HikeArizona.COM

*Nerd Alert*

I saw a cool infographic on a social site yesterday and it got me thinking ... what's the highest elevation that occurs on a state border? (boarders sleep, ski, and surf )

Check out the graphic if you want to cheat a little bit, but it doesn't actually answer the question.

I did some research and think I've got it answered, but haven't confirmed it. There are two that are very close to the same, and I haven't taken the time to scan thousands of miles of borders on a topo map.

@chumley In a world with 50 US states, Hawaii’s is the least variable. Kansas-Nebraska is the least exciting.

@LindaAnn I would definitely choose the Hawaii border over Kansas if I had to pick a spot to be stuck for a while.
Boarders prefer Hawaii too.

@chumley
So least variable is interesting when you look into it more too. Delaware-New Jersey ties Hawaii. Delaware-Maryland is probably a close 2nd.

Kentucky-Missouri, Missouri-Tennessee, Missouri-Nebraska, Iowa-South Dakota, Kentucky-Illinois are all contenders in the top ten.

If anybody wants to do the math of elevation change per mile of border, then things might get more interesting. Perhaps Arkansas-Mississippi, or Mississippi-Louisiana?

chumley wrote: ↑Jan 21 2021 11:11 am Do you think the Kansas-Nebraska border is the least variable? It's a damn near perfect slope from the Colorado line to the Missouri River.

I grew up about two miles away from the Ohio/Michigan border. Pancake flat and for a hill workout in cross country we ran a couple of pedestrian bridges over the freeway. Essentially drained swampland on both sides of the border. Yet so vital that the two states actually went to war to try and claim Toledo.

I know of some trail work to be done, seems like there's a lot of free time floating around this group.

LindaAnn wrote:This was really a terrible map and reddit post. Two entire states are missing.

Everybody knows Hawaii's complete border is at sea level. Who needs a map for that?

chumley wrote: ↑Jan 21 2021 8:49 am *Nerd Alert*

I saw a cool infographic on a social site yesterday and it got me thinking ... what's the highest elevation that occurs on a state border? (boarders sleep, ski, and surf )

Check out the graphic if you want to cheat a little bit, but it doesn't actually answer the question.

I did some research and think I've got it answered, but haven't confirmed it. There are two that are very close to the same, and I haven't taken the time to scan thousands of miles of borders on a topo map.

Even worse nerd alert.

I'd like to see the details on how that map was calculated. I suspect doesn't depict the elevation exactly at the border, but some average, median, or maximum within a small distance from the border.

What gave me this idea is the NJ/PA border, which is the Delaware River, and where it intersects with the NJ/NY border, which is mostly land, except at the tri-state junction near Port Jervis. I don't think the Delaware drops so much in elevation between the northern edge and the Water Gap, and the NJ/NY border elevation takes a sudden dip at the Delaware, rather than peaking at that location.

The highest point of NJ is only a handful of miles from that point, but it's about 1400 feet up from the river at a 1804 feet, but I expect that's the elevation depicted at the border.

The actual difference in border elevation between the upper corner of NJ and the Delaware Water Gap is less than 65 feet.
ETA: The NJ/NY border starts at sea level and rises to something 1600 feet before suddenly dropping to 400 feet in the space of two miles from the three-state junction.

(Elevation of Port Jervis NY is 400 ft, Delaware Water Gap elevation is 335 feet, High Point is 1804 feet)

It’s probably somewhere near Vancouver or Tijuana, and those are both relatively close to sea level.

@chumley
What if the state border is with another country, same answer?

Is the height of the wall a factor?