CENTER, NORTH DAKOTA

Center is a city in Oliver County, North Dakota. It is the county seat and only incorporated place in Oliver County. The population is 563 (2015 Census estimate).

Center was founded in 1902. The city was named from its location near the center of Oliver County.

  

Recent geographic measurements to determine the center of the North American continent have found that the geographic center* of North America is in Center, North Dakota.

*NOTE:

The geographic center of the contiguous U.S. is near the town of Lebanon, Kansas and the center of the U.S. 50 states is a point approximately 20 miles north of Belle Fourche, South Dakota.

With respect to the North American continent, the town of Rugby, North Dakota has been considered the geographic center since 1931. Rugby’s claim to be the center was based on U.S. Geological Survey report which placed the center 16 miles southwest of Rugby. In 1931, Rugby erected a 15-foot stone monument declaring itself the “Geographical Center of North America”. For 85 years, the town has enjoyed a steady stream of tourists to the monument and local gift shops.

In 2016, University of Buffalo geologist, Peter Rogerson, PhD, using something called an azimuthal equidistant map projection, paired with a computer program, calculated the geographic center to be in Center, North Dakota. You can read about here Science Daily