List of extreme points of the United States
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Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates
This is a list of points in the United States that are farther north, south, east or west than any other location in the country. Also included are extreme points in elevation, extreme distances and other points of peculiar geographic interest.
Northernmost points
- Point Barrow, Alaska Template:Coord – northernmost point in the United States
- Utqiaġvik, Alaska Template:Coord – northernmost incorporated place in all U.S. territory, population about 5,000
- Fairbanks, Alaska Template:Coord – northernmost city of more than 20,000 residents
- Anchorage, Alaska Template:Coord – northernmost city of more than 100,000 residents
- Juneau, Alaska Template:Coord – northernmost capital city in the United States
- Northwest Angle Inlet in Lake of the Woods, Minnesota Template:Coord – northernmost point in the 48 contiguous statesTemplate:NoteTag
- Sumas, Washington Template:Coord – northernmost incorporated place in the 48 contiguous states
- Lynden, Washington Template:Coord – northernmost city of more than 10,000 residents in the 48 contiguous states
- Bellingham, Washington Template:Coord – northernmost city of more than 50,000 residents in the 48 contiguous states
- Everett, Washington Template:Coord – northernmost city of more than 100,000 residents in the 48 contiguous states
- Spokane, Washington Template:Coord – northernmost city of more than 200,000 residents in the 48 contiguous states
- Seattle, Washington Template:Coord – northernmost city of more than 500,000 residents in the United States
- Olympia, Washington Template:Coord – northernmost capital city in the 48 contiguous states
- Chicago, Illinois Template:Coord – northernmost city of more than 1,000,000 residents in the United States
- Alaska has the northernmost geographic center of all the states. North Dakota has the northernmost geographic center of the 48 contiguous states.
Southernmost points
- Rose Atoll, American Samoa Template:Coord – southernmost point in the United States<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Futiga, American Samoa Template:Coord – southernmost town in the United States
- Pago Pago, American Samoa Template:Coord – southernmost capital city in the United States
- Palmyra Atoll, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands Template:Coord – southernmost point in all U.S. incorporated territory
- San Juan, Puerto Rico Template:Coord – southernmost city of more than 250,000 residents in all U.S. territory
- Ka Lae, Hawaii Template:Coord – southernmost point in the 50 states
- Discovery Harbour, Hawaii Template:Coord - southernmost settlement in the 50 states
- Nā'ālehu, Hawaii Template:Coord – southernmost town in the 50 states
- Hilo, Hawaii Template:Coord – southernmost place with a population over 25,000 in the 50 states
- City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii Template:Coord – southernmost U.S. state capital and southernmost incorporated place in the 50 states (Hawaii's only incorporated place)
- Western Dry Rocks, Florida Keys, Florida Template:Coord – southernmost point in the 48 contiguous states occasionally above water at low tide
- Ballast Key, Florida Template:Coord – southernmost point in the 48 contiguous states continuously above water
- Key West, Florida Template:Coord – southernmost incorporated place in the contiguous 48 states
- Cape Sable, Florida Template:Coord – southernmost point on the U.S. mainland
- Florida City, Florida Template:Coord – southernmost municipality in the contiguous U.S.
- Miami, Florida Template:Coord – southernmost major metropolitan city in the 48 contiguous states
- Cameron County, Texas Template:Coord – southernmost point on the Mexico–United States border.
- San Antonio, Texas Template:Coord – southernmost city of more than 1,000,000 residents in the United States
- Austin, Texas Template:Coord – southernmost capital city in the 48 contiguous states
- Hawaii has the southernmost geographic center of all the states. Florida has the southernmost geographic center of the 48 contiguous states.
Easternmost points
- Point Udall, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands Template:Coord – easternmost point in the United States, by direction of travel
- Christiansted, U.S. Virgin Islands Template:Coord – easternmost town in the United States, by direction of travel
- Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands Template:Coord – easternmost capital city in the United States, by direction of travel
- San Juan, Puerto Rico Template:Coord – easternmost major city of more than 250,000 residents in all U.S. territory
- Sail Rock, Lubec, Maine Template:Coord – easternmost point in the 50 states, by direction of travel and easternmost incorporated place in the 50 states
- West Quoddy Head, Maine Template:Coord – easternmost point on the U.S. mainland
- Bangor, Maine Template:Coord – easternmost city of more than 20,000 residents in the 50 states
- Augusta, Maine Template:Coord – easternmost U.S. state capital
- Portland, Maine Template:Coord – easternmost city of more than 50,000 residents in the 50 states
- New Bedford, Massachusetts Template:Coord – easternmost city of more than 100,000 residents in the 50 states
- Boston, Massachusetts Template:Coord – easternmost city of more than 500,000 residents in the United States
- New York City, New York Template:Coord – easternmost city of more than 1,000,000 residents in the United States
- Pochnoi Point, Semisopochnoi Island, Alaska Template:Coord – easternmost point in all U.S. territory by longitude
- Peacock Point, Wake Island Template:Coord – first sunrise (at equinox) in all U.S. territory
- Northern Islands Municipality, Northern Mariana Islands Template:Coord – easternmost municipality in all U.S. territory, by longitude
- Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands Template:Coord – easternmost capital city in the United States, by longitude
- Maine has the easternmost geographic center of the 50 states.
- Diomede, Alaska, Little Diomede Island Template:Coord - closest town to Russia (via the Russian island of Big Diomede)
Westernmost points
- Point Udall, Santa Rita, Guam (Template:Coord) – westernmost point and westernmost town in the United States, by direction of travel
- Hagåtña, Guam Template:Coord – westernmost capital city in the United States, by direction of travel
- Peaked Island, offshore from Cape Wrangell, Attu Island, Alaska Template:Coord – westernmost point in the 50 states by direction of travel, and last sunset (at equinox) in all U.S. territories. West of it passes the International Date Line, after which come Russian territorial islands.
- Amatignak Island, Alaska Template:Coord – westernmost point in all U.S. territories by longitude
- Adak, Alaska Template:Coord – westernmost incorporated city in the 50 states
- Pago Pago, American Samoa Template:Coord – westernmost capital city in the United States, by longitude
- Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska Template:Coord – westernmost point on the North American continent
- Unalaska, Alaska Template:Coord – westernmost city of more than 2,500 residents in the 50 states
- Honolulu, Hawaii Template:Coord – westernmost U.S. state capital
- Anchor Point, Alaska (Template:Coord) – westernmost point on the continuous road system of North America<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- Umatilla Reef, offshore from Cape Alava, Washington Template:Coord – westernmost point in the 48 contiguous states occasionally above water at low tide
- Bodelteh Islands, offshore from Cape Alava, Washington Template:Coord – westernmost point in the 48 contiguous states continuously above water
- Cape Alava, Washington Template:Coord – westernmost point on the U.S. mainland (contiguous)
- Neah Bay, Washington Template:Coord – westernmost town in the 48 contiguous states
- Port Orford, Oregon Template:Coord – westernmost incorporated place in the 48 contiguous states
- Brookings, Oregon Template:Coord – westernmost city of more than 5,000 residents in the 48 contiguous states
- Coos Bay, Oregon Template:Coord – westernmost city of more than 10,000 residents in the 48 contiguous states
- Eureka, California Template:Coord – westernmost city of more than 25,000 residents in the 48 contiguous states
- Corvallis, Oregon Template:Coord – westernmost city of more than 50,000 residents in the 48 contiguous states
- Eugene, Oregon Template:Coord – westernmost city of more than 100,000 residents in the 48 contiguous states
- Salem, Oregon Template:Coord – westernmost capital city in the 48 contiguous states
- Portland, Oregon Template:Coord – westernmost city of more than 500,000 residents in the United States
- San Jose, California Template:Coord – westernmost city of more than 1,000,000 residents in the United States
- Hawaii has the westernmost geographic center of all the states. Oregon has the westernmost geographic center of the 48 contiguous states.
- Diomede, Alaska, Little Diomede Island Template:Coord - closest town to Russia Big Diomede
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 zero 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 U.S. territory is spread across less than 180° of longitude, so from any spot in the U.S. it is more direct to reach the easternmost point, Point Udall, U.S. Virgin Islands, by traveling east than by traveling west. Likewise, there is not a single point in U.S. territory from which heading east is a shorter route to the westernmost point, Point Udall, Guam, than heading west would be, even accounting for circumpolar routes. The two different Point Udalls are named for two different men: Mo Udall (Guam) and Stewart Udall (Virgin Islands), brothers from the Udall family of Arizona who both served as U.S. Congressmen.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Highest points
- Denali, Alaska Template:Coord – highest summit in the United States, all US territories, and North America at Template:Convert (federally designated as Mount McKinley from 1917 to 2015 and again from 2025) <ref name=ADN>Template:Cite press release</ref>
- Mount Whitney,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Grays Peak,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Mauna Kea,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico Template:Coord – highest village limits in all U.S. territory at Template:Convert (No residents of Taos Ski Valley live above Template:Convert)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Winter Park, Colorado Template:Coord – highest city limits in all U.S. territory at Template:Convert (No residents of Winter Park live above Template:Convert)
- San Juan County, Colorado Template:Coord – highest U.S. county based on a mean elevation (Template:Convert)
- Alma, Colorado Template:Coord – highest town in all U.S. territory at Template:Convert; contiguous residential areas extend to Template:Convert.
- Leadville, Colorado Template:Coord – highest city in all U.S. territory at Template:Convert. (No residents of Leadville live above Template:Convert)
- Woodland Park, Colorado Template:Coord – highest city of more than 5,000 residents in all U.S. territory at Template:Convert.
- Laramie, Wyoming Template:Coord – highest city of more than 10,000 residents in all U.S. territory at Template:Convert.
- Santa Fe, New Mexico Template:Coord – highest city of more than 50,000 residents and highest capital city in all U.S. territory at Template:Convert.
- Colorado Springs, Colorado Template:Coord – highest city of more than 100,000 residents in all U.S. territory at Template:Convert.
- Albuquerque, New Mexico Template:Coord – highest major city of more than 500,000 residents in all U.S. territory at Template:Convert.
- Phoenix, Arizona Template:Coord – highest major city of more than 1,000,000 residents in all U.S. territory at Template:Convert.
- Lake County Airport, Colorado Template:Coord – highest airfield in all U.S. territory and North America at Template:Convert
- New Mexico State Capitol, Santa Fe Template:Coord – highest state capitol in the United States at Template:Convert
- Colorado Template:Coord – highest U.S. state based on an average elevation of Template:Convert
- Mount Mitchell, North Carolina Template:Coord – highest point in eastern United States at Template:Convert
- Mount Washington, New Hampshire Template:Coord – highest point in northeastern United States at Template:Convert
- Arikaree River, Yuma County, Colorado at Kansas state line Template:Coord – highest U.S. state low point at Template:Convert
- Beech Mountain, North Carolina Template:Coord – highest incorporated community east of the Mississippi River at an elevation of 5,506 feet (1,678 m).
- Boone, North Carolina Template:Coord – highest elevation (3,333 feet, 1015.9 m) east of the Mississippi River of any town of its size (over 10,000 population).
- Eisenhower Tunnel, west of Denver, Colorado Template:Coord – highest point on the Interstate Highway System, at Template:Convert.
Lowest points
- Badwater Basin, Death Valley, California, Template:Coord – lowest surface point in all U.S. territory and North America, at Template:Convert<ref name=NED>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Salton Sea, California, Template:Coord – lowest lake in all U.S. territory and North America, at Template:Convert
- Furnace Creek Airport, California Template:Coord – lowest airfield in all U.S. territory and Western Hemisphere, at Template:Convert
- Furnace Creek, California,Template:NoteTag Template:Coord – lowest settlement in all U.S. territory and Western Hemisphere, at Template:Convert
- Calipatria, California, Template:Coord – lowest city in all U.S. territory and Western Hemisphere, at Template:Convert
- 9th Ward of New Orleans, Louisiana, Template:Coord – lowest surface point in eastern United States, at Template:Convert
- New Orleans, Louisiana, Template:Coord – lowest city over 250,000 population in all U.S. territory and Western Hemisphere, with an average elevation of Template:Convert
- Delaware Template:Coord – lowest state, with an average elevation of Template:Convert
- Britton Hill, Florida, Template:Coord – lowest state high point, at Template:Convert
- Lake Superior bottom, Michigan, Template:Coord – lowest freshwater point in all U.S. territory, at Template:ConvertTemplate:NoteTag
- Puget Sound bottom, Washington, Template:Coord – lowest seawater point in the interior of the United States, at Template:ConvertTemplate:NoteTag
Other points
- Geographic center of the 50 states: approximately Template:Convert north of Belle Fourche, South Dakota, Template:Coord
- Geographic center of the 48 contiguous states: approximately Template:Convert west of Lebanon, Kansas, Template:Coord
- The geographic center of North America is at Template:Coord, about Template:Convert west of Balta, in Pierce County, North Dakota.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Closest to the equator: Baker Island is at Template:Coord.<ref>Template:Cite gnis</ref><ref name="CIA World Factbook">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Most remote point in the 50 states: Ipnavik River, National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska, Template:Coord; Template:Convert from nearest habitation.
- The North American pole of inaccessibility (distant from ocean access) is at Template:Coord, about 11 miles (18 km) southeast of the town of Kyle, on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, in Bennett County, South Dakota, Template:Convert from the nearest coastline.
- The southwesternmost point of the contiguous United States is Border Field State Park, California.<ref>Template:Cite news
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- The northwesternmost point of the contiguous United States is Cape Flattery, Washington.<ref>Template:Cite book
Template:Cite book</ref> - The northeasternmost point of the contiguous United States is Van Buren, Maine, Template:Coord <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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Islands
- [[Hawaii (island)|Island of HawaiTemplate:Okinai]], [[Hawaii|HawaiTemplate:Okinai]] Template:Coord – most extensive island in all U.S. territory at Template:Convert and tallest island in all U.S. territory and the entire Pacific Ocean at Template:Convert.
- Kodiak Island, Alaska Template:Coord – most extensive Gulf of Alaska island at Template:Convert.
- Island of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico Template:Coord – most extensive island of U.S. Caribbean territory at Template:Convert.
- Prince of Wales Island, Alaska Template:Coord – most extensive island of the Alexander Archipelago at Template:Convert.
- Saint Lawrence Island, Alaska Template:Coord – most extensive Bering Sea island at Template:Convert.
- Unimak Island, Alaska Template:Coord – most extensive Aleutian island at Template:Convert.
- Long Island, New York Template:Coord – most extensive island of the U.S. Atlantic coast at Template:Convert.
- Padre Island, Texas Template:Coord – most extensive Gulf of Mexico island at Template:Convert and longest barrier island on Earth at Template:Convert.
- Isle Royale in Lake Superior, Michigan Template:Coord – most extensive island in a lake in all U.S. territory at Template:Convert.
- Whidbey Island, Washington Template:Coord – most extensive island of Puget Sound at Template:Convert.
- Santa Cruz Island, California Template:Coord – most extensive of the Channel Islands of California at Template:Convert.
- The most remote islands in the United States are within the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands (namely, islands such as Palmyra Atoll and Johnston Atoll).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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Lakes
- Lake Michigan-Huron Template:Coord – largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area, at Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is within the United States.
- Lake Superior Template:Coord – Lying along the Canada–United States border, it is the second largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area, at 31,700 sq mi (82,100 km2), of which Template:Convert is within the United States.<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> It is also North America's largest lake by volume, at 2,900 cu mi (12,000 km3); it is commonly called the largest lake by surface area when Lake Michigan and Lake Huron are not considered one lake.
- Great Salt Lake, Utah, Template:Coord – most extensive endorheic lake, at Template:Convert.
- Crater Lake, Oregon, Template:Coord – deepest lake, has an average depth of Template:Convert.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Pacific Tarn, Colorado, Template:Coord – Highest elevation lake at Template:Convert.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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Rivers
- Mississippi River Template:Coord – most extensive river basin at Template:Convert.
- Mississippi-Missouri-Jefferson Rivers Template:Coord – longest river system at Template:Convert.
- Missouri River Template:Coord – longest main stem river at Template:Convert.
- Mississippi River Template:Coord – longest Gulf of Mexico main stem river at Template:Convert.
- Yukon River Template:Coord – longest Bering Sea main stem river at Template:Convert.
- Colorado River Template:Coord – longest Gulf of California main stem river at Template:Convert.
- Columbia River Template:Coord – longest Pacific Ocean main stem river at Template:Convert.
- Saint Lawrence River Template:Coord – longest Atlantic Ocean main stem river at Template:Convert.
- Bear River Template:Coord – longest endorheic basin main stem river at Template:Convert.
Extreme distances
- Greatest north–south distance in the 48 contiguous states: 1,650 miles (2,660 km).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Greatest east–west distance in the 48 contiguous states: 2,800 miles (4,500 km)
- Greatest distance between any two mainland points in the contiguous 48 states: Template:Convert, from Point Arena, California, to West Quoddy Head, Maine.<ref name=USGSExtreme />
- Greatest distance between any two points in the contiguous 48 states: Template:Convert, from North Farallon Island, California, to Sail Rock, east of West Quoddy Head, Maine.<ref name=USGSExtreme />
- Greatest minimal driving distance between points in the contiguous 48 states (via U.S. highway system): Template:Convert, from Fort Zachary Taylor, Key West, Florida, to Cape Flattery, Washington.
- Greatest distance between any two points in the 50 United States: Template:Convert, from Kure Atoll, Hawaii, to Log Point, Elliott Key, Florida.<ref name=USGSExtreme />
- Greatest east–west distance in U.S. territory [?]: Template:Convert, from Kure Atoll, Hawaii, to Riviera Beach, Florida.<ref name=USGSExtreme />
- Some map projections make diagonal lines appear longer than they actually are. The diagonal line from Kure Atoll, Hawaii, to West Quoddy Head, Maine, is Template:Convert; and the diagonal from Cape Wrangell, Attu Island, Alaska, to Log Point, on Elliott Key, Florida, is Template:Convert.
- Greatest distance between any two points in U.S. territory: Template:Convert, from Point Udall, Guam, to Point Udall, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands (formerly known as Orote Point and East Point, respectively).<ref name=USGSExtreme>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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See also
- Borders of the United States
- Geography of the United States
- Extreme points of the Earth