The United States, a vast North American nation formed by 50 states, today counts more than 348 million inhabitants and has Washington, D.C. as its capital. Each year, millions of travelers from around the world embark on legendary road trips here, whether in New York to admire the Statue of Liberty, in San Francisco to marvel at the famed Golden Gate Bridge, or in New Orleans to soak up its festive atmosphere.
Yet the country also hides quieter destinations where unforgettable experiences await, such as Nashville, Eureka Springs, or Portland. According to CNN Travel experts, the heartland state of the United States also deserves a substantial detour. To reach it, you must cover long stretches by car along immense highways that run to the horizon across vast arable lands. Likewise, small towns, akin to simple stopovers, surface beneath a boundless sky.
The geographic center of the United States lies in northern Kansas
Determining the center of the United States has sparked disagreements for many years. “There is no universally accepted definition of the geographic center, nor any method entirely satisfactory for determining it,” stated the U.S. Department of the Interior in a 1964 report. In an attempt to resolve this issue, experts from the U.S. Coast Survey and Geodetic Service employed a precise scientific approach.
They cut a cardboard map of the country and balanced it on the point of a pin to identify its center of gravity. Subsequently, the position was shifted slightly by a few hundred meters to avoid landing on private property. This experiment revealed that the central point lies in the northern part of Kansas, near the town of Lebanon. Following this discovery, the site experienced an unexpected tourist boom.
If you wish to explore the center of the United States, you’ll take I-70 into the rural Kansas road network, winding through farming country and past the river town of Manhattan, then Clay Center, which marks the halfway point between Los Angeles and New York.
Along your journey, you’ll glimpse grain silos, water towers, red-brick barns, Texaco stations that have closed their doors, and endless fields. In Cawker, about 25 minutes from the center, a roadside kiosk on Route 24 houses a quirky spectacle that has made this tiny town famous: the world’s largest ball of twine.
What can one find at the center of the United States?
As CNN Travel notes, the geographic center near Lebanon sits in a very quiet rural area. There you’ll discover a small single-room white chapel, a pine grove, covered picnic tables, and a spring-mounted playground for children. A few signs also indicate the significance of the place.
Additionally, a marker lists the coordinates (39° 50′ N, 93° 35′ W) of what is today called the “historic center,” and a mast flies the flags of Kansas and the United States. On the opposite side of the road, beyond a barbed-wire fence, three large wooden crosses stand sentinel. The interior of this tiny chapel exudes an unexpected serenity, flooded with a soft light filtered through sheer drapes, making it a place conducive to contemplating the world around us.
