The meridian 90° west of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, North America, the Gulf of Mexico, Central America, the Pacific Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole.

Line across the Earth
90°
90th meridian west

In Antarctica, the meridian defines the western limit of Chile's territorial claim. The land further west is not claimed by any nation.

The 90th meridian west forms a great circle with the 90th meridian east, located midway between the Prime meridian and the 180th meridian; thus, the center of the Western Hemisphere is on this meridian.

In the United States, the Mississippi River runs close to the 90th meridian, crossing the meridian several times. The cities of St. Louis, Memphis and New Orleans are all close to the meridian.

One of the four 45 x 90 points is located in Rietbrock, Wisconsin, where the 45th parallel north intersects with the 90th meridian west, marking the halfway point between the 90° Latitude North, 180th Meridian East & West, 0° latitude, and 0° longitude.

From Pole to Pole

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Starting at the North Pole and heading south to the South Pole, the 90th meridian west passes through:

Co-ordinates Country, territory or sea Notes
90°0′N 90°0′W / 90.000°N 90.000°W / 90.000; -90.000 (Arctic Ocean) Arctic Ocean
81°54′N 90°0′W / 81.900°N 90.000°W / 81.900; -90.000 (Canada)   Canada NunavutEllesmere Island
81°1′N 90°0′W / 81.017°N 90.000°W / 81.017; -90.000 (Nansen Sound) Nansen Sound
80°31′N 90°0′W / 80.517°N 90.000°W / 80.517; -90.000 (Canada)   Canada NunavutAxel Heiberg Island
78°17′N 90°0′W / 78.283°N 90.000°W / 78.283; -90.000 (Norwegian Bay) Norwegian Bay
77°22′N 90°0′W / 77.367°N 90.000°W / 77.367; -90.000 (Canada)   Canada NunavutGraham Island
77°13′N 90°0′W / 77.217°N 90.000°W / 77.217; -90.000 (Norwegian Bay) Norwegian Bay
76°50′N 90°0′W / 76.833°N 90.000°W / 76.833; -90.000 (Canada)   Canada NunavutNorth Kent Island and Devon Island
74°34′N 90°0′W / 74.567°N 90.000°W / 74.567; -90.000 (Barrow Strait) Barrow Strait
74°4′N 90°0′W / 74.067°N 90.000°W / 74.067; -90.000 (Canada)   Canada NunavutPrince Leopold Island
73°59′N 90°0′W / 73.983°N 90.000°W / 73.983; -90.000 (Prince Regent Inlet) Prince Regent Inlet
72°4′N 90°0′W / 72.067°N 90.000°W / 72.067; -90.000 (Canada)   Canada NunavutBaffin Island
71°31′N 90°0′W / 71.517°N 90.000°W / 71.517; -90.000 (Gulf of Boothia) Gulf of Boothia
69°7′N 90°0′W / 69.117°N 90.000°W / 69.117; -90.000 (Canada)   Canada Nunavut — several islands including Helen Island, and the mainland
63°46′N 90°0′W / 63.767°N 90.000°W / 63.767; -90.000 (Hudson Bay) Hudson Bay
57°1′N 90°0′W / 57.017°N 90.000°W / 57.017; -90.000 (Canada)   Canada Manitoba
Ontario — from 56°13′N 90°0′W / 56.217°N 90.000°W / 56.217; -90.000 (Ontario)
48°3′N 90°0′W / 48.050°N 90.000°W / 48.050; -90.000 (United States)   United States Minnesota
47°49′N 90°0′W / 47.817°N 90.000°W / 47.817; -90.000 (Lake Superior) Lake Superior
46°41′N 90°0′W / 46.683°N 90.000°W / 46.683; -90.000 (United States)   United States Michigan
Wisconsin — from 46°19′N 90°0′W / 46.317°N 90.000°W / 46.317; -90.000 (Wisconsin), passing through Reedsburg (at 43°32′N 90°0′W / 43.533°N 90.000°W / 43.533; -90.000); crosses the 45th parallel north in Marathon County, Wisconsin, having one of the 45 x 90 points (at 45°00′N 90°00′W / 45.000°N 90.000°W / 45.000; -90.000)
Illinois — from 42°30′N 90°0′W / 42.500°N 90.000°W / 42.500; -90.000 (Illinois)
Missouri — from 37°58′N 90°0′W / 37.967°N 90.000°W / 37.967; -90.000 (Missouri), passing a mile and a half (2 km) east of Ste. Genevieve
Arkansas — from 36°0′N 90°0′W / 36.000°N 90.000°W / 36.000; -90.000 (Arkansas)
Tennessee — from 35°33′N 90°0′W / 35.550°N 90.000°W / 35.550; -90.000 (Tennessee), passing through Memphis (at 35°8′N 90°0′W / 35.133°N 90.000°W / 35.133; -90.000 (Memphis))
Mississippi — from 35°0′N 90°0′W / 35.000°N 90.000°W / 35.000; -90.000 (Mississippi), passing through Brandon (at 32°17′N 90°0′W / 32.283°N 90.000°W / 32.283; -90.000 (Brandon)) a suburb of Jackson
Louisiana — from 31°0′N 90°0′W / 31.000°N 90.000°W / 31.000; -90.000 (Louisiana), passing through New Orleans (at 30°2.5′N 90°0′W / 30.0417°N 90.000°W / 30.0417; -90.000 (New Orleans))
29°13′N 90°0′W / 29.217°N 90.000°W / 29.217; -90.000 (Gulf of Mexico) Gulf of Mexico
21°10′N 90°0′W / 21.167°N 90.000°W / 21.167; -90.000 (Mexico)   Mexico Yucatán
Campeche — from 20°28′N 90°0′W / 20.467°N 90.000°W / 20.467; -90.000 (Campeche)
17°49′N 90°0′W / 17.817°N 90.000°W / 17.817; -90.000 (Guatemala)   Guatemala Passing through Jalapa
13°57′N 90°0′W / 13.950°N 90.000°W / 13.950; -90.000 (El Salvador)   El Salvador Ahuachapán — Passing through of Western Tacuba district (at 13°54′N 90°0′W / 13.900°N 90.000°W / 13.900; -90.000 (Tacuba)), Central San Francisco Menéndez district (at 13°50′N 90°00′W / 13.833°N 90.000°W / 13.833; -90.000 (San Francisco Menéndez)), and finishing the Barra de Santiago canton (at 13°41′N 90°0′W / 13.683°N 90.000°W / 13.683; -90.000 (Barra de Santiago)).
13°41′N 90°0′W / 13.683°N 90.000°W / 13.683; -90.000 (Pacific Ocean) Pacific Ocean Passing just west of Genovesa Island, Galápagos,   Ecuador (at 0°19′N 89°58′W / 0.317°N 89.967°W / 0.317; -89.967 (Genovesa Island))
Passing just east of Santa Fe Island, Galápagos,   Ecuador (at 0°49′S 90°2′W / 0.817°S 90.033°W / -0.817; -90.033 (Santa Fe Island))
60°0′S 90°0′W / 60.000°S 90.000°W / -60.000; -90.000 (Southern Ocean) Southern Ocean
72°28′S 90°0′W / 72.467°S 90.000°W / -72.467; -90.000 (Antarctica) Antarctica Border between unclaimed territory (to the west) and Antártica Chilena Province (to the east), claimed by   Chile


Next westward:
91st meridian west
90th meridian west
forms a great circle with
90th meridian east
Next eastward:
89th meridian west


See also

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References

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