean - - Sea level
North Dakota White Butte Slope 3,506 Red River of the North Pembina 750
Ohio Campbell Hill Logan 1,550 Ohio River Hamilton 2455
Oklahoma Black Mesa Cimarron 4,973 Little River McCurtain 289
Oregon Mount Hood Clackamas-
Hood River
11,239 Pacific Ocean - - Sea level
Pennsylvania Mount Davis Somerset 3,213 Delaware River Delaware Sea level
Puerto Rico Cerro de Punta Ponce District 4,390 Atlantic Ocean - - Sea Level
Rhode Island Jerimoth Hill Providence 812 Atlantic Ocean - - Sea level
Samoa Lata Mountain Tau Island 3,160 Pacific Ocean - - Sea level
South Carolina Sassafras Mountain Pickens 3,560 Atlantic Ocean - - Sea level
South Dakota Harney Peak Pennington 7,242 Big Stone Lake Roberts 966
Tennessee Clingmans Dome Sevier 6,643 Mississippi River Shelby 2178
Texas Guadalupe Peak Culberson 8,749 Gulf of Mexico - - Sea level
Utah Kings Peak Duchesne 13,528 Beaverdam Wash Washington 2,000
Vermont Mount Mansfield Chittenden 4,393 Lake Champlain - - 95
Virginia Mount Rogers Grayson-Smyth 5,729 Atlantic Ocean - - Sea level
Virgin Islands Crown Mountain Saint Thomas Island 1,556 Atlantic Ocean - - Sea level
Washington Mount Rainier Pierce 14,411 Pacific Ocean - - Sea level
West Virginia Spruce Knob Pendleton 4,863 Potomac River Jefferson 240
Wisconsin Timms Hill Price 1,951 Lake Michigan - - 2579
Wyoming Gannett Peak Fremont 13,804 Belle Fourche River Crook 3,099
United States Mount McKinley, Alaska - - 20,320 Death Valley Inyo, CA -282

1National Geodetic Survey. 2Corps of Engineers. 3State Surveys.

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Elevations of Named Summits Over 14,000 Feet Above Sea Level

Summit State Quadrangle2 Date Elevation
feet
Mount McKinley AK Mount McKinley A-3 1954 20,320
  Churchhill Peaks AK Mount McKinley A-3 1954 20,320
    North Peak AK Mount McKinley A-3 1954 19,470
    South Peak AK Mount McKinley A-3 1954 20,320
Mount St. Elias AK Mount St. Elias B-8 1985 18,008
Mount Foraker AK Talkeetna D-3 1958 17,400
Mount Bona AK McCarthy B-2 1959 16,500
Mount Blackburn AK McCarthy C-7 1959 16,390
Mount Sanford AK Gulkana A-1 1959 16,237
Mount Vancouver AK Mount St. Elias A-2 1985 15,979
South Buttress AK Mount McKinley A-2 1954 15,885
Mount Churchill AK McCarthy B-2 1959 15,638
Mount Fairweather AK Mount Fairweather D-5 1961 15,300
Mount Hubbard AK Mount St. Elias B-3 1985 14,950
Mount Bear AK McCarthy B-1 1959 14,831
East Buttress AK Mount McKinley A-2 1954 14,730
Mount Hunter AK Talkeetna D-3 1958 14,573
Browne Tower AK Mount McKinley A-2 1954 14,530
Mount Alverstone AK Mount St. Elias B-3 1985 14,500
Mount Whitney CA Mount Whitney 1985 114,494
University Peak AK McCarthy B-3 1959 14,470
Mount Elbert CO Mount Elbert 1967 114,433
Mount Massive CO Mount Massive 1967 14,421
Mount Harvard CO Mount Harvard 1982 14,420
Mount Rainier WA Mount Rainier West 1971 14,410
Mount Williamson CA Mount Williamson 1984 14,370
La Plata Peak CO Mount Elbert 1967 14,361
Blanca Peak CO Blanca Peak 1967 14,345
Uncompahgre Peak CO Uncompahgre Peak 1963 14,309
Crestone Peak CO Crestone Peak 1967 14,294
Mount Lincoln CO Alma 1970 14,286
Grays Peak CO Grays Peak 1958 14,270
Mount Antero CO Mount Antero 1983 14,269
Torreys Peak CO Grays Peak 1958 14,267
Castle Peak CO Hayden Peak 1960 14,265
Quandary Peak CO Breckenridge 1970 14,265
Mount Evans CO Mount Evans 1957 14,264
Longs Peak CO Longs Peak 1961 14,255
Mount Wilson CO Mount Wilson 1953 14,246
White Mount Peak CA White Mount Peak (15') 1962 14,246
North Palisade CA North Palisade 1982 14,242
Mount Cameron CO Alma 1970 14,238
Mount Shavano CO Maysville 1983 14,229
Mount Belford CO Mount Harvard 1982 14,197
Mount Princeton CO Mount Antero 1982 14,197
Crestone Needle CO Crestone Peak 1967 14,197
Mount Yale CO Mount Harvard 1982 14,196
Mount Bross CO Alma 1970 14,172
Kit Carson Mountain CO Crestone Peak 1967 14,165
Mount Wrangell AK Gulkana A-1 1959 14,163
Mount Shasta CA Shasta 1986 14,162
El Diente Peak CO Dolores Peak 1953 14,159
Point Success WA Mount Rainier West 1971 14,158
Maroon Peak CO Maroon Bells 1960 14,156
Tabeguache Peak CO St. Elmo 1982 14,155
Mount Oxford CO Mount Harvard 1982 14,153
Mount Sill CA North Palisade 1982 14,153
Mount Sneffels CO Mount Sneffels 1967 14,150
Mount Democrat CO Climax 1970 14,148
Capitol Peak CO Capitol Peak 1960 14,130
Liberty Cap WA Mount Rainier West 1971 14,112
Pikes Peak CO Pikes Peak 1951 14,110
Snowmass Mountain CO Snowmass Mountain 1960 14,092
Mount Russell CA Mount Whitney 1985 14,088
Mount Eolus CO Mount Whitney 1985 14,083
Windom Peak CO Columbine Pass 1973 14,082
Mount Columbia CO Mount Harvard 1982 14,073
Mount Augusta AK Mount St. Elias 1985 14,070
Missouri Mountain CO Winfield 1982 14,067
Humboldt Peak CO Crestone Peak 1967 14,064
Mount Bierstadt CO Mount Evans 1957 14,060
Sunlight Peak CO Storm King Peak 1964 14,059
Split Mountain CA Split Mountain 1984 14,058
Handies Peak CO Handies Peak 1955 14,048
Culebra Peak CO Culebra Peak 1955 14,047
Mount Lindsey CO Blanca Peak 1967 14,042
Ellingwood Point CO Blanca Peak 1967 14,042
Little Bear Peak CO Blanca Peak 1967 14,037
Mount Sherman CO Mount Sherman 1961 14,036
Redcloud Peak CO Redcloud Peak 1964 14,034
Mount Langley CA Mount Langley 1982 14,026
Conundrum Peak CO Hayden Peak 1960 14,022
Mount Tyndall CA Mount Williamson 1984 14,019
Pyramid Peak CO Maroon Bells 1960 14,018
Wilson Peak CO Mount Wilson 1953 14,017
Wetterhorn Peak CO Wetterhorn Peak 1963 14,015
North Maroon Peak CO Maroon Bells 1960 14,014
San Luis Peak CO San Luis Peak 1986 14,014
Mount Muir CA Mount Whitney 1985 14,012
Middle Palisade CA Split Mountain 1984 14,012
Mount of the Holy Cross CO Mount of the Holy Cross 1970 14,005
Huron Peak CO Winfield 1982 14,003
Thunderbolt Peak CA North Palisade 1982 14,003
Sunshine Peak CO Redcloud Peak 1964 14,001

1National Geodetic Survey
2USGS 7.5-minute quadrangle map in the conterminous United States unless otherwise indicated and 15-minute maps in Alaska unless otherwise indicated.

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Elevations of Selected Summits East of the Rocky Mountains

Summit State County Quadrangle3 Date Elevation Feet
White Mountains, Presidential Range:
Mount Washington NH Coos Mount Washington 1982 6,288
Mount Adams NH Coos Mount Washington 1982 5,774
Mount Jefferson NH Coos Mount Washington 1982 5,712
Mount Sam Adams NH Coos Mount Washington 1982 5,584
Mount Clay NH Coos Mount Washington 1982 5,532
Boott Spur NH Coos Mount Washington 1982 5,492
Mount Quincy Adams NH Coos Mount Washington 1982 5,394
Mount Monroe NH Coos Mount Washington 1982 5,374
Mount Madison NH Coos Mount Washington 1982 5,367
Mount Lafayette NH Grafton Franconia 1967 5,249
Mount Lincoln NH Grafton Franconia 1967 5,089
Mount Franklin NH Coos Crawford Notch (15') 1946 5,004
South Twin Mountain NH Grafton South Twin Mountain 1967 4,902
 
Summit State County Quadrangle3 Date Elevation Feet
Adirondack Mountains, Mount Marcy area:
Mount Marcy NY Essex Mount Marcy 1979 5,344
Algonquin Peak NY Essex Mount Marcy 1979 5,115
Mount Haystack NY Essex Mount Marcy 1979 4,961
Mount Skylight NY Essex Mount Marcy 1979 4,925
Whiteface Mountain NY Essex Lake Placid 1978 4,865
Iroquois Peak NY Essex Mount Marcy 1979 4,849
Boundary Peak NY Essex Mount Marcy 1979 4,829
Gray Peak NY Essex Mount Marcy 1979 4,826
Basin Mountain NY Essex Mount Marcy 1979 4,826
Dix Mountain NY Essex Mount Marcy 1979 4,822
Little Marcy NY Essex Mount Marcy 1979 4,744
Gothics NY Essex Keene Valley 1979 4,734
 
Summit State County Quadrangle3 Date Elevation Feet
Catskill Mountains:
Slide Mountain NY Ulster Peekamoose 1969 4,180
Hunter Mountain NY Greene Hunter 1945 4,040
Black Dome NY Greene Freehold 1943 3,980
Blackhead NY Greene Freehold 1943 3,940
Thomas Cole Mountain NY Greene Hensonville 1945 3,940
West Kill Mountain NY Greene Lexington 1960 3,880
Graham Mountain NY Ulster Seager 1945 3,868
Cornell Mountain NY Ulster Phoenicia 1950 3,860
Doubletop Mountain NY Ulster Seager 1945 3,860
Table Mountain NY Ulster Peekamoose Mountain 1969 3,847
Peekamoose Mountain NY Ulster Peekamoose Mountain 1969 3,843
Plateau Mountain NY Greene Hunter 1945 3,840
 
Summit State County Quadrangle3 Date Elevation Feet
Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains:
Mount Mitchell1 NC Yancey Mount Mitchell 1946 6,684
Mount Craig NC Yancey Mount Mitchell 1946 6,647
Clingmans Dome NC-TN Swain-Sevier Clingmans Dome 1964 6,643
Mount Guyot NC-TN Haywood-Sevier Mount Guyot 1964 6,621
Balsam Cone NC Yancey Mount Mitchell 1946 6,600
Cattail Peak NC Yancey Mount Mitchell 1946 6,600
Mount Le Conte NC Sevier Mount Le Conte 1964 6,593
Big Tom NC Yancey Mount Mitchell 1946 6,526
Mount Gibbes NC Yancey Montreat 1942 6,520
Potato Hill NC Yancey Mount Mitchell 1946 6,440
Mount Chapman NC-TN Swain-Sevier Mount Guyot 1964 6,417
Old Black NC-TN Haywood-Cocke-
Sevier
Mount Guyot 1964 6,370
Celo Knob NC Yancey Celo 1960 6,327
 
Summit State County Quadrangle3 Date Elevation Feet
Ozark-Ouachita Mountains:
Magazine Mountain AR Logan Blue Mountain 1966 2,753
Rich Mountain AR Polk Rich Mountain 1958 2,681
Poteau Mountain AR Sebastian Cauthron 1958 2,669
Black Fork Mountain AR Polk Mountain Fork 1958 2,586
Sugar Loaf Mountain OK Le Flore Hartford 1947 2,564
Buffalo Lookout AR Newton Fallsville 1967 2,561
Wilton Mountain OK Le Flore Page 1981 2,558
Lynn Mountain OK Le Flore Lynn Mountain 1981 2,480
Turner Ward Knob AR Newton Fallsville 1947 2,463
Kiamichi Mountain OK Le Flore Muse 1966 2,451
Winding Stair Mountain OK Le Flore Big Cedar 1981 2,451
Reeves Mountain AR Newton Boxley 1968 2,440
 
Summit State County Quadrangle3 Date Elevation Feet
Black Hills:
Harney Peak2 SD Pennington Custer 1957 7,242
Bear Mountain SD Pennington Berne 1954 7,166
Crooks Towner SD Lawrence Crooks Tower 1956 7,137
Terry Peak SD Lawrence Lead 1961 7,064
Crows Nest Peak SD Pennington Crows Nest Peak 1956 7,048
White Tail Peak SD Pennington Deerfield 1956 6,962
Flag Mountain SD Pennington Deerfield 1956 6,937
Medicine Mountain SD Pennington Medicine Mountain 1956 6,878
Nipple Butte SD Pennington Deerfield 1956 6,810
Custer Peak SD Lawrence Minnesota Ridge 1956 6,804
Mount Rushmore SD Pennington Mount Rushmore 1954 5,725
Devils Tower WY Crook Devils Tower 1984 5,112

1Highest summit east of the Mississippi River.
2Highest summit east of the Rocky Mtns.
3USGS 7.5-minute or 7.5-minute by 15-minute quadrangle map unless otherwise indicated.

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Geographic Centers

Because there is no generally accepted definition of a geographic center and no completely satisfactory method of determining it, there may be as many geographic centers of a State or county as there are definitions of the term.

The geographic center of an area may be defined as the center of gravity of the surface, or that point on which the surface of an area would balance if it were a plane of uniform thickness.

Curvature of the Earth, large bodies of water, irregular surfaces, and other factors affect the determination of center of gravity.

In determining the centers of the States, islands adjacent to their coastlines and large bodies of water were excluded.

The geographic centers and positions listed below should be considered as approximations.

State County Locality
Alabama Chilton 12 miles southwest of Clanton
Alaska 63°50' N., 152°00' W., 60 miles northwest of Mount McKinley
Arizona Yavapai 55 miles east-southeast of Prescott
Arkansas Pulaski 12 miles northwest of Little Rock
California Madera 38 miles east of Madera
Colorado Park 30 miles northwest of Pikes Peak
Connecticut Hartford At East Berlin
Delaware Kent 11 miles south of Dover
District of Columbia NA Near Fourth and L Streets N.W.
Florida Hernando 12 miles north-northwest of Brooksville
Georgia Twiggs 18 miles southeast of Macon
Hawaii Hawaii 20°15' N., 156°20' W., off Maui Island
Idaho Custer At Custer, southwest of Challis
Illinois Logan 28 miles northeast of Springfield
Indiana Boone 14 miles north-northwest of Indianapolis
Iowa Story 5 miles northeast of Ames
Kansas Barton 15 miles northeast of Great Bend
Kentucky Marion 3 miles north-northwest of Lebanon
Louisiana Avoyelles 3 miles southeast of Marksville
Maine Piscataquis 18 miles north of Dover
Maryland Prince Georges 4 1/2 miles northwest of Davidsonville
Massachusetts Worcester North part of City of Worcester
Michigan Wexford 5 miles north-northwest of Cadillac
Minnesota Crow Wing 10 miles southwest of Brainerd
Mississippi Leake 9 miles west-northwest of Carthage
Missouri Miller 20 miles southwest of Jefferson City
Montana Fergus 11 miles west of Lewistown
Nebraska Custer 10 miles northwest of Broken Bow
Nevada Lander 26 miles southeast of Austin
New Hampshire Belknap 3 miles east of Ashland
New Jersey Mercer 5 miles southeast of Trenton
New Mexico Torrance 12 miles south-southwest of Willard
New York Madison 12 miles south of Oneida and 26 miles southwest of Utica
North Carolina Chatham 10 miles northwest of Sanford
North Dakota Sheridan 5 miles southwest of McClusky
Ohio Delaware 25 miles north-northeast of Columbus
Oklahoma Oklahoma 8 miles north of Oklahoma City
Oregon Crook 25 miles south-southeast of Prineville
Pennsylvania Centre 2 1/2 miles southwest of Bellefonte
Rhode Island Kent 1 mile south-southwest of Crompton
South Carolina Richland 13 miles southeast of Columbia
South Dakota Hughes 8 miles northeast of Pierre
Tennessee Rutherford 5 miles northeast of Murfreesboro
Texas McCulloch 15 miles northeast of Brady
Utah Sanpete 3 miles north of Manti
Vermont Washington 3 miles east of Roxbury
Virginia Buckingham 5 miles southwest of Buckingham
Washington Chelan 10 miles west-southwest of Wenatchee
West Virginia Braxton 4 miles east of Sutton
Wisconsin Wood 9 miles southeast of Marshfield
Wyoming Fremont 58 miles east-northeast of Lander
Geographic Area Locality Latitude
(N)
Longitude
(W.)
Conterminous United States
(48 States)
Near Lebanon, Smith County, Kansas 39°50' 98°35'
Continental United States
(49 States)
Near Castle Rock, Butte County, South Dakota 44°59' 103°38'
The United States
(50 States)
West of Castle Rock, Butte County, South Dakota 44°58' 103°46'
North American Continent 6 miles west of Balta, Pierce County, North Dakota 48°10' 100°10'

No marked or monumented point has been established by any government agency as the geographic center of either the 50 States, the conterminous United States, or the North American continent. However, a monument was erected in Lebanon, Kansas, by a group of citizens who hired engineers to determine the position of the "geographic center" of the United States.

Sometimes confused with geographic center of the United States is the triangulation station "Meades Ranch," located at latitude 39°13'26.686" North and longitude 98°32'30.506" West, about 12 miles north of Lucas, Kansas. This was the primary reference point for the North American Datum of 1927, the standard on which all the latitude and longitude lines for North America were based. This datum is being replaced by the North American Datum of 1983, which is not hinged to a single point of reference.

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Distances From Extreme Points to Geographic Centers

Extreme Point Coordinates Direction from
geographic centers
50 States*
Statute Miles
49 States**
Statute Miles
48 States***
Statute Miles
Latitude
(N)
Longitude
(W.)
Point Barrow, AK 71°23' 156°29' Northwest 2,507 2,509 2,940
Pochnoi Point,
Semisopochnoi, AK
51°57' 179°52'(E.) Northwest 3,372 3,377 3,802
West Point of
Amatignak Island, AK
51°17' 179°09' Northwest 3,352 3,357 3,780
Cape Wrangell,
Attu Island, AK
52°55' 172°27'(E.) Northwest 3,625 3,630 4,061
Lake of the Woods
Projection, MN
49°23' 95°09' Northeast 507 501 1682
North end, (N-S boundary) ME-New Brunswick, Canada 47°04' 67°47' Northeast 1,719 1,713 1,613
West Quoddy Head, ME 44°49' 66°57' East 1,788 1,782 21,643
Key West, FL 24°32' 81°48' Southeast 1,873 1,869 1,439
Cape Sable, FL 25°07' 81°05' Southeast 1,867 1,863 1,437
Log Point, Elliot Key, FL 25°29' 80°11' Southeast 1,882 1,877 1,455
East Point, St. Croix, VI 17°45' 64°34' Southeast 2,938 2,932 2,540
Extreme south point of TX 25°50' 97°24' South 1,370 1,369 971
Steps Point,
America Samoa
14°23'(S.) 170°46' Southwest 5,859 5,866 5,954
Orote Point, Guam 13°27' 144°37'(E.) Southwest 6,579 6,584 6,974
Kure Island, HI 28°25' 178°20' Southwest 4,142 4,148 4,486
Ka Lae, HI 18°55' 155°41' Southwest 3,463 3,470 3,664
Cape Mendocino, CA 40°26' 124°24' West 1,091 1,098 1,361
Cape Alava, WA 48°10' 124°44' West 1,018 1,024 1,414

*West of Castle Rock, Butte County, South Dakota. 44°58' N. - 103°46' W.
**Near Castle Rock, Butte County, South Dakota. 44°59' N. - 103°38' W.
***Near Lebanon, Smith County, Kansas. 39°50' N. - 98°35' W.

1General direction to Lake of the Woods Projection is north.
2General direction to West Quoddy Head is northeast.

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Extreme Distances (computed to mean sea level)

From To Statute
Miles
West Quoddy Head, ME, along the parallel Pacific Ocean 2,742
West Quoddy Head, ME Cape Wrangell, AK 4,831
West Quoddy Head, ME Kure Island, Hawaii 5,797
West Quoddy Head, ME Point Arena, CA (farthest points, 48 States) 2,892
Log Point, Elliot Key, FL Kure Island, Hawaii (farthest points, 50 States) 5,859
Log Point, Elliot Key, FL Cape Wrangell, AK 5,505
Soldier Key, FL Kure Island, Hawaii 5,859
Soldier Key, FL Cape Wrangell, AK 5,503
Rivera Beach, FL Kure Island, Hawaii 5,823
East Point, St. Croix, VI Cape Wrangell, AK 6,501
East Point, St. Croix, VI Orote Point, Guam (longest distance including outlying areas) 9,514
Approximately 10 miles south of Brunswick, GA Approximately 12 miles south of San Diego, CA (shortest coast-to-coast distance, 48 States) 2,089
North end of ME-New Brunswick, Canada boundary Orote Point, Guam 7,747
Point Barrow, AK Steps Point, Tutuila Island, American Samoa 5,971
Southern Point of TX, due north 49th parallel 1,602
West point of Amatignak Island, AK Pochnoi Point, Semisopochnoi Island, AK (distance between the most easterly and the most westerly points in the United States with reference to the 180° meridan) 63

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Lengths of United States Boundaries

Boundary Statute Miles
Northern boundary of conterminous United States 3,987
Canada-Alaska boundary 1,538
Southern boundary of conterminous United States 1,933

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This booklet was originally published and printed in 1995 and revised and reprinted in 2001. The online edition contains the full text from the printed publication. This document has undergone official review and approval for publications established by the Eastern Region Geography, U.S. Geological Survey.

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