Where is the Center of the United States?
/People often talk about “Middle America” or the “Heartland” of the nation. Most assuredly, this refers to the many states that sit at the middle third of the country’s landmass. Sparsely populated, mostly rural, and all but a handful are landlocked.
But, If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s taking things super literally, and putting an inordinate amount of time and research into figuring out exactly what the “middle” of America actually is.
Where is the center of the US?
This question leads us down a rabbit hole. To figure out exactly where the center of the nation is, you have to define a couple things:
What do you mean by “center”?
A “Bounding Box” center, which draws a box around the landmass, enclosing the Northernmost, Easternmost, Southernmost, and Westernmost points of the landmass and finding the precise center of the rectangle you created. This method has its flaws, because, depending on the orientation and shape of the landmass, it’s quite possible that the center of the bounding box will fall outside of the landmass itself. Because of this, geographers will more often gravitate towards…
A Gravitational Center. Simply put, and a tad oversimplified, this entails finding the center of gravity of the landmass. If you cut the precise shape of the United States out of a piece of cardboard, at what point could you balance the entire cardboard country on the tip of a pin?
What is it that you mean by “the US”?
Okay, smart aleck. What DO you mean by “the US”?
The Contiguous 48 States: All the states that are trapped in one big mass between Canada, Mexico, and the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
All 50 States: The contiguous 48 states plus Alaska and Hawaii.
All Territory Owned or Controlled by the United States
With all the different definitions at play here, it became clear that this question was well-suited to an infographic. With that in mind, I also decided to find the other extreme points of the United States: North, South, East, and West.
Stay tuned after the graphic for more information about each of these locations!
Note: The Contiguous 48 and All 50 States maps use the Gravitational Center definition, while the All US Territory map uses the Bounding Box method, as data was limited on that front.
Contiguous 48 States
North
Northwest Angle, Minnesota (49º23’N 95º09’W)
In 1997, some residents considered seceding from the US to join Canada because of fishing restrictions.
According to the 2010 census, this area was inhabited by a total of 119 people, 118 of which were white, and a single, lonely person was Native American. And I thought my town lacked diversity!
East
West Quoddy Head Lighthouse, Lubec, Maine (44º48’N 66º57’W)
In 1897 and 1898, this town was subjected to two conmen named Reverend Prescott Jernegan and Charles Fisher, both from Martha’s Vineyard. These guys claimed to have invented a machine that could extract gold from seawater. They bought an old grist mill planning to turn it into a factory, for which they pulled in many investors from town. The investors expected to be flush with cash in no time, but in the summer of 1898, work suddenly ceased at the factory, and Jernegan and Fisher disappeared into the wind.
South
Key West, Florida (24º32’N 81º47’W)
Ernest Hemingway’s old house is home to 54 free-roaming polydactyl cats, descended from Hemingway’s own hexadactyl pet, Snowball. These cats are cared for by the Hemingway House, which has been notably exempted from Key West’s city law prohibiting more than 4 pets in a household.
Aside from Hemingway, many other famous writers have lived in Key West, including Tennessee Williams, Robert Frost, Elizabeth Bishop, Judy Blume, and even the Master of Parrots himself, Jimmy Buffet.
One mayor of Key West is known for having water-skied to Cuba.
West
Cape Alava, Washington (48º09’N 124º43’W)
In 1834, the Hojunmaru, a rice transport ship from Japan was blown off course, losing both its rudder and mast. Though the 14 sailors onboard only intended to sell a few hundred miles to Edo, the powerful Kuroshio or “black current” carried their directionless ship eastward for 14 months. There was plenty of food aboard, as they were carrying a few tons of rice, and could supplement with fish and birds, but no source of Vitamin C. Before finally landing at Cape Alava, most of the crew had died of scurvy, while the 3 survivors staggered onto land, meeting the local Makah tribe. The Makah briefly captured the survivors, but they were eventually retrieved by European traders at Fort Vancouver, who taught them English and brought them to China via London. Sadly they weren’t able to return to their homeland, as Japan at the time was voluntarily closed off to outside influences, and any Japanese expatriates, voluntary or otherwise, were seen as “contaminated”, not allowed to return.
Center
Lebanon, Kansas (39º49’N 98º34’W)
This town is home to a tiny chapel. 6 ft x 7 ft, this church can uncomfortably cram about 6 faithful into its diminutive pews, about the same seating capacity as the car which missed a turn and destroyed the church in 2008.
All 50 States
North
Point Barrow, Alaska (71º23’N 156º28’W)
This area has long been home to natives, the Iñupiat, and was occupied by their ancestors, the Thule, since at least the early 1000s AD.
This point is been used many times as a jumping-off point for Arctic expeditions.
East
West Quoddy Head Lighthouse, Maine
South
Ka Lae, Hawaii (18º54’N 155º40’W)
One of the earliest Hawaiian settlements, where historians believe the ancient Polynesians first landed in about 400 AD.
Popular cliff jumping site
West
Cape Wrangell, Alaska (52º55’N 172º26’E)
Situated on the Aleutian Island, Attu, site of a Japanese Navy invasion in 1942, the first major invasion of the United States since the War of 1812.
Center
Belle Fourche, South Dakota 44°58′N 103°46′W
Hometown of Francis Townsend, a physician who laid the groundwork for America’s Social Security program.
All United States Territory
North
Point Barrow, Alaska
East
Point Udall, Saint Croix, US Virgin Islands (17º45’N 64º33’W)
Where Alexander Hamilton spent his childhood
Settled by various civilizations including groups native to the region like the Igneri, the Taino, and the Caribs. Later, the island would come under control of the Dutch, English, French, Spanish, Danish, and eventually the United States 1916
Because of the Nine Years War, the island was evacuated by the French in 1695, and it remained uninhabited for 38 years.
South
Rose Atoll, American Samoa (14º33’S 168º09’W)
An uninhabited wildlife refuge.
In 1722, it was named Vuil Eiland or meaning “Useless Island” by Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen.
One 4 star Google Review says, “There was a sea turtle that got an attitude with me, other than that — this is a nice place to discover.”
West
Cape Wrangell, Alaska
Center
Nowhere, Middle of Ocean (27º25’N 126º04’W)
Depth of 4,300 meters.
Pretty much just water here.
Sooooo… yeah.