Earth:Extreme points of North America

Short description: Most prominent locations of the continent's physical boundaries

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 [ ⚑ ] 83°40′N 29°50′W. 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 [ ⚑ ] 83°8′N 74°13′W.
• Southernmost point — Cocos Island, Costa Rica [ ⚑ ] 5°31′8″N 87°4′18″W
• 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 [ ⚑ ] 52°55′28″N 172°28′22″E, 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 [ ⚑ ] 51°17′N 179°9′W, as Attu Island is in the Eastern Hemisphere.
• Easternmost point — Nordostrundingen, Greenland [ ⚑ ] 81°26′25″N 11°29′22″W. If Greenland is excluded, then the easternmost point is Cape Spear, Newfoundland, Canada [ ⚑ ] 47°31′25″N 52°37′10″W. Again, if one uses the technical definition of longitude, it is Pochnoi Point on Semisopochnoi Island, Alaska, [ ⚑ ] 51°57′N 179°52′E since the state stretches into the Eastern Hemisphere. However, other sources argue it would be Cape Wrangell on Attu Island, Alaska, United States at [ ⚑ ] 52°55′28″N 172°28′22″E, 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 [ ⚑ ] 7°12′32″N 80°53′10″W
• Westernmost point — Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska [ ⚑ ] 65°35′47″N 168°5′5″W
• Easternmost point — Cape Saint Charles, Labrador [ ⚑ ] 52°13′3″N 55°37′15″W

Highest points

• Denali (Mount McKinley), Alaska, United States [ ⚑ ] 63°4′10″N 151°0′26″W — highest summit of North America at 6,190.5 m (20,310 feet).
• Pico de Orizaba (Volcán Citlaltépetl), Puebla and Veracruz, Mexico [ ⚑ ] 19°1′50″N 97°16′11″W — highest volcano summit of North America at 5,636 m (18,491 feet).
• Grays Peak, Colorado, United States [ ⚑ ] 39°38′2″N 105°49′3″W — highest point on the Continental Divide of North America at 4,352 m (14,278 feet).
• Volcán Tajumulco, San Marcos, Guatemala [ ⚑ ] 15°2′37″N 91°54′12″W — highest summit of Central America at 4,220 m (13,850 feet).
• Gunnbjørn Fjeld, Sermersooq, Island of Greenland, Greenland [ ⚑ ] 68°55′10″N 29°53′55″W — highest island summit of the Americas and highest summit of the entire Arctic at 3,694 m (12,119 feet).
• Pico Duarte, Dominican Republic, Hispaniola [ ⚑ ] 19°1′23″N 70°59′53″W — highest summit of the Caribbean at 3,175 m (10,417 feet).
• Ixchiguán, San Marcos Department, Guatemala — highest town of North America at 3200 m (10,500 feet)
• Leadville, Colorado, United States [ ⚑ ] 39°14′50″N 106°17′30″W — highest city of North America at 3094 m (10,152 feet)
• Lake County Airport, Colorado, United States [ ⚑ ] 39°13′13″N 106°19′00″W — highest airfield of North America at 3026 m (9,927 feet)

Lowest points

• Badwater Basin, Death Valley, California , United States [ ⚑ ] 36°14′23″N 116°50′5″W — lowest land surface of North America at −282 ft (−86 m)
• Salton Sea, California , United States [ ⚑ ] 33°19′59″N 115°50′3″W — lowest lake of North America at −69 m (−226 feet)
• Furnace Creek Airport, California , United States [ ⚑ ] 36°27′50″N 116°52′53″W — lowest airfield of the Americas at −64 m (−210 feet)
• Furnace Creek, California , United States [ ⚑ ] 36°27′29″N 116°52′15″W — lowest settlement of the Americas at −58 m (−190 ft)
• Calipatria, California, United States [ ⚑ ] 33°07′32″N 115°30′51″W — lowest city of the Americas at −56 m (−184 feet)
• Lago Enriquillo, Dominican Republic, Hispaniola [ ⚑ ] 18°30′N 71°35′W — 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 [ ⚑ ] 29°58′N 90°03′W — lowest city of the Americas with an average elevation of −0.5 m (−1.5 feet)
• Isthmus of Rivas, Rivas, Nicaragua [ ⚑ ] 12°1′N 86°27′W — 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 [ ⚑ ] 61°40′N 114°00′W — 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 [ ⚑ ] 48°10′N 100°10′W, about 6 miles west of Balta in Pierce County, North Dakota, United States.
• The North American pole of inaccessibility is located at [ ⚑ ] 43°22′N 101°58′W, 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 [ ⚑ ] 68°55′10″N 29°53′55″W — 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 12,118 feet (3,694 m).
• Island of Cuba [ ⚑ ] 21°30′N 80°0′W — most extensive island of the Caribbean at 104,556 km² (40,369 square miles). Highest point is Pico Turquino at 6,480 feet (1,980 m).
• Hispaniola [ ⚑ ] 19°1′23″N 70°59′53″W — 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 10,417 ft (3,175 m).
• Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron, Ontario, Canada [ ⚑ ] 45°46′N 82°12′W — most extensive lake island on Earth at 2,766 km² (1,068 square miles)
• Unimak Island — highest point is Shishaldin Volcano at 9,373 ft (2,857 m).
• Ellesmere Island — highest point is Barbeau Peak at 8,583 ft (2,616 m).
• Jamaica — highest point is Blue Mountain Peak at 7,402 ft (2,256 m).
• Axel Heiberg Island — highest point is Outlook Peak at 7,251 ft (2,210 m).
• Vancouver Island — highest point is Golden Hinde at 7,211 ft (2,198 m).
• Baffin Island — highest point is Mount Odin at 7,044 ft (2,147 m).
• Umnak Island — highest point is Mount Vsevidof at 6,920 ft (2,110 m).
• Unalaska Island — highest point is Makushin Volcano at 6,680 ft (2,040 m).

Lakes

• Lake Superior, Canada and the United States [ ⚑ ] 47°45′N 87°30′W — most voluminous lake in Western Hemisphere at 11,600 km³ (2,800 cubic miles)
• Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada [ ⚑ ] 61°40′N 114°00′W — deepest lake in Western Hemisphere at 614 m (2,014 feet)
• Lake Michigan–Huron, Canada and the United States [ ⚑ ] 45°49′N 84°45′W — 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 [ ⚑ ] 66°30′N 70°50′W — most extensive lake on an island on Earth at 5,066 km² (1,956 square miles)
• Great Salt Lake, Utah, United States [ ⚑ ] 41°10′N 112°35′W — most extensive endorheic lake at 4,400 km² (1,700 square miles)
• Lake Manitou on Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron, Ontario, Canada [ ⚑ ] 45°46′42″N 81°59′30″W — 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 [ ⚑ ] 29°9′4″N 89°15′12″W — most extensive river basin at 2,981,076 km² (1,151,000 square miles)
• Mississippi-Missouri-Jefferson Rivers, United States [ ⚑ ] 29°9′4″N 89°15′12″W — longest river system at 6,275 km (3,902 miles)
• Missouri River, United States [ ⚑ ] 38°48′49″N 90°7′11″W — longest main stem river at 3,768 km (2,341 miles)
• Mississippi River, United States [ ⚑ ] 29°9′4″N 89°15′12″W — longest Gulf of Mexico main stem river at 3,544 km (2,202 miles)
• Yukon River, Canada and the United States [ ⚑ ] 62°35′55″N 164°47′40″W — longest Bering Sea main stem river at 3,185 km (1,979 miles)
• Nelson River, Manitoba, Canada [ ⚑ ] 57°5′5″N 92°30′8″W — longest Hudson Bay main stem river at 2,575 km (1,600 miles)
• Colorado River, United States and Mexico [ ⚑ ] 31°48′57″N 114°48′22″W — longest Gulf of California main stem river at 2,330 km (1,450 miles)
• Columbia River, Canada and the United States [ ⚑ ] 46°14′39″N 124°3′29″W — longest Pacific Ocean main stem river at 2,000 km (1,243 miles)
• Mackenzie River, Northwest Territories, Canada [ ⚑ ] 68°56′23″N 136°10′22″W — longest Arctic Ocean main stem river at 1,738 km (1,080 miles)
• Saint Lawrence River, United States and Canada [ ⚑ ] 49°40′N 64°30′W — 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