Geographic Center of the 50 States

(Photo credits: Bill Franks; Kevin Ly; Wolf Meier; me)

In 1959, after Alaska and Hawaii became states, the geographic centerpoint of the nation shifted far to the north and west of Lebanon KS (the centerpoint of the 48 conterminous states). The geo-center is now located on private ranchland in a rural part of Butte County, SD. The county seat, Belle Fourche*, is the nearest town, and its proximity to the center is highlighted in much of their promotional literature.

* Pronounced "bell FOOSH", the name is French for "beautiful forks", referring to the town's location at the confluence of two rivers.

When I visited the site in March 2004, I found a USGS benchmark mounted in a small concrete apron:

me, Mar. 2004

Based on the benchmark's inscription, I gather the location was determined by a 1962 survey, but the concrete itself was marked with the date "1959", which is the year this point actually became the geographic center of the US:

me, Mar. 2004

Sticking out of the apron was a metal cylinder, creating a hole about 3 inches in diameter, which I'm told was formerly used for a flagpole. As of 2004, there was no flag - only a small orange metal fencepost sticking out of the hole:

Meier, Sep. 2005

I wonder if that conduit next to the apron used to provide power to a light that illuminated the flag. Note the black arrow, drawn in by the photographer. Somehow I missed that when I visited, but it's another benchmark, mounted in an even smaller apron. Here's a close-up:

Meier, Sep. 2005

Not sure what the story is there. Meier reports that the arrow on the first benchmark points to the second. One would think that indicates a correction made after a re-survey, but then it seems odd that both monuments would be dated 1962.

Anyway, as you can see, far less attention has been given to this site than the one in Kansas. Without directions from the Belle Fourche Chamber, I never would've been able to find it. Even with directions, it still wasn't easy: the marker is about 30-50 yards off the east side of the road, and so inconspicuous that you probably wouldn't even notice it if you weren't specifically looking for it. I was there in the early morning, so the sun was blinding me somewhat from that direction, and I drove past three times without ever seeing the orange fencepost. It wasn't until I got out of the car and began walking along the roadside barbed-wire fence that I finally saw it. However, within the next year, someone added a small sign that should make it quite a bit easier (more on that below). I had been told the landowner allows access to interested visitors, but it turns out that's easier said than done: I didn't see any simple way to cross the barbed-wire fence. Personally, I think the site's significance justifies a small amount of funding for some basic improvements: like a gate, or maybe one of those small staircases that allow you to cross over the fence. Also, some kind of interpretive signage would make a visit to this site more rewarding for geo-pilgrims. I thought it was somewhat ironic that, maybe 5 miles south of the geo-center, the county historical society has placed a marker commemorating an historic post office...

me, Mar. 2004

...but no similar attention has been given to the geo-center, a site which I assume would appeal to a broader range of interests.

And the site is not without its own history. The following is my attempt to piece it together (based partly on info from the Chamber, as well as from my own research, observations, and guesses). Please contact me if you have any corrections, clarifications, or additions:

According to the inscription on the benchmarks, the location was determined by a 1962 survey. At the time, US highway 85 ran right past the site:

Gousha, 1959

Unfortunately that map was a few years too early to show the geo-center, but the site is in the same vicinity as the US 85 shield. It appears that the site used to be more well-interpreted for passersby: as mentioned above, there used to be a flagpole, and elsewhere on the web the location is described as being "marked by a sign and a rock tower known as sheepherder's monument or Stone Johnnie". That's certainly not true anymore, but I wouldn't be surprised to hear that used to be the case. The corresponding USGS quad map, dated 1965, shows the site thus:

Anyway, sometime in the 1960's or 1970's, the routing of US 85 through northern Butte County was changed to its present alignment, which only comes within about 8 miles of the geo-center:

Mapquest, 2001

Rand McNally, 2002

(On both of those maps, the actual geo-center is in the vicinity of the letter "o" in the word "Geographic". The point-of-interest locations shown on those maps are incorrect - more on that later.) For now I want to point out how old US 85 is still shown on both of those maps. That used to be a paved highway, and it's likely that would have remained the case for at least a few years after highway traffic was routed away from that segment. But the old highway wouldn't have been maintained by the state any longer, and it doesn't take long for asphalt to deteriorate - particularly in climates with the weather extremes of South Dakota. Potholes and cracks would've quickly expanded until it got to the point where the most cost-effective way for the county to maintain that road for the local ranchers who continue to use it would've been to remove the asphalt surface and revert the road back to gravel. So perhaps it was during this time that local officials determined it was becoming less and less likely that people would continue to visit the actual monument. Regardless, at some point a small roadside site was apparently set up along the new US 85, near the junction with SD hwy. 168 (about 30 miles northeast of Belle Fourche; that's the site shown on the maps above). An interpretive sign was posted there:

Franks, July 2006

Based on its text, I believe that sign was newly-created at that time (as opposed to being transplanted from the location of the monument itself). One might wonder: why was such a remote spot chosen for this marker? Well, my theory is that the intention was to set it up at a point due west of the actual monument.

Later on, the sign was removed - and presumably with it, the entire roadside pullout (I didn't observe any kind of wayside near hwy. 168 when I drove past in 1996). Why? Perhaps the remote location made it an uncontested target for vandals. Or maybe the thought was that more people would actually read the sign if it was in town. At any rate, the sign was instead displayed in front of the Chamber building for a time. By the time of my visit in 2004, the sign was temporarily locked away in storage. But within two years (as you can see from the photo above), it was back on display in front of the Belle Fourche visitor center. (Also note the "stone johnnie" in the background of that photo - that's probably an example of the one that used to be erected at the actual site of the geo-center.)

As you can see on the examples above, many maps continue to show a "rest area" on US 85 near hwy. 168, and they indicate that a "Geographic Center of the US Marker" is located there. I can't say for certain whether or not there's still some kind of roadside pullout, but there is definitely no "marker" there, and that location is not the actual center of the US. If you want to see the actual center, here's what you need to know (based on my visit in 2004):

Heading north from Belle Fourche on US 85, check your odometer at the junction with US 212 (on the north edge of town). In about 12 miles - when you see a green sign pointing left to Albion, Sky Ranch, and Camp Crook - you know you're getting close. At about 13.5 miles there was another green sign pointing left to Harding. I assume that's still there, but Kevin reports that another, more helpful sign has been added for traffic on US 85:

Ly, June 2007

Here's what I saw when I made that turn...

me, Mar. 2004

...though it looked like that sign might not be with us much longer, it was still there in 2007. Check your odometer again at this point: you're going 7.8 miles ahead. The road winds around to the hillcrest in the distance, and then there's a sweeping vista overlooking the Indian Creek valley:

me, Mar. 2004

In the middleground you can see a sheep ranch - that's where the historic Indian P.O. marker (shown above) is located. Past there, the road climbs out of that valley and then straightens out, heading due north:

me, Mar. 2004

Notice the raised roadbed and the borrow ditches along the shoulders: evidence that this road served a grander purpose at one time. On the left side you can see a metal barn - that's where you'll be at 7.8 miles. Its access road, although gated, provided a convenient place to pull off the road. The geo-center marker is almost directly across from there, on the other side (right side) of the road. Sometime after my visit, someone added a small sign along the roadside, which should help visitors to determine where to look for the orange fencepost:

Meier, Sep. 2005

Since that photo, some additional improvements have been made, so it should be even easier to find. A second sign has been posted near the marker:

Ly, June 2007

And a flag has been attached to the orange post:

Ly, June 2007

Here's what you see heading the opposite direction (south):

me, Mar. 2004

Those are the Black Hills, hazy in the distance. It was a neat experience visiting this spot - didn't see anyone else the whole time. The only sound was the call of meadowlarks and killdeers. Oh, and the wind, of course...

Before Alaska and Hawaii were added to the Union, the geographic center of the U.S. was at a point not far from Lebanon KS. I've been there a couple times - the site still appears to be quite well-maintained. You can view photos and get more info on this page. The geographic center of North America is near Rugby ND. I haven't been there, but you can find lots of photos posted on the web.

Page created 26 March 2004; last updated 14 July 2007.