What about the rest of us?
Do what? 
Those of us who are not on earth.
If the original thread is still in play, there is one 13.25 miles north of me, 3/4 miles off the highway, 75 feet from an accessible communications tower. At 97 W and 29 N.
Thanks for those details, but I’m intrigued by the “not on earth” group you subscribe to. What am I missing unless its a joke I have yet to catch on to.
I’m pretty sure it was a joke.
Anyway, I am definitely closest to Lebanon, Kansas itself (rather than any of the four corners, or the four medial points).
I’ve moved since this thread started: my nearest confluence is now 32 S, 152 E, which is in the Tasman Sea about 25 km from the nearest land, and a little further than that from where I live.
I tend to agree with the joke idea, but I have difficulty picturing where else one would (or could) be in a geographical sense unless it’s hovering above the earth in a space vehicle or deep in some underground establishment. Either way, there ought to be manageable distances one might calculate for the sake of the trivia.
In terms of the trivia I have discovered some unsettling numbers that call into question the “real life” nature of Lebanon’s being the “center” of the Lower 48.
I hope this batch of numbers makes sense on the face of it. If not, I need some help in the logic department.
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Modern methodology has identified the location as Latitude 39.828127, Longitude -98.579404
The geographic center of the contiguous United States is a point near the town of Lebanon, Kansas (Lat. 39°50’ Long. -98°35’).
It is located about 2.6 miles northwest of the center of Lebanon, Kansas.
It has been regarded as such by the U.S. National Geodetic Survey (NGS) since the 1912 additions of New Mexico and Arizona to the United States.
It is located at 39°50’N 98°35’W.
http://www.confluence.org/country.php?id=1&showmap=true
http://www.symsys.com/~ingram/mileage/index.php
48°N 124°W – Port Angeles, WA (NW) The distance from Port Angeles, Washington to Lebanon, Kansas is approximately 1355.3 miles (2181.1 km).
halfway NW = (48 - 39.8 = 43.9) (124 - 98.6 = 111.3) = Jackson, WY – The distance from Jackson, Wyoming to Lebanon, Kansas is approximately 678.3 miles (1091.6 km).
The distance from Jackson, Wyoming to Port Angeles, Washington is approximately 687.8 miles (1107.0 km).
33°N 119°W – San Diego, CA (SW) The distance from Lebanon, Kansas to San Diego, California is approximately 1141.4 miles (1837.0 km).
halfway SW = (39.8 - 33 = 36.4) (119 - 98.6 = 108.8) = Farmington, NM – The distance from Lebanon, Kansas to Farmington, New Mexico is approximately 564.1 miles (907.8 km).
The distance from San Diego, California to Farmington, New Mexico is approximately 577.4 miles (929.2 km).
47°N 68°W – Van Buren, ME (NE) The distance from Van Buren, Maine to Lebanon, Kansas is approximately 1604.0 miles (2581.5 km).
halfway NE = (47 - 39.8 = 43.4) (98.6 - 68 = 83.3) = Reese, MI – The distance from Lebanon, Kansas to Reese, Michigan is approximately 806.0 miles (1297.1 km).
The distance from Van Buren, Maine to Reese, Michigan is approximately 805.4 miles (1296.2 km).
25°N 81°W – Marathon, FL (SE) The distance from Marathon, Florida to Lebanon, Kansas is approximately 1454.6 miles (2340.9 km).
halfway SE = (39.8 - 25 = 32.4) (98.6 - 81 = 89.8) = Raleigh, MS – The distance from Lebanon, Kansas to Raleigh, Mississippi is approximately 735.9 miles (1184.4 km).
The distance from Marathon, Florida to Raleigh, Mississippi is approximately 721.5 miles (1161.1 km).
The distance from Port Angeles, Washington to Marathon, Florida is approximately 2804.1 miles (4512.8 km).
The distance from Van Buren, Maine to San Diego, California is approximately 2736.7 miles (4404.2 km).
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I’m thinking the next step before building the poll for folks to select the “nearest point” to their own home, is to find the midway points (or the closest on dry land) of the coasts and borders. That ought to provide adequate reference points for the USA (minus Alaska and Hawaii) residents to select such a point on the poll and the poll should help us find out which region of the country, without resorting to real specifics, has the most (and the least) of Dopers who like to calculate stuff and to participate in polls! 
If you have some bells and whistles to add to the basic idea, please share them.
I remember your move. Been a while, right?
Now that you have another perspective / vantage point, what ideas do you have on the global scale that might intrigue Dopers who have read this far in this zombie thread?
The Dry Land aspect of things “muddies the water” of efforts to find fun places such as I have been toying with. The big slice of the Gulf of Mexico between Lebanon, KS and Marathon, FL, is a case in point.
And I’d really like to see that cardboard model of the USA that was used in determining that Lebanon, KS is indeed the “geographical center” of the Lower 48.
Here’s another batch of gee-whiz numbers and places that (I hope) round out the list of places in the Contiguous 48 that everybody ought to be able to locate the closest such point with minimal effort:
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48°N 124°W – Port Angeles, WA (NW)
33°N 119°W – San Diego, CA (SW)
47°N 68°W – Van Buren, ME (NE)
25°N 81°W – Marathon, FL (SE)
http://www.confluence.org/country.php?id=1&showmap=true
http://www.symsys.com/~ingram/mileage/index.php
N-S (East Coast) (47 - 25 = 36) (81 - 68 = 74.5) Hertford, NC – The distance from Hertford, North Carolina to Van Buren, Maine is approximately 875.6 miles (1409.1 km).
The distance from Hertford, North Carolina to Marathon, Florida is approximately 835.2 miles (1344.1 km).
The distance from Van Buren, Maine to Marathon, Florida is approximately 1707.2 miles (2747.5 km).
The distance from Lebanon, Kansas to Hertford, North Carolina is approximately 1223.9 miles (1969.7 km).
N-S (West Coast) (48 - 33 = 40.5) (124 - 119 = 121.5) Fort Bragg, CA – The distance from Fort Bragg, California to Port Angeles, Washington is approximately 598.9 miles (963.8 km).
The distance from Fort Bragg, California to San Diego, California is approximately 592.3 miles (953.2 km).
The distance from Port Angeles, Washington to San Diego, California is approximately 1110.4 miles (1787.1 km).
The distance from Fort Bragg, California to Lebanon, Kansas is approximately 1338.2 miles (2153.6 km).
E-W (Canada) (48 - 47 = 47.5) (124 - 68 = 96) Thief River Falls, MN – The distance from Van Buren, Maine to Thief River Falls, Minnesota is approximately 1308.6 miles (2106.0 km).
The distance from Port Angeles, Washington to Thief River Falls, Minnesota is approximately 1249.7 miles (2011.2 km).
The distance from Port Angeles, Washington to Van Buren, Maine is approximately 2525.8 miles (4064.9 km).
The distance from Thief River Falls, Minnesota to Lebanon, Kansas is approximately 585.7 miles (942.5 km).
E-W (Mexico) (33 - 25 = 29) (119 - 81 = 100) Pearsall, TX – The distance from Pearsall, Texas to San Diego, California is approximately 1102.5 miles (1774.3 km).
The distance from Pearsall, Texas to Marathon, Florida is approximately 1148.7 miles (1848.6 km).
The distance from San Diego, California to Marathon, Florida is approximately 2245.2 miles (3613.2 km).
The distance from Pearsall, Texas to Lebanon, Kansas is approximately 753.9 miles (1213.3 km).
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The distance from Pearsall, Texas to Thief River Falls, Minnesota is approximately 1336.0 miles (2150.2 km).
The distance from Hertford, North Carolina to Fort Bragg, California is approximately 2561.5 miles (4122.4 km).
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I’ll wait a few days before putting up a poll with these places, to allow for corrections or other thoughts on the matter.
Please provide any enhancements you think ought to apply.
The OP said his conditions applied “if you’re on the surface of Earth”. Implying that it is not (or may not be) applicable to those who are not on the surface of the Earth
Thanks for the clarification. I feel better now.
After coming up with all those points based on the “degree confluence” concept I have decided that the poll will be based rather on actual extremes of Latitude / Longitude and the calculated actual distances involved instead of “road miles” that appear to be what’s in that link above.
I see a bare minimum of these points:
NW extreme
SW extreme
SE extreme
NE extreme
halfway between NW and NE = N extreme
halfway between NW and SW = W extreme
halfway between NE and SE = E extreme
halfway between SW and SE = S extreme
I believe something other than Lebanon, KS may work out to be the Center of all these points, but it may take coming up with these listed as a first step to determining that.
Your input would be a great help in this project.