The Quick 10: 10 Extreme Points in the United States

We're working on planning our annual Halloween trip to Disney, but we're thinking about veering a little bit off of our usual trip this year to spend a couple of days in Key West. I was researching the city when I discovered that it's the southernmost point in the United States ... or is it?! See #7 for that little debate. Anyway, it made me wonder what other far-flung spots lie in the U.S., and here is the answer:

1. Point Barrow, Alaska - Northernmost Point in the U.S. Named for geographer Sir John Barrow, Point Barrow is often the starting point for Arctic expeditions. Sadly, it was also the ending point for entertainer Will Rogers and his pilot in 1935. Their airplane crashed near there on their way from Fairbanks. Point Barrow was also the test point for sounding rockets between 1965 and 1972.

2. Ka Lae, Hawaii - Southernmost Point in the 50 states. It's also known, fittingly, as South Point. But it might as well be known as Hawaii's Windy City, because this place is blustery. Some of the trees have been blown sideways for so long that they just grow that way now.

3. Peacock Point, Wake Island - First sunrise in all U.S. territories. It's actually an entire day ahead of the 50 states, so of course it has the first sunrise.

4. Cape Wrangell, Attu Island, Alaska - Last sunset in all U.S. territories. Attu Island is special for a few reasons. There's the last sunset thing, obviously, but it's also the westernmost point on all land on earth according to the path of the International Date Line. Finally, it was the site of the only battle during WWII to take place on American soil - that's the peace memorial there in the picture.

5. Mount Whitney, California - Highest elevation in the 48 contiguous states. You might think the highest elevation would be somewhere in Colorado, but you'd be wrong. In fact, the highest elevation is just 76 miles from the lowest elevation ...

6. Badwater Basin, Death Valley, California - Lowest elevation in all U.S. territories. Yep, California has it all. At 282 feet below sea level, Badwater Basin is actually the lowest point in all of North America, not just the U.S. You can't actually get to the lowest point because it's so hazardous to get there, so the sign commemorating the spot is located at a spring-fed pool next to the road.

7. Western Dry Rocks, Florida - Southernmost point in the 48 contiguous states. It's still a part of Key West, I believe, but the southernmost point in the states isn't that big buoy-looking thing tourists like to get their pictures by in the town that Hemingway used to haunt. It's really the Western Dry Rocks, but maybe it doesn't really count since it's not always above land (it depends on the tide). Even if we don't count it, that buoy still isn't the southernmost point - that title belongs to a bit of land on the Truman Annex of Key West, but because that land belongs to the Navy and isn't accessible to the public, the photo op was created at the next-most southern point. I guess it wouldn't be quite as impressive if the buoy read, "The Southernmost Point in the Continental U.S.A. that's always above land and is accessible to the public."

8. Ipnavik River, Alaska - Most remote point in all U.S. territory. It's more than 120 miles away from the nearest sign of civilization and has been called "the largest tract of undisturbed public land in the United States." And I thought my in-laws were remote when they lived an hour from the nearest Wal-Mart!

9. Smith County, Kansas - the center of the 48 contiguous states. It's near the city of Lebanon and is almost in Nebraska. And hey, if you're doing a road trip of extreme points, take a quick jaunt over to Osborne County, which is right next door: it's home to the geodetic center. I had to look that one up too: it's the reference point for all land survey measurements. Read more about it here.

10. Belle Fourche, South Dakota - the center of all 50 states. OK, it's actually about 20 miles north of Belle Fourche, but it's close enough that the town claims it.