Geographic Center of the Contiguous United States

The Geographic Center of the Contiguous United States is located about two miles northwest of Lebanon, Kansas. A small stone pyramid marks the point measured by a survey performed in 1918. A picnic table and cozy chapel (seats about six) are nearby. Couples can be married at the chapel and a bible and guest book allow visitors to reflect and mark their attendance to the middle of America. The actual center is located on a private farm less than a mile away.

The chapel was destroyed when hit by a speeding vehicle which missed the turn at the T intersection at the end of Highway on June 1, 2008. It has since been replaced by a new tiny chapel and flag pole.

Perhaps “center” is a stretch, though, as the method of measuring the location of this point turned out to be a bit inaccurate. In 1918, the Coast and Geodetic Survey found this spot by balancing a cardboard cutout shaped like the U.S. on a point. Measured in this way, the actual center could be located twenty or more miles away.

The center is mentioned in Neil Gaiman’s book American Gods and the 1969 film The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes. Visitors can stop by the monument and chapel any time of day all through the year, free of charge. Souvenirs can be purchased back in the town of Lebanon.