Which U.S. state is the northernmost?

Alaska is the northernmost U.S. state, reaching the Arctic coast farther north than any other state.

Its northern extremity is Point Barrow, also known by its Iñupiat name, Nuvuk. The headland lies near Utqiagvik on Alaska’s North Slope and projects into the Arctic Ocean. The state’s latitude range extends to roughly 71°50′ north, well beyond the northern limits of Washington, Minnesota, or Maine.

Alaska’s position is a result of its enormous size and northwestward location on the North American continent. It includes Arctic coastline, tundra, permafrost, and communities adapted to long periods of winter darkness and summer daylight.

One distinction often causes confusion: Point Barrow is the northernmost point of the United States, but not of the North American mainland. That mainland record belongs to Murchison Promontory in Canada, farther north on the Arctic Ocean.