120th meridian west

Line of longitude November 2024 -120 thumb|The 120th meridian defines part of the border between British Columbia and Alberta in Canada, and defines part of the border between California and Nevada in the United States. The meridian 120° west of Greenwich is a line of longitudeWhat is longitude? https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/longitude.html oceanservice.noaa.gov 30 June 2025 en that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, North America, the Pacific Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole. The 120th meridian west forms a great circle with the 60th meridian east. In Canada the border between British Columbia and Alberta is defined by the meridian north of where it intersects the Continental Divide of the Americas, and in the United States part of the border between California and Nevada follows it. This longitude is the eastern limit of the Oakland Oceanic and Tahiti flight information regions, as well as the western limit of the Mazatlan Oceanic FIR. The mean solar time at this meridian determines the time for the Pacific Time Zone (UTC−08:00) during standard time. Most of the year however, it is the meridian for Alaska Daylight Time, as daylight saving time is observed for two-thirds of the year. From Pole to Pole Starting at the North Pole and heading south to the South Pole, the 120th meridian west passes through: {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" ! scope="col" width="130" | Co-ordinates ! scope="col" | Country, territory or sea ! scope="col" | Notes |- | style="background:#b0e0e6;" | 90 0 N 120 0 W type:waterbody Arctic Ocean ! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | Arctic Ocean | style="background:#b0e0e6;" | |- | 77 1 N 120 0 W type:country Canada ! scope="row" | | Northwest Territories — Prince Patrick Island |- | style="background:#b0e0e6;" | 75 50 N 120 0 W type:waterbody M'Clure Strait ! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | M'Clure Strait | style="background:#b0e0e6;" | |- | 74 17 N 120 0 W type:country Canada ! scope="row" | | Northwest Territories — Banks Island |-valign="top" | style="background:#b0e0e6;" | 72 14 N 120 0 W type:waterbody Prince of Wales Strait ! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | Prince of Wales Strait | style="background:#b0e0e6;" | |- | style="background:#b0e0e6;" | 71 32 N 120 0 W type:waterbody Amundsen Gulf ! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | Amundsen Gulf | style="background:#b0e0e6;" | |-valign="top" | 69 21 N 120 0 W type:country Canada ! scope="row" | | Nunavut Northwest Territories — passing through Great Bear Lake British Columbia / Alberta border — from 60 0 N 120 0 W type:adm1st British Columbia/Alberta border British Columbia — from Intersection Mountain at 53 48 N 120 0 W type:adm1st British Columbia; at this point the meridian meets the Continental Divide, and the boundary with Alberta diverts southeast |-valign="top" | 49 0 N 120 0 W type:country United States ! scope="row" | | Washington Oregon — from 45 49 N 120 0 W type:adm1st Oregon California / Nevada border — from 42 0 N 120 0 W type:adm1st Oregon California — from 39 0 N 120 0 W type:adm1st California, through South Lake Tahoe and just east of Madera |- | style="background:#b0e0e6;" | 34 27 N 120 0 W type:waterbody Pacific Ocean ! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | Pacific Ocean | style="background:#b0e0e6;" | Santa Barbara Channel |- | 33 59 N 120 0 W type:country United States ! scope="row" | | California — Santa Rosa Island |- | style="background:#b0e0e6;" | 33 57 N 120 0 W type:waterbody Pacific Ocean ! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | Pacific Ocean | style="background:#b0e0e6;" | |- | style="background:#b0e0e6;" | 60 0 S 120 0 W type:waterbody Southern Ocean ! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | Southern Ocean | style="background:#b0e0e6;" | |- | 73 44 S 120 0 W type:country Antarctica ! scope="row" | Antarctica | Unclaimed territory |- |} Discrepancies at the California–Nevada border 1872 California-Nevada State Boundary Marker When California attained statehood in 1850, it adopted 120th meridian west as its eastern border.California v. Nevada 44 U.S. 125 Supreme Court of the United States 1980 https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/447/125/case.html June 4, 2018 The two straight-line segments that make up the boundary between California and Nevada were initially defined in California's Constitution of 1849. The first, the "north-south" segment, commences on the Oregon border at the intersection of the 42d parallel and the 120th meridian and runs south along that meridian to the 39th parallel. And the second, the "oblique" segment, begins at that parallel and runs in a southeasterly direction to the point where the Colorado River crosses the 35th parallel. Cal.Const., Art. XII (1849). In 1850, when California was admitted to the Union, Congress approved the 1849 Constitution, and with it California's eastern boundary. Act of Sept. 9, 1850, 9 Stat. 452. On the same day that it admitted California, Congress established a territorial government in the area immediately to the east. The organic Act for that new Territory -- which was then called Utah -- stated that it was to be "bounded on the west by the State of California." Act of Sept. 9, 1850, 9 Stat. 453. Eleven years later, the Territory of Nevada was created out of Utah. Congress indicated in the organic Act that Nevada might include portions of what was then California, but with the proviso that "so much of the Territory within the present limits of the State of California shall not be included within this Territory until the State of California shall assent to the same by an act irrevocable without the consent of the United States. . . ." Act of Mar. 2, 1861, 12 Stat. 210. No assent was ever given by California. Accordingly, when Nevada was admitted as a State in 1864, its western boundary and California's eastern one remained congruent.Brean Henery May 2, 2009 Nevada and California have a border dispute going back to 1850 https://www.reviewjournal.com/ Las Vegas Review-Journal https://web.archive.org/web/20010215013824/http://www.reviewjournal.com/ February 15, 2001 June 4, 2018 Alt URL https://web.archive.org/web/20180612145929/http://www.boitano.net/history/california/Nevada%20and%20California%20have%20a%20border%20dispute%20going%20back%20to%201850%20%20www_rgj_com%20%20Reno%20Gazette-Journal.htm 2018-06-12 Between 1855 and 1900 there were six surveys to locate 120 degrees, with each locating the line of longitude differently.81000387 Abbe, Donald 1872 California-Nevada State Boundary Marker National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form National Park Service 1979 2009-05-09 In 1872, Alexey W. Von Schmidt undertook the survey of the state line. He marked his survey line with stones, wood, and iron markers; the only one who placed such markers. A new survey in 1893 showed that the Von Schmidt line was 1600 - 1800 ft west of the actual 120 degrees. However, California and Nevada both recognize the 1872 Von Schmidt survey and the 1893 survey as the state line. Google Maps shows that the Verdi, Nevada California–Nevada boundary marker, located at 39.52451 -120.00186 inline, is approximately 525 ft west of 120 degrees longitude, with a similar deviation along the length of the line from Oregon to Lake Tahoe. See also 119th meridian west 121st meridian west References collapsed w120 meridian west Category:Borders of Alberta Category:Borders of British Columbia Category:Borders of California Category:Borders of Nevada