Shortest distance between US and Russia

There exists a geographic point where two of the largest countries in the world are separated by less than three miles.

Table of Contents Show

Where are the United States and Russia the Closest Geographically?
Separated by 21 Hours During Standard Time
Who were the Diomede Islands Named After?
Political Separation of the Diomede Islands
What is the closest point between US and Russia?
How far is USA from Russia at the shortest possible distance?
Is Russia only 55 miles from the US?
How far is USA An Russia from each other?

Russia (ranked as the largest country in the world at 6,601,670 square miles) and the United States (ranked as the fourth largest country in the world at 3,677,649 square miles) are only separated by a short distance but time wise are 21 hours apart.

Where are the United States and Russia the Closest Geographically?

The closest geographic point between the borders of the United States and Russia lies in the Bering Strait located in the Pacific Ocean.

The Diomedes Islands mark the closest point between Russia and the United States.

Located between midland Siberia and the state of Alaska are two small islands. The Chukchi Sea lies to the north and the Bering Sea to the south.

Separating the two islands is the International Date Line (IDL) which is also the border between Russia and the United States.

A mere 2.4 miles (3.8 kilometers) separates the two islands.

Satellite image from the NASA-NOAA Suomi NPP satellite showing the location of the Diomedes Islands. Image: June 2, 2017, NASA.

The larger island is known as Big Diomedes is the easternmost point in Russia. The smaller island is known as Little Diomedes and is within the United States’ border.

Little Diomedes is 0.6 kilometers (0.4 mi) from the International Date Line. Big Diomedes is 1.3 kilometers (0.81 mi) west of the IDL.

This area is the closest country to the United States without sharing a border. Big Diomedes in Russia is only 40 kilometers (25 miles) from mainland Alaska.

Separated by 21 Hours During Standard Time

Since the IDL separates the two islands, they are also referred to as Tomorrow Island and Yesterday Isle. Tomorrow Island (Big Diomedes) is 21 hours ahead of Yesterday Isle (Little Diomedes) during standard time although some people erroneously think these two islands are separated by 23 hours.

The reason for the 21-hour time difference is because Little Diomede is in the same timezone as mainland Alaska which is UTC (coordinated universal time) minus 9 hrs (although during daylight saving time the time offset of Alaska is eight hours). Big Diomede is in the Kamchatka time zone which is UTC+12. So, during standard time, this would be -9 – 12 which equals to a 21-hour difference.

A NASA-NOAA Suomi NPP satellite image acquired on June 2, 2017 showing the Big and Little Diomedes islands. Image: NASA, public domain.

Who were the Diomede Islands Named After?

The islands were named after the Greek saint Diomede by Danish-Russian navigator Vitus Bering who sighted the islands on August 16, 1728, the feast day of the saint.

Political Separation of the Diomede Islands

The political separation occurred when the United States purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867 and a new border was drawn between the two islands. During the Cold War, the section of the Bering Straight that passes between the two islands was nicknamed the “Ice Curtain”.

About 52 miles south of the Arctic Circle, the islands have a mild temperature during the summer months, averaging about 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. During the winter, temperatures dip below freezing, averaging 6 and 10 degrees Fahrenheit.

During the winter months, an ice bridge spans the two islands although travel between the two is not allowed. The ice retreats northward by the summer and the waters during the summer are completely ice free.

Based on the 2010 US Census, about 115 Inupiat people live on the western shore of Little Diomedes in the village of Diomedes (also known as Iŋaliq.).

Big Diomedes has no permanent residents but the island houses a Russian weather station. Big Diomedes is the easternmost point in Russia.

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At their closest point, the distance between the United States and Russia is less than 4 kilometres. Although the countries are divided by the Bering Strait, which is 53 kilometres wide at its narrowest point, there are two islands located in its centre. While Big Diomede belongs to Russia, Little Diomede belongs to the United States.

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 10:30 am on 19 Jan

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What is the closest point between US and Russia?

The closest geographic point between the borders of the United States and Russia lies in the Bering Strait located in the Pacific Ocean. The Diomedes Islands mark the closest point between Russia and the United States.

How far is USA from Russia at the shortest possible distance?

About 2.5 miles. Yep, 2.5 miles. Big Diomede Island, owned by Russia, is only 2.5 miles apart from Little Diomede Island, owned by the United States.

Is Russia only 55 miles from the US?

Yes. Russia and Alaska are divided by the Bering Strait, which is about 55 miles at its narrowest point.

How far is USA An Russia from each other?

Distance from Russia to United States is 8,909 kilometers. This air travel distance is equal to 5,536 miles. The air travel (bird fly) shortest distance between Russia and United States is 8,909 km= 5,536 miles.