WorldAtlas Latest Articles

Places

Jaws Never Left Martha’s Vineyard

Edgartown played Amity and the Jaws Bridge still draws jumpers. Fifty years on, Martha's Vineyard still has the great whites offshore.

Cities

The 12 Can't-Miss Towns In The Adirondack Mountains

The 12 Can’t-Miss Towns In The Adirondack Mountains include Keene Valley’s High Peaks trailheads, Long Lake’s seaplanes, and Ausable Chasm’s gorge.

Towns

11 Best Midwest Towns For Retirees

The best Midwest towns for retirees, from Traverse City and Rochester to Sioux Falls and Branson, with affordable living, strong healthcare, and great scenery.

Places

The First State Park In America

Dedicated in 1885 after a campaign led by Frederick Law Olmsted, Niagara Falls State Park in New York is the oldest state park in America still operating today.

Industries

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.

Lakes

How Crater Lake Holds More Water Than Lake Okeechobee Despite Being Smaller

Lake Okeechobee is about 36 times larger than Crater Lake, yet Oregon's Crater Lake holds nearly five times as much water. Here is why depth matters.

Lakes

The Smallest Freighter Still Working The Great Lakes

MV Tamarack, a 403-foot cement carrier that entered service in 2025, is the shortest freighter on the Great Lakes, 116 feet shorter than the steamer Alpena.

Rivers

The Rivers Where Striped Bass Run Farthest Upstream

Striped bass leave the sea each spring and run far up the Delaware, Hudson, Roanoke, and Potomac rivers, some reaching dams over 200 river miles inland.

Lakes

How Lake Nicaragua Compares To The Great Lakes

Lake Nicaragua loses to every Great Lake on every measurement. It wins exactly one category and it is the one people care about, because it has sharks.

Industries

What Happens If A Refinery Belt Goes Offline

A Gulf Coast, Midwest, or West Coast refinery shutdown would cut US gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel supplies, raising prices for drivers, farms, and freight.

Wildlife By Place

How Far Grizzlies Have Spread Beyond Yellowstone

How Far Grizzlies Have Spread Beyond Yellowstone depends on direction, as the Yellowstone range shrinks while northern bears push south to close the gap.

Wildlife By Place

Why Snakes Come Back Out During A Warm Spell In November

Snakes come back out during a November warm spell because they brumate rather than hibernate, emerging to bask whenever a sunny day warms them enough to move.

Animals

Nile Perch

Nile Perch can grow longer than a person is tall, a silver African giant that became both a fishing fortune and an ecological disaster in Lake Victoria.

Space

What Happens If An Astronaut Gets Sick In Space

There is no emergency room 250 miles above Earth. Astronauts rely on trained crewmates, doctors on the ground, and sometimes an early ride home.

Ancient World

Who Were The Most Underrated Ancient Greek Generals?

This article explores some of the most underrated Ancient Greek generals, including Brasidas, Epaminondas, Nicias, and Philip II.

Industries

What Happens When The Wind Stops In A Wind-Powered State

When wind output drops in Texas and the Great Plains, gas plants, batteries, regional grids, and demand cuts fill the gap.

Animals

Why Squirrels Forget Where They Bury Their Nuts

Why Squirrels Forget Where They Bury Their Nuts is the wrong question, as squirrels map, sort, and even fake-bury nuts, and lost acorns plant new oaks.

Mountains

The American Mountains With The Most Copperheads

Copperheads in Virginia's Blue Ridge, the Smokies, Missouri's Ozarks, New York's Hudson Highlands, and Connecticut favor rocky slopes and woodland edges.

Industries

The American Towns Built Entirely Around A Car Plant

Dearborn, Michigan, grew up around Ford, while Kenosha, Lordstown, and Marysville rose with the AMC, GM, and Honda plants that reshaped their local economies.

Society

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.

Destinations

5 Caribbean Islands That Are Affordable In 2026

A $2 ferry in Puerto Rico, a $55 room in Santo Domingo, a $6 bowl of oil down in Grenada: five Caribbean islands where the prices have not caught up yet.

Ancient World

The Non-Italian Emperors Who Ruled Rome

Non-Italians often rose to prominence in Ancient Rome, with some even attaining the highest-ranking position in the empire.

Mountains

The American Mountains Where Snakebites Happen Most Often

The American Mountains Where Snakebites Happen Most Often include North Carolina’s Blue Ridge, where well-hidden copperheads cause most of the state’s bites.

Climate

Every Place In America That Averages Over 200 Inches Of Snow

At just 95 feet above sea level, Valdez averages more snow than some mountain stations, showing why America's 200-inch snow zones aren't all peaks.

Industries

The Top Paper-Producing States In America

Paper still runs deep in American manufacturing, with leading states producing everything from packaging and tissue to pulp and specialty grades.

Stories

Visiting The Best Spots Along Lake Huron's Shoreline

Lake Huron's 3,827 miles of shoreline run from the Pinery's dunes to Tobermory's shipwrecks and on to Mackinac Island, split between Ontario and Michigan.

Space

What Would Happen If The Moon Disappeared

Our world relies on the Moon for far more than most realize. Here's exactly what would happen if the Moon were to disappear.

Ancient World

The Roman Generals Who Won Battles But Lost Their Wars

Roman generals achieved some major victories in individual battles. However, these didn’t always translate into success in the larger war.

Ancient World

The Most Hated Roman Emperors In History

Discover the most hated Roman emperors in history, from Caligula and Nero to Commodus, and the cruelty and power struggles behind their infamous reigns.

Mountains

The 10 Tallest Mountains In New York

Mount Marcy tops New York's 10 tallest mountains, a set of Adirondack summits that includes Algonquin Peak, Olympic-era Whiteface, and remote Basin Mountain.

Mountains

The 10 Tallest Mountains In The Adirondacks

The Adirondacks' 10 tallest mountains combine ancient geology, challenging hikes, alpine summits, and fascinating historical landmarks.

Mountains

The 10 Tallest Mountains In Hawaii

Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa top Hawaii's 10 tallest mountains, a list that also takes in Haleakalā on Maui and remote rainforest summits on Kauai and Molokai.

Space

Which Planet Has The Most Extreme Seasons?

Uranus has the most extreme seasons in the solar system, with a sideways tilt, 21-year seasons, and decades of continuous polar darkness.

Ancient World

When Were The Last Egyptian Pyramids Built?

Their size and longevity of the pyamids continue to impress people thousands of years later. It's therefore worth asking when the last pyramids were built.

Destinations

These Lakeside Towns On Lake Champlain Deserve A Long Weekend

From Burlington and Shelburne in Vermont to Essex and Ticonderoga in New York, these Lake Champlain towns make an easy long weekend of history and lake views.

Space

The American Town Where Wi-Fi Is Banned For Radio Astronomy

These days, prioritizing anything beyond wi-fi service is rare. But in one American town, radio astronomy takes precedence.

Stories

National Parks And Monuments You’ve Seen In The Movies

Tatooine is Death Valley, the mothership landed by Devils Tower, and the road to the Overlook Hotel runs through Glacier. All are still open to visitors.

Destinations

The Real Places Behind Panem In Sunrise on the Reaping

The 50th Hunger Games arena is a glacial valley in Asturias. The Capitol is a Berlin airfield, District 12 a Ruhr ironworks, and you can walk into all three.

Geography

How Far The Appalachians Run Compared To The Alps

The Appalachians run about 2,000 miles to the Alps' 750, but the Alps are far taller and much younger, formed long after Pangea built the ancient Appalachians

Geography

How Far Apart America's Extremes Actually Are

America is a large country, and when its territories are factored in, its geographic extremes become even more prominent.