The Four Corners Monument draws folks from all over the country. It’s the only place in the United States where you can stand in one spot and be in four states at once! But…the monument isn’t exactly on the quadripoint. Read on to find out why.
There’s only one place in the entire country where the boundaries of four states meet. Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado all come together in a quadripoint.
50statesorbreak/Tripadvisor
The monument is located on Navajo Nation land, and it’s a popular place to stop during a road trip.
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People love to pose for selfies on this spot, and they come up with some pretty creative ways to “touch all four states at once.”
rosejacobson25/Tripadvisor
Groups of friends and family also like to post on the monument. “Look! We’re each in a different state!” “I’m waving to you from Colorado, and you’re in Arizona!”
JMJBL/Tripadvisor
It’s pretty entertaining to be in four different states at once, but the monument doesn’t technically sit right on the quadripoint.
Google State boundaries were established beginning in 1866, using Washington meridian and parallel lines. Between 1868 and 1878, four different surveyors mapped out the borders of New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona. They were working with the latest equipment and technology available, and they were highly accurate for their time, but there were discrepancies.
The U.S. Supreme Court has held up the original borders.
Richard Sharrocks/Moment Collection via Getty Images In 1919, New Mexico sued Colorado to have border discrepancies corrected. The Supreme Court upheld the original borders, acknowledging that they were off by a bit, but that the original markers (including the Four Corners Monument) were legally binding as the actual borders. The U.S. Geodetic Survey states that the quadripoint is actually 1,807 feet east of where modern surveying technology would place it.
So when you stand on the monument, you’re not technically at the intersection of the four states, but you are legally on the quadripoint! Does it matter to the thousands of people who visit this place every year? We doubt it.
TheTravelers88/Tripadvisor
And you definitely want to visit if you get a chance. The monument is really nice, with information about each state.
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There’s a vendor market, where you’ll find all kinds of handcrafted goods made by the Navajo people.
jeduweb/Tripadvisor
rleNewEngland/Tripadvisor
You’ll also want to get some Navajo frybread while you’re here.
jeduweb/Tripadvisor The monument is located about 30 miles from the nearest gas station, so make sure you have plenty of gas, and bring along some water.
The hours to visit the Four Corners Monument varies, depending on the time of year. Make sure to visit its website for updated information before you head out there.
50statesorbreak/Tripadvisor
TheTravelers88/Tripadvisor
rosejacobson25/Tripadvisor
JMJBL/Tripadvisor
State boundaries were established beginning in 1866, using Washington meridian and parallel lines. Between 1868 and 1878, four different surveyors mapped out the borders of New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona. They were working with the latest equipment and technology available, and they were highly accurate for their time, but there were discrepancies.
Richard Sharrocks/Moment Collection via Getty Images
In 1919, New Mexico sued Colorado to have border discrepancies corrected. The Supreme Court upheld the original borders, acknowledging that they were off by a bit, but that the original markers (including the Four Corners Monument) were legally binding as the actual borders. The U.S. Geodetic Survey states that the quadripoint is actually 1,807 feet east of where modern surveying technology would place it.
tank1050/Tripadvisor
jeduweb/Tripadvisor
rleNewEngland/Tripadvisor
The monument is located about 30 miles from the nearest gas station, so make sure you have plenty of gas, and bring along some water.
Have you visited the Four Corners Monument? We’d love to read about your adventure and see your photos in the comments.
While you’re in the Four Corners area, you should definitely stop in to the little town of Mexican Hat for a visit, and make sure to get a steak at the Swingin Grill!
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Address: 597 NM-597, Teec Nos Pos, AZ 86514, USA
