One Good Reason to Visit South Dakota (Besides Mount Rushmore)

by Catherine Bodry Aug 16th 2007 @ 8:30AM

If you're planning the requisite road trip across the U.S. (my family took ours in a minivan 17 years ago), add one more stop on your tour of Americana: the geographical center of the country.

Eight miles ~~south~~ north of Belle Fourche, South Dakota is a red-tipped fence post marking the smack-dab middle of the U.S. The spot was dedicated in 1959 (when Hawaii became a state -- if you thought the center was somewhere in Nebraska, you forgot to include Hawaii and Alaska).

Currently, the marker is inaccessible, as it's located on private property in the middle of a barbed-wired pasture. Town leaders raised enough money to move the official center into town, and plan to place a 21-by-40 foot compass rose monument there. Belle Fourche is already considered the center of the nation city, so moving the geographical center shouldn't be cheating ... too much.

Filed under: History, North America, United States

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 7)

Aug 16th 2007 @ 4:55PM

Justin Glow said...

Keith, not sure but Google centers their map in a remote field in southwest Kansas.

http://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/news/2006/02/70227

Aug 16th 2007 @ 10:04PM

Keith B said...

Anybody know what is considered the center of the continental United States?

Aug 19th 2007 @ 2:09PM

Lillian said...

Keith....try Lebanon, KS

Hope that answers your question.

Bye

Aug 19th 2007 @ 2:22PM

Ainsley said...

Well, it's probably not true, but I was born and bred in Oklahoma and I will continue to fervently believe (as does everyone else in Oklahoma) that we are the center!!!

Aug 19th 2007 @ 2:32PM

JT said...

This is so bogus. What if the 51st state were in Arctica? Would that put the geo-center of the continental US in Canada? Yes, it would. The real geo-center of the continental US (which includes all contiguous states) is 280 miles north and west of Tulsa, OK.

Aug 19th 2007 @ 2:48PM

algae said...

Just to be accurate - there is no place called 'Arctica' - it is simply referred to as 'the Arctic'. Antartica is a continent and perhaps that is the reason for the final 'a'. The North Pole lies under a sea.

Aug 19th 2007 @ 2:48PM

carole said...

How about Smith Center Kansas-they claim the "center" and even have it well marked by a statue of liberty replica in copper paint.

Aug 19th 2007 @ 2:53PM

RICHARD QUILLIAM said...

I ALWAYS HEARD THE CENTER OF THE U.S. IS
CENTRALIA, MISSOURI.

Aug 19th 2007 @ 2:54PM

Vea Conner said...

Hmm! I thought I was bad at direction! You must take hiway 85 NORTH of Belle Fourche to reach the center of the US marker, unless they moved it in the past few years. That's our old stomping grounds.

Aug 19th 2007 @ 2:56PM

I'll Never Have Paris said...

I'm not sure about the country, but Paris Hilton believes the entire universe centers around her...

Aug 19th 2007 @ 2:57PM

harry said...

Well, I think you're all wrong. The center of the US is 6 miles west of New Brunswick in the state of New Jersey. I also think the Earth is the center of the universe

Aug 19th 2007 @ 2:58PM

Vivi said...

You can place the center anywhere you like. I'm not moving because of it.

Aug 19th 2007 @ 3:01PM

bill said...

where does everyone get this idea that Oklahoma and kansas are the centers of the country.

Aug 19th 2007 @ 3:02PM

Bill Shoulders said...

You are all a bunch of idots...who cares.

Aug 19th 2007 @ 3:05PM

Michele Beaver said...

Well, that may be the center,but Texas is the BIGGEST. And you can't count Alaska. If the ICE melted,what would be left of it? From Michele, near the Johnson Space Center(a proud Texan)

Aug 19th 2007 @ 3:06PM

Steve said...

I believe some of you may be a little self centered. lol....

Aug 19th 2007 @ 3:06PM

chuck said...

Artica #5? That's the state in which I want to reside. :-)

Aug 19th 2007 @ 3:23PM

MARY said...

ANOTHER REASON TO VISIT SOUTH DAKOTA IS THE BLACK HILLS AND DEADWOOD. NOT ONLY IS THERE GAMBLING BUT THE HISTORY OF THE TOWN (1890) IS GREAT. THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE BUILDINGS IS GREAT AND IT IS IN A CANYON SO TO SPEAK. THE DEAR ON THE CLIFFS IS SPECTACULAR AND IN AUGUST THEY HAVE THE STURGEON BIKER RUN. IT IS JUST A NICE SMALL TOWN IN THE BLACK HILLS.

Aug 19th 2007 @ 3:29PM

Molly said...

ALSO intresting: the center of NORTH AMERICA is in North Dakota (my native state). Though I do forget which town. If anyone finds out, plz inform me. =]

Aug 19th 2007 @ 3:32PM

Joyce said...

And New York, NY, is the center of the universe. I know because I live there.

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