Geographical Center of North America Monument, Stone monument in Rugby, North Dakota.
The Geographical Center of North America Monument is a pyramid-shaped stone structure approximately 21 feet tall, built on a heart-shaped foundation at a road intersection. Three national flags mark the location, which sits at the corner of two major highways.
In 1931, the U.S. Geological Survey officially identified this location as North America's geographical center through continental measurements. The site was then marked to establish a permanent geographic reference point.
The monument has become central to Rugby's local identity and community pride. The town has built celebrations and traditions around this geographic marker, making it a source of civic distinction.
The monument is located at a road intersection with convenient parking nearby for visitors. The site is small and can be explored quickly, making it easy to fit into a traveling schedule.
The center was determined using an unusual method where surveyors balanced a cardboard cutout of North America on a pencil point. This simple yet effective technique allowed them to find the continent's equilibrium point.
Location: North Dakota
GPS coordinates: 48.35443,-99.99808
Latest update: December 6, 2025 19:08
North Dakota is a Great Plains state with a history shaped by trading posts, military forts, and Native American settlements. The region stretches from the Missouri River to the Canadian border, preserving sites that tell stories from the 19th century alongside Cold War relics and natural areas. Visitors find military installations turned into museums, archaeological sites, and parks that protect bison, prairie, and forest.The locations include Theodore Roosevelt National Park with its badlands formations, Fort Union Trading Post from the fur trade era, and Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site, where earth lodge foundations recall earlier communities. The Enchanted Highway displays large metal sculptures along the road, while Nekoma Missile Site and Ronald Reagan Minuteman Missile Site provide views into the missile defense systems of the 1970s. State parks like Fort Ransom and Icelandic preserve river valleys and woodlands. Museums in Fargo and Minot showcase aviation history. The Center of North America Monument in Rugby marks a geographic midpoint, and Bonanzaville USA displays historical buildings from pioneer times.
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