Believe It or Not, Maine is Not Actually the Easternmost State

Geography can be a strange thing.

Because the Earth is round (sorry, flat-earthers) and we have divided the planet into sections using lines of latitude and longitude, things are not always as they seem.

For years, we have all been told that Maine is the easternmost state in the country.  Apparently, that is not really the case.

If Maine isn’t the easternmost state in the United States, which state is it?

According to the Traveller Gazette, the easternmost state is Alaska.  Yes, the state that we would consider the westernmost is actually the easternmost.

How is this possible?

It all has to do with the placement of the lines of longitude.  Even though the bulk of Alaska is about as far west as you can go in North America, the Aleutian Island chain juts out into the Bering Sea.  Several of the islands in the chain cross the 180^th meridian.  That puts part of the state in the Eastern Hemisphere.

Of course, because the bulk of the state is on this side of the 180^th meridian, it also makes Alaska the westernmost state and the northernmost state in the United States.

Crazy, eh?

Bonus: What would happen if you dug straight down from Maine?

Would you end up in China?  Nope!

According to the Antipodes Map, you would actually end up off the coast of Australia somewhere in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

Of course, that doesn't really matter, because you could never dig all the way through the Earth.  You'd be captured by the mole people the second that you entered their lair.  If you know, you know.

Have you ever been to Alaska?  Feel free to share your pictures or videos of your trip through our app.

Get our free mobile app