# What is the furthest north, south, east and west you've ever been? (By Longitude please.) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 21, 2026, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653 "2026-03-21T13:51:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2026, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/61 "2026-03-21T17:49:19Z")
> [@Ancient\_Nerd](#): > > If the standard for east and west is positive and negative longitudes, extreme east and extreme west could be inside the same building in Greenwich, England.   Would be true if the question was about the furthest east or west you’ve been in a certain building in Greenwich, England. But the actual question is about the furthest east or west you’ve been on the planet – that is, the absolute values of the positive and negative longitude numbers. ---
**Author:** ![Thumper668](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thumper668/32/20803_2.png) [@Thumper668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thumper668)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2026, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/62 "2026-03-21T17:49:56Z")
North: 0’00" latitude (magnetic North Pole specifically) East: Approximately 080’ East longitude (Colombo Sri Lanka, specifically) South: Approximately 034’ South latitude (Capetown, South Africa specifically) West: Approximately 123’ West longitude (San Fransisco CA specifically) Places still on my bucket list: Maui, Hawa’ii (Approximately 157’ West longitude) Nuku Hiva (Approximately 140’ West longitude) Pitcairn Island (Approximately 128.3’ West longitude) Tokyo, Japan (Approximately 140’ East longitude) Sydney, Australia (Approximately 151.5’ East longitude) Cape Horn (Approximately 056’ South latitude) No desire at all to see Antarctica. International Dateline would be cool, but I can live without it. I’m good being a Shellback and a Bluenose. ETA: These are all quick calculations. I make no claims as to authenticity of coordinates. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2026, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/63 "2026-03-21T17:51:37Z")
Nope. From the meridian in Greenwich, you can walk a few feet east or west. And that’s how extreme you’ll be. Just a few feet east or west. It’s the opposite side of the globe, out in the central Pacific ocean, where you can be 10,000+ miles east or west. In a soundbite: Greenwich is zero distance east or west; the other side of the Earth is the max distance east or west. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2026, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/64 "2026-03-21T17:51:57Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > But the actual question is about the furthest east or west you’ve been on the planet. But extreme East and West are both in Greenwich if we are taking the prime meridian as the starting point. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2026, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/65 "2026-03-21T17:54:32Z")
Can someone please answer this question? It would sure simplify what we are all talking about. > [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > What is the line we can’t cross over and still call it furthest East or West? It’s in the middle of the Pacific somewhere, right? ---
**Author:** ![Thumper668](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thumper668/32/20803_2.png) [@Thumper668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thumper668)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2026, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/66 "2026-03-21T17:55:07Z")
This is pedantic, but correct. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2026, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/67 "2026-03-21T17:55:35Z")
They seem to be talking about the International Date Line. > **[International Date Line](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Date_Line)** > > The International Date Line (IDL) is the line extending between the South and North Poles that is the boundary between one calendar day and the next. It passes through the Pacific Ocean, roughly following the 180.0° line of longitude and deviating to pass around some territories and island groups. Crossing the date line eastbound decreases the date by one day, while crossing the date line westbound increases the date. > The line is a cartographic convention and is not defined by international l... ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2026, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/68 "2026-03-21T17:56:43Z")
North: Banff, Scotland West: Seattle, USA South: Galle, Sri Lanka East: Galle, Sri Lanka ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2026, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/69 "2026-03-21T17:57:02Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > But extreme East and West are both in Greenwich if we are taking the prime meridian as the starting point. That’s an interesting and non-standard take on it. In terms of _position_, by definition you can’t get farther than 180 degrees from Greenwich. Continuing past there in the same direction, you’re not getting farther from where you came (Greenwich). Instead you’re getting closer to where you’re going (Greewich). If you are trying to define “east” & “west” as _distance traveled_ in an easterly or westerly direction, not a the _position_ attained by that travel, one could argue that as you approach Greewich again after your circumnavigation you’ve gone 23000 miles e.g. east_bound_. But if so, why stop there? If you decide to make a second circumnavigation the same direction, have you not now gone 46000 miles east_bound_? It’s the confusion between position and distance that’s at the heart of all these contending ideas. And the distance traveled idea is not the way the world navigates. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2026, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/70 "2026-03-21T18:01:16Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > > [@wolfpup](#): > > > > But the actual question is about the furthest east or west you’ve been on the planet. > > But extreme East and West are both in Greenwich if we are taking the prime meridian as the starting point. No, they are not. Slightly east of the Prime Meridian, your longitude is a small positive number. Slightly west, your longitude is a small negative number. The absolute value of the coordinate numbers keeps increasing as you get further away. There are no “extremes” there! ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2026, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/71 "2026-03-21T18:08:01Z")
Just tell me if Tokyo is East or West of LA. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2026, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/72 "2026-03-21T18:12:08Z")
Farthest north: Shawville, Quebec 45°36′N Farthest south: Shah Alam, Malaysia 03°04′ N Farthest east: Genting Highlands, Malaysia 101°48′ E Farthest west: Pacifica, California 122° 30′ W ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2026, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/73 "2026-03-21T18:15:40Z")
There are two competing definitions. In terms of position, Los Angeles is to the west of Tokyo. or equally, Tokyo is to the east of Los Angeles. In fact 100% of the western hemisphere is to the west of Tokyo. And 100% of the eastern hemisphere is east of Los Angeles. If one was talking about traveling from one to the other, one would probably use the competing definition of “use whichever direction is shorter”. In which case Tokyo is to the west and Los Angeles is to the east. Clear as mud yet? ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2026, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/74 "2026-03-21T18:15:45Z")
**North:** Gulfoss Falls, Iceland 64°19’37.6"N 20°07’17.4"W **South:** Bangkok, Thailand 13°45’20.9"N 100°29’58.3"E **East:** Wan Chai, Hong Kong 13°45’20.9"N 100°29’58.3"E **West:** Golden Gate Park, San Francisco 37°46’08.2"N 122°29’11.8"W ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2026, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/75 "2026-03-21T18:15:59Z")
Personally for East/West I think folks should use their birthplace as the zero point or possibly the place of their earliest memory if they moved as an infant. Doesn’t matter for me: North: The Canadian border (White Pass) on the train line out of Skagway (~59.6deg N) South: Falmouth, Jamaica (~18deg N) East: Just east of Greenwich (~0.01deg E) West: Just west of Skagway (~136deg W) ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2026, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/76 "2026-03-21T18:20:05Z")
North: London, UK East: London, UK (hmph) South: Miami, Fla (thought it would be in central Baja California, but nope) West: Napali coast of Kaua’i in Hawai’i I really should start traveling more internationally now that I’m retired. But lord do I hate long plane trips at my age 😒. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2026, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/77 "2026-03-21T18:25:22Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Clear as mud yet? Not at all. Thanks for trying, though. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2026, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/78 "2026-03-21T18:30:30Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Hey @HeyHomie, please clarify what your meaning was by furthest west. We seem to have 3 different standards in play, though the Date Line seems to be the most common. Umm, if the latitude is xx-xx-xx East, it’s east, if the latitude is xx-xx-xx West, it’s west. For example, I counted Tokyo as furthest east, though I flew west to get there. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2026, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/79 "2026-03-21T18:30:45Z")
I stopped for a few hours at Narita Airport, but I don’t count that as really being to Japan. I only count it when I set foot in the country outside the airport. What about driving on surface roads? If I drive right through Ohio without stopping, does that count? Yes, you’re traveling on the ground. What if I took a boat up the Missouri past the South Dakota border without getting out of the boat, does that count as being in South Dakota? Yes, river boating absolutely counts. Only airways and airports don’t count. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2026, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/80 "2026-03-21T18:31:20Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Can someone please answer this question? It would sure simplify what we are all talking about. > > > [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > > > What is the line we can’t cross over and still call it furthest East or West? It’s in the middle of the Pacific somewhere, right? Well, yes, obviously since the Prime Meridian is the reference point with a coordinate of 0°, the farthest east **or** west you could get from it would be on the opposite side of the planet. But there’s no “line to cross over” in that sense. If you were heading east, got to coordinate point 180°, and kept going, you’d still be heading east. The earth would still be turning in the same direction, so you’d still continue to lose one hour for every 15° of longitude. There would just be a date change at the IDL. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653.md?page=5)