Some Geography Trivia Fun: Degree Confluences

[Polycarp]

I grew up less than ten miles from 44 N 76 W, and in fact went skinny dipping in the river just north of it as a kid (in the summer, of course).

Nearest one to me these days, though, is 36 N 78 W.

[Zeldar]

@Lamar_Mundane

I live within a couple of blocks of Baseline road, which is the 40th parallel, and was the dividing line between the Nebraska territory and the Kansas territory before Colorado became a state. The nearest confluence is east of me by about ten miles or so.

It intersects 105 West about a mile or so east of Interstate 25, just east of the town of Erie, in an alfalfa field. It is just about one mile above sea level.

40N, 105W

Good deal. Thanks.

Updated list:

Haunted Pasta --------- ??? 
Opal ------------------ 42N 71W
Edward The Head ------- 39N 77W
KennerTheGreat -------- 46N 80W
Giles ----------------- 40N 83W
Zeldar ---------------- 36N 87W
Freddy the Pig -------- 42N 88W
dhkendall ------------- 50N 97W
Lamar Mundane --------- 40N 105W
GESancMan ------------- 45N 123W  

I sorted the list. Since width of the USA Lower 48 is greater than height, E-W is the primary sort, then N-S when that becomes an issue.

[Zeldar]

@Polycarp

I grew up less than ten miles from 44 N 76 W, and in fact went skinny dipping in the river just north of it as a kid (in the summer, of course).

Nearest one to me these days, though, is 36 N 78 W.

I’ll repost the whole list a bit later. Right now, here’s where yours fits:

Edward The Head ------- 39N 77W
Polycarp -------------- 36N 78W
KennerTheGreat -------- 46N 80W

[ErinPuff]

36N 79W is about ten miles from where I live now, and 40N 75W is about 25 miles from where I grew up.

[Zeldar]

Here’s the new picture:

Haunted Pasta --------- ??? 
Opal ------------------ 42N 71W
Edward The Head ------- 39N 77W
Polycarp -------------- 36N 78W
ErinPuff -------------- 36N 79W 
KennerTheGreat -------- 46N 80W
Giles ----------------- 40N 83W
Zeldar ---------------- 36N 87W
Freddy the Pig -------- 42N 88W
dhkendall ------------- 50N 97W
Lamar Mundane --------- 40N 105W
GESancMan ------------- 45N 123W 

It appears that we have a hard pair to beat, Dopers:

Polycarp -------------- 36N 78W
ErinPuff -------------- 36N 79W 

toss me in

Zeldar ---------------- 36N 87W

and that’s three on the same latitude.

And

Giles ----------------- 40N 83W
Lamar Mundane --------- 40N 105W

for two others.

Pretty impressive for the first dozen to reply.

We need some non-North American Dopers to report in.

[Zeldar]

It seems like a good time to post the extremes of the Contiguous 48 USA states, so we can gauge where on the map the confluences must be as they come in with just the coordinates.

Sadly, the easternmost point in Maine is just west of 45°N 67°W
Deer Island, NB, Canada
Approx. altitude: 2 m (6 ft)
Antipode: 45°S 113°E
That means that the northeasternmost USA confluence has to be47°N 68°W
9.6 miles (15.5 km) N of Caribou, Aroostook, ME, USA
Approx. altitude: 213 m (698 ft)
Antipode: 47°S 112°E
The southernmost confluence seems to be25°N 81°W
11.0 miles (17.7 km) SSW of Flamingo, Monroe, FL, USA
Approx. altitude: 0 m (0 ft)
Antipode: 25°S 99°E
The northernmost Lower 48 point is just north of the confluence at49°N 95°W
2.5 miles (4.0 km) NW of Long Point, Lake of Woods, MN, USA
Approx. altitude: 323 m (1059 ft)
Antipode: 49°S 85°E
The northwesternmost confluence is a little east of the extreme point in the NW direction and looks to be at 48°N 124°W
4.9 miles (7.9 km) SSE of Fairholm, Clallam, WA, USA
Approx. altitude: 648 m (2125 ft)
Antipode: 48°S 56°E
The southwestermost confluence appears to be 33°N 117°W
3.3 miles (5.3 km) NE of Poway, San Diego, CA, USA
Approx. altitude: 423 m (1387 ft)
Antipode: 33°S 63°E

Putting it all together
the Longitudes of 67W to 124W (or 57 degrees), and
the Latitudes of 25N to 49N (or 24 degrees)
gives us a feel for the size of this country.

According to Lebanon, Kansas - Geographical Center of the 48 States

is located just north and west of Lebanon, KS, adjacent to a pasture and overseen by a friendly-if-nonplussed herd of cows.

and the nearest confluence to that point is 40°N 99°W since the actual coordinates are LAT. 39°50’ LONG. 98°35’ if you take one of the versions in that Wikipedia article and the one cited at Geographic centers of the United States

If you have any other noteworthy USA points to highlight, please do.

[Zeldar]

@Zeldar

After visiting the maps and pictures for the Southeastern states I’m finding hardly any that are said to be “right on” the border even though they are very close to it in appearance on the map and you’d think the maps of borders that close would be right on the latitude or longitude line. Are old surveying methods obsoleted by GPS?

I located a probable explanation for this issue at Information about Degree Confluences where this is said:

Confluences on borders

Confluences exactly on the Northern and Eastern borders of a state, province or country will be included in that state, province or country. Confluences on the Southern and Western borders will be included in the bordering state, province or country.

Historically, borders were defined by a variety of methods, and most that refer to specific coordinates were done long before the WGS84 system was defined. As a result, sometimes the above rule isn’t needed for “border confluences”. For example, the Canada/United States border, from 123°W on the the west coast to 96°W between Manitoba and Minnesota, when viewed using WGS84 coordinates, is actually a line that zig-zags back and forth across the 49th parallel. None of the confluences along the border are actually on the border, so they belong to the province/state in which they are located. If this part of the Canada/United States border was defined as the WGS84 49th parallel, then the above rule would apply, and all these confluences would belong to the United States. See the Canada page for more information.

A neat table (Poles Problem – Longitude Distances) just below that quoted section may help explain distances by degree of latitude.

[Haunted_Pasta]

Just so we can get rid of the question marks, my nearest confluence is 30N, 98W.

[BobLibDem]

Closest to me is 43N 84W

[Zeldar]

@Haunted_Pasta

Just so we can get rid of the question marks, my nearest confluence is 30N, 98W.

Very good. Thanks.

The list:

Opal ------------------ 42N 71W
Edward The Head ------- 39N 77W
Polycarp -------------- 36N 78W
ErinPuff -------------- 36N 79W 
KennerTheGreat -------- 46N 80W
Giles ----------------- 40N 83W
Zeldar ---------------- 36N 87W
Freddy the Pig -------- 42N 88W
dhkendall ------------- 50N 97W
Haunted Pasta --------- 30N 98W 
Lamar Mundane --------- 40N 105W
GESancMan ------------- 45N 123W 

Yours is most southern so far.

[Zeldar]

@BobLibDem

Closest to me is 43N 84W

Sorry not to catch your post before the list went up, but you’re at

Giles ----------------- 40N 83W
BobLibDem ------------- 43N 84W 
Zeldar ---------------- 36N 87W

[Enginerd]

39N 120W is the closest one to me, and it’s beautiful.

[Zeldar]

@Enginerd

39N 120W is the closest one to me, and it’s beautiful.

Agreed. Beautiful indeed.

Here’s a partial update to place you in the list:

Lamar Mundane --------- 40N 105W
Enginerd -------------- 39N 120W 
GESancMan ------------- 45N 123W 

[Nametag]

The nearest confluence to my address is 38N 122W, which is 32 miles away (and a 40 mile drive). Nowhere close, really.

[Zeldar]

@Nametag

The nearest confluence to my address is 38N 122W, which is 32 miles away (and a 40 mile drive). Nowhere close, really.

Thanks. Here’s the list:

Opal ------------------ 42N 71W
Edward The Head ------- 39N 77W
Polycarp -------------- 36N 78W
ErinPuff -------------- 36N 79W 
KennerTheGreat -------- 46N 80W
Giles ----------------- 40N 83W
BobLibDem ------------- 43N 84W 
Zeldar ---------------- 36N 87W
Freddy the Pig -------- 42N 88W
dhkendall ------------- 50N 97W
Haunted Pasta --------- 30N 98W 
Lamar Mundane --------- 40N 105W
Enginerd -------------- 39N 120W 
Nametag --------------- 38N 122W 
GESancMan ------------- 45N 123W 

[Zeldar]

Here’s the list sorted S-N Latitudes.

Haunted Pasta --------- 30N 98W 
Polycarp -------------- 36N 78W
ErinPuff -------------- 36N 79W 
Zeldar ---------------- 36N 87W
Nametag --------------- 38N 122W 
Edward The Head ------- 39N 77W
Enginerd -------------- 39N 120W 
Giles ----------------- 40N 83W
Lamar Mundane --------- 40N 105W
Opal ------------------ 42N 71W
Freddy the Pig -------- 42N 88W
BobLibDem ------------- 43N 84W 
GESancMan ------------- 45N 123W
KennerTheGreat -------- 46N 80W
dhkendall ------------- 50N 97W

[RalfCoder]

43 W, 84 N is more or less 20 miles west of me.

@dhkendall

It’s mainly my geography geekery, and that I really can’t explain why. It just fascinates me to no end.

Dhkendall - ever try geocaching?

[Joey_P]

43N 88W is about 10 minutes away from me.

[Zeldar]

@RalfCoder

43 W, 84 N is more or less 20 miles west of me.

Is it possible you got those numbers backward?

84°N 43°W has neither been visited nor indexed,

whereas
43°N 84°W
5.8 miles (9.3 km) E of Corunna, Shiawassee, MI, USA
Approx. altitude: 232 m (761 ft)
Antipode: 43°S 96°Eseems more likely.

I’m going with the 43N 84W for the sake of updating the list.

Opal ------------------ 42N 71W
Edward The Head ------- 39N 77W
Polycarp -------------- 36N 78W
ErinPuff -------------- 36N 79W 
KennerTheGreat -------- 46N 80W
Giles ----------------- 40N 83W
BobLibDem ------------- 43N 84W 
RalfCoder ------------- 43N 84W
Zeldar ---------------- 36N 87W
Freddy the Pig -------- 42N 88W
Joey P ---------------- 43N 88W 
dhkendall ------------- 50N 97W
Haunted Pasta --------- 30N 98W 
Lamar Mundane --------- 40N 105W
Enginerd -------------- 39N 120W 
Nametag --------------- 38N 122W 
GESancMan ------------- 45N 123W 

I added Joey P as well.

If the numbers are right,

BobLibDem ------------- 43N 84W 
RalfCoder ------------- 43N 84W

we have our first match!

[_Undecided_Adrian]

The two nearest to me are 49°N 9°E, 5 km north of which I had an unplanned landing in a field with my glider, and 50°N 9°E near Frankfurt, where I drove by on the Autobahn 3. Neither was at the exact spot, though.