Alaska Is Both Westernmost and Easternmost US State

While most people can correctly guess that Alaska is the United States' northernmost state, its other geographical superlatives are a true test of trivia. The state's claim as the country's westernmost point is fairly intuitive; the Aleutian Islands arc far out into the Pacific Ocean, stretching much farther west than California. This island chain, a string of over 300 volcanic islands, is the key to understanding Alaska's more surprising title as the nation's easternmost state.

The geographical riddle is solved by looking at a globe and the lines of longitude. The 180th meridian is the line that officially divides the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. The Aleutian Island chain is so long that it actually crosses this line. Islands like Semisopochnoi and Amatignak lie just west of the 180th meridian, placing them geographically within the Eastern Hemisphere. Because this small piece of American land is in the eastern half of the world, it technically becomes the easternmost point of the United States, giving Alaska its unique triple crown of geographical extremes.

Interestingly, while the islands do cross the geographical dividing line, the International Date Line, which dictates the calendar day, has been drawn to zig-zag around the chain. This practical adjustment ensures that all of Alaska, and all of the United States, remains on the same calendar day, avoiding the bizarre scenario of having Tuesday on one Aleutian island while it is still Monday on another just a few miles away.