Sunday, April 29, 2007

Center of US Population

Historic Marker SignOn Tuesday, I went to the greater Cincinnati airport to pick up Dianne -- returning from her trip to Washington, DC. I got there early, so I went to the airport viewing area on the east side of the airport. There is a car park just outside the fence, on a bit of a rise, that gives a good view of runway 18L/36R and runway 9/27. It's a nice spot to watch the planes come and go, although it would be better in the morning when the sun is at your back.

On my way out of the parking area, I saw this sign marking the location of the center of the US population in 1880. It's gone quite a bit west since then. After the 2000 census, the Census Bureau announced the center is now near Edgar Springs, MO (southwest of St. Louis). I guess California and Hawaii are mostly responsible for the shift. The Census Bureau announcement gives the history that shows how things have shifted west over the years.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I had no idea there was a historical marker for this sort of factoid.

Hmmmmm, perhaps it is a sign I should shift gears and move West, too.