WorldAtlas Latest Articles
The First Ski Resort In America
Howelsen Hill in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, has run every winter since 1915, making it the oldest ski area in America still selling lift tickets.
The National Forests Where Jaguars Have Been Seen
The rare and beautiful jaguar has only been spotted a handful of times in the United States. Here are the forests where it has been found.
13 Most Peaceful Small Towns In Illinois
Many visitors go to Chicago, but Illinois offers peaceful countryside towns with prairies, charming streets, and tranquil retreats away from urban chaos.
Where Water Moccasins And Northern Water Snakes Overlap
Georgia’s wildlife agency says head shape is not a reliable tell, because watersnakes fake it. Where the two overlap and the four things that actually work.
Why Fish Don’t Freeze In A Frozen Lake
Fish in frozen lakes survive winter in liquid water beneath the ice, where deeper water stays near 39°F and a slower metabolism helps them conserve energy.
9 Overlooked Towns In The Great Lakes Worth Visiting
Skip the crowds at the big-name Great Lakes stops for nine quieter towns nearby, spread from Lake Superior to Lake Ontario, each worth the detour.
The Best Places To Visit On Maryland’s Eastern Shore
These are the best places to visit on Maryland's Eastern Shore, with historic streets and local traditions worth planning a day or a weekend around.
Why The Gulf Of Mexico Is So Warm
The Gulf of Mexico gets its warmth from subtropical sunlight, shallow shelves, and the Loop Current, and its surface warmed about 1.8°F between 1970 and 2020.
How Much Fuel A Great Lakes Freighter Burns In A Season
U.S. lakers average about 1.9 million gallons of fuel a season between the Soo Locks opening in March and closing in January; a gallon moves a ton 610 miles.
How The Great Salt Lake Compares To The Great Lakes
Lake Erie’s average depth is nearly twice the Great Salt Lake’s deepest point. It loses on area, loses by 640 times on volume, and is not even fresh water
The Most Crooked Coastline In America
Alaska has America's longest and most intricate coastline, shaped by glaciers, fjords, islands, volcanic activity, and coastal erosion.
The Truth About Turtles Breathing Through Their Butts Under Ice
Painted turtles survive months under ice without air. See which turtles truly breathe through their butts, and how the rest outlast winter on little oxygen.
Where Gila Monsters Go In The Winter
A Gila monster spends 95 percent of its life underground and about three weeks a year on the surface. Winter is not a retreat. It is just more of the same.
Green Moray Eel
Green Moray Eel is not really green. Its color comes from yellow mucus on brown skin, and a second set of jaws in its throat drags prey down.
What The Juno Spacecraft Found Hiding Under Jupiter’s Clouds
Juno looked beneath Jupiter's swirling clouds and found that its familiar storms are only the beginning of a far stranger world hidden deep inside.
Was Alexander The Great Or Julius Caesar A Better General?
Both Alexander The Great and Julius Caesar are considered some of the greatest generals of all time. But which was better?
These Small Towns In Washington’s San Juan Islands
A ferry ride across these islands of the San Juan archipelago can lead to places where the journey is only part of the appeal.
The Highest Mountain Range In The Lower 48
The Sierra Nevada runs about 400 miles through eastern California, climbing more than two miles above the Owens Valley and topping the Rockies and Cascades.
Where Black Bears Are Spreading Back In The East
Where Black Bears Are Spreading Back In The East traces a comeback from Arkansas releases to new sightings in Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois as forests regrow.
How Long Rattlesnakes Can Go Without Eating In Winter
Western diamondbacks cut their resting metabolism by 72 percent over 168 days without food, and grew longer while doing it. Six months is routine.
Why Space Is So Cold If The Sun Is So Hot
Sunlight crosses the near-vacuum of space without warming it, since so little matter is there to absorb it. Planets heat up, but the space between stays cold.
The Top Nuclear Power States In America
There are many states in America which have active nuclear power plants. These are the top twelve nuclear power producers.
The 10 Tallest Mountains In New Mexico
New Mexico's 10 tallest major mountains include Wheeler Peak, Truchas Peak, and remote summits with restricted hiking access.
The American Mountains With The Most Venomous Snakes
Rattlesnakes and copperheads live in the mountains of New York, Pennsylvania, Colorado, and Arizona, denning on rocky slopes and even along hiking trails.
The American Mountains With A Lake On The Summit
Crater Lake fills a collapsed Oregon volcano, Lake Waiau sits in a cinder cone on Mauna Kea, and Rainier’s lakes lie in ice caves under its summit craters.
The Best Places To Visit On Wisconsin’s Door Peninsula
These 7 destinations along the Door Peninsula each have a distinct character, shaped by Great Lakes scenery, maritime heritage, and charming waterfronts.
The Largest Valley In The United States
California’s Central Valley is the largest US valley ringed by mountains. It grows a quarter of US food, and pumping sank land near Mendota nearly 30 feet.
Wisconsin’s Newport Of The West Is Ringed By Gilded Age Mansions
After the 1871 fire, Chicago's brewers and meatpackers built summer houses on Geneva Lake yet most are still private except for one thats open to visitors
The Last American Shipyards Still Building Ships
Destroyers are built in Bath, Maine, carriers in Newport News, Virginia, and the first US-built heavy icebreaker in about 50 years in Pascagoula, Mississippi.
The Most Ruthless Roman Generals
Roman commanders razed Carthage, crucified 6,000 rebel slaves on the Appian Way, massacred Gallic tribes, and purged rivals with public death lists.
The States That Import The Most Electricity
The states importing the most electricty, like New York, Vermont, and Minnesota, reveal how closely America's energy needs are tied together.
How Much Of The US Is Federal Land Compared To Other Countries
Some countries allow for much more private ownership of land than others. Here's how much federal land the US owns versus other countries.
What Rain Looks Like On Other Planets
As interesting as weather on Earth can be, other planets also undergo meteorological events, and they can be quite extreme.
Was The Ottoman Empire Inspired By The Roman Empire?
The Ottoman Empire's ties to Rome ran from Mehmed II's claim to the title Caesar of Rome to its choice of Constantinople as the new imperial capital.
The Brutal Roman Wars That Shaped North Africa
From the Punic Wars to the Jugurthine War, centuries of conflict between the Romans and the native North African kingdoms brought enormous bloodshed.
The Top Solar Power States In America
Texas and California lead US solar generation, while Florida, Arizona, Nevada, and North Carolina add utility-scale projects, storage, and grid upgrades.
The Highest-Altitude Stadiums In North America
North America's highest stadiums, from Denver's mile-high venues to Mountaineer Bowl in Gunnison and Estadio Nemesio Diez in Toluca, Mexico.
The Largest Asteroids That Will Pass Earth This Century
Certain asteroids, were they to hit Earth, would potentially cause an extinction event. These are the largest we expect to pass near Earth this century.
The US States That Export The Most Electricity
Pennsylvania leads US states in net electricity exports, followed by Alabama and Illinois, as nuclear, gas, and wind plants feed grids across state lines.
US States With the Most Snake Species
The states with the most snake species line the country's southern edge, and eight of the top 10 touch either the Mexican border or the Gulf Coast.