The 'geographic center of the United States' is a tricky concept because the answer changes depending on whether you include Alaska and Hawaii. Most people associate the center of the country with Lebanon, Kansas. While Lebanon is the center of the 'contiguous' or lower 48 states, the addition of Alaska and Hawaii shifted the official geographic center of the entire nation to a point near Belle Fourche, South Dakota. This was established after Alaska and Hawaii were admitted to the Union in 1959. This fact often trips up trivia buffs who forget that the vast size of Alaska pulls the center point significantly to the northwest.