Mountain states

Last updated February 20, 2024

Map of the Rocky Mountains of western North America. RockyMountainsLocatorMap.png — Map of the Rocky Mountains of western North America.

The Mountain states (also known as the Mountain West or the Interior West) form one of the nine geographic divisions of the United States that are officially recognized by the United States Census Bureau. It is a subregion of the Western United States.

The Mountain states are considered to include: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. The words "Mountain states" generally refer to the U.S. States which encompass the U.S. Rocky Mountains. These are oriented north-south through portions of the states of Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico. Arizona and Nevada, as well as other parts of Utah and New Mexico, have other smaller mountain ranges and scattered mountains located in them as well. Sometimes, the Trans-Pecos area of West Texas is considered part of the region. The land area of the eight states together is some 855,767 square miles (2,216,426 km²).

It is the fastest-growing region in the United States, with Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Colorado, and Arizona ranking among the fastest-growing states in the country.^[1]

A few subregions exist within this region:

The Southwest region, consisting of Arizona, New Mexico, Southern Nevada, and Far West Texas ^[2]
The Intermountain region, consisting of Utah, Nevada, and Idaho, along with portions of other states^[3]
The Front Range region, consisting of Northern New Mexico, Colorado, and Southeast Wyoming ^[4]

Regional geography

The Mountain West is one of the largest and most diverse regions in the United States. Most regional boundaries of the Mountain West are often looked at the area from the High Plains to the Sierra Nevada and the Cascade Range. The southern and northern portions of the Mountain West are often split into two separate regions. The southern portion (Arizona and New Mexico) is often called the Southwest region, while the northern portion (Idaho and Montana) is often included in either the Northwest states or called the "Northern Rockies".^[5]

Terrain

The bottom of the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River in Arizona Nankoweap-colorado.jpg — The bottom of the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River in Arizona

Together with the Pacific States of Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington, the Mountain states constitute the broader region of the West, one of the four regions the United States Census Bureau formally recognizes (the Northeast, South, and Midwest being the other three). The terrain of the Mountain West is more diverse than any other region in the United States. Its physical geography ranges from some of the highest mountain peaks in the continental United States to large desert lands and rolling plains in the eastern portion of the region. The Great Basin Desert is located in almost all of Nevada, western Utah, and southern Idaho. Portions of the Mojave Desert are located in California, but over half of the desert is located in southern Nevada, in the Mountain West. Meanwhile, the Sonoran Desert is located in much of Arizona, and the Chihuahuan Desert is located in most of southwestern and southern New Mexico, including White Sands and Jornada del Muerto. Colorado also has scattered desert lands in the southern and northwestern portions of the state, including the expansive San Luis Valley.

Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona have other smaller desert lands, part of the Colorado Plateau. The Painted Desert is located in northern and northeastern Arizona, and the San Rafael Desert is located in eastern Utah. New Mexico has other desert lands located in the northern and northwest. Colorado has large desert lands on the colorado plateau in the northwestern, western, and southern parts of the state. These desert lands in Colorado are located in and around areas such as Royal Gorge, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Pueblo, the San Luis Valley, Cortez, Dove Creek, Delta, Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, the Roan Plateau, Dinosaur National Monument, Colorado National Monument, and the Grand Mesa.^[6] The San Luis Valley is the largest high valley desert in the world.^{[ citation needed ]}

In the far-eastern portions of the Mountain West are the High Plains, a portion of the Great Plains. These plains mainly consist of flat rolling land, with scattered buttes, canyons, and forests located in these areas. The High Plains receive very little rainfall, and sit at high elevations, usually about 3,000 to 6,000 feet (910 to 1,830 m). Many people view the High Plains as the point where one begins to enter the greater Mountain West region.^[7]

The Mountain West has some of the highest mountain peaks in America. Some of the more famous mountains in the Mountain West are Mount Elbert, Pikes Peak, Blanca Peak, Longs Peak, Kings Peak, Wind River Peak, Cloud Peak, Wheeler Peak, Truchas Peak, Granite Peak, Borah Peak, and Humphreys Peak.^[8]

Climate

Snow on the Great Basin Desert of Nevada WheelerSnow.JPG — Snow on the Great Basin Desert of Nevada

The Painted Desert in northeastern Arizona Painteddesert1.JPG — The Painted Desert in northeastern Arizona

The climate of the Mountain West is one of the more diverse climates in the United States. The entire region generally features a semi-arid or arid climate, with somе alpine climates in the mountains of each state. Some parts of the tall mountains can receive very large amounts of snow and rain, while other parts of the region received very little rain, and virtually no snow at all. The High Plains in the eastern portion of the region receive moderate snowfalls, but very little rain.

The states of Nevada and Arizona are generally filled with desert lands and scattered mountain ranges. Much of Nevada receives little to no snow in the southern portion of the state, while northern Nevada can receive large amounts of snow in and around the mountains, and even in the desert lands in Nevada. Arizona generally receives little rain or snow, but high elevations in and near mountains receive extremely large amounts of rain and snow. Northern and northeastern Arizona display characteristics of a "High Desert", where the summers are very hot and dry, while the winters can become very cold, and it can snow as well.

Utah is also generally large desert lands, with mountains as well. However, the desert lands in Utah receive significant snowfall, and there are large amounts of snowfall on and around the mountains. Colorado and New Mexico have very similar climates. Both states can receive significant snowfalls off the mountains, while the mountains in both states receive extremely large amounts of snow. However, southern and southwestern New Mexico generally does not receive much snow at all, similar to southern Nevada and southern Arizona. The desert lands found in northeastern Arizona, eastern Utah, northern New Mexico, and western and southern Colorado are generally referred to as the "High Desert" lands.

The northern portion of the Mountain West tends to be a bit cooler than the southwestern areas. Idaho and Montana both receive significant snowfalls off the mountains and very large snowfalls in the mountains. The High Desert also exists in the northern Mountain West. Southeastern Oregon and southern Idaho have the Great Basin Desert lands located in them, which is part of the high desert.^[9]

The eight Mountain states have the highest mean elevations of all 50 U.S. states.

States

The Mountain states by mean elevation^[10]
Rank	State	Highest point	Highest elevation	Lowest point	Lowest elevation	Mean elevation	Elevation span
1	Colorado	Mount Elbert ^[11]	14,440 ft 4401 m	Arikaree River at Kansas border	3,317 ft 1011 m	6,800 ft 2073 m	11,123 ft 3390 m
2	Wyoming	Gannett Peak ^[12]	13,809 ft 4209 m	Belle Fourche River at South Dakota border	3,100 ft 945 m	6,693 ft 2040 m	10,709 ft 3264 m
3	Utah	Kings Peak ^[13]	13,518 ft 4120 m	Beaver Dam Wash at Arizona border	2,180 ft 664 m	6,100 ft 1859 m	11,338 ft 3456 m.
4	New Mexico	Wheeler Peak ^[14]	13,167 ft 4013 m	Red Bluff on Texas border	2,842 ft 866 m	5,700 ft 1737 m	10,325 ft 3147 m
5	Nevada	Boundary Peak ^[15]	13,147 ft 4007 m	Colorado River at California border	479 ft 146 m	5,500 ft 1676 m	12,668 ft 3861 m
6	Idaho	Borah Peak ^[16]	12,668 ft 3861 m	Snake River at Washington border	710 ft 216 m	5,000 ft 1524 m	11,958 ft 3645 m
7	Arizona	Humphreys Peak ^[17]	12,637 ft 3852 m	Colorado River at Sonora border	70 ft 21 m	4,100 ft 1250 m	12,567 ft 3830 m
8	Montana	Granite Peak ^[18]	12,807 ft 3904 m	Kootenai River at Idaho border.	1,800 ft 549 m	3,400 ft 1036 m	11,007 ft 3355 m
Mountain states		Mount Elbert ^[11]	14,440 ft 4401 m	Colorado River at Sonora border.	70 ft 21 m	5,400 ft 1646 m.	14,370 ft 4380 m.

Demographics

The Phoenix metropolitan area is the most populous metropolitan area of the Mountain states, followed by Denver, Las Vegas, and Salt Lake City. Phoenix is also the most populous city.

Downtown Denver DENCP.JPG — Downtown Denver

The following table is a ranking of cities within the Mountain states region, by city population.

The 30 most populous cities of the Mountain states^[19]
Rank	City	State	2020 pop	2010 pop	Change
1	Phoenix	Arizona	1,608,139	1,445,632	+11.24%
2	Denver	Colorado	715,522	600,158	+19.22%
3	Las Vegas	Nevada	641,903	583,756	+9.96%
4	Albuquerque	New Mexico	564,559	545,852	+3.43%
5	Tucson	Arizona	542,629	520,116	+4.33%
6	Mesa	Arizona	504,258	439,041	+14.85%
7	Colorado Springs	Colorado	478,961	416,427	+15.02%
8	Aurora	Colorado	386,261	325,078	+18.82%
9	Henderson	Nevada	317,610	257,729	+23.23%
10	Chandler	Arizona	275,987	236,123	+16.88%
11	Gilbert	Arizona	267,918	208,453	+28.53%
12	Reno	Nevada	264,165	225,221	+17.29%
13	North Las Vegas	Nevada	262,527	216,961	+21.00%
14	Glendale	Arizona	248,325	226,721	+9.53%
15	Scottsdale	Arizona	241,361	217,385	+11.03%
16	Boise	Idaho	235,684	205,671	+14.59%
17	Salt Lake City	Utah	199,723	186,440	+7.12%
18	Peoria	Arizona	190,985	154,065	+23.96%
19	Tempe	Arizona	180,587	161,719	+11.67%
20	Fort Collins	Colorado	169,810	143,986	+17.94%
21	Lakewood	Colorado	155,984	142,980	+9.09%
22	Surprise	Arizona	143,148	117,517	+21.81%
23	Thornton	Colorado	141,867	118,772	+19.44%
24	West Valley City	Utah	140,230	129,480	+8.30%
25	Arvada	Colorado	124,402	106,433	+16.88%
26	Meridian	Idaho	117,635	75,092	+56.65%
27	Billings	Montana	117,116	104,170	+12.43%
28	West Jordan	Utah	116,961	103,712	+12.77%
29	Westminster	Colorado	116,317	106,114	+9.62%
30	Provo	Utah	115,162	112,488	+2.38%

Census statistical areas

The Las Vegas Strip

The skyline of Salt Lake City Saltlakecityjune2009.jpg — The skyline of Salt Lake City

The Idaho State Capitol in Boise Boise-State-Capitol0601.jpg — The Idaho State Capitol in Boise

The 30 most populous Core Based Statistical Areas of the Mountain states^[19]
Rank	CBSA	2020 pop	2010 pop	Change
1	Phoenix–Mesa–Scottsdale, AZ MSA	4,845,832	4,192,887	+15.57%
2	Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO MSA	2,963,821	2,543,482	+16.53%
3	Las Vegas–Henderson-Paradise, NV MSA	2,265,461	1,951,269	+16.10%
4	Salt Lake City, UT MSA	1,257,936	1,124,197	+11.90%
5	Tucson, AZ MSA	1,043,433	980,263	+6.44%
6	Albuquerque, NM MSA	916,528	887,077	+3.32%
7	Boise City, ID MSA	764,718	616,561	+24.03%
8	Colorado Springs, CO MSA	755,105	645,613	+16.96%
9	Ogden-Clearfield, UT MSA	694,863	597,159	+16.36%
10	Provo-Orem, UT MSA	671,185	526,810	+27.41%
11	Reno, NV MSA	490,596	425,417	+15.32%
12	Fort Collins, CO MSA	359,066	299,630	+19.84%
13	Boulder, CO MSA	330,758	294,567	+12.29%
14	Greeley, CO MSA	328,981	252,825	+30.12%
15	Prescott, AZ MSA	236,209	211,033	+11.93%
16	Las Cruces, NM MSA	219,561	209,233	+4.94%
17	Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ MSA	213,267	200,186	+6.53%
18	Yuma, AZ MSA	203,881	195,751	+4.15%
19	Billings, MT MSA	184,167	158,050	+16.52%
20	Saint George, UT MSA	180,279	138,115	+30.53%
21	Coeur d'Alene, ID MSA	171,362	138,494	+23.73%
22	Pueblo, CO MSA	168,162	159,063	+5.72%
23	Idaho Falls, ID MSA	157,429	130,374	+20.75%
24	Grand Junction, CO MSA	155,703	146,723	+6.12%
25	Santa Fe, NM MSA	154,823	144,170	+7.39%
26	Logan, UT-ID MSA	147,348	125,442	+17.46%
27	Flagstaff, AZ MSA	145,101	134,421	+7.95%
28	Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ MSA	125,447	131,346	−4.49%
29	Farmington, NM MSA	121,661	130,044	−6.45%
30	Missoula, MT MSA	117,922	109,299	+7.89%

The twelve combined statistical areas of the Mountain states^[20]^[21]
Rank	CSA	2014 pop	2010 pop	Change	Component CBSAs
1	Denver-Aurora, CO CSA	3,345,261	3,090,874	+8.23%	Boulder, CO MSA Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO MSA Greeley, CO MSA
2	Salt Lake City-Provo-Orem, UT CSA	2,423,912	2,271,696	+6.70%	Heber, UT µSA Ogden-Clearfield, UT MSA Provo-Orem, UT MSA Salt Lake City, UT MSA
3	Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ CSA	2,315,324	2,195,401	+5.46%	Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ MSA Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV MSA Pahrump, NV µSA
4	Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM Combined Statistical Area	1,165,798	1,146,049	+1.72%	Albuquerque MSA Espanola, NM µSA Grants, NM µSA Las Vegas, NM µSA Los Alamos, NM µSA Santa Fe, NM MSA
5	Tucson-Nogales, AZ CSA	1,051,211	1,027,683	+2.29%	Nogales, AZ µSA Tucson, AZ MSA
6	Boise City-Mountain Home-Ontario, ID-OR CSA	743,711	697,535	+6.62%	Boise City, ID MSA Mountain Home, ID µSA Ontario, OR-ID µSA
7	Reno-Carson City-Fernley, NV CSA	597,837	579,668	+3.13%	Carson City, NV MSA Fernley, NV µSA Gardnerville Ranchos, NV µSA Reno-Sparks, NV MSA
8	Idaho Falls-Rexburg-Blackfoot, ID CSA	234,440	229,650	+2.09%	Idaho Falls, ID MSA Blackfoot, ID µSA Rexburg, ID µSA
9	Pueblo-Cañon City, CO CSA	208,377	205,887	+1.21%	Cañon City, CO µSA Pueblo, CO MSA
10	Edwards-Glenwood Springs, CO CSA	128,008	125,734	+1.81%	Edwards, CO µSA Glenwood Springs, CO µSA
11	Clovis-Portales, NM CSA	70,505	68,222	+3.35%	Clovis, NM µSA Portales, NM µSA
12	Steamboat Springs-Craig, CO Combined Statistical Area	36,793	37,304	−1.37%	Craig, CO µSA Steamboat Springs, CO µSA

Gallery

Bell Rock near Sedona, Arizona
Tombstone, Arizona
Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado
The Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado
Hanging Lake near Glenwood Springs, Colorado.
The rugged San Juan Mountains in Colorado
Borah Peak is the highest point in the state of Idaho.
Redfish Lake in Idaho
Shoshone Falls on the Snake River in Idaho, 1898
The Absaroka Range of Montana.
Autumn comes to Chief Mountain in Glacier National Park in Montana
Feral horses in the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range in Montana
Saint Mary Lake in Glacier National Park in Montana
Stella Lake in Great Basin National Park in Nevada
The Nevada shore of Lake Tahoe
Downtown Reno, Nevada
Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe, New Mexico
The Taos Pueblo of New Mexico.
The Very Large Array near Socorro, New Mexico
Moonrise at White Sands National Park in New Mexico
Sunset at Delicate Arch in Arches National Park in Utah
The Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah
Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park in Utah

Politics

Parties
Democratic	Republican	Populist

Bold denotes election winner.

Year	Arizona	Colorado	Idaho	Montana	Nevada	New Mexico	Utah	Wyoming
Presidential electoral votes in the Mountain states since 1864
1864	No election	No election	No election	No election	Lincoln	No election	No election	No election
1868	No election	No election	No election	No election	Grant	No election	No election	No election
1872	No election	No election	No election	No election	Grant	No election	No election	No election
1876	No election	Hayes	No election	No election	Hayes	No election	No election	No election
1880	No election	Garfield	No election	No election	Hancock	No election	No election	No election
1884	No election	Blaine	No election	No election	Blaine	No election	No election	No election
1888	No election	Harrison	No election	No election	Harrison	No election	No election	No election
1892	No election	Weaver	Weaver	Harrison	Weaver	No election	No election	Harrison
1896	No election	Bryan	Bryan	Bryan	Bryan	No election	Bryan	Bryan
1900	No election	Bryan	Bryan	Bryan	Bryan	No election	McKinley	McKinley
1904	No election	Roosevelt	Roosevelt	Roosevelt	Roosevelt	No election	Roosevelt	Roosevelt
1908	No election	Bryan	Taft	Taft	Bryan	No election	Taft	Taft
1912	Wilson	Wilson	Wilson	Wilson	Wilson	Wilson	Taft	Wilson
1916	Wilson	Wilson	Wilson	Wilson	Wilson	Wilson	Wilson	Wilson
1920	Harding	Harding	Harding	Harding	Harding	Harding	Harding	Harding
1924	Coolidge	Coolidge	Coolidge	Coolidge	Coolidge	Coolidge	Coolidge	Coolidge
1928	Hoover	Hoover	Hoover	Hoover	Hoover	Hoover	Hoover	Hoover
1932	Roosevelt	Roosevelt	Roosevelt	Roosevelt	Roosevelt	Roosevelt	Roosevelt	Roosevelt
1936	Roosevelt	Roosevelt	Roosevelt	Roosevelt	Roosevelt	Roosevelt	Roosevelt	Roosevelt
1940	Roosevelt	Willkie	Roosevelt	Roosevelt	Roosevelt	Roosevelt	Roosevelt	Roosevelt
1944	Roosevelt	Dewey	Roosevelt	Roosevelt	Roosevelt	Roosevelt	Roosevelt	Dewey
1948	Truman	Truman	Truman	Truman	Truman	Truman	Truman	Truman
1952	Eisenhower	Eisenhower	Eisenhower	Eisenhower	Eisenhower	Eisenhower	Eisenhower	Eisenhower
1956	Εisenhower	Eisenhower	Eisenhower	Eisenhower	Eisenhower	Eisenhower	Eisenhower	Eisenhower
1960	Nixon	Nixon	Nixon	Nixon	Kennedy	Kennedy	Nixon	Nixon
1964	Goldwater	Johnson	Johnson	Johnson	Johnson	Johnson	Johnson	Johnson
1968	Nixon	Nixon	Nixon	Nixon	Nixon	Nixon	Nixon	Nixon
1972	Nixon	Nixon	Nixon	Nixon	Nixon	Nixon	Nixon	Nixon
1976	Ford	Ford	Ford	Ford	Ford	Ford	Ford	Ford
1980	Reagan	Reagan	Reagan	Reagan	Reagan	Reagan	Reagan	Reagan
1984	Reagan	Reagan	Reagan	Reagan	Reagan	Reagan	Reagan	Reagan
1988	Bush	Bush	Bush	Bush	Bush	Bush	Bush	Bush
1992	Bush	Clinton	Bush	Clinton	Clinton	Clinton	Bush	Bush
1996	Clinton	Dole	Dole	Dole	Clinton	Clinton	Dole	Dole
2000	Bush	Bush	Bush	Bush	Bush	Gore	Bush	Bush
2004	Bush	Bush	Bush	Bush	Bush	Bush	Bush	Bush
2008	McCain	Obama	McCain	McCain	Obama	Obama	McCain	McCain
2012	Romney	Obama	Romney	Romney	Obama	Obama	Romney	Romney
2016	Trump	Clinton	Trump	Trump	Clinton	Clinton	Trump	Trump
2020	Biden	Biden	Trump	Trump	Biden	Biden	Trump	Trump
Year	Arizona	Colorado	Idaho	Montana	Nevada	New Mexico	Utah	Wyoming

Time zones

Mountain Time is observed in nearly the entire division, except Nevada (all but the stateline city of West Wendover) and the Idaho Panhandle. With the exception of West Wendover and Jackpot, Nevada, the entire state of Nevada, along with the Idaho Panhandle, observes Pacific Time. Daylight saving time is not observed in Arizona, except for lands within the Navajo Nation (northeast corner of the state) which observe daylight saving time due to the Nation traversing state lines. For this reason, most of Arizona is one hour behind the rest of the Mountain Time Zone from the second Sunday in March until the first Sunday in November.^[22]

Related Research Articles

The term "United States," when used in the geographical sense, refers to the contiguous United States, the state of Alaska, the island state of Hawaii, the five insular territories of Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa, and minor outlying possessions. The United States shares land borders with Canada and Mexico and maritime borders with Russia, Cuba, The Bahamas, and many other countries, mainly in the Caribbeanin addition to Canada and Mexico. The northern border of the United States with Canada is the world's longest bi-national land border.

The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural region of the United States that includes Arizona and New Mexico, along with adjacent portions of California, Colorado, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah. The largest cities by metropolitan area are Phoenix, Las Vegas, El Paso, Albuquerque, and Tucson. Before 1848, in the historical region of Santa Fe de Nuevo México as well as parts of Alta California and Coahuila y Tejas, settlement was almost non-existent outside of Nuevo México's Pueblos and Spanish or Mexican municipalities. Much of the area had been a part of New Spain and Mexico until the United States acquired the area through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 and the smaller Gadsden Purchase in 1854.

The Western United States is the region comprising the westernmost U.S. states. As American settlement in the U.S. expanded westward, the meaning of the term the West changed. Before around 1800, the crest of the Appalachian Mountains was seen as the western frontier. The frontier moved westward and eventually the lands west of the Mississippi River were considered the West.

The territory of the United States and its overseas possessions has evolved over time, from the colonial era to the present day. It includes formally organized territories, proposed and failed states, unrecognized breakaway states, international and interstate purchases, cessions, and land grants, and historical military departments and administrative districts. The last section lists informal regions from American vernacular geography known by popular nicknames and linked by geographical, cultural, or economic similarities, some of which are still in use today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sangre de Cristo Mountains</span> Mountain range in Colorado and New Mexico, United States

The Sangre de Cristo Mountains are the southernmost subrange of the Rocky Mountains. They are located in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico in the United States. The mountains run from Poncha Pass in South-Central Colorado, trending southeast and south, ending at Glorieta Pass, southeast of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The mountains contain a number of fourteen thousand foot peaks in the Colorado portion, as well as several peaks in New Mexico which are over thirteen thousand feet.

The Intermountain West, or Intermountain Region, is a geographic and geological region of the Western United States. It is located between the Rocky Mountain Front on the east and the Cascade Range and Sierra Nevada on the west.

The geography of the U.S. State of Colorado is diverse, encompassing both rugged mountainous terrain, vast plains, desert lands, desert canyons, and mesas. Colorado is a landlocked U.S. state. In 1861, the United States Congress defined the boundaries of the new Territory of Colorado exclusively by lines of latitude and longitude, stretching from 37°N to 41°N latitude, and from 102°02'48"W to 109°02'48"W longitude. Starting in 1868, official surveys demarcated the boundaries, deviating from the parallels and meridians in several places. Later surveys attempted to correct some of these mistakes but in 1925 the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed that the earlier demarcation was the official boundary. The borders of Colorado are now officially defined by 697 boundary markers connected by straight boundary lines. Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah are the only states that have their borders defined solely by straight boundary lines with no natural features. The southwest corner of Colorado is the Four Corners Monument at 36°59'56"N, 109°2'43"W. This is the only place in the United States where four states meet: Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah.

The characteristics of United States rainfall climatology differ significantly across the United States and those under United States sovereignty. Summer and early fall bring brief, but frequent thundershowers and tropical cyclones which create a wet summer and drier winter in the eastern Gulf and lower East Coast. During the winter, and spring, Pacific storm systems bring Hawaii and the western United States most of their precipitation. Low pressure systems moving up the East Coast and through the Great Lakes, bring cold season precipitation to from the Midwest to New England, as well as Great Salt Lake. The snow to liquid ratio across the contiguous United States averages 13:1, meaning 13 inches (330 mm) of snow melts down to 1 inch (25 mm) of water.

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The landlocked U.S. state of Nevada has a varied geography and is almost entirely within the Basin and Range Province and is broken up by many north–south mountain ranges. Most of these ranges have endorheic valleys between them.

The landlocked U.S. state of Utah is known for its natural diversity and is home to features ranging from arid deserts with sand dunes to thriving pine forests in mountain valleys. It is a rugged and geographically diverse state at the convergence of three distinct geological regions: the Rocky Mountains, the Great Basin, and the Colorado Plateau.

Arizona is a landlocked state situated in the southwestern region of the United States of America. It has a vast and diverse geography famous for its deep canyons, high- and low-elevation deserts, numerous natural rock formations, and volcanic mountain ranges. Arizona shares land borders with Utah to the north, the Mexican state of Sonora to the south, New Mexico to the east, and Nevada to the northwest, as well as water borders with California and the Mexican state of Baja California to the southwest along the Colorado River. Arizona is also one of the Four Corners states and is diagonally adjacent to Colorado.

The U.S. state of Wyoming lies in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States and has a varied geography. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to the south. Wyoming is the least populous U.S. state and has the second-lowest population density behind Alaska.

Mount Manchester is the highest peak in the Dead Mountains of extreme northeastern San Bernardino County, California, in the Mojave Desert.

References

↑ "Change in Resident Population of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico: 1910 to 2020" (PDF).
↑ "The Southwest Defined". jsw.library.arizona.edu. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
↑ Blake, Reed H. (2002). The Intermountain West: a story of a place and people. Boston, MA: Pearson Custon Pub. ISBN 0-536-66915-5. OCLC 51680869.
↑ "Front Range - America 2050". www.america2050.org. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
↑ "Chapter 9 - THE MOUNTAIN WEST AND SOUTHWEST". Geography: USA. Archived from the original on June 14, 2010. Retrieved February 25, 2011.
↑ The Shifting Terrain of the Mountain West Archived July 7, 2011, at the Wayback Machine . Research.allacademic.com (May 7, 2013). Retrieved on 2013-07-17.
↑ Welcome - High Plains Regional Climate Center. Hprcc.unl.edu (June 13, 2013). Retrieved on 2013-07-17.
↑ Private Tutor. Infoplease.com. Retrieved on July 17, 2013.
↑ North American Deserts. DesertUSA. Retrieved on July 17, 2013.
↑ See the List of U.S. states by elevation.
1 2 "Mount Elbert". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce . Retrieved October 20, 2011.
↑ "Gannett Peak Cairn". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce . Retrieved October 20, 2011.
↑ "Kings Peak Target". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce . Retrieved October 20, 2011.
↑ "Wheeler". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce . Retrieved October 20, 2011.
↑ "Boundary". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce . Retrieved October 20, 2011.
↑ "Beauty Reset". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce . Retrieved October 20, 2011.
↑ "Frisco". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce . Retrieved October 20, 2011.
↑ "Granite Peak". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce . Retrieved October 20, 2011.
1 2 "2020 Census QuickFacts". Census QuickFacts. United States Census Bureau, Population Division. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010, to July 1, 2014 - United States -- Combined Statistical Area; and for Puerto Rico". The American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau, Population Division. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
↑ "OMB Bulletin No. 13-01: Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Combined Statistical Areas, and Guidance on Uses of the Delineations of These Areas" (PDF). Office of Management and Budget . February 28, 2013. Retrieved August 15, 2015– via National Archives.
↑ Gettings, John; Brunner, Borgna (April 21, 2018). "Daylight Saving Time". InfoPlease.

External links

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44°24′00″N110°36′00″W / 44.4000°N 110.6000°W / 44.4000; -110.6000

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[1] "Change in Resident Population of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico: 1910 to 2020" (PDF).

[2] "The Southwest Defined". jsw.library.arizona.edu. Retrieved March 21, 2020.

[3] Blake, Reed H. (2002). The Intermountain West: a story of a place and people. Boston, MA: Pearson Custon Pub. ISBN 0-536-66915-5. OCLC 51680869.

[4] "Front Range - America 2050". www.america2050.org. Retrieved March 21, 2020.

[5] "Chapter 9 - THE MOUNTAIN WEST AND SOUTHWEST". Geography: USA. Archived from the original on June 14, 2010. Retrieved February 25, 2011.

[6] The Shifting Terrain of the Mountain West Archived July 7, 2011, at the Wayback Machine . Research.allacademic.com (May 7, 2013). Retrieved on 2013-07-17.

[7] Welcome - High Plains Regional Climate Center. Hprcc.unl.edu (June 13, 2013). Retrieved on 2013-07-17.

[8] Private Tutor. Infoplease.com. Retrieved on July 17, 2013.

[9] North American Deserts. DesertUSA. Retrieved on July 17, 2013.

[10] See the List of U.S. states by elevation.

[Mount_Elbert-11] 1 2 "Mount Elbert". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce . Retrieved October 20, 2011.

[12] "Gannett Peak Cairn". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce . Retrieved October 20, 2011.

[13] "Kings Peak Target". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce . Retrieved October 20, 2011.

[14] "Wheeler". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce . Retrieved October 20, 2011.

[15] "Boundary". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce . Retrieved October 20, 2011.

[16] "Beauty Reset". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce . Retrieved October 20, 2011.

[17] "Frisco". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce . Retrieved October 20, 2011.

[18] "Granite Peak". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce . Retrieved October 20, 2011.

[AFF-incorp-places-19] 1 2 "2020 Census QuickFacts". Census QuickFacts. United States Census Bureau, Population Division. Retrieved April 12, 2022.

[AFF-comb-stats-area-20] "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010, to July 1, 2014 - United States -- Combined Statistical Area; and for Puerto Rico". The American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau, Population Division. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2015.

[OMB_delineations-21] "OMB Bulletin No. 13-01: Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Combined Statistical Areas, and Guidance on Uses of the Delineations of These Areas" (PDF). Office of Management and Budget . February 28, 2013. Retrieved August 15, 2015– via National Archives.

[22] Gettings, John; Brunner, Borgna (April 21, 2018). "Daylight Saving Time". InfoPlease.

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