Extreme points of North America

North America

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

• Northernmost point — Kaffeklubben Island, Greenland Template:Coord. Although politically part of the Kingdom of Denmark, Greenland is geologically part of the North American Plate. If non-permanent islands are included, then the northernmost point is Qeqertaq Avannarleq. If Greenland is excluded from North America, the northernmost point is Cape Columbia, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada Template:Coord.
• Southernmost point — Cocos Island, Costa Rica Template:Coord
• 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 Template:Coord, or the tiny (ca. 200m diameter) Peaked Island, just off the coast to the west. However, if the border between east and west is defined by the 180th meridian, the westernmost point is the West Point of Amatignak Island Template:Coord, as Attu Island is in the Eastern Hemisphere.
• Easternmost point — Nordostrundingen, Greenland Template:Coord. If Greenland is excluded, then the easternmost point is Cape Spear, Newfoundland, Canada Template:Coord. Again, if one uses the technical definition of longitude, it is Pochnoi Point on Semisopochnoi Island, Alaska, Template:Coord since the state stretches into the Eastern Hemisphere. However, other sources argue it would be Cape Wrangell on Attu Island, Alaska, United States at Template:Coord, as well as the tiny (ca. 200m diameter) Peaked Island, just off the coast to the west.

Continental North America

• Northernmost point — Murchison Promontory, Canada 71°58′N 94°57′W
• Southernmost point — Punta Mariato, Panama Template:Coord
• Westernmost point — Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska Template:Coord
• Easternmost point — Cape Saint Charles, Labrador Template:Coord

Highest points

• Denali, Alaska, United States Template:Coord — highest summit of North America at Template:Convert.<ref name=ADN>Template:Cite press release</ref>
• Pico de Orizaba (Volcán Citlaltépetl),<ref group=note>Pico de Orizaba is the highest point of Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, and all of México</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> Puebla and Veracruz, Mexico Template:Coord — highest volcano summit of North America at Template:Convert.

• Grays Peak,<ref group=note>The summit of Grays Peak is the highest point of the Front Range and the Continental Divide of North America.</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref group=note>The summit elevation of Grays Peak includes an adjustment of +1.881 m (+Template:Rnd ft) from NGVD 29 to NAVD 88.</ref> Colorado, United States Template:Coord — highest point on the Continental Divide of North America at Template:Convert.

• Volcán Tajumulco,<ref group=note>Volcán Tajumulco is the highest point of the Republic of Guatemala and all of Central America. Volcán Tajumulco is the southernmost and easternmost 4000 m (13,123-foot) summit of North America</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> San Marcos, Guatemala Template:Coord — highest summit of Central America at Template:Convert.

• Gunnbjørn Fjeld,<ref group=note>Gunnbjørn Fjeld is the highest point on the Island of Greenland, Kalaallit Nunaat, the Kingdom of Denmark, and the entire Arctic</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> Sermersooq, Island of Greenland, Greenland Template:Coord — highest island summit of the Americas and highest summit of the entire Arctic at Template:Convert.

• Pico Duarte,<ref group=note>Pico Duarte is the highest point on the Island of Hispaniola, the Dominican Republic, and all the islands of the Caribbean Sea</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> Dominican Republic, Hispaniola Template:Coord — highest summit of the Caribbean at Template:Convert.

• Ixchiguán, San Marcos Department, Guatemala — highest town of North America at 3200 m (10,500 feet)
• Leadville, Colorado, United States Template:Coord — highest city of North America at 3094 m (10,152 feet)
• Lake County Airport, Colorado, United States Template:Coord — highest airfield of North America at 3026 m (9,927 feet)

Lowest points

• Badwater Basin, Death Valley, California, United States Template:Coord — lowest land surface of North America at Template:Convert<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• Salton Sea, California, United States Template:Coord — lowest lake of North America at −69 m (−226 feet)
• Furnace Creek Airport, California, United States Template:Coord — lowest airfield of the Americas at −64 m (−210 feet)
• Furnace Creek,<ref group=note>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.</ref> California, United States Template:Coord — lowest settlement of the Americas at −58 m (−190 ft)
• Calipatria, California, United States Template:Coord — lowest city of the Americas at −56 m (−184 feet)
• Lago Enriquillo, Dominican Republic, Hispaniola Template:Coord — 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 Template:Coord — lowest city of the Americas with an average elevation of −0.5 m (−1.5 feet)
• Isthmus of Rivas, Rivas, Nicaragua Template:Coord — 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 Template:Coord — lowest fresh water point of the Americas at −458 m (−1,503 feet)

Other points

• The geographic center of the North American continent is located at Template:Coord, about 6 miles west of Balta in Pierce County, North Dakota, United States.
• The North American pole of inaccessibility is located at Template:Coord, about eleven miles southeast of the town of Kyle on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in Bennett County, South Dakota, United States, 1650 km (1025 miles) from the nearest coastlines.

Islands

• Island of Greenland Template:Coord — most extensive island on Earth at 2,130,800 km² (822,700 square miles) and tallest island of Western Hemisphere. Highest point is Gunnbjørn Fjeld at Template:Convert.
• Island of Cuba Template:Coord — most extensive island of the Caribbean at 104,556 km² (40,369 square miles). Highest point is Pico Turquino at Template:Convert.
• Hispaniola Template:Coord — tallest island of the Caribbean and second most extensive island of the Caribbean at 76,480 km² (29,529 square miles). Highest peak is Pico Duarte at Template:Convert.
• Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron, Ontario, Canada Template:Coord — most extensive lake island on Earth at 2,766 km² (1,068 square miles)
• Unimak Island — highest point is Shishaldin Volcano at Template:Convert.
• Ellesmere Island — highest point is Barbeau Peak at Template:Convert.
• Jamaica — highest point is Blue Mountain Peak at Template:Convert.
• Axel Heiberg Island — highest point is Outlook Peak at Template:Convert.
• Vancouver Island — highest point is Golden Hinde at Template:Convert.
• Baffin Island — highest point is Mount Odin at Template:Convert.
• Umnak Island — highest point is Mount Vsevidof at Template:Convert.
• Unalaska Island — highest point is Makushin Volcano at Template:Convert.

Lakes

• Lake Superior, Canada and the United States Template:Coord — most voluminous lake in Western Hemisphere at 11,600 km³ (2,800 cubic miles)
• Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada Template:Coord — deepest lake in Western Hemisphere at 614 m (2,014 feet)
• Lake Michigan–Huron, Canada and the United States Template:Coord — 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 Template:Coord — most extensive lake on an island on Earth at 5,066 km² (1,956 square miles)
• Great Salt Lake, Utah, United States Template:Coord — most extensive endorheic lake at 4,400 km² (1,700 square miles)
• Lake Manitou on Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron, Ontario, Canada Template:Coord — most extensive lake on an island in a lake on Earth at 104 km² (40 square miles)

Rivers

• Mississippi Basin, Canada and the United States Template:Coord — most extensive river basin at 2,981,076 km² (1,151,000 square miles)
• Mississippi-Missouri-Jefferson Rivers, United States Template:Coord — longest river system at 6,275 km (3,902 miles)
• Missouri River, United States Template:Coord — longest main stem river at 3,768 km (2,341 miles)
• Mississippi River, United States Template:Coord — longest Gulf of Mexico main stem river at 3,544 km (2,202 miles)
• Yukon River, Canada and the United States Template:Coord — longest Bering Sea main stem river at 3,185 km (1,979 miles)
• Nelson River, Manitoba, Canada Template:Coord — longest Hudson Bay main stem river at 2,575 km (1,600 miles)
• Colorado River, United States and Mexico Template:Coord — longest Gulf of California main stem river at 2,330 km (1,450 miles)
• Columbia River, Canada and the United States Template:Coord — longest Pacific Ocean main stem river at 2,000 km (1,243 miles)
• Mackenzie River, Northwest Territories, Canada Template:Coord — longest Arctic Ocean main stem river at 1,738 km (1,080 miles)
• Saint Lawrence River, United States and Canada Template:Coord — longest Atlantic Ocean main stem river at 965 km (600 miles)

Extreme points of North American countries

• Extreme points of Canada
• Extreme points of Cuba
• Extreme points of Greenland
• Extreme points of Mexico
• Extreme points of the United States

See also

• Geography of North America
• Extreme points of the Earth
  • Extreme points of the Americas
    • Extreme points of North America
      • Extreme points of Canada
        • Extreme points of Canadian provinces
        • Extreme communities of Canada
      • Extreme points of Greenland
      • Extreme points of Mexico
      • Extreme points of the United States
        • Extreme points of U.S. states
        • Extreme points of New England
      • Extreme points of Central America
      • Extreme points of the Caribbean
        • Extreme points of Cuba
    • Extreme points of South America