The Geographic Center of the Contiguous US: Lebanon, Kansas

Center of the Lower 48: A Kansas Wheat Field

The geographic center of the contiguous United States is located near Lebanon, Kansas (Smith County), at coordinates 39°50′N 98°35′W.

How It Was Determined

• 1918: US Coast & Geodetic Survey — cardboard cutout balanced on a pin. Result: near Lebanon.
• 1940: Recalculation with better data — same spot.
• 1988: USGS uses digital mapping (GIS) — confirms 39°50′00″N, 98°35′00″W, ~2.6 miles NW of Lebanon.

The Marker

• Site: Small park with stone monument, plaque, flagpole, covered picnic area.
• Access: US-281 N from Lebanon 1 mi, then K-191 W 1 mi (gravel last 0.5 mi). Open year-round.
• Nearby: "Geographic Center of the Contiguous United States" chapel (moved from original 1940 site).

Related Centers

Why Kansas?

The US mainland's rectangular-ish shape (Atlantic to Pacific, 49th parallel to Rio Grande) centers naturally in the Great Plains. Kansas: "Midway, USA."

Visit Lebanon. Stand in a wheat field. You're equidistant from Atlantic and Pacific, Canada and Mexico — at least on a flat map.