# 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:** 6
**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, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/101 "2026-03-21T19:33:24Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > Kids, for extra credit, find the two geographical errors here молодец ---
**Author:** ![Ancient\_Nerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed655f/32.png) [@Ancient\_Nerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ancient_Nerd)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2026, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/102 "2026-03-21T19:34:47Z")
> [@SCAdian](#): > > I’ve crossed 180. Should I call that both my farthest east and my farthest west? Apparently, that only counts if you were not in an airplane at the time. ---
**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, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/103 "2026-03-21T19:36:14Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > The physical/geographic North Pole is at 90 degrees north. Hence the reason I never claimed the true North Pole (despite my brain fart). ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2026, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/104 "2026-03-21T19:38:14Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Why would you want to pick a secondary consequence as your reference point? Because there’s a definite difference in ‘eastness’ and ‘westness’ of your longitude. If you ignore that difference, you might as well not bother – just call Chicago 273 deg E. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2026, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/105 "2026-03-21T19:38:47Z")
> [@Thumper668](#): > > Hence the reason I never claimed the true North Pole (despite my brain fart). Fair, though the magnetic North Pole isn’t at 0 degrees, either; it’s currently located at around 86.4 degrees north. ---
**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, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/106 "2026-03-21T19:39:27Z")
Title updated to reflect this. ---
**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, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/107 "2026-03-21T19:43:17Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Fair, though the magnetic North Pole isn’t at 0 degrees That was the brain fart. > [@Thumper668](#): > > ETA: These are all quick calculations. I make no claims as to authenticity of coordinates. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2026, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/108 "2026-03-21T19:49:42Z")
North: Riveire-du-Loup, New Brunswick, Canada. East: Calais, ME. South: Kissimmee, FL. West: somewhere on the Oregon coast. Now that I think about it, I spent time east of Maine in New Brunswick as well. ---
**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, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/109 "2026-03-21T19:52:38Z")
> [@SCAdian](#): > > > [@wolfpup](#): > > > > Why would you want to pick a secondary consequence as your reference point? > > Because there’s a definite difference in ‘eastness’ and ‘westness’ of your longitude. If you ignore that difference, you might as well not bother That makes absolutely no sense. The Prime Meridian, with 0° as its baseline, is the longitudinal reference point **by definition**. That’s why it’s called the “Prime” Meridian. The whole longitudinal coordinate system follows from that definition. If you want to pick some other reference point on a personal whim, help yourself. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2026, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/110 "2026-03-21T19:59:50Z")
North: the North Pole East/West: crossing the International Date line. South: Not sure if we went into port, but we did have a shellback initiation (in which I declined to patrticipate) crossing the equator. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2026, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/111 "2026-03-21T20:01:16Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Your description of Monterey, California as “west” and Tokyo as “east” is correct, but why on earth would you pick 180° longitude as the dividing line? The dividing line between east and west is well defined – it’s the Prime Meridian at 0°. That’s the point where longitude coordinates in the two directions become positive or negative, or, depending on your preferred convention, become designated “E” or “W”. I don’t know what this ongoing fascination with 180° comes from. Maybe it’s confusion with the International Date Line. It seems more practical. Except for the very few people living in far eastern Siberia and the far western Aleutian islands, 180 seems to me to be the sensible location to designate as the arbitrary end of east and west. It seems more sensible to me than saying the far east or far west starts in the middle of London. ---
**Author:** ![Jegpeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jegpeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jegpeg)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2026, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/113 "2026-03-21T20:19:09Z")
- North: Karasuvanto Finland (68.45 N) - South: Lemaire Channel, Antarctica (65.5S) - West: Tahiti (149.63W) - East: Auckland NZ (174.78E) ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2026, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/114 "2026-03-21T20:26:36Z")
N: International Wolf Center, Ely, Minnesota at 47.9 N S: somewhere near Fort Lauderdale, Florida at about 26.1 N E: East Machias, Maine, at about 67.4 W W: Los Angeles, California, at about 118.4 W ---
**Author:** ![Tabco](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tabco/32/7644_2.png) [@Tabco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabco)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2026, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/115 "2026-03-21T20:27:00Z")
I’m not that well-traveled. - North: Ferndale, WA (48°50’ N) - South: Mismaloya, Mex. (20°32’ N) - West: Port Orford, OR (124°50’ W) - East: Kennedy Space Center near Cape Canaveral, FL (80°39’ W) ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2026, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/116 "2026-03-21T20:27:02Z")
North: Dublin, Ireland (53.35 N) South: Stewart Island, New Zealand (47.00 S) East: Auckland, New Zealand (174.76 E) West: Cape Flattery, Washington State, USA (124.71 W) ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2026, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/117 "2026-03-21T20:36:12Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > That makes absolutely no sense. The Prime Meridian, with 0° as its baseline, is the longitudinal reference point **by definition**. That’s why it’s called the “Prime” Meridian. The whole longitudinal coordinate system follows from that definition. If you want to pick some other reference point on a personal whim, help yourself. If you are standing two feet to the east of 180, and walk four feet to the west, you move from west longitude to east longitude. And if you then turn around and walk four feet back to the east, you move from east longitude to west longitude. How can you possibly say that 180 does not separate east longitude from west longitude? ---
**Author:** ![I.Dunno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9f8e36/32.png) [@I.Dunno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I.Dunno)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2026, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/118 "2026-03-21T20:48:12Z")
I ain’t doing Lat and Long. Mine are all in the continental USA. N Copper Harbor MI S St. George Island FL E Midtown Manhattan NYC NY W San Francisco CA ---
**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, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/119 "2026-03-21T21:17:32Z")
> [@SCAdian](#): > > How can you possibly say that 180 does not separate east longitude from west longitude? I did not say that. You may be thinking of this quote: > [@wolfpup](#): > > 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. That was in response to the question “What is the line we can’t cross over and still call it furthest East or West?” I meant that there is no point at which heading “east” suddenly turns into heading “west”. Obviously there are two opposite longitudes on the planet at which negative longitudes becomes positive, and vice versa. My argument with you was about this: > Because there’s a definite difference in ‘eastness’ and ‘westness’ of your longitude. If you ignore that difference, you might as well not bother That’s not an argument against the Prime Meridian being the reference point for longitudinal coordinates. There **is** no argument against it, because that’s what it is, by definition. But this is turning into something of a hijack so I’m done with it. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2026, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/120 "2026-03-21T21:24:10Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > That’s not an argument against the Prime Meridian being the reference point for longitudinal coordinates. I never said it was. > [@wolfpup](#): > > longitudinal reference point **by definition** I also never said anything about “the official defnition”. > [@wolfpup](#): > > But this is turning into something of a hijack so I’m done with it. Ditto. ---
**Author:** ![Bayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bayaker/32/3454_2.png) [@Bayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2026, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-furthest-north-south-east-and-west-youve-ever-been-by-longitude-please/1028653/121 "2026-03-21T21:41:18Z")
North: 44.6 N. Lat. - Algoma, Wisc. South: 26.0 N. Lat - North jetty at the Brazos Santiago Pass, TX East: 73.9 W. Lon. - New York City, NY West: 100.4 W. Lon. - Sweetwater, TX [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=5) [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=7)