Alaska is simultaneously the northernmost, westernmost, AND easternmost US state
Some trivia is so bizarre it forces you to rethink your entire understanding of the world. Check out the fact below, see how others reacted, and scroll down to dive into the verified science and history behind it.
Alaska's Aleutian Islands extend so far west that they cross the 180° meridian into the Eastern Hemisphere — making Alaska technically the easternmost state in the United States, as well as the northernmost and westernmost. The easternmost point of the US is not Maine, as most assume, but Semisopochnoi Island in Alaska. This is purely a function of geography and the arbitrary placement of the International Date Line, but it's completely accurate.
Most people confidently place Maine as the easternmost state. The geographic reality that Alaska wraps around the planet far enough to claim three of four directional extremes simultaneously makes the concept of 'east' and 'west' feel usefully arbitrary.
The Science Behind It
Alaska's Aleutian Islands extend so far west that they cross the 180° meridian into the Eastern Hemisphere — making Alaska technically the easternmost state in the United States, as well as the northernmost and westernmost. The easternmost point of the US is not Maine, as most assume, but Semisopochnoi Island in Alaska. This is purely a function of geography and the arbitrary placement of the International Date Line, but it's completely accurate.
Why Your Brain Finds This Hard to Believe
Sources & Verification
OddlyHuman Editors
VerifiedWritten and fact-checked by the OddlyHuman Behavioral Science Team. We verify all psychological, sociological, and historical claims against peer-reviewed journals, primary sources, and established encyclopedias to bring you accurate insights.
Read our Editorial Guidelines →“Alaska is the northernmost, westernmost, AND easternmost US state. Its Aleutian Islands cross the 180° meridian into the Eastern Hemisphere. Maine is not the easternmost state. 🗺️ #OddlyHuman”