Basic U.S. Geography
Updated February 21, 2017 | Factmonster Staff 
Find facts about the United States, including number of states and territories, total area, highest and lowest points, its geographic center, and more.
- Number of states: 50
- Territories: 14
- Area (2014): total: 3,678,190 sq mi (9,526,468 sq km), land only: 3,537,444 sq mi (9,161,966 sq km), water: 256,646 sq mi (664,709 sq km). Share of world land area: 6.76%
- Northernmost point: Point Barrow, Alaska
- Easternmost point: West Quoddy Head, Maine
- Southernmost point: Ka Lae (South Cape), Hawaii
- Westernmost point: Cape Wrangell, Alaska1
- Geographic center (50 states): in Butte County, S.D.
(44' 58' N. lat., 103' 46' W. long.) - Highest point: Mt. McKinley, Alaska (20,236 ft)
- Lowest point: Death Valley, Calif. (282 ft below sea level)
1. The extreme points are measured from the geographic center of the United States (incl. Alaska and Hawaii), west of Castle Rock, S.D., 44° 58' N. lat., 103° 46' W. long. If measured from the prime meridian in Greenwich, England, Cape Wrangell, Alaska, would be the easternmost point.
See also World Geography and Atlas of the World.
