Alaska: The Northernmost U.S. State

Alaska is the northernmost U.S. state—by a wide margin.

Extreme Points

• Northernmost point: Point Barrow (Utqiaġvik) — 71°23′N
• Westernmost point: Amatignak Island (Aleutians) — 179°10′W (also easternmost by 180th meridian)
• Highest peak: Denali (Mt. McKinley) — 20,310 ft (6,190 m) — North America's highest
• Arctic Circle: 1/3 of state north of 66°33′N

Comparison

• Minnesota (Angle Inlet): 49°23′N — lower 48 northernmost
• Maine (Estcourt Station): 47°28′N — eastern states northernmost
• Washington (Bellingham): 48°45′N — continental US northwest

Geopolitical Note

Alaska borders Canada (Yukon, BC), Arctic Ocean (Beaufort Sea), Bering Sea, Gulf of Alaska, Pacific. Strategic: missile defense (Fort Greely), air power (JBER, Eielson), Arctic claims.

Alaska's latitude makes it more "northern" than Nordic capitals: Oslo (59°9′N), Stockholm (59°20′N), Helsinki (60°10′N). Only Reykjavik (64°9′N) and Nuuk (64°11′N) are closer to its southern coast.