This is a list of the extreme points of North America : the points that are highest and lowest, and farther north, south, east or west than any other location on the continent . Some of these points are debatable, given the varying definitions of North America .
North America
Northernmost point — Kaffeklubben Island , Greenland 83°40′N 29°50′W . Although politically part of the Kingdom of Denmark , Greenland is geologically part of the North American Plate . If non-permanent islands are included, then the northernmost point is Qeqertaq Avannarleq . If Greenland is excluded from North America, the northernmost point is Cape Columbia , Ellesmere Island , Nunavut , Canada 83°8′N 74°13′W .
Southernmost point — Cocos Island , Costa Rica 5°31′8″N 87°4′18″W
Westernmost point — The westernmost point depends on the definition of "westernmost". If following the International Date Line , it would be Cape Wrangell on Attu Island , Alaska , United States 52°55′28″N 172°28′22″E , or the tiny (ca. 200m diameter) Peaked Island, just off the coast to the west. However, if the border between east and west is defined by the 180th meridian , the westernmost point is the West Point of Amatignak Island 51°17′N 179°9′W , as Attu Island is in the Eastern Hemisphere .
Easternmost point — Nordostrundingen , Greenland 81°26′25″N 11°29′22″W . If Greenland is excluded, then the easternmost point is Cape Spear , Newfoundland , Canada 47°31′25″N 52°37′10″W . Again, if one uses the technical definition of longitude, it is Pochnoi Point on Semisopochnoi Island , Alaska, 51°57′N 179°52′E since the state stretches into the Eastern Hemisphere. However, other sources argue it would be Cape Wrangell on Attu Island , Alaska , United States at 52°55′28″N 172°28′22″E , as well as the tiny (ca. 200m diameter) Peaked Island, just off the coast to the west.
Denali , Alaska, United States 63°4′10″N 151°0′26″W — highest summit of North America at 6,190.5 m (20,310 feet) .[1]
Pico de Orizaba (Volcán Citlaltépetl ),[note 1] [2] Puebla and Veracruz , Mexico 19°1′50″N 97°16′11″W — highest volcano summit of North America at 5,636 m (18,491 feet) .
Grays Peak ,[note 2] [3] [4] [note 3] Colorado , United States 39°38′2″N 105°49′3″W — highest point on the Continental Divide of North America at 4,352 m (14,278 feet) .
Volcán Tajumulco ,[note 4] [5] San Marcos , Guatemala 15°2′37″N 91°54′12″W — highest summit of Central America at 4,220 m (13,850 feet) .
Gunnbjørn Fjeld ,[note 5] [6] Sermersooq , Island of Greenland , Greenland 68°55′10″N 29°53′55″W — highest island summit of the Americas and highest summit of the entire Arctic at 3,694 m (12,119 feet) .
Pico Duarte ,[note 6] [7] Dominican Republic , Hispaniola 19°1′23″N 70°59′53″W — highest summit of the Caribbean at 3,175 m (10,417 feet) .
Ixchiguán , San Marcos Department , Guatemala — highest town of North America at 3200 m (10,500 feet)
Leadville, Colorado , United States 39°14′50″N 106°17′30″W — highest city of North America at 3094 m (10,152 feet)
Lake County Airport, Colorado , United States 39°13′13″N 106°19′00″W — highest airfield of North America at 3026 m (9,927 feet)
Badwater Basin , Death Valley , California , United States 36°14′23″N 116°50′5″W — lowest land surface of North America at −282 ft (−86 m) [8]
Salton Sea , California, United States 33°19′59″N 115°50′3″W — lowest lake of North America at − 69 m (− 226 feet)
Furnace Creek Airport , California, United States 36°27′50″N 116°52′53″W — lowest airfield of the Americas at − 64 m (− 210 feet)
Furnace Creek ,[note 7] California , United States 36°27′29″N 116°52′15″W — lowest settlement of the Americas at − 58 m (− 190 ft)
Calipatria, California , United States 33°07′32″N 115°30′51″W — lowest city of the Americas at − 56 m (− 184 feet)
Lago Enriquillo , Dominican Republic , Hispaniola 18°30′N 71°35′W — lowest lake on an island and lowest surface point on any ocean island on Earth at − 27 m (− 89 feet)
New Orleans , Louisiana , United States 29°58′N 90°03′W — lowest city of the Americas with an average elevation of − 0.5 m (− 1.5 feet)
Isthmus of Rivas , Rivas , Nicaragua 12°1′N 86°27′W — lowest pass between Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean (on the Continental Divide of the Americas ) at 56 m (184 feet)
Great Slave Lake bottom, Northwest Territories , Canada 61°40′N 114°00′W — lowest fresh water point of the Americas at − 458 m (− 1,503 feet)
Island of Greenland 68°55′10″N 29°53′55″W — most extensive island on Earth at 2,130,800 km2 (822,700 square miles) and tallest island of Western Hemisphere . Highest point is Gunnbjørn Fjeld at 12,118 feet (3,694 m) .
Island of Cuba 21°30′N 80°0′W — most extensive island of the Caribbean at 104,556 km2 (40,369 square miles). Highest point is Pico Turquino at 6,480 feet (1,980 m) .
Hispaniola 19°1′23″N 70°59′53″W — tallest island of the Caribbean and second most extensive island of the Caribbean at 76,480 km2 (29,529 square miles). Highest peak is Pico Duarte at 10,417 ft (3,175 m) .
Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron , Ontario , Canada 45°46′N 82°12′W — most extensive lake island on Earth at 2,766 km2 (1,068 square miles)
Unimak Island — highest point is Shishaldin Volcano at 9,373 ft (2,857 m) .
Ellesmere Island — highest point is Barbeau Peak at 8,583 ft (2,616 m) .
Jamaica — highest point is Blue Mountain Peak at 7,402 ft (2,256 m) .
Axel Heiberg Island — highest point is Outlook Peak at 7,251 ft (2,210 m) .
Vancouver Island — highest point is Golden Hinde at 7,211 ft (2,198 m) .
Baffin Island — highest point is Mount Odin at 7,044 ft (2,147 m) .
Umnak Island — highest point is Mount Vsevidof at 6,920 ft (2,110 m) .
Unalaska Island — highest point is Makushin Volcano at 6,680 ft (2,040 m) .
Lake Superior , Canada and the United States 47°45′N 87°30′W — most voluminous lake in Western Hemisphere at 11,600 km3 (2,800 cubic miles)
Great Slave Lake , Northwest Territories , Canada 61°40′N 114°00′W — deepest lake in Western Hemisphere at 614 m (2,014 feet)
Lake Michigan–Huron , Canada and the United States 45°49′N 84°45′W — most extensive lake in Western Hemisphere and the most extensive fresh water lake on Earth at 117,702 km2 (45,445 square miles)
Nettilling Lake on Baffin Island , Nunavut , Canada 66°30′N 70°50′W — most extensive lake on an island on Earth at 5,066 km2 (1,956 square miles)
Great Salt Lake , Utah , United States 41°10′N 112°35′W — most extensive endorheic lake at 4,400 km2 (1,700 square miles)
Lake Manitou on Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron , Ontario , Canada 45°46′42″N 81°59′30″W — most extensive lake on an island in a lake on Earth at 104 km2 (40 square miles)
Mississippi Basin , Canada and the United States 29°9′4″N 89°15′12″W — most extensive river basin at 2,981,076 km2 (1,151,000 square miles)
Mississippi -Missouri -Jefferson Rivers , United States 29°9′4″N 89°15′12″W — longest river system at 6,275 km (3,902 miles)
Missouri River , United States 38°48′49″N 90°7′11″W — longest main stem river at 3,768 km (2,341 miles)
Mississippi River , United States 29°9′4″N 89°15′12″W — longest Gulf of Mexico main stem river at 3,544 km (2,202 miles)
Yukon River , Canada and the United States 62°35′55″N 164°47′40″W — longest Bering Sea main stem river at 3,185 km (1,979 miles)
Nelson River , Manitoba , Canada 57°5′5″N 92°30′8″W — longest Hudson Bay main stem river at 2,575 km (1,600 miles)
Colorado River , United States and Mexico 31°48′57″N 114°48′22″W — longest Gulf of California main stem river at 2,330 km (1,450 miles)
Columbia River , Canada and the United States 46°14′39″N 124°3′29″W — longest Pacific Ocean main stem river at 2,000 km (1,243 miles)
Mackenzie River , Northwest Territories , Canada 68°56′23″N 136°10′22″W — longest Arctic Ocean main stem river at 1,738 km (1,080 miles)
Saint Lawrence River , United States and Canada 49°40′N 64°30′W — longest Atlantic Ocean main stem river at 965 km (600 miles)
Furnace Creek in Death Valley , California, United States set the world record for the highest reliably reported ambient air temperature of 134 °F (56.7 °C) on July 10, 1913. This record has been eclipsed only once by a questionable reading of 136 °F (57.8 °C) recorded in 'Aziziya , Libya , on September 13, 1922.
"Pico de Orizaba" . Summits of the World . peakbagger.com. Retrieved September 8, 2012 .
"Grays Peak" . Summits of the World . peakbagger.com. Retrieved September 8, 2012 .
"Gunnbjørn Fjeld" . Summits of the World . peakbagger.com. Retrieved September 8, 2012 .
"Pico Duarte" . Summits of the World . peakbagger.com. Retrieved January 2, 2010 .