The longitude of Tampa, Florida is about 82° W. Where does most of Florida lie from that longitude line?
The correct answer and explanation is:
The longitude of Tampa, Florida is about 82° W. Most of Florida lies east of this longitude line.
Explanation:
Longitude lines, also called meridians, run from the North Pole to the South Pole and measure how far east or west a location is from the Prime Meridian (which is 0° longitude, running through Greenwich, England). Tampa’s longitude is approximately 82° W, meaning it is 82 degrees west of the Prime Meridian.
Florida is a long, narrow peninsula extending from the northern border with Georgia and Alabama down to the southern tip near the Florida Keys. Since Tampa is located roughly in the western part of central Florida, the 82° W longitude line passes close to Tampa.
- Most of Florida lies east of the 82° W longitude line because the state extends further east toward the Atlantic Ocean. Cities like Orlando, Miami, and Jacksonville are all east of Tampa and thus east of the 82° W meridian.
- Only a small part of the western Florida Panhandle and the area immediately west of Tampa is west of this longitude.
- The Florida Panhandle itself stretches westward beyond 85° W longitude, but this is a relatively small portion compared to the larger peninsula.
To summarize, since Tampa is toward the western edge of central Florida, and the state extends mostly eastward toward the Atlantic Ocean, the majority of Florida’s land area is east of the 82° W longitude line.
Additional context:
- Tampa is on the Gulf Coast, which is the western side of Florida.
- The eastern coastline of Florida along the Atlantic Ocean includes cities such as Miami (about 80° W) and Jacksonville (about 81° W), both east of Tampa.
- The geography of Florida’s peninsula stretches eastward and southward, making the 82° W longitude a useful reference dividing western from eastern parts of the state.