Where is the geographic center of America?

Answer 1

Rugby, North Dakota claims to be the geographic center of North America but it all depends on what is included as part of North America.

If you include Central America, the geographic center of North America is still in North Dakota, but in Pierce County, 6 miles west of Balta, North Dakota at approximately 15 miles (24 km) from Rugby, North Dakota.

Answer 2

A place located at 43.117199 degrees latitude and -71.593498 degrees longitude, only a few miles from the intersection of Interstates 93 and 89: Dunbarton, N.H., population 2,600. At the intersection of Guinea and Stone roads. The person to officially answer that question was Suchi Gopal, professor in Boston University's Department of Geography and Environment, and Center for Remote Sensing. Assisted by her graduate students Hirshikesh Patel and Jared Newell, Gopal used the center of gravity, or "centroid," method. "A mathematical calculation that uses a digital representation of the six New England states is the most accurate because it's based on a math algorithm that the computer uses to calculate the center based on the boundaries," Gopal said. Her calculation, she added, also took into account the irregular coastline of Maine and the islands off the coast of Massachusetts.

Answer 3

The Geographic Center of the United States (contiguous 48) is located about two miles northwest of Lebanon, Kansas.

The Geographic Center of the USA with all 50 states is in a field, 20.8 miles north of Belle Fourche, South Dakota. This was determined as the point at which an arc connecting the geographic center of the 49 states and the geographic center of Hawaii would balance.

The Geographic Center of North America lies in the town of Rugby, North Dakota.

The Geographic center of South America is in Brazil, near the town of Chapado dos Guimarães.

The Geographic center of the Americas (both North and South America) is more of a challenge. Some people claim that Cuilapa, Guatemala is, some that Panama City, Panama is, or that the Caribbean is, and some other claim a variety of other positions.

Answer 4

Note that the geographic midpoint, the center of distance, and the average latitude and longitude can all be different.

Statistics has stated that the geographic midpoint of North America is "6 miles west of Balta, Pierce County, North Dakota" which is again about roughly 48°10′N 100°10′W/ 48.167, -100.167, in the order of 15 miles (25 km) from Rugby, North Dakota.

Using a google search for the northernmost land point of Canada gets Alert, Nunavut at Latitude 82.483, Longitude -62.25

Using a google search for the southernmost point of Mexico gets Tapachula, Mexico, Latitude 14.9 Longitude -92.283333

The geographic midpoint calculator at geomidpoint.com gives a result of 48.0874549 Latitude and -88.8127852 Longitude which is just on the Michigan side of the Michigan Ontario border, just North of Isle Royal National Park in Lake Michigan.

At 48.1 Latitude, a degree longitude difference is 46.28 miles

The difference of 11.3542148 degrees is about 531.377 miles, pretty good for the roug calculations and the uncertainty as to how the estimate was arrived at.

The average of the two sets of coordinates gives

Latitude: 49°05′51″N 49.0974549

Longitude: 88°48′46″W -88.8127852

which is north of Thunder Bay Ontario, Canada

A different answer might be derived by examining the rectangle created by the northernmost, southernmost, easternmost, and westernmost locations of the entire North American continent (Canada, U.S., and Mexico).

I forgot that Greenland and Costa Rica are included in North America

North America

• Northernmost Point - Kaffeklubben Island, Greenland (83°40'N)
• Southernmost Point - Cocos Island, Costa Rica (5°30'N)
• Westernmost Point - Amatignak Island, Alaska, United States (179 06' 31" W) ¹
• Easternmost Point - Nordost Rundingen, Greenland (12°08'W) ²

Calculating the midpoint of the rectangle now gives us

Latitude: 83°26′07″N 83.435321

Longitude: 95°37′15″W -95.62097222

This does not look correct The correct way may be to look for the midpoint of the two diagonals.

Northwest to Southeast gives geographic midpoint

Latitude: 50°48′57″N 50.81587

Longitude: 13°44′13″W -13.73707

in the Atlantic Ocean, close to Ireland.

and average Lat/Long

Latitude: 44°35′00″N 44.58335

Longitude: 95°37′16″W -95.62115

All four points gives an average

Latitude: 44°35′00″N 44.58335

Longitude: 95°37′16″W -95.62115

near Cottonwood Minnesota

but a geographic midpoint of

Latitude: 83°26′08″N 83.43553

Longitude: 95°37′16″W -95.62115

probably because of the way the longitude lines approach each other on the surface.

Answer 5

The Geographic Center of the United States (contiguous 48) is located about two miles northwest of Lebanon, Kansas.

The Geographic Center of the USA with all 50 states is in a field, 20.8 miles north of Belle Fourche, South Dakota. This was determined as the point at which an arc connecting the geographic center of the 49 states and the geographic center of Hawaii would balance.

Answer 6

That geographic center is near Belle Fourche in Butte County, South Dakota.

Answer 7

North Dakota is the agricultural state that is the geographic center of North America. There is a stone marker in Rugby, North Dakota that marks the exact center.

Answer 8

The geographic center of the United States is located in the state of Kansas near the city of Lebanon. It is known as the "Center of the Nation" and is marked by a designated monument.

Answer 9

Lebanon, Kansas
It is in Kansas.