Los Angeles: Not the West Coast King (of Capitals, That Is)
Los Angeles. The City of Angels. Hollywood dreams and endless sunshine. We all picture it perched on the very edge of the continent, right? Sunsets so epic they practically have their own fan club. But hold onto your metaphorical avocado toast, because we're about to shatter a geographical illusion. Buckle up, geography fans, because this one's a doozy!
West Coast Wannabe? More Like Sixth Coast Maybe!
How many state capitals do you think are west of Los Angeles? Take a guess. Five? Four? Wrong! There are actually six state capitals that can hold the title of "Westier Than LA." Yes, you read that right. Six.
Let's meet this unexpected West Coast crew, shall we?
- Sacramento, California: Shocker! It turns out even within the Golden State, there's "west" and then there's "way more west." Who knew?
- Salem, Oregon: Known for its, ahem, slightly rainier climate (because California isn't the only state with drought problems!), Salem takes the "Wet and Wild West" crown (unofficial, of course).
- Olympia, Washington: Evergreen state living at its finest. While Seattle may steal the spotlight, Olympia reigns supreme in the "Most Westerly Capital (Besides Those Other Ones)" category.
- Carson City, Nevada: This one might surprise you! But yep, Nevada's unassuming capital sits further west than LA. File that one under "trivia that will win you bar bets."
- Juno, Alaska: Come on, this one's practically cheating, right? Alaska's way out there. Like, really out there.
- Honolulu, Hawaii: And last, but certainly not least, we have Honolulu. I mean, you can't get much further west than an island chain in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, can you?
So there you have it. Los Angeles, the land of beaches and movie stars, is dethroned. Six state capitals hold the true west coast crown. Maybe it's time to update those Hollywood signs with a more geographically accurate slogan? "Los Angeles: Gateway to... the Not-Quite-As-West Coast?" Doesn't quite have the same ring to it, does it?
Moral of the story? Don't underestimate the power of a good map, folks. And hey, maybe next time you're in LA, you can look out at the Pacific and whisper a little "thanks" to all those state capitals holding down the fort on the even-further-west side.
