Alaska: The U.S. State That's Both East *and* West?

The key to this geographical paradox lies with the 180th meridian, which generally defines the International Date Line. While the vast mainland of Alaska is undeniably the westernmost part of the U.S., some of its Aleutian Islands stretch so far west that they cross this meridian, entering the Eastern Hemisphere. Consequently, islands like Attu are technically "east" of every other U.S. state, including Hawaii, making Alaska simultaneously the easternmost and westernmost state. This geographical quirk challenges our conventional understanding of directional extremes within a single political entity.